Ben Avon (1171m) and Beinn a Buird (1197m) - 2 Munros - 20/09/2019
Distance: 39km (26km on bike); Ascent: 1200m (400m on bike); Time 8h15m
I drove from Cumbria to Braemar on 19th September and checked in to the Creaglea B&B - which I would recommend. My plan was to bag some Munro's and catch-up with some moths with a northern distribution and autumnal flight period. I was quite successful in the former, managing 7 Munro's in 7days, the first two full days being perfect hill-walking days, but completely unsuccessful with the moths.
You might think with Ben Avon that here we have a Scottish hill that is actually phonetically pronounceable, but apparently the pronunciation is Ben Arn! This was a perfect day to spend in the hills. I wouldn't have attempted this route without the bike for the approach. Although there were a few steep or rugged sections where it was necessary to get off and push, I managed to remain mostly in the saddle for 13km with 400m of height gained. The bike was abandoned after a stream crossing (marked with a red spot on the map) after which the terrain was too steep and the path too narrow and rocky for me. I had to stop at one point to wait for an adder, which was basking in the morning sunshine, to leave the path. Apart from this and numerous Haworth's Minors, wildlife was not very apparent today. Eventually I arrived at the "Sneck", a pass which added extensive views to the north in addition to the already impressive views in all other directions. From here a short steep ascent brought me out onto the higher ground on which the summit rocks of Leabaidh an Daimh Bhuidhe - the true summit of Ben Avon - were finally visible. The top rocks required a fairly easy scramble, on which my attempts to take a selfie were hampered by breeze and the somewhat precarious drops on all sides. I made it to the top in 4 hours and was back at the Sneck by 1pm. I hadn't intended to do the north top of Beinn a Buird today, but it was only 3km away and I was feeling fairly fit (Walk Highlands say you have to be super fit to do both on the same day - but I think that only applies if you don't have a bike). So up the west side of the Sneck I went. This ascent leads to Cnap a Chleirich, a distinct top and with its summit at 1172m it is actually 1m higher than Ben Avon, but it is regarded as an outlier of Beinn a Buird rather than a Munro in its own right. Beinn a Buird has impressive steep corries on its eastern side, but the summit itself is marked by a much less impressive cairn on a plateau. The route from here back to where I had left the bike was largely pathless for the first 200m of descent, but it gives great views of the corries and Dubh Lochan. Once back in the saddle the largely downhill ride out was a real pleasure. I didn't see anyone else until well on the way down, when I met 3 other mountain-bikers coming up. Couple of pints of Stag and an early night!
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