We have been so fortunate with the weather thus far and today was no exception. Our walk started from Kinlochleven; anyone who’s been there will appreciate that you’re not leaving in any direction without a significant ascent. It was steep from the moment we left the car park. On reflection it was definitely worth the effort!
Good Paths, Dry Feet
One good thing from the off was that the path was dry! After the bog fest that we’ve endured the last couple of days this was very much appreciated! It climbed up through the trees, the advantage being that we gained height quickly. We met and chatted with a family who were touring Scotland and had come up from Glencoe on the bus. They were headed out to the loch rather than up the hills. Further on we parted ways for good as they continued along the good land rover track while we veered off uphill. They called to us and waved as we’d gained height and came into their view at a later point.
The good path continued, tracking around the slopes of Sgùrr Èilde Beag. This made for fine, easy walking, most enjoyable. Further up, the path turned and then followed a series of zigzags to make light work of what was a very steep slope. What a difference a decent path makes to progress (and confidence).
Lunch With A View
We stopped near the top of the zigzags for lunch as there was both a bit of shelter from the gentle breeze and a lovely view back down the hill. We’d crossed the ‘scary’ bit, the route guide describing an area to tread carefully on as there had previously been a landslip; seeing the condition of it today, I’m thinking it must have been some time ago.
Believing we were the only ones heading up at this point, I was somewhat surprised to see someone approaching, particularly given that I was pretty much sitting on the path itself! My chosen rock was at the edge of the path, poles and rucksack blocking the route.
We enjoyed a good blether with this young man; turns out he was working (surveying) on the very large estate, grabbing the opportunity to get some hill walking in while doing so. Good effort!
Spectacular Views
We were afforded great views of neighbouring munros, particularly Sgùrr Èilde Mòr. It looked resplendent and also somewhat intimidating if it wasn’t for the knowledge that I’d summited it previously!
This spectacular view reinforced my thinking of the need to take time in the hills; had I done all 4 munros in one day (rather than opting out of two because I was feeling lazy) we might never have had the chance to see thus fine hill from this angle!
Beautiful Ridge: Binnein Mòr
Marking the summit of the plateau was a cairn. There were three rucksacks already beside it, their owners on the ridge to Binnein Mòr, so Bruce and I opted to make it five, leaving ours alongside them and setting off on the out and back ridge. Wow! What a difference it made not having a fully laden pack to carry! We hoped that there weren’t any ravens around, having only seen a couple this week and unsure if they’ve developed the talents of their Skye cousins; we hoped not to find out!
The ridge that led along to Binnein Mòr was for the most part wide and grassy. As we got towards the summit itself, the path became steeper, but still felt okay.
The summit itself was quite small so I was happy to sit down at the cairn to take in the views, not wishing to wander too far from my comfort spot!
Having sufficiently relaxed (we could even see the summit of Ben Nevis) we retraced our steps back along the ridge to pick up our rucksacks. We met another couple of walkers here just setting out to the summit and enjoyed a good chat with them too. One of the great things about being in the hills is meeting others and sharing experiences.
Last Stop: Na Gruagaichean
Heading towards Na Gruagaichean, there was a lovely looking ridge. For me, that means not too airy and exposed with an easy slide off rather than a no bounce drop.
Progressing along the ridge, it did narrow slightly in places but nothing too alarming. The views continued to be stunning as they have all week.
The final bouldery section to the summit saw the path track around the edge of the ridge. We followed it, only later realising that it also went along the summit ridge itself. This was one instance where I may actually have chosen the true path as the bypass path, if that’s what it was, was really quite narrow and at times I felt the need to lean in a bit. Once back onto the bouldery climb up all was well and we reached the summit without any challenge.
Final Descent
The route guide suggested that after the initial path fizzled out we’d end up in a pathless descent over grass. Given that we were essentially headed downhill all the way to Kinlochleven, you can imagine our delight when it turned out that there was a hint of a path through the grassy section that continued and became clearer as we progressed; it made things so much easier than the descent we’ve faced over the last few days.
We reached the track with ease, staying on it briefly before following a path back along to the wooded area. Once into the woods we seemed to take forever to get back to Kinlochleven! We made it in the end though, another great day in the hills.
Clare, happiest outdoors! 