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After climbing Schiehallion a few weeks previously at Sunrise, I decided on another early start for a Munro close to home. Ben Lomond was the obvious choice, both for location and ease as my knee is slightly injured.
I left at 2:15 am and the drive was fairly quiet though it was very foggy and limited my speed when approaching Rowardennan. I did have concerns over the weather at that point but i needn't have worried. Arriving at the car park at 3:15, there was a lot more cars than I expected and also another couple of walkers arrived at the same time as me. I let them get ready and head off first.
The start of the walk was dark, pitch black.
- Thank god for headtorches
Walking reasonably slowly, not sure whether I was tired due to it being 3am or because I am just unfit, the walk was fairly easy but a bit disorientating in the dark. I kept getting convinced my headtorch was running out of batteries every few minutes. Clutching my 3 spare AAAs more closely than I was my water.
After a stop to unpack my fruit for some breakfast, I eventually realised my visibility had greatly improved and that I had gotten above the clouds and had an incredible inversion. The moon was lighting everything up and it was stunning. Everybody always says how popular Ben Lomond is and I had already seen the two people in front of me however reaching the summit and being greeted with the sight of 5 tents was a bit disappointing, I had hoped for a bit more peace but what can you do. The strangest thing was whilst witnessing the sunrise I could hear snoring coming loudly from one of the tents. Baffling that someone would go to the effort of a summit camp and not even take in the sunrise. A quick bite to eat from my omelette I'd taken with me and I made the start back down.
- Sunrise
- Sunrise again
- Black and white clouds
- Floating hills
- Lone Sheep - attempting an artistic shot on my way down
The walk back down was fairly swift, I stopped to get the drone out but didn't get much footage. I don't like using it on a busy summit due to the noise it makes so I did it more isolated down the hill. A woman walked passed and said "I thought that was a big wasp up there". If that was a wasp making that noise I'd have been off that hillside in 2 seconds flat.
A really enjoyable walk, not too challenging but enough to make you feel like you've achieved something. All that and back home for 10am, can't beat it.