Ben Lomond
Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 10:58 pmAs our confidence is increasing we opted to attempt our first Munro today. We decided on Ben Lomond because.... we just did 
.The weather forecast was good- warm, light winds and sunny intervals and for once the weatherman got it right 
, We started off from the car-park and ascended up through the forest on a good, dry path. Coming out of the trees onto the open hillside was amazing as the views began to open up of Loch Lomond, the Ben and the mountains across on the other shore of the loch. We stopped for lunch to take in the views. The path continued up and up and up then.....up some more. At each ridge we though we would be on the gentle slope towards the final steep summit section but each time we were met with yet another uphill . The route gradient changes from gentle to very steep at various points and thankfully the steep sections are spaced apart so that recovery is possible in between. The various stops to admire the views also ensured the ascent was comfortable. The final summit section is the toughest with steep climbs and a pretty rocky path in places. We soon saw the trig point though and boy was the climb worth it. The views in every direction from the summit are breathtaking with mile after mile of mountains, lochs and rivers way into the distance. The air was clear, which certainly made it all the more spectacular 
. We rewarded our efforts with a yoghurt flapjack . We chose the more challenging descent via Ptarmigan and it was superb. Really difficult in places with steep descents over rocky crags and a narrow stony path for much of the rest. The knees and quads took a real pounding and my wee legs were all wobbly by the time I got to the bottom. Certainly glad we took on this challenge and felt a great sense of achievement in getting to the bottom. Next time we will ascend via Ptarmigan and really test our skills. Home for pizza and a wee sit down after another great day out. 
.The weather forecast was good- warm, light winds and sunny intervals and for once the weatherman got it right , We started off from the car-park and ascended up through the forest on a good, dry path. Coming out of the trees onto the open hillside was amazing as the views began to open up of Loch Lomond, the Ben and the mountains across on the other shore of the loch. We stopped for lunch to take in the views. The path continued up and up and up then.....up some more. At each ridge we though we would be on the gentle slope towards the final steep summit section but each time we were met with yet another uphill . The route gradient changes from gentle to very steep at various points and thankfully the steep sections are spaced apart so that recovery is possible in between. The various stops to admire the views also ensured the ascent was comfortable. The final summit section is the toughest with steep climbs and a pretty rocky path in places. We soon saw the trig point though and boy was the climb worth it. The views in every direction from the summit are breathtaking with mile after mile of mountains, lochs and rivers way into the distance. The air was clear, which certainly made it all the more spectacular . We rewarded our efforts with a yoghurt flapjack . We chose the more challenging descent via Ptarmigan and it was superb. Really difficult in places with steep descents over rocky crags and a narrow stony path for much of the rest. The knees and quads took a real pounding and my wee legs were all wobbly by the time I got to the bottom. Certainly glad we took on this challenge and felt a great sense of achievement in getting to the bottom. Next time we will ascend via Ptarmigan and really test our skills. Home for pizza and a wee sit down after another great day out.