Bynack More – 1090m
Hill classification: Munro
27th December 2008
Distance: 12 miles
Ascent: 850m
Time taken: 6.5 hours
Weather: Cold, dry and sunny
Two Feet Four Paws: Anne, Bill and Molly
It was our first Christmas in Aviemore and we were grateful for almost two weeks of high pressure, blue skies and sunshine. We have now learnt that this was a fluke. Subsequent Christmas holidays have involved rain, wind, storms and knee deep snow. School holidays and Christmas in Aviemore = crap weather.
We needed to burn off the Christmas excesses and Bill was anxious about being too far from his supply of turkey, nuts and alcohol. So Bynack More fitted the bill perfectly. We arrived at Glenmore Lodge about 8.00 a.m and there is nothing like a temperature of -8°c to make you stop faffing and get your boots on quickly!
The walk through the Ryvoan Pass was somewhat chilly. On arrival at the Green Lochan Molly was disturbed to find it frozen solid and had a major sulk when she realised that a swim was out of the question.
We arrived at Bynack Stable just as the sun was beginning to rise above the hills, the low winter sun was blinding at times, but we mustn’t complain………….we might not see the sun again until March.
Thankfully with the ground so frozen the normally heavily eroded Lairig an Laoigh path was a joy to walk on (this was in the days before the footpath maintenance team had turned this into the stairway to heaven) and eventually Bynack More made an appearance.
The ridge had large patches of snow across the path and these were easily avoided. I was so glad I had lugged my crampons all the way up!
We passed two Ptarmigan but luckily Molly was busy eating some frozen deer poo at the time so she didn’t notice them.
The views from the summit were certainly worth getting out of a warm bed at 6.00 a.m for and even Molly was impressed.
twofeetfourpaws 