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Ben Venue - a game of two halves

Ben Venue - a game of two halves


Postby past my sell by date » Tue Nov 29, 2016 4:54 pm

Route description: Ben Venue from Loch Achray

Fionas included on this walk: Ben Venue

Date walked: 23/11/2016

Time taken: 5.5 hours

Distance: 11.3 km

Ascent: 804m

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A stunningly fine day and I drove along Loch Achray took the turn off to Loch Katrine pier, parked at the appointed spot and followed the beautifully built and well signposted "Ben Venue hill path" across the specially built bridge over the Achray Water and up through the forest.
BV01.jpg
Classic view of Ben Venue across Loch Achray
Although it was not long before noon, it felt like early morning as the sun had not yet got down here - perhaps it never does at this time of year - and everything was cold and frosty
BV02.jpg
Looking up the from the bridge
BV03.jpg
looking down
It was nice to have the signposts at every junction and not to have to dig out the map with frozen fingers
BV04.jpg
and looking back
BV06.jpg
Looking up the well made track
BV05.JPG
A view back over the forest
Eventually I came out into the warmth of the sunshine :D - with fine views back to Ben Ledi
BV07.jpg
Beni Ledi from In the forest
BV08.jpg
and from higher up where the trees have all been harvested
BV09.jpg
Gleann Riabhach turns sharply North and the hill comes into sight: the path is still excellent at this point
Continuing N , there is a sharp rise of 50m or so and a here large group of pathbuilders were at work among copious helicoptered in white bags of stone (visible in the photo). I climbed past them without difficulty but above the rise the path deteriorated into a mix of soft snow hard ice and deep bog :( and I decided to head off R directly towards the summit. The mixture of soft snow and deep heather was however not that much better and progress was slow. Higher up the snow deepened and became breakable crust - and if there is anything worse than soft snow lying over deep heather, it is breakable crust lying over deep heather :lol: Progress became glacial. There were various other sets of footprints - I tried following one set but it didn't help - but like me they obviously had no real idea of where best to go. At the top though they all converged -- made me think of Monty Python's "100m for people with no sense of direction" - but in reverse :lol: :lol: :lol:
Near the top there was less heather and progress was better. I followed some footprints East through a depression South of what I thought was the top, but I had forgotten there are two tops and coming round the corner I realised the actual high point was a 50m or so further N . When I eventually made it to the cairn the views were superb - and the panorama of hills incredibly clear. There had been absolutely no wind lower down - and here only a breath - slightly droll considering the havoc wrought further South by storm Angus.
Here are the summit views going anticlockwise:- using lines drawn on Anquet I have tried to identify the hills
BV10.jpg
Down Loch Venachar to the Ochils
BV11.jpg
Over Meall Gainmheich and Glen Finglas to Creag Mhor, Ben Vane and Beni Ledi
BV12.jpg
Slightly further L - N across Loch Katrine
BV13.jpg
Slightly zoomed - in the very centre is Stob Fear Tomhais - now known as Beinn Stacath (or Stacach)
BV13b.jpg
Blowing up far L of the previous photo Meall Glas and Beinn Cheathaich beyond Glen Dochart
BV13c.jpg
and R of centre Meall an-t-Seallaidh, with Vorlich and Stuc a Chroin further R
BV14.JPG
The Crianlarich hills: Ben More and Stobinian stand out (centre), then Cruach Ardrain with Beinn Tulaichean in front and the Glen Falloch three on the L
BV15.jpg
A wider view of the whole of Loch Katrine - mirror calm for the most part
BV16.jpg
Zoomed view of the Crianlarich hills: Beinn Challum peeping up at the back between Cruach Ardrain and Stobinian
BV17.jpg
The head of Loch Katrine
BV17a.jpg
It wasn't until I blew this photo up that I could clearly see Ben Lui and Beinn a Chleibh just L of Ben Chabair in the original photo. L of them are (I assume) Beinn Eunaich and Beinn a Chochuill with Cruachan (unmistakable) at the far L 65km away
BV19.jpg
L of Cruachan the isolated Munro Beinn Bhuidhe N of Loch Fyne
BV20.JPG
The Arrochar Alps - the spiky outline of "the Cobbler" third from the L with Beinn Ime and Beinn Narnain to its R
BV21.JPG
Looking over Beinn Bhreac to Ben Lomond - just a silhouette now
I had thought about following the high ground South and descending directly to the path, but I decided that descending below "crust" level was more important as it was getting late, so I headed vaguely W along a bit of a path and then down as fast as possible. With gravity on your side this terrain is no problem.
The path-builders were still there - when completed it should rival that up Ben Vrackie - and I pushed on down. In the gloom I missed a L turn in the forest and added in an extra dog-leg but no matter it had been a superb day. This hill is a fabulous viewpoint :D
BV22.JPG
Looking back towards the top from just above the Path builders
BV23.jpg
A final look back at the last of the afternoon sun
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Last edited by past my sell by date on Thu Dec 19, 2019 7:40 pm, edited 2 times in total.
past my sell by date
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Re: Ben Venue - a game of two halves

