Ben Chonzie from Lochan Uaine

[uk-scrambler]

This route is a variant of the Ben Chonzie from Loch Turret route.

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Since our Caingorms bivvy experience last August we've been eager to get back into the hills again. It's going to take us a long time but we're determined to do all 282 munros. Ben Chonzie was number 9 (a long way to go!). This was our first 'winter' climb. We chose Ben Chonzie because it looked like it had a bit of snow but nothing too demanding for a first time winter ascent. We chose the Loch Turret side because it looks a bit more interesting than the Glen Lednock route. It was only once we got up to Lochan Uaine and found the conditions and weather very good that we decided to vary our route and make our way under the craggy east face of Ben Chonzie. We wouldn't have done this if the weather wasn't great - although the scrambling is straightforward, route finding would be difficult in clag!

Overview of the route. A variation on the 'normal' route from Loch Turret

We set off early. We wanted to get to the car park at Loch Turret at sunrise. The weather was excellent but very cold as we got ourselves ready in the car park. Ben Chonzie looms at the end of the loch and the good covering of snow suggested we were only going to get colder so we layered up and got underway.

A chilly start on the track up to the car park.

The costa del Chonzie. It was very warm when the sun broke out over the loch.

It got unexpectedly hot when the sun broke out across the track along loch turret; I'm sure that on another day the weather could have changed for the worse and the thermals would have been needed. But as it was we made frequent stops to delayer and for much of the climb it was only t-shirts needed on top half - not what we were expecting; given parts of the loch were still covered in a thin layer of ice. The walk along Loch Turret is gentle and pleasant. There was no wind and the bits of the loch not iced over were like a mirror.

Looking back along Loch Turret

Now the sun gets us. It got quite warm.

The path winds up to near Lochan Uaine then 'peaters' out. It becomes boggy and heathery and you pick your own way through. It was straightforward enough to see the the way the the bealach straight ahead that forms the 'normal' route up from Loch Turret. But given the weather was so fine and the snow not down at low levels we decided to make a detour over the top of Lochan Uaine up a well defined gully towards the east face of Ben Chonzie. We figured that we would be able to find a scramble up from there (not directly up the east face mind!). We only did this because there was no risk of getting lost in clag. We headed for a bealach marked on the OS map by Creag an Lochain Uaine.

Bealach for the 'normal' Loch Turret route ahead. We opted for an alternative route to the left.

Overview of the way we went. Straightforward scrambling but good weather needed!

View back over Lochan Uaine and Loch Turret.

We scrambled up the obvious gully to the right of Creag an Lochain Uaine. It was a pleasant ascent and we saw a couple of mountain hares in their winter coats. It looked somewhat reminiscent of the cave of Caerbannog from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. But this bunny did not go for the jugular and hopped off up to the bealach ahead of us. We stopped at a rock under the east face of Ben Chonzie for some breakfast.

It looks like a more direct route but it isn't.

Straight forward scrambling through ptarmigan and mountain hare territoty.

The east face of Ben Chonzie

View back over the way we'd come.

The little bowl under the east face of Ben Chonzie was a nice place to stay a while. Up to now our route had looked like a more direct way towards the summit, but we weren't sure what the best way to take from the tiny lochaine would be. There are a couple of options: continue round to the left and join the route up from Glen Lednock, or bear right to join the route up from the 'normal' Loch Turret route. We went for the second option which meant easy scrambling on a route that doubled back over the way we'd come. We skirted along under the snow line looking for a safe place with a shallow gradient to cross up onto the 'normal' route. We did not have ice axe and crampons, only microspikes, so we did not want to try anything too adventurous! We enjoyed looking across at the crags and cornices on the Ben Chonzie east face.

Ben Chonzie east face.

Cornices and crags.

Brief snowfield. Not perilous.

We found an easy snowfield to cross, with no peril if we slipped. Then it was a straightforward slope up to the summit shelter. The views were excellent and the breeze was welcome. Away to the north we could clearly see the Cairngorms. One day I will sit with a map and work out what each of the mountains we could see are. It's not the most challenging of climbs but we were glad we'd made an interesting variation. We stopped for some time to enjoy the views then made off towards Carn Chois. There were quite a few people coming up from the Glen Lednock way.

Summit view

More summit view

Summit shelter.

The way to Carn Chois was more peaty. boggy, heather bashing. We were glad that one of the investments we'd made over the winter was a good pair of gaiters each. These were necessary. It was a slog to Carn Chois and a surprisingly steep boulder field to negotiate below its cairn.

Carn Chois ahead but a lot of boggy heather to wade through first.

Carn Chois boulder field. Steeper than it looks.

Carn Chois summit.

Steep drop down to Loch Turret.

The way down from Carn Chois was surprisingly heavy going. In good weather it was straightforward - we could see loch Turret at all times and it was easy enough for us to find a path that wasn't too steep. But it's very boggy and the paths are indistinct. It would not be nice in thick clag because there are some steep crags and hidden drops that need to be avoided.

Back at the car park we were surprised to find it was completely full. It was a great day of weather and lots of people out to enjoy it. We were ready for lunch and already thinking about what our next munro trip will be. Ben Chonzie is fairly sedate but definitely not boring and plenty of options for route variations if good weather allows it.