free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
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.
Classic view of Ben Venue across Loch AchrayAlthough 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
Looking up the from the bridge looking downIt was nice to have the signposts at every junction and not to have to dig out the map with frozen fingers
and looking backLooking up the well made trackA view back over the forestEventually I came out into the warmth of the sunshine
- with fine views back to Ben Ledi
Beni Ledi from In the forest and from higher up where the trees have all been harvested Gleann Riabhach turns sharply North and the hill comes into sight: the path is still excellent at this pointContinuing 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
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
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
Down Loch Venachar to the OchilsOver Meall Gainmheich and Glen Finglas to Creag Mhor, Ben Vane and Beni LediSlightly further L - N across Loch KatrineSlightly zoomed - in the very centre is Stob Fear Tomhais - now known as Beinn Stacath (or Stacach) Blowing up far L of the previous photo Meall Glas and Beinn Cheathaich beyond Glen Dochartand R of centre Meall an-t-Seallaidh, with Vorlich and Stuc a Chroin further RThe Crianlarich hills: Ben More and Stobinian stand out (centre), then Cruach Ardrain with Beinn Tulaichean in front and the Glen Falloch three on the LA wider view of the whole of Loch Katrine - mirror calm for the most partZoomed view of the Crianlarich hills: Beinn Challum peeping up at the back between Cruach Ardrain and StobinianThe head of Loch KatrineIt 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 L of Cruachan the isolated Munro Beinn Bhuidhe N of Loch Fyne The Arrochar Alps - the spiky outline of "the Cobbler" third from the L with Beinn Ime and Beinn Narnain to its RLooking over Beinn Bhreac to Ben Lomond - just a silhouette nowI 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
Looking back towards the top from just above the Path buildersA final look back at the last of the afternoon sun