free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
Decided with my leave to have a short day on the hill whilst driving to my parents house. Ben Vane it is then. This is a short walk in distance and height but it is a very tough walk with the steepness of Ben Vane.
Set off from the power station and up the road under the railway, then upwards to the damn. Looking to the right Ben Vorlich the steepness of that looks like another sore day. Normally I would have done the two in a day but I've been living in Lincolnshire for the past 6 months (not even seeing a slope let alone a hill) and having an injury to my Piriformis meant that I would have to do a short day.
Over the bridge onto the path and up the steep slopes I went. Very icy on the way up was glad of my axe but felt a bit silly having decided to do a steep Munro on my own. After a lot of kicking steps I finally reached the last of the false summits, had some lunch and sheltered from the 40mph freezing winds.
The way back down felt like a different mountain as the ice had almost melted.
![DSCF0769.JPG]()
- Looking up on my way down.
I will definitely have to do this hill again, out of all the hills in Arrochar this is by far the toughest.
2weeks time and I shall be in Skye for the weekend, wonder if I'll be up on the ridge or climbing. Decisions decisions
![DSCF0770.JPG]()
- Ben Lomond
