Beinn Ghlas & Ben Lawers
Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2012 3:26 pmGot to the Ben Lawers carpark at 09:25hrs, waited on my mate Andy and his Black Labrador, the four of us set off at 09:45hrs.
The sun was fairly scorching down on us, I'd have estimated 23°C - 25°C... this was not to last.
The cruel sun continued to beat down on us as we progressed up the gentle incline towards the deer fence. The gate has the newer carabiner style chain and clip. We saw a sea-plane take off from Loch Tay...
I could see the sky start to darken... a sign of thinks to come.
Check out the black clouds looming, they stayed away from Beinn Ghlas for a relatively long period of time, longer than we could've hoped for to be honest.
Bailey must cover four or five times the distance everyone else does!
View looking towards the summit of Beinn Ghlas, the true summit cannot be seen from here.
We stopped for a coffee and a sandwich on the mini-plateau before the summit of Ghlas. Met an interesting Polish guy who had spent the night on the saddle between Beinn Ghlas and Ben Lawers.
This is the view from the little plateau looking over Loch Tay. Optional dog...
View looking back over the pathway from the carpark up to Ghlas.
Clouds were brewing up...
I stopped to add 3 Compeed blister plasters, very useful.
Round about now Andy badly twisted his knee, an old wound that reared it's ugly head.
We summited Ghlas and headed towards Ben Lawers but Andy's knee was wrecked. Wisely Andy decided to stay at the saddle and looked after my rucksack while I pushed on towards Ben Lawers, I travelled much lighter without the bag and I made it to the summit in fifteen minutes.
Andy & Bailey seen from the south face of Ben Lawers.
A young woman stopped and gave Andy a knee support that enabled him to hobble back along the path to the carpark. I never fail to be impressed at the quality of people I meet on mountainsides, it's almost like we're an exclusive club and everyone looks out for everyone else... a great philosophy.
Me at the Ben Lawers summit.
I could clearly see the rain storm approaching from the west.
Finally the rain arrived, just as I got back down to the saddle and my Gore-Tex jacket.
Looking back in the direction of Ghlas and Lawers, very heavy rain now.
As we approached the Lawers carpark the sun came out and chased the rain away.
Great wee walk this one and I'll come back one day to complete the entire Lawers Range, probably up the face of An Stuc.
Thanks to everyone who stopped and talked to Andy as he was very disappointed. A special thanks to the young woman who stopped and gave Andy the knee support, the walk in would've been a real trial without that. This kind of thing reaffirms my faith in human nature.
- Leaving the Ben Lawers carpark
The sun was fairly scorching down on us, I'd have estimated 23°C - 25°C... this was not to last.
- Beautiful sunshine on the path up to Beinn Ghlas.
The cruel sun continued to beat down on us as we progressed up the gentle incline towards the deer fence. The gate has the newer carabiner style chain and clip. We saw a sea-plane take off from Loch Tay...
- Sea-Plane takes off from Loch Tay. With apologies regarding the focus, it is a camera phone after all.
I could see the sky start to darken... a sign of thinks to come.
- The skies darkened, something we were grateful for given the intense heat.
Check out the black clouds looming, they stayed away from Beinn Ghlas for a relatively long period of time, longer than we could've hoped for to be honest.
- Bailey enjoying himself, note the cloud in the background...
Bailey must cover four or five times the distance everyone else does!
View looking towards the summit of Beinn Ghlas, the true summit cannot be seen from here.
- Looking toward the summit of Beinn Ghlas.
We stopped for a coffee and a sandwich on the mini-plateau before the summit of Ghlas. Met an interesting Polish guy who had spent the night on the saddle between Beinn Ghlas and Ben Lawers.
This is the view from the little plateau looking over Loch Tay. Optional dog...
- Scoob was suffering a bit in the heat but had plenty of running streams to drink from.
View looking back over the pathway from the carpark up to Ghlas.
- Looking back over Loch Tay.
Clouds were brewing up...
I stopped to add 3 Compeed blister plasters, very useful.
- Three Compeed's later and we were on our way again.
Round about now Andy badly twisted his knee, an old wound that reared it's ugly head.
- Labradors... unsympathetic.
We summited Ghlas and headed towards Ben Lawers but Andy's knee was wrecked. Wisely Andy decided to stay at the saddle and looked after my rucksack while I pushed on towards Ben Lawers, I travelled much lighter without the bag and I made it to the summit in fifteen minutes.
Andy & Bailey seen from the south face of Ben Lawers.
- The red dot is Andy... with sympathetic women... it's a tough life.
A young woman stopped and gave Andy a knee support that enabled him to hobble back along the path to the carpark. I never fail to be impressed at the quality of people I meet on mountainsides, it's almost like we're an exclusive club and everyone looks out for everyone else... a great philosophy.
Me at the Ben Lawers summit.
- Ben Lawers Cairn.
I could clearly see the rain storm approaching from the west.
- The Rainstorm Cometh...
Finally the rain arrived, just as I got back down to the saddle and my Gore-Tex jacket.
Looking back in the direction of Ghlas and Lawers, very heavy rain now.
- Heavy rain looking northward.
As we approached the Lawers carpark the sun came out and chased the rain away.
Great wee walk this one and I'll come back one day to complete the entire Lawers Range, probably up the face of An Stuc.
Thanks to everyone who stopped and talked to Andy as he was very disappointed. A special thanks to the young woman who stopped and gave Andy the knee support, the walk in would've been a real trial without that. This kind of thing reaffirms my faith in human nature.
