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With the recent improved weather and more favourable conditions for a relative newbie to the Munro world, it felt appropriate to get back on the hills during this early May weekend. Initially, my eyes were on Glen Orchy or perhaps up towards Lawers but with heavy rain and thunderstorms on the horizon, a closer to home option that could be completed before the worse weather set in seemed like a better option. And so Ben Challum was decided on and off we (being myself and my trusty walking buddy, Jumble the border collie) set on this early Sunday morning.
As we started, the tops of all the nearby hills were covered in low lying cloud and mist but the forecast was for it to clear throughout the morning before the weather shifted to become more unagreeable in the early afternoon. The Walkhighlands route for Ben Challum takes you through the small SRUC farm as you begin, before passing a ruined chapel and graveyard which made for an interesting short detour thanks to the handy information boards. Up to the point where the railway is crossed, the path is pretty obvious and very hard to miss. After the railway though, the path for Ben Challum is less clear but the advice to stick to the deer fence is helpful and a rough track can be picked up once you get there, and from then on, we barely had to detour from the track or from what I had mapped out. As we started our climb, the views back over the A82 and the accompanying farmland were very pleasant, and gave me hope for the day ahead. Surely the forecast would be right and it would lift? The trundling freight train that passed as we ascended added to the good feeling, a far cry from the more imperious trains that crash through the central belt on a daily basis.
Based on the route and other reports, my biggest concern for the day was the bogs so walking boots were selected over walking shoes, but perhaps because of the recent good weather, the bogs were not quite as menacing as I had expected, although a few are significant and do require a bit of detouring. It’s not hard to imagine though that a bit of rain can turn the bogginess level up pretty fast so be prepared. The stiles were another thing I wasn’t quite sure what to expect with a decent sized dog and while there’s a fair few of them, it turned out all of them are pretty easy to navigate, although no two are the same!
- The stiles come in many forms but are easy to navigate
The first section of the climb is a bit of a slog through the fields and bogs, and throughout this period there was no improvement in the cloud level, although the day was still warm enough that the fleece had long been discarded. Somewhere around the middle of the hike (around 650m altitude), the route flattens out for a short period, before the approach to Ben Challum first appeared. Well first appeared to me, by this point the mist had become more prominent that I had anticipated, and visibility was reduced pretty quickly. The fact that the path mostly sticks to the fence line as it runs up the slope was certainly helpful given there was no chance of seeing further up the hill, and it was at this point that I first started to become slightly concerned that perhaps it wasn’t going to lift. On we trudged up the path with the breeze becoming increasingly fresh, moisture starting to collect on my clothes and Jumble’s coat and the first hints of a drop in temperature was noticed (and so the fleece returned). So it was with some level of relief, and parts frustration, that we reached what is termed the southern summit. Still the mist and cloud persisted, and even after a short break to refuel and ponder, and no change imminent, it seemed pointless to just sit around and wait for any improvement.
- A misty approach to Ben Challum
The final approach to the summit of Ben Challum is relatively straightforward, with the most difficult part being finding (in the mist) and negotiating a short ridge path just after leaving the southern summit, although I’m sure the views are good from up here. I just have no way to verify that.
And so, we reached the summit 2 hours after setting off from Kirkton, a time that I’m sure would have been longer had we had any views to enjoy. A quick photo and a snack (for us both of course) and off we went back down. And still no sign of any improvement in visibility. The sun briefly made an appearance, but as quickly as my hopes rose, they were dashed as the wind blew and the mist rolled back in. As the basic route takes you back down the path you came up, it was a fairly straightforward jaunt down, with a few stops to chat to the people on the way up, all with the same hope that the mist would lift (unfortunately I’m not sure it did for them all, but I would love to be wrong). We did get some level of excitement on the descent after bumping into a pair of grouse (I think, I'm no bird expert, and would love to hear if someone thinks of another possible bird based on the photo) not far from the southern summit, obviously the mist had stopped them seeing the dog and I until we were mere meters away. Once we got back down to about 700m, the mist finally started to lift, although all the hills around us, including the many Munros, were still covered in low lying cloud, so it seemed unlikely anyone on the surrounding tops that morning would have had any good views. The loss of mist though did allow the warmth of the sun to make a welcome return, so the final sections were thoroughly enjoyed by both man and dog.
- Grouse, I think, seen on our descent
After a short paddle in the river, we were back at the car, parked in the lay-by on the A82, at 11.40, just over 4 hours after setting off. It was very disappointing to get next to no views after summiting Ben Challum, but sometimes that’s just your luck. This climb is a little bit of slog in locations, and without the views I can’t say it is as enjoyable as its nearby neighbours of Ben Oss and Beinn Dubhchraig which benefit massively from some lovely waterfalls and the enchanting woods at the beginning of the hike. But it was good to be back out on the hills for the first time in 2024, and to tick another Munro off the list.
