The climate forecast had been an amazing deal extra promising than the early morning rain I awoke to at Glenmore, close to Aviemore, on Sunday. My pal Rob and I had an extended hike deliberate to succeed in the Corbett Creag Mhor and we didn’t fancy a full day of dreich. We determined that maybe the forecast was a imprecise and it could clear up later within the day, so we set off anyway.

I’ve walked Bynack Extra a minimum of twice earlier than. The primary time was with Hubby G and our whippet Wispa, after I described it as probably essentially the most excellent Munro. One other memorable outing was with two mates, Jane and Denise, after I mixed the Munro with one other Corbett, Meall a’ Bhuachaille, and a wild camp for a giant journey.

I’ve misplaced rely of the variety of occasions I’ve walked and run Meall a’ Bhuachaille, too, from Glenmore.

This meant that the monitor by way of Glenmore Forest Park, to the beginning of the distant Cairngorms mountains, was acquainted. It’s usually busy with walkers and cyclists as a result of that is the route to succeed in the well-known “inexperienced lochan” – An Lochan Uaine – and likewise Ryvoan Bothy.

Regardless of having walked right here many occasions, I nonetheless vastly loved the primary part by way of the forest park and the excellent tall timber, that are remnants of an historical Caledonian Forest.

Though the sky was overcast, An Lochan Uaine shone an unbelievable inexperienced hue.

At a junction earlier than the bothy, Rob and I took the path to the fitting and continued alongside a monitor that took us additional and farther from different individuals. There’s a extensive community of tracks and paths all around the Cairngorms and, in contrast to among the west coast Corbetts, it was potential to see a path undulating and rising forward in the direction of our first purpose.

The gradients was not often steep all through the day and, over the course of some 32km distance, we climbed solely round 1300m.

Summit one: Creag Mhor

Nice granite tors high the summit of the Corbett Creg Mhor and we might see these forward for a lot of kilometres. Our path took us to the east of Bynack Mor, which towered a lot taller than our first summit.

As we walked and talked, the sky began to brighten and the cloudy mountain tops cleared.

On the stroll uphill, we had been caught up by a lady operating. As she approached us she stated: “Fiona Open air?” I laughed and nodded, then requested who she was. It turned out Emma follows me on social media and she or he recognised my customary costume code of Flanci skort and buff.

We had a brief chat earlier than Emma ran on and and Rob and I continued our stroll.

At a small cairn in conjunction with the trail, we began a hike uphill on tough floor. This was essentially the most arduous a part of the entire stroll, though it nonetheless felt comparatively tame in comparison with many different steep and pathless Corbetts I’ve encountered.

We tramped over heather and grass in the direction of the ridgeline after which on to the big tor on the highest level of on 895m. We loved pretty views throughout the rolling Cairngorms earlier than heading south-westerly off Creag Mhor and again in the direction of the trail we had left earlier on.

Summit 2: Bynack Extra

The trail led us south to the River Avon and previous a tiny mountain hut. We stayed on the northern financial institution of the river and adopted a boggy path westwards. This introduced us to the shore of spectacular Loch Avon (Loch A’an).

I bear in mind snowboarding to the loch from Cairngorm Mountain one winter just a few years in the past. The panorama appeared very completely different on a sunny summer season’s day.

On the fringe of a sandy seaside, we met one other walker who was having fun with a day of summit bagging.

The trail supplied us splendid views of among the different Munros within the space, Cairngorm, Ben Macdui and throughout to Braeriach.

In 2021, Rob and I accomplished a circuit of those mountains.

Additional alongside the trail, Rob and I had a alternative, to return to the beginning through Strath Nethy and alongside the river, or to climb Bynack Extra. We selected the latter choice.

This was my first ascent of Bynack Extra from the south and we handed a lot of fabulous tors to succeed in the summit at 1090m elevation.

Simply earlier than making the ascent of the Munro, we met a pair, initially from France and now dwelling in Aberdeenshire, who had been part-way by way of just a few days of strolling snd wild tenting. They requested in regards to the Munros and stated they most well-liked to stroll between and across the mountains, somewhat than to the highest.

The climate forecast lastly got here true and Rob and I loved the remainder of the stroll in heat situations. We sat for some time on the Munro summit basking within the sunshine and taking within the lovely views.

Throughout the glen, Creag Mhor appeared small from our greater perch. From Bynack Extra summit, we walked north on the extra standard route. As anticipated, that is the place we met and handed the most individuals.

Whereas Corbetts are sometimes very quiet, many Munros today are fairly busy with walkers and runners. I can see the attraction of Bynack Extra with its apparent route from the roadside to the summit and again once more.

Rob and I continued the descent and ultimately rejoined the trail we had walked to succeed in the Corbett.

As is all the time the case, the stroll again to the beginning felt so much longer than the stroll in however there was little to complain about other than drained toes. This was the longest mountain hike I’ve performed for some time and my toes had been telling me they wanted a relaxation.

It might be potential to stroll an out-and-back path to Creag Mhor, full a circuit of Creag Mhor and Strath Nethy, or comply with the identical route as Rob and I over each the Corbett and the Munro Bynack Extra.

Stroll of Creag Mhor and Bynack Extra

Route particulars: Strava and OS Maps.

Distance: 32km

Peak acquire: 1330m

Corbetts bagged: 122