Scotland

Ben More and Stob Binnein, near Crianlarich

Character: A big ascent of two of the Southern Highlands giants

Ascent: ~4300 feet

Time: 5 hours

Map: Ordnance Survey Landranger Sheet 51, 1:50,000 Loch Tay and Glen Dochart

Transport: Trains from Fort William or from Glasgow Queen Street via Crianlarich. Some times for 26/09/99 to 27/05/00 are given here

Sources: Irvine Butterfield"The High Mountains"

Accomodation: Crianlarich Scottish Youth Hostel (Tel: 01838 300 260)

It is insanely suggested in some places that one ascent of Ben More is straight up its NW ridge from Ben More farm. I met a couple of walkers on top of Stob Binnein who had come up this way, and they confirmed what any map reader will tell you - its very steep, very long and very boring! Avoid! And another reason, the hanging corrie, under its NW face, which needs to be avoided. Strange, that looking at the OS map, you would need to be a psychic!

Interestingly, no where have I read what I thought to be the obvious route up - following Ben More burn, and then heading East up to the bealach between the two peaks. This is the route described, and is indeed well trodden. Perhaps some kindly eminent author could add this sensible route to the next edition of their book!

Ben More farm is an obvious collection of buildings to the East of the bridge over Ben More burn, a significant river when in torrent, showing the magnitude of Ben More itself, as probably the majority of its waters are off this eponymous mountain.A stile has been placed over the fence next to the road, to spare the poor landowner every aspiring Munroist going through his land. There is, as marked on the map, a vehicle track heading up into the valley following Ben More Burn on its Eastern side. On this track, one is glad looking upwards, that one has decided not to try the direct assault on the mountain from this side.

Four Wheel Drive track alongside Ben More Burn

The track comes to an end at a foot bridge over the burn, which appears would take you onto Stob Coire Buidhe and thence to Cruach Ardrain. But instead we go straight on, where the footpath disintegrates into bog, presumably due to the weight of water coming off the Ben More / Stob Binnein massif. This having been said, in descent the path is reasonably easy to follow. Instead, when I could no longer see the track, and before the burn started its more steep ascent to the watershed under Stob Binnein around 500 metres from this watershed and a kilometre from the end of the vehicular track, I headed due East, hoping to hit the saddle between the peaks, or to pick up a path. Both materialised.

Path continuation up Ben More Burn (Stob Binnein just visible)

The pull up, as can be seen from the map, is significant. About half way up, I hit the path, which then follows the obvious stream shown on the map heading down directly from Bealach-eadar-dha Beinn. The path levels out at the bealach, which is surprisingly large, with many large and slabby rocks, and was essentially a bog just below 3000 feet! As there are peaks on either side at not far off 4000 feet, there is still unfortunately still nearly 2000 feet of climbing, when one is contemplating simply "ticking them off"!

I tackled Stob Binnein first, with idea of descending off Ben More at the end if desperate or if it looked easier from above. The walk up to SB's summit is straightforward, never very steep, and at almost every turn the rocky path branches into more zig zags to provide a plethora of small choices. Just before the top, a small rocky crown is penetrated, and then a 50 metre almost flat walk brings you to the top and its cairn, another large one. The wind here was horrendous, and anyone who has seen the top will understand its exposure to the elements. It was good to return the few paces to huddle under the crown protected from the wind. This was where I met the poor souls who had come up Ben More "the hard way", and I determined not to descend this way.

Back down to the bealach, and now the almost equal pull up to BM's summit. No problems, and a more rocky summit to this, with a couple of "hands on" rocky outcrops to climb - very small however. Not surprisingly, very high winds here too, though much less snow on this ascent than that up Stob Binnein.

Return was via the bealach and Ben More Burn.