Day 6
Camp SSE of Am Bodach (Mamores) to Upper Glen Nevis
Daily Distance 16.7k, Time Naismith 7.47, Daily Ascent 1982m, Daily Average Altitude 799m
The map shows our actual route in Blue, and the intended route where it was different in red. The blue numbers on our route are highlighted in the text. The red squares are Munros.
Early up again we were climbing in shadow up to the Mamores ridge aiming at Am Bodach. As we crested the ridge 1 we discovered that today was another windy day, at least up here. We find high wind more of a problem than anything else especially on narrow ridges. Any thoughts of detouring to An Gearanach were deleted. We climbed the easy climb up the ridge to Am Bodach and descended the more tricky, in wind, descent 2 amongst crags to the next Bealach, then up Stob Coire a Chairn. The route to An Gearanach looked impressive and daunting, perhaps OK for us on a still day.
Onward to Na Gruagnichean; we were making good time when the wind allowed. The scramble down to the bealach before Na gruagnichean was difficult and the rock friable. The scramble up over a partially snow covered rock field 3 with frozen patches was slow too. We then met 2 of the 3 people we met that day, although I later saw a party on a distant summit.
The wind at this point was severely strong, buffeting us. The path was partially snow covered and very narrow with a steep drop into a corrie on the left and a scree slope on the right. Discretion being the better part of valour, we walked 3 foot down on the scree holding on to the edge of the path with our hands while the wind tried to throw us over the path into steep drop. 4 By this method we got to the top of a subsidiary summit at 1062m. 5 We could now see the route to Binnein Mor. There were some snow fields at what looked like steep slopes to cross and the wind was still strong. Then I saw another walker descending. It was clear that he could avoid the snow and stay on rocks that were out of sight to us. We decided our fifth munro was so close we would do it.
We met the walker and his 2 dogs halfway; he was as worried about the wind as we were. We got to the summit by way of further buffeting. Binnein Mor is a complex impressive mountain with at least 4 spurs. Our planned route continued along a short narrow ridge to the northern top and down the steep rocky north east spur. We decided that it was too exposed in this wind and started to descend the East spur from the main summit. The way down was wide and easy at first but soon began to be precipitous. 6 We decided to leave the spur and descended south on a wide grassy ledge. When we reached a stream we followed that down to the good path east of Binnein Mor. It was a long detour. We descended into upper Glen Nevis looking for a sheltered camp ready to climb the Grey Corries the next day. We found a flat terrace beside a stream with a protective earth bank just as high as our tent. Although the wind was strong blowing down Glen Nevis, out of the wind in the evening sun it was warm, we cooked and ate beside our tent, and dried our socks, a couple of hours of quality rest before the sun set and it got cold. Then we got in our warm tent and read by our head torches.
It was a stressful day and Ellie did not stop and try to protect her feet when she started to get blisters. By the camp they needed Compeed and with the continued long days they never got better. Ellie was changing plasters and surviving on rotating Ibruprofen and Paracetamol the rest of the way to Montrose. I am a bit of a pain wimp and would probably have given up.
