Vorlich and Stuc a'Chroin in a thunderstorm
Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2012 11:29 pmWe were due to pick up our daughter from friends in Perth at noon on sunday 5th in order to catch the evening ferry to Islay. That would mean far too early a start from Yorkshire, so we thought we could sneak a couple of Munros in on the Saturday and camp high up on Saturday night. The forecast was for sun and nice and warm with occasional patches of heavy but slow-moving rain so we thought we were in for a good day.
We had our first lunch on the beach at Ardvorlich. We set off up the path at about 1.30pm.
It was a hot and muggy afternoon and we met lots of people coming down and passed a few going up - one family with a toddler who was in a backpack part of the way and walking a good bit too, and a large party of Americans who had run out of water by about halfway up and were trying to collect some from a tiny wee drip of a burn which was more like a ditch.
It's a good path all the way up and fortunately the midges weren't out as there was just enough breeze. We hit the top just before four o'clock. It gets steeper and steeper as you go up but the top is visible all the way so no unpleasant false summits at all.
We went to the trig point and the cairn just for completeness and then had a wee stop for a rest and something to eat. There were a few wee drops of rain at this point but they soon passed. We decided to pitch the tent at the bealach and leave the sleeping bags and cooking gear in the tent, this would ensure that we did not have to pitch up after the midges were out but could just dive into the tent after climbing Stuc a'Chroin.
Ha Ha that isn't quite how it turned out. We pitched the tent quite easily and set off, and just at this point the heavens opened. the rain was so heavy that the midges couldnt possibly stand up in it let alone fly! It was bouncing off the ground and by the time we got our waterproofs out and on the paths were all running with water. It was so wet I put my walking poles away as the rain was soaking my gloves and running up my sleeves!
We reached the bottom of the scrambly part on the prow and this was when we saw the first flash of lightning - one, two three four five six seconds to the thunder. It sounded like it was to the south of us. Och well we are thinking, we should be safe enough on the prow, and it should have stopped by the time we reach the ridge. Anyway we have come a long way and invested a lot of mental energy into this trip, and we havent 't anywhere else to go, so we may as well continue. I think if we had taken any of the kids with us we would have gone back at this point.
We reached the ridge and the thunder was still continuing, always about six to eight seconds away. the rain was still coming down like stair rods but the wierdest thing was we were still under the cloud level and could see views in every direction.
On reaching the ridge we decided we'd just make a dash for the top, which sadly was just into the cloud. We tried not to walk too close to the metal fence posts dotted along the path, and we didn't hang about on the summit.
We decided not to down-climb the scrambly bit on the prow and picked ourselves out a nice easy looking route down the north-west ridge and then contouring below the prow, when there was a great crash of thunder only about three seconds away, so we thought it best to come off the ridge as soon as possible. We came down a horrible loose muddy scree gully marked by a cairn at the top, and were glad not to have come up this way. we got off it as soon as we could and found our way back to the tent by about six-thirty pm.
By the time we got back to our tent, everything was saturated that wasnt in a drybag including my spare socks and the microfibre cloth I had brought for drying things off. We wrung it out as best we could and used it to soak up excess water from socks, gloves and wet hair. this was surprisingly effective even though it was already wet.
My Grandpa told me many years ago that when he was in the Army they were told to take their wet clothes to bed with them or just keep them on. With my legs inside my down sleeping bag and my down jacket on I was lovely and warm and we just got on with making a brew and then cooking our tea inside the tent. The only bit of me that was really wet was my feet and my neck but Rudolph was soaked all down his front.
the rain gradually eased off and finally stopped about 8.30pm. we got out of the tent briefly for ablution purposes - wetting my socks all over again in my soaking boots - I think I can justify a new pair - then went to bed.
In the morning there was quite a fog but as we packed up and got going it began to lift and turned into a lovely misty still morning.
There was a lot of bogginess compared to the previous day, and we noticed that the little drip where the American was trying to get water was a substantial little burn!
We got back to the car in good time to change into dry clothes, have a cup of tea and pick up daughter. and a final picture of the Islay ferry arriving at Kennacraig.
We had our first lunch on the beach at Ardvorlich. We set off up the path at about 1.30pm.
- the path through the lovely woods above Ardvorlich
- looking up glen vorlich and foxgloves
- view back to Loch Earn with the Lawers hills appearing on the right and Tarmachans on the left
It was a hot and muggy afternoon and we met lots of people coming down and passed a few going up - one family with a toddler who was in a backpack part of the way and walking a good bit too, and a large party of Americans who had run out of water by about halfway up and were trying to collect some from a tiny wee drip of a burn which was more like a ditch.
- pretty yellow flowers
- Ben Our in the foreground and distant view of Ben Nevis
It's a good path all the way up and fortunately the midges weren't out as there was just enough breeze. We hit the top just before four o'clock. It gets steeper and steeper as you go up but the top is visible all the way so no unpleasant false summits at all.
- Veiw from nearly at the top all the way back down to ardvorlich
- Rudolph at summit trig point
- me at summit trig point
We went to the trig point and the cairn just for completeness and then had a wee stop for a rest and something to eat. There were a few wee drops of rain at this point but they soon passed. We decided to pitch the tent at the bealach and leave the sleeping bags and cooking gear in the tent, this would ensure that we did not have to pitch up after the midges were out but could just dive into the tent after climbing Stuc a'Chroin.
- looking over to Stuc a'Chroin from the path from ben Vorlich, with a few rain clouds looking like they might just pass!?!
Ha Ha that isn't quite how it turned out. We pitched the tent quite easily and set off, and just at this point the heavens opened. the rain was so heavy that the midges couldnt possibly stand up in it let alone fly! It was bouncing off the ground and by the time we got our waterproofs out and on the paths were all running with water. It was so wet I put my walking poles away as the rain was soaking my gloves and running up my sleeves!
- not very flattering picture of Rudolph setting off up the scramble
We reached the bottom of the scrambly part on the prow and this was when we saw the first flash of lightning - one, two three four five six seconds to the thunder. It sounded like it was to the south of us. Och well we are thinking, we should be safe enough on the prow, and it should have stopped by the time we reach the ridge. Anyway we have come a long way and invested a lot of mental energy into this trip, and we havent 't anywhere else to go, so we may as well continue. I think if we had taken any of the kids with us we would have gone back at this point.
We reached the ridge and the thunder was still continuing, always about six to eight seconds away. the rain was still coming down like stair rods but the wierdest thing was we were still under the cloud level and could see views in every direction.
On reaching the ridge we decided we'd just make a dash for the top, which sadly was just into the cloud. We tried not to walk too close to the metal fence posts dotted along the path, and we didn't hang about on the summit.
- not summit picture of Rudolph
- and myself
- although still very heavy rain, there is still a view, here to Ben Mor and Stob Binnein
We decided not to down-climb the scrambly bit on the prow and picked ourselves out a nice easy looking route down the north-west ridge and then contouring below the prow, when there was a great crash of thunder only about three seconds away, so we thought it best to come off the ridge as soon as possible. We came down a horrible loose muddy scree gully marked by a cairn at the top, and were glad not to have come up this way. we got off it as soon as we could and found our way back to the tent by about six-thirty pm.
By the time we got back to our tent, everything was saturated that wasnt in a drybag including my spare socks and the microfibre cloth I had brought for drying things off. We wrung it out as best we could and used it to soak up excess water from socks, gloves