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Taken a while to get around to putting this up but, here goes;
After 24 hours of intermittent hail and a premature end to a morning family walk / bike, stir craziness sent me out mid-afternoon at the first sign of a break in the weather.
With a limited amount of daylight left, opted to drive the mile to Laga from Glenborrodale rather than walk. Actually set off with the intention of a walk up to Leac an Tuairneir. Parked up beside the bridge over Allt Mor, followed the route of the burn up to the end of the tree line (it was at this point I realised I'd left my water behind), by which time I'd decided to head for Ben Laga instead.
The going was pretty wet due to the rain of recent days but the burn was realtively easily crossed (close to the convergence of several run-offs from lochans and Loch Laga) and I followed the line of a stone dyke through the gully between the two hills, watched closely by a stag and several hinds from further up the slopes of Leac an Tuairnier. Took a moment to enjoy a look back over Laga Bay on Loch Sunart, towards Morvern.
Carried on the approach to Ben Laga and was presented with the following, inviting opening towards the summit...
As I walked up the steep slope of the gully, I was virtually pushed up, over and through it by the strong wind and in no time was on a summit of sorts, just above Lochan Coire Na Moine, on the lower reaches of Ben Laga offering fine views South West (over Leac an Tuairnier and Carna) towards Mull.
...and West (Ben Hiant in the background - theme of Part 2)
Looming large, to me, behind was the summit of Ben Laga
The large rocks provided moments of shelter from the strengthening winds and also from hail on more than one occasion but, that aside it was a fairly straight-forward route up and over the shoulder to the summit. Very, very blowy on top though and it was all I could do to stand still up there. Managed to get one shot in from the summit before my camera battery died on me (more on my phone though which I don't have to hand and will try to edit in later). View is SW across Loch Sunart with islands of Carna (left); Risga (right); Oronsay tucked in behind; and Mull beyond.
The views in every direction were magnificent, despite the weather, North across Kentra to Moidart and East over Ben Resipole and beyond. The skies were blackening from the NW and I was snapped out of my wonderment by some hefty rumbles of thunder. I didn't wait for the lightning show and headed down and around the lochan on top of Ben Laga and followed the burn out of it down the hillside (gaining rather too much momentum on what was a fairly steep descent) before traversing the side of the hill for a bit. This offered good views of Laga Loch and it was at this point I noticed what appeared to be a track in the distance and headed for it (it's on the map and just shows my rustiness / lack of experience). I must have crossed the ATV track on the way up without realising but decided to follow it down the hill in the hope of getting down before the weather closed in. It was a simple stroll from here on in with the track taking me down to Allt Nam Mearlach and then down and around a small-holding and onto the road, a short stroll along the B8007 back to the car (where my water bottle remained on the roof of the car!).
And that was that, my first proper hill walk in 15 years (since Ben Nevis and not counting Traprain & Hownam Laws; Cockleroy; Cairnpapple; Bank Hill; Dumyat) and my first Walk Report.
