Log 26 July 2009

ADVERTISED KINLOCHLEVEN 26 JULY 2009

Koon was down to co-ordinate this walk, and after reading the weather forecast for the week end, asked if people could change to the Saturday.
  The following reports indicate what actually happened.   We are nothing if not flexible and very idiosyncratic.
 
Saturday
Waited for 10 minutes at the car park, but no one turned up, so Koon decided to head up to Kinlochleven alone. Arrived at the Mamore Lodge Hotel at 9am and noted that a hefty parking fee of £3 was payable! Still, this did save an ascent of 200m or so and so it was decided this was worth the price. Having kitted up, she had difficulty finding her way out of the car park! Not a good start.
Once the correct track was located, it was a pleasant walk towards Loch Eilde Mor, where a stalkers path leads up to SGURR EILDE MOR. Once Coire an Lochain was reached, Sgurr Eilde Mor was climbed from the south ridge. Here there were plenty of  loose rocks and boulders to clamber over before the summit was reached. A quick snack was had, before a descent down the north ridge.
This was a very steep descent and on very loose scree. Joined the original stalkers path towards BINNEIN BEAG, where it was climbed from the south ridge.   Again, very similar to Sgurr Eilde Mor and so plenty of rocks and boulders to overcome.   Nice climb though.   Time was now 1 pm and given the pleasant day, she decided to continue onto BINNEAN MOR and then NA GRUAGAICHEAN. Two routes were possible for Binnein Mor, by either the north-east ridge (which requires a scramble) or a walk up the north ridge. As it was such a fine day, the scramble was decided upon! After a pathless steep hike to the col of the north east ridge, a 200m scrambling section was reached. The schist was dry and warm and that gave lots of positive holds, making it an enjoyable climb to the narrow summit of Binnein Mor.   It was then an easy stroll up to Na Gruagaichean on rocky ground.  Descent was via the south ridge and then south-west towards Mamore Lodge. This was a horrible descent on extremely steep heather, grass and fern, but admittedly it was the quicker route down.   Back to the car at 4:05 pm and the sun was still shining.   A great day had on an excellent round of four Munros in 7 hours and highly recommended to anyone who hasn’t done these!

Report by Koon Morris

 

Sunday dawned as forecast, very wet after a very wet night.  Nothing daunts the MMC (or at least some of them), so 5 set off as follows for shorter, or at least more local hills.


7am we 5
(Laurence, driving, with Donald and Noelle and Fraser, driving, with Allan) met in the car park as the alternative wet and windy walk after Koon’s beautiful day on Saturday. Well we had a beautiful day too. Laurence, Donald and Noelle headed off to do Beinn a’ Choin (Corbett) east of Loch Lomond.
 

It was not as wild as expected when we arrived at Corriearklet  however we stuck to the plan to stay low in the glen following the Corriearklet Burn to Bealach a’Mheim and headed off from the car at 8.25am.   All were fully geared up in waterproofs with not a lot left in our rucksacks.   Donald wisely put his pieces in his pocket and walked carrying only an umbrella which he kept up till about 100m below the summit and so he managed to stay relatively dry!
To our delight we found a trace of a path all the way alongside the burn and made good progress almost up to the bealach.  The mist briefly lifted once and we glimpsed impressive cliffs above us to the left.

At the confluence of the 3 tributaries we navigated our way up steep ground to the bealach then having failed to find the obvious fence to follow to the summit we continued to navigate and pace across very interesting ground and finally found the fence just as it was time to leave for the final (fairly level) 200m to the summit.  Much to our disappointment there were no gales to blow us off our feet …we really wanted to see Donald being carried away by his umbrella…serves him right for staying so dry!

A brief touch on the summit which was very windy and then time to eat in the shelter of some large boulders. (2 hours  10mins) The real joy of the day was being out on a beautiful wild day, taking all the weather can throw at us and still stay warm and happy.

The descent was pleasant despite being into the wind and we decided to stay high on the ridge south to Stob an Fhainne (following the fence). The weather began to show promise and we got a brief view west then as we descended round Meall Odhar the glen began to clear and finally as we reached the road only 200m from the car a shaft of sunlight brightened the slopes of Cruachan, a wee hill 537m across the glen to the south.
The rain had stopped so we were all dry and warm for the short drive back to Milngavie, home by 2pm(ish) in brilliant sunshine!

Thank you for rising to the challenge and joining me for another day in the hills.

Report by Noelle Ryan
 

Fraser and Allan set off to Glen Artney to do the Graham BEINN DEARG.
   The torrential rain had eased by the time they got there, and they followed the river on the south side of the mountain, crossing it with difficulty, and ascended the south ridge with the wind and the now persistent rain at their backs.   Escaping the wind, and keeping the rain on their backs, a compass course to the north saw them down to a wood which was circumnavigated at length alongside the river on the north side, which was by now also in full spate.   The rain stopped, the sun came out, and the views were beautiful, with sightings of very healthy looking stags, and later some hinds.  All was set for a trouble free stroll through the grassy col between Dearg and Halton.   The moral of the story is that alongside another river in spate, and hemmed in by a high deer fence, the ground was a swamp, with evidently sound grassy tussocks frequently giving way, and leaving us floundering up to our unmentionables in deep peaty pools.   That the ground is always like that was confirmed when we spoke to two gentlemen feeding pheasant chicks beside the track that finally led up to the car.   Useful knowledge gained for planning future walks, good exercise, and deemed a good day.   
In the circumstances, 2 hours 45 minutes to the summit was good going.  
6 hours to get down was at times something of an ordeal.

Report by Fraser Gold