Postby weaselmaster » Tue Nov 29, 2016 5:03 pm

I haven't done Ben Venue yet - been uncertain whether to go the way you did or from the south (which makes it easier to also climb the 2 simms to the south of the main summit :wink: )

Looks like one for the next couple of weeks - thanks for posting
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Re: Ben Venue - a game of two halves

Postby past my sell by date » Wed Nov 30, 2016 7:28 pm

weaselmaster wrote:I haven't done Ben Venue yet - been uncertain whether to go the way you did or from the south (which makes it easier to also climb the 2 simms to the south of the main summit :wink: )

Looks like one for the next couple of weeks - thanks for posting

Whichever way you go wait for a good day - Its isolated position really makes it a stunning viewpoint
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Re: Ben Venue - a game of two halves

Postby rockhopper » Thu Dec 01, 2016 3:28 pm

Enjoyed that - cracking day for it ! :thumbup:
Takes me back - this was my first winter hill in the snow at the start of 1986 - first attempt in February from the east saw us turning back due to a white out - second successful attempt from the south in early March with clear blue skies and some sun burn 8) Will refrain from posting embarrassing photos ;-) - cheers :)
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Re: Ben Venue - a game of two halves

Postby past my sell by date » Fri Dec 02, 2016 11:45 pm

rockhopper wrote:Enjoyed that - cracking day for it ! :thumbup:
Takes me back - this was my first winter hill in the snow at the start of 1986 - first attempt in February from the east saw us turning back due to a white out - second successful attempt from the south in early March with clear blue skies and some sun burn 8) Will refrain from posting embarrassing photos ;-) - cheers :)

Thanks RH: it's certainly a hill that "punches above its height" :)
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Re: Ben Venue - a game of two halves

Postby Gordie12 » Sat Dec 03, 2016 12:00 pm

A hill I've read a lot of reports about but never got round to doing but it looks like it's worth jumping in the car for (especially in winter).

I'm always impressed with peeps that can tell which hill they can see in the far distance and point them all out - unless they are really obvious, I fail to recognise them even if I have climbed them.
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Re: Ben Venue - a game of two halves

Postby past my sell by date » Mon Dec 05, 2016 2:13 pm

Gordie12 wrote:A hill I've read a lot of reports about but never got round to doing but it looks like it's worth jumping in the car for (especially in winter).

I'm always impressed with peeps that can tell which hill they can see in the far distance and point them all out - unless they are really obvious, I fail to recognise them even if I have climbed them.

It's all done by smoke and mirrors Gordie :) Assuming you can identify some hills you just use a ruler or straight edge on (eg the munro/corbett map) to see what should be L and R of them. I draw the lines on Anquet : it helps to be able to blow up the pics - it's surprising how much more you can see. To be more accurate you can take compass bearings on them as well
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Re: Ben Venue - a game of two halves

Postby Gordie12 » Mon Dec 05, 2016 10:26 pm

I take that back, I'm not impressed at all now :lol: :lol: :lol:
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