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Bynack More Beinn Mheadhoin Map The previous day I had driven up to Grantown-on-Spey with Andrew in time to watch England play Portugal in the World Cup quarter-final. We were in a pub with several TV screens and all the locals were packed into the room with the big screen. They were all cheering the Portuguese but nobody seemed to mind the occasional cheer for England from our end. When David Beckham was substituted and was shown in tears they all roared with laughter. I think they were secretly sorry to see us go out (on penalties after 0-0) as they enjoyed supporting our opponents (whoever they were) so much. The Sunday started hot and sunny but was to end beneath dark, unstable clouds, with thunder rumbling through the glens. Instead of doing just Bynack More I wanted to try and tack on the ascent of Beinn Mheadhoin which meant this would be quite a long walk, about 18 miles or so. The first leg of the trip was straightforward and undemanding. We left the car parked just beyond Glenmore Lodge and set off at 9.50, passing through a lightly wooded area and past a small lochan, An Lochan Uaine, where the fairies are reputed to do their washing - hence the green water.
We continued, ambling along an easy gradient as far as Bynack Stable where the well-established path led East and then South-East up steeper ground and across a tundra-like plateau towards Bynack More. As we crossed the plateau we attracted a load of black flies which swarmed all around us - not midges, these were about the size of house-flies. Very annoying they were too, although I didn't get bitten.
For a while the path aimed for the col between Bynack More and its NE companion, Bynack Beg but eventually it turned directly towards the main peak and after a short steeper bit we gained the summit at 12.20. Unlike the grass-covered bulk of the mountain the top was a rocky area dotted with several granite, tor-like stacks and a small cairn. The flies were still a nuisance but there were good views of Cairngorm and we both felt quite fresh and ready to try for the next hill.
There was a trio of yanks at the top at the same time as us and one of them told us he'd done 54 Munros since the previous October. When not out Munro-bagging he was doing something at one of the Scottish universities - Aberdeen, I think. It was an easy, though pathless descent from the Bynack More summit, heading south over a broad expanse of tundra and by-passing the gentle swell of A Choinneach. Then we reached the southern lip of the plateau and were able to look down into Glen Avon, a steep-sided gorge with a river flowing from a large loch. We descended into the glen, slanting down the hillside to make it easier, and heading for the eastern end of Loch Avon.
On reaching the bottom, a couple of hundred yards before the loch began, we splashed across the river and then, with no path in sight, we headed straight up the steep slopes of Beinn Mheadhoin. It was a bit of a slog but we were at the top by 3.00. The final stretch was a broad, green slope topped by a couple of massive stone blocks - rounded, block on block constructs which sat on top of the landscape as if placed there. The summit was the top of the left-hand one. A quick scramble up the rough granite got us to the top - not difficult.
We had a brief rest and bite to eat at the top then set off back down for the long walk back. After a steep descent to Loch Avon, where we passed a group of 7 youths/youthesses sitting by the water's edge, the path rose gently, slanting up to the bealach between Cairngorm & Bynack More.
This bealach was the start of a long, descending pass between the mountains, Strath Nethy, which stretches for over 4 miles and which eventually brought us back to Bynack Stable and our outbound path. Towards the end the skies had darkened and the thunder was rumbling over the hills but luckily we managed to get back to the car without being rained on. (7.15) By the time we got to Aviemore it was full of folk wandering around in kilts, and everywhere was booked up so we decamped to Kingussie and stayed at 'Sonnhalve' (£24). | ||||||||
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