walkhighlands


An atmospheric day in paradise

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Munros: A' Chralaig, Mullach Fraoch-choire
Date walked: 10/10/2009
Comments: 5
Views: 4083

A quick ascent of Bynack More

Route: Bynack More from Glenmore

Munros: Bynack More

Date walked: 08/08/2009

Date: Sat 8th Aug 2009
Time taken: 3 hours 30 minutes
Who - Just me

Standard Route used for this walk, parking up on the main Cairngorm Road opposite the Glenmore Lodge. The weather was ideal, dry and sunny although a few big lumps of black clouds hung aroung the summit of Cairngorm. The car said the air temp was 19C outside so decided to go with knee length shorts and a tee shirt with the obligatory warm jacket in the rucksack, should things change for the worse.

I had intended walking the entire route but time constraints restricted me so I decided to cycle the first part. The tracks along the initial route are first class, as the picture below shows, and in no time at all Lochan Uaine was reached.

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I've seen many pictures of this loch before and awed at its colour but to see it first hand is a truly surreal experience.

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There are a couple of short steep bits where I had to get off the bike and push but 30 mins after leaving the car I am at the bridge.

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Time to hide the bike and start on foot. First views on Bynack More, which seems o so far away (zoomed picture).

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Onwards and upwards, easy going on a well trodden path.

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And looking back, you can make out the end of the good path were I left the bike.

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Soon a plateau is reached and a little respite to the climb. The landscape at this point looks more like - well you make up your own mind.

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The respite does not last long and you can now see the last (steep) push up to the summit.

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Nearly there now

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False summit there's a bit more to go yet

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And finally the cairn - those clouds look like the rain bearing type.

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So onto the summit in around 2 hours from the car - time for a quick bite to eat - the wind is blowing a gale now - wonder if I can find a boulder to shelter behind !

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I take shelter and tuck into lunch but sods law prevails and the very slightest rain drops start to fall. The clouds to the west are getting horrendously black so fearing a deluge and with the wind already strong decide to cut short lunch and make a start down. I descend down the east side of the hill which gives me shelter from the wind. I really shudder to think what this hill would be like in height of the winter. Descent is rapid however and the rain stays away. The picture below show the paths in the area, the standard route (up and down) is the one from the Y fork in the foreground to the right to join up with the path extreme right.

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An uneventful return gets me back to the car in under an hour and a half, so 3.5 hours for the round trip.

In summary the walk turned out much better than I was expecting. The bike certainly saves a lot of time over the flat valley section. I hate to think how exposed and cold this walk would be in winer - keep it for a good day.

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Comments: 5


jaml23



Munros: 282



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Statistics

2009

Trips: 2
Munros: 3


Joined: Apr 13, 2009
Last visited: Apr 30, 2014
Total posts: 6 | Search posts