From a site that boasts almost 400 members (Caberfeidh Munro Baggers) you can count on one hand the active participants that attend any of these given events. One of the theories we have for this low turn out is that most of the members read the accounts of myself and Mike (mostly) on here and think they would not keep up with us or that we take on too much in a day...hopefully this story will go some way to dispelling those fears and perhaps see a rise in numbers for the next arranged meet up...fingers crossed anyway as I would certainly like to meet some of the members that regularly read this blog, or press 'like' to all the pictures we post on Facebook...anyway...on with the story;
The car felt like it was on auto-pilot as I followed the A82 snaking through Glencoe, on the way to Kinlochleven for the latest CMB meet up. I had just bagged Stob Coir'an Albannaich and Meall nan Eun in Glen Etive, the last two I had left to do from that particular area. My mind started drifting to what awaited me in Kinlochleven...I already knew we would be without Mike (text on Thursday Morning) and was now aware that Angus had also bitten the dust (a text from Paddy awaited my return to the car this afternoon). From an initial ten members booking accommodation at the Tailrace and Forest View B&B we were now down to a possible four attendees...it also left myself and Paddy as the only two with any Munro experience...Frank and Paul were the proverbial virgins!!!
I arrived at the Tailrace just after six, as arranged, and text Paddy to come down and meet me at the bar. When he arrived he informed me that Frank and Paul would be here within half an hour...and also that Angus was coming along tomorrow afternoon to meet us after our walk to enjoy the evenings festivities and also hopefully walk on the Sunday...things were now looking up again. I disappeared upstairs to get showered and changed, before returning to the bar and finding Frank and Paul had arrived on schedule. It was good to see Frank again (not seen him since the last event here in February) and meet Paul for the first time. Within minutes I knew that Paul would fit right in with the group dynamics, he was up for a laugh, liked a drink and didn't mind being the butt of Franks usual humour.
As was the case on our last trip to Kinlochleven (see 6 strangers and the hangovers from hell...up a Corbett) the evening was spent in the Tailrace, eating good hearty food, drinking copious amounts of alcohol and sharing funny stories from our pasts. There were fond reminiscences of previous attendees and laments for those missing tonight...but mostly it was about slagging off Frank and his teddy bear fetish!!!
It would be remiss of me to mention any of the shenanigans that occurred whilst under the influence of alcohol, suffice to say that what happens on tour stays on tour (if you want to know more then feel free to come along next February for the next one here), but I will allay any fears that animals or children were hurt in the making of this epic.
As we meandered our way home through the streets of Kinlochleven at half twelve in the morning, we realised how warm it still was...a good sign for the weather tomorrow???
A bright and early-ish start to the day was in order...mostly because I had ordered breakfast at eight instead of nine...get over it guys!!!
Once fed and watered we were out in the car park sorting out what we needed for the day, basically sun cream and lots of it by the looks of things! Paddy suggested driving up to the old Mamore lodge hotel site, to avoid any west highland way walkers on the way up the old slopes. He was happy to drive and we were happy to let him...and so our day began;
We set off from the car, leaving it at the old hotel site, and headed east along the track, passing through the stalkers cottages (we had seen the lights high on the hill last night from the pub) and then following it left as it curves around the valley of the Allt Coire na Ba and heads out in a series of twists and turns towards Loch Eilde.
The pace was judged to suit everyone's needs, no one pushed on ahead, in this heat there was no choice. We enjoyed the scenery all along the route and stopped for plenty of photo breaks, fag breaks and juice breaks...although most of these were spent re-applying sun cream (no takers to rub it on yer back tho Frank!!). There was a stone bench at one point in the track, giving perfect views down the length of Loch Leven. The inscription read "a wasted day is one without laughter" quite apt for this particular group I thought.
After stopping here for a few pics we headed on along the track for quite some distance, until a faint path headed off to the left and started to take us uphill away from the Loch.
The views increase in beauty as you start to rise up the slopes, across Loch Eilde to Blackwater reservoir, beyond to the towering peaks of Glencoe, enhanced fully by being bathed in sunshine for a pleasant change.
We reached the 500m mark and were caught and passed by a young lady who was fairly motoring on...much as I probably do without realising it on my own. Hopefully she wasn't too overawed at the sight of myself and Frank in our semi-nakedness...or perhaps that's why she appeared to speed up?? We continued to climb the steepening path as it wound it's way towards the lower slopes of Sgor Eilde Beag, then traversed our way around the lower slopes (rather than up and over) so that we passed close to the shores of Coire an Lochain.
