As one journey ends another one inevitably begins...I felt a pang of sadness leaving Glen Lochy, knowing that I had just completed the Munro's in this particular area, realising that it would be quite a while before I would be returning to this area, unless to accompany one of my friends on their Munro quest. I drove out of Glen Lochy along the A85, returning to the A82 as it snaked it's way along through Tyndrum, Bridge of Orchy and into Glencoe. I always feel the need to slow down as I approach the ski resort...Buachaille Etive Mor needs to be appreciated for as long as possible, not simply sped past. Once past the mighty Buachaille and her smaller sister the road curves around past the white cottage that used to belong to a 1970's DJ...then the magnificence of Glencoe is truly revealed! Bidean nam Bian towers above all else in the area but from the road is almost entirely hidden from view by the mighty buttresses of the three sisters. I stopped to admire the view and blended in with all the other sightseers that had stopped to take pictures in the popular layby's. And then it struck me...this is another area that I have loved walking in but have only one more Munro left to climb (Sgurr na h-Ulaidh) and I was away to head to another area that, by this time tomorrow, would see me have climbed all the Munro's in that range, the Mamores.
I pulled into Kinlochleven a little after five and headed straight for my overnight accommodation at the Forest View B&B.
My friend Paddy Rodgers runs this particular establishment, in conjunction with working alongside his ex-wife Liz who owns the Tailrace Inn in town. Paddy booked me in for the night and I headed off to shower and change, then we headed down to the Tailrace for food and drink. Liz was pleasantly surprised to see me wander in, Paddy hadn't even told her I was due down this time. Regardless of whether you are a new customer or a returning one you always get a warm welcome at the Tailrace. Even if I were not friends with Paddy I would recommend staying here to anyone that visits this tiny community. Kinlochleven was built at the end of Loch Leven and rapidly expanded in the early 1900’s based around the North British Aluminium Company who built a hydro scheme and smelter in the area. With the smelter gone the village has transformed itself into a top destination for outdoor enthusiasts. There are four Munro's accessible just behind the village itself, with many more in the surrounding area easily accessed via a short drive out of the village.
I shared supper and a beer with Paddy, until he got called away to book people into the Forest view, then settled down for a couple of beers with some guys that Paddy introduced me to that were doing the West Highland Way (WHW). One of them was on his 44th round of the WHW and appeared to have lost none of his enthusiasm for it. We sat around the table and swapped stories back and forth for a couple of hours, then I had to make my apologies and leave for bed. I had an early start in the morning and was anticipating an exceptionally long day compared to the route just done.
I awoke at six the next morning and headed off to shower and breakfast...then drove no more than 500 yards to leave my car at the start point by St Paul's church. I was out of the car and on the track by five past seven...headed up into the woods and eventually on the path to Loch Eilde.
The climb up through the woods felt rather tough on the calves, exacerbated by the uneven surface, and by the time I reached the exit path to head towards Sgurr Eilde Beag my calves were aching. The path is initially confusing on the way up through the woods, with many smaller paths intertwining across the route and suggesting that they should be followed instead...but stick to your belief that the main path is the one heading straight up and you will be fine. Once the path evens itself out at the top of this rise it is extremely easy to follow all the way out to Loch Eilde (which from a high vantage point on the slopes of Sgurr Eilde Beag later on I could see was popular with walkers and cyclists). As the path begins to lose height slightly there is an obvious cairn on the left of the path which indicates time to turn off the main path and head off to the left on a smaller path taking you towards the Mamores. You can see the slopes of Sgurr Eilde Beag ahead of you and make out the obvious path that zig-zags up the steep slopes.
Behind you the last view of Loch Leven, until the return journey, looks magnificent in the early morning haze...
Loch Eilde appears to your right as you begin the ascent of the slopes of Sgurr Eilde Beag. Recognition dawns that you are looking out across the side view of Buachaille Etive Mor...Bidean Nam Bian towering above all else, still holding the last remnants of snow in her corries...the jagged pinnacles of the Aonach Eagach Ridge, culminating in Sgorr nam Fiannaidh and the Pap of Glencoe. Soon, as you rise higher up the slopes, the Blackwater reservoir comes into view. Somewhere out there a railway track winds through the desolate Rannoch Moor and deposits Munroists at Corrour station. I remember climbing in Glen Lyon and standing atop Stuchd an Lochain realising that I was looking out across Rannoch Moor at Buachaille Etive Mor, it dawned on me then just how closely linked everything feels, how lucky we are to have all this in such close proximity.
The path continues to climb the slopes, but more in a straight line than before, reminding me of the approach path to the Saddle in Kintail. Suddenly another cairn directs you to a split in the path...continuing on ahead is the result of years of walkers heading in the wrong direction...the true route is to turn behind yourself to the left and strike off uphill again. After a few more twists in the path the outline of Sgurr Eilde Mor looms ahead...but it is only when you are truly at the top of this path that you see her in all her beauty.
A little further along the path and the first sight of Binnean Beag away in the distance is had. A choice of which to do first must be made shortly as the path towards Sgurr Eilde Mor looms ahead. I perceived Sgurr Eilde Mor to be the tougher of the two so elected to ascend her first.
