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After a sizzling hot day climbing Ben Challum with its compelling views of the Crianlarich duo we knew what we had to do.
Crianlarich hills from Ben Challum
Ben More & Stob Binnein
The target for the next day was to come back and climb this pair following the WH route up the north side of Ben More and over to Stob Binnein then down from the bealach. But I went to bed with a niggling concern that doing this would be a long hard slog in the heat of the sun which could possibly put paid to including Stob Binnein and if given a choice Stob Binnein was the one I'd rather do. So in the morning I suggested to Moira we go straight for Stob Binnein via the bealach..... and I think she was relieved, but not half as relieved as when she saw those steep grassy slopes as we passed them on the track!
We parked in the off road layby that boasts a snack van east of Benmore Farm and walked along the busy A85 to a wooden sign pointing over a muddy ditch to a low wooden stile. Well to be accurate we walked past the sign to the farm on account of concentrating so hard on crossing the road without being mown down that I missed it. As someone observed it does seem an inconsequential start to climbing a magnificent pair of hills - the Castor and Pollux of the Scottish Highlands! Once on the zigzag track height is gained steadily and we were soon away from the annoying visual effects of the overhead cables from the pylons.
Benmore Farm
The track leads to a gate and once through that the direct route for Ben More is straight up the grassy slopes.... but we kept going on the track.
Track heading south alongside the Benmore Burn
Towards the end of the track there's a short cul de sac off to the right which we should have taken as that's where the faint path to the bealach begins. But we didn't see it and stayed on the track then struck off over the marshy ground in a south easterly direction. I knew we were looking for a path on the south side of a stream coming down from the bealach but there were several small streams shown on the map and I didn't know which one had the path. In fact I stepped over the correct stream where it was only one foot across (and at that point had no path) and headed for what seemed to me the more significant stream which I could hear but couldn't see as it was hidden in its gully. I crossed it, still couldn't see any path but climbed up to an area strewn with errant rocks and found a flat one to sit on as it was time for our first stop.
Meanwhile Moira was chatting to two men and a dog she had met. She asked if they were climbing Ben More to which they replied "Where is Ben More?". She showed them on the map where it was and where they were and they continued happily on their way. We didn't see them again and hope they made it okay! Then she came over to where I was sitting and told me I had overshot the path which she had correctly located going up the side of the stream I had stepped over. So after a food break we returned to the path and started the climb up to the bealach. It was wet in places and sometimes disappeared but was on the whole a good path that took us all the way up to the stony ground at the bealach.
Ben Challum - from this angle looking like the Paps of Jura (which we think we saw from the summit)
Cruach Ardrain peeping over Stob Garbh from path to bealach
Further up
Bealach-eader-dha-Bheinn
Ben Lawers and Loch Tay from bealach
Beinn Laoigh from bealach
That big rock and Cruach Ardrain
At the bealach I found a rock to sit on and watched three tiny figures wending their way down the zigzag path off Ben More. These tiny figures materialised into three guys on the first day of a three day walking holiday from their hometown of Guildford. They had taken the direct route from Benmore Farm and confirmed it was unrelenting and brutal on a warm day like this. We got talking about hill routes and it turned out they are registered on Walkhighlands so I took their photo to include in my report. You've heard of the Guildford Four - well here are the Guildford Three!
Gerard, James and David
They were off to Stob Binnein next so I bid them farewell and said if they hung about at the top we might catch them later.
Ben More from slopes of Stob Binnein
And sure enough, at the top they were still there enjoying the views
Next they wanted to visit the small lochan on the south ridge and were planning to drop down from there and follow the Benmore Burn back to the start. We didn't see them again but noted their car was gone from the layby so presume that all went to plan. It was good meeting you guys and hope the next day wasn't too much of a wash out with the weather!
Heading for the south ridge
Stob Binnein summit cairn
Moira on summit cairn
Flat table top of Stob Binnein looking north
Crianlarich hills and Arrochar Alps
Ben Vorlich & Stuc a' Chroin
After a good hour up there and a leisurely lunch we headed back down the way we had come, finding the path easier to follow on the descent and managing to hold on to it all the way back to the track. If I had found it in the first place it would have led me to the crossing over the burn which was obvious on the return!
Crossing over point
We made it back to the car in good time and then to the Green Welly in Tyndrum for a tasty chicken pasta which hit the spot before heading up the road through Rannoch Moor and Glencoe where we had to stop to take the classic Big Bookil shot. The scenic drive north made a fitting end to a glorious day.
Buachaille Etive Mor
So were we right to abandon More in favour of Binnein? I suppose I'll never know but I think so. It hadn't occurred to me not to do the two together until seeing what climbing in the heat did to my pal the day before. She wouldn't have liked that steep ascent but she would have had a go for my sake and in the end I couldn't do that to her. Better to reduce the target and have a day we both enjoyed - with lots of stops to chat to folk and enjoy the surroundings. Sometimes less is more.