Sgurr Eilde Mor rises up sharply from the opposite bank of the lochain and a visible path is etched into her flanks...but she will keep for another day. As the path continues around the lochain I forged slightly ahead of the pack and ran into our second single female walker of the day, a young German woman who had been camping out last night and had the world in her rucksack prepared for another night out on the Mamore range. I advised her of the weather forecast for later in the day and also tomorrow (as I had it at the time of departure) and suggested at least one evening in Kinlochleven so she could visit the Tailrace Inn. She thanked me for my kindness and set off towards Coire an Lochain. The others caught me up and we took a moment to review our progress. The views now included Binnein Beag directly in front of us...however she is completely dwarfed by the massive cone that is Binnein Mor.
The path would soon start to head down slope again, taking us to the low bealach between Mor and Beag, allowing us to climb Binnein Mor by the opposite flank.
But today we had other plans for ascent...heading instead off on a stalkers path to our left which traversed the lower slopes (at the opposite side this time) of Sgor Eilde Beag, until it started to climb in zig zags through grassy slopes to the ridge connecting Sgor Eilde Beag to Binnein Mor.
Once we had traversed this we stood on the flat broad plateau connecting the two mountains and could see the rest of our day stretch before us. There is a spot height at 1062m, marked by a small cairn, that leads to the narrowing of the ridge leading to Binnein Mor. We were joined at this point by an elderly gentleman who was clearly a fell runner, then passed by him as we stopped for another short break. We headed off along the ridge as it started to rise towards the summit dome, path narrowing in places just enough to give Frank and Paul a sense of exposure when they looked down. Then we reached the summit cairn at 1130m (although there is no real cairn to speak of) and Frank practised his 'king of the world' pose again.
We stopped at the narrow top for lunch and chatted to the fell runner for a while, listening to his plans to head off to the Ring of Steall after this and do a couple of them before dropping back down to Kinlochleven...all very bold indeed. As we finished our lunch on the summit the clouds started to gather above us, rain wasn't far away now. The forecast had been for thundery showers in the afternoon and it looked very much like we would get caught in them.
Jelly McBaby still had time for one last sunshine pose on the summit though, then we were off. A return along the ridge to the unnamed spot height was done in far quicker time than Frank or Paul had imagined, boosting their spirits at just the right time.
Now that they had popped their Munro cherries (figuratively speaking) I suggested to frank that he lead us along the tightening ridge and then the short bouldery climb to the summit cairn on Na Gruagaichean at 1055m...I think he was well chuffed at that, certainly in the pub later I heard him refer to himself as a summiteer...excellent stuff. Just after we started along the ridge the heavens opened and a change of clothing was required...by the time we reached the summit cairn we were wet but happy walkers...not only had Frank and Paul popped their cherries today, now they had two summits each to their name...well done guys.
All that was left was to get a pic with Jelly McBaby and head off via the safest route possible in this rain. We could have (and in dry weather would have) headed down the south ridge and dropped back down the rough pathless slopes to return to the vehicle track from our outward journey. However, in this rain and Paddy complaining about his leg, I decided that the longer route following the path was the better bet. So off we headed to the north-west top of Na Gruagaichean...and what a path it was for the two new Munroists to practise a little scrambling down and up...hahaha
Following that it was a long boring trudge through a variety of underfoot conditions to get back to the access track at Allt Coire na Ba...around an hour and a half long I believe!! To say that the return trek was as bad as the one I had yesterday would be pushing it...but some of the looks Paddy kept shooting me certainly had my guilt complex quite high. Once back down the slopes, typically, the sun came back out and made us wonder if the other slope would have been a better option...too late now. Spirits were high again by the time we made the track and knew it wasn't far to the car...a beer was almost within our grasp.
We were all pretty sweaty and grotty by the time we alighted from the car, but forgot all about it when we spotted Angus's car outside. Beers were purchased, laughs and slaggings aplenty, showers, then out for more beers and food...and plenty more ammunition that stays between the team...if you want to know the rest...come along to the next one, perhaps you will enjoy it as much as our latest two recruits???
PS; Sunday got binned when we decided to get really drunk instead...and it poured of rain all night anyway. The video is from the spot height at 1062m and takes in a panorama of all the Mountains in the area.
Great Report
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