The path carries on for a short distance and then drops down beyond the larger of the lochans beneath her slopes. A traverse to the left of the lochan sees an initially faint path incline through grass, then become more apparent, then faint again as it heads through increasingly rocky ground, before turning to scree. The path climbs the left slope and increases in difficulty as height is gained. Scree gives way to loose shale before turning to scree once more and the final pull up the slopes had my calves tightening. Suddenly you find yourself on a narrow ridge just below the summit, the path winding through red rocks all the way to the cairn. Extensive views of the Mamore range (which includes the Ring of Steall), the Aonach's, the Grey Corries, the Ben (which was topped in clouds and obscured as a result) surround you as you pull onto the summit plateau at 1010m.
Jelly McBaby climbed above the cairn and posed for pics in front of Binnean Beag, which now stood as my last remaining Mamore. I had reached the summit cairn in 2.5 hours, well ahead of a schedule that saw me prepared for at least 9 hours in the hills. I estimated that Binnean Beag was probably a 4 hour round trip from here, leaving me 2 hours to get back to the car from the bottom of Sgurr Eilde Mor on the return journey. Factor in a 15 minute stop on each summit and that would give me the 9 hours I had imagined I would require (the popular guides give you between 9-11 hours for these two Munro's on this route). Having refuelled at the summit cairn I set off back down the scree slopes to the foot of Sgurr Eilde Mor , taking great care not to slip on the loose stones as I descended. Once at the foot of the slope I elected to return to the main path via the lochan, rather than risk straining my already throbbing calf descending unmarked slopes. As I reached close to the bottom of the slope I noticed a walker coming down the unmarked grass slope to my right, appearing to come from Sgurr Eilde Mor. This struck me as strange in the fact that when on the summit I could see no-one for miles and did not pass anyone either going up or coming down. He may well have come across the Munro from the other side, starting at a different location from me, I would soon find out as our paths were about to cross down at the stream at the bottom of the slope.
We exchanged pleasantries and he informed me that he had left Kinlochleven this morning at eight o'clock and followed the self same path as I had been on. Now, whilst I have no reason to doubt that Kinlochleven car park to Sgurr Eilde Mor could be done in 1.5 hours, I have no reason to believe that it was on this occasion. The path is very visible from the moment you rise out of Kinlochleven to turning around the slope of Sgurr Eilde Beag...and I saw no sign of anyone following in my wake in the two hours that it took me to do it...far less someone moving as fast as he was claiming to have managed it. Furthermore, I saw no sign of anyone traversing the far slope of Sgurr Eilde Mor when I was stood on the summit taking pics of Loch Eilde. He also made no significant ground on me on the way up to Binnean Beag, indeed he appeared to move quite slowly on the ascent!! The walk between Sgurr Eilde Mor and Binnean Beag took an hour and three quarters, he was lucky if he was ten minutes in front of me throughout that.
The traverse of the slopes of Binnean Beag was far less steep with certainly less scree than Sgurr Eilde Mor. The path takes a zig-zag route as you would expect, cutting through the various rocks and scree. I toiled slightly at the final push, just as the summit takes a final steepness, but pulled up onto the summit cairn 943m at quarter past eleven. Jelly McBaby enjoyed the suns rays as we sat on the top eating sandwiches and drinking lucozade.
Binnean Mor provided the perfect backdrop to our location, the only thing missing was a clear view of the Ben. We sat awhile soaking in the views, then left at eleven thirty. We returned via the same outward path, downhill to the stream then ascending steep zig-zags, until we pulled onto the bealach between Sgurr Eilde Mor and Sgurr Eilde Beag. The outward journey from here had taken an hour and three quarters...the return had taken an hour!! It had taken me two hours to reach this very spot from kinlochleven, even if it took the same in return then I would be beating the time I had set aside for this comfortably. As it was a simple case of returning downhill on the same path I set off with my head down and didn't stop until I reached the car again...it still took me an hour and a half to do that (thirty minutes longer than the young man claimed it took him to ascend the same route this morning...my disbelief of his story was complete!!!). I arrived back at the car at two o'clock...seven hours after departure...knackered but delighted. After a quick change of clothes I returned to the Tailrace Inn to let Paddy know I was down safely, rehydrate with a quick pint of orange and lemonade, then set off on the long drive back to Aberdeen once more.
It may well be another three weeks before I get back out on the hills again, work is continuing to get in the way of my plans, and I have a hankering for a big round (Mullardoch/Strathfarrar/Alder) to whet my appetite on my next two day opportunity. Until then folks, stay safe and keep doing what brings you happiness...
Just to say that this is yet another area that I have finished the Munro's in, but unlike some of the others, I will return here more frequently as Kinlochleven now holds a special place in my heart...especially the Tailrace Inn.
This is another of your walks that I particularly enjoyed and some beautiful views :) Well done on your timings!!
ReplyDeletePerhaps the other walker just parachuted in near the top???
I love Glencoe; it always seems to be raining when we drive through and even when we walked there I don't remember ever seeing it in good weather!!
I'm still waiting to take a good photo of BEM and, having been on the train a couple of times recently (with good weather), just love the view across Rannoch Moor.
SusieThePensioner