More Mamores

We decided to do a couple of hills in the Mamores and plumped for Binnein Mor and Na Gruagaichean. Starting at the Mamore Lodge outside Kinlochleven (the crafty dodgers charge you £1.50 to park there) there is initially a long walk of about 1 1/2 miles up an ascending path but the books don't say how long it is to the turning off point from this track and we were beginning to wonder if we had missed it. A German sounding tourist assured us we were ok and sure enough later on an obvious path left the track. This was very straightforward climbing steadily but not steeply up around the subsiduary ridge of Sgurr Eilde Beag. It is a narrow but interesting path getting higher and higher with steeper and steeper ground falling away to the right - but never precipitous. There's an almost Alpine feel to the path winding its way up through the grass and the views behind were becoming increasingly beautiful. The weather was again lovely, cloudy

with blue patches but very dry. Behind us Loch Leven was appearing in majesty and on the other side were the reverse sides of the Glencoe hills. The Aonach Eagach ridge looks identical from this side which shows just how narrow it must be.

Eventually we reached Coire an Lochain where much of the lochs were still covered in snow. In fact the snow was now obliterating our path and gave us directional problems. It was not so much that we didn't know where to go but more the fact that in all the hills ahead of us we could not fathom which one was Binnein Mor. Even looking at the map did not really help and we could not believe it would be the little pointy mountain ahead which by the map was Binnein Beag but looked far too small. To our right we had no doubt of Sgurr Eilde Mor, another pointy hill. After a brief conference and fruit juice we decided to change our plans and to go for Sgurr Eilde Mor instead of Binnein Mor. This would save us having to come back another day on the same walk to pick up Sgurr Eilde Mor and we could always do the two Binneins in the future. Another short debate and we decided to climb the side on our right, there being no obvious path and the climb looked straightforward. It was, and although steep, gave

From the top of Sgurr Eilde Mor we had at last worked out where Binnein Mor was. It had been hidden by Sgurr Eilde Beag. The problem now was how to get to Na Gruagaichean because first of all you had to reach the south top of Binnein Mor and to get there, according to the book, you had to follow a path zigzagging up to the crest of Sgurr Eilde Beag. Maybe it was the snow covering or maybe we were in the wrong place but nowhere could we see or find a path fitting this description. In fact the only way up appeared to be to go straight up the side of Sgurr Eilde Beag direct to the summit. All along the ridge was thick snow and sheer looking cliffs and the point directly under the summit a) was less steep and b) had the least amount of snow at the top. I was extremely dubious about this route as it could be seen to get increasingly steeper the higher you went and the outcrops near the top looked vertical. Graeme was

persistent and I agreed to go up with him as far as I felt I could safely go. I was prepared to come back down and indeed fully expected to as I could not see us making it up. As we climbed, however, the steep grassy slopes gave way to boulders and the terrain was not quite as steep as it looked from below. You could look back and down without getting vertigo. The vertical outcrops too turned out to be useful for handgrips and actually helped ease the climb. Near the top was rough scree which at a low level would have been nothing but when you are very high up you get nervous on it. Over this I reached the snow cap just before the ridge. Graeme was already on top so I knew it was possible but I was still wary. The snow bank was actually only about six feet but because of its steepness you had to ram your hands into it to give grip. A couple of these plus a nervous crawl and you are on top. I suppose after all it was safe enough but you wonder how much risk there is in the snow coming away from the top.

The ridge walk to the south top of Binnein Mor was simple but it narrows from here to Na Gruagaichean. Never a problem but there were lots of snow patches to go over including one where you walked right along the crest of a snow ridge. Looking back we saw that we could have avoided the south top by contouring the mountain, as there were many footprints in the snow but we were not too concerned. The summit of Na Gruagaichean was a wee bit of an anti-climax after the previous tops but good for a rest. By now we were realising that this was almost going to be as long a day as Ben Lui. The way down involves a sharp descent to a col, then a sharp ascent over a top, then down the other side and down to the path. Seeing large snow patches on the side of Na Gruagaichean from the first col Graeme suggested we use this as a snow descent. It seemed a good idea and sure enough it gave us a very fast descent. The snow, into which you sink about six inches each step acts as a cushion and makes the descent easy on the legs. The sticks give you balance and although you could slip there is plenty of scope for braking yourself. The only problem going this way was that we found ourselves way off the path, though we could see it down below. As a result we then had a long descent winding our way down steep slopes through ravines and mini ridges until eventually we reached the path shortly before it rejoined the track going back to Mamore Lodge.

us no problems. It was just a question of working your way up through and over boulders, some pretty unsteady. Graeme took the opportunity to do some minor scrambling and I had to take my hands out of my pockets occasionally, but no difficulties and the top was soon reached.

The views from here were really astounding. The weather was good and clear and you could see nothing but mountains in almost every direction. Time for Guinness then a descent down the other side of the hill back to Coire an Lochain. There was initially a path which led to a very sharp spine giving a very interesting steep and narrow descent to slopes full of boulders, scree and loose rock. Not difficult but I'm sure it was not doing my boots any good. At the bottom it was clear that had we climbed from this side we would not have gone near the spine - it seemed to be a special point you had to make an effort to reach on the way up. Still we enjoyed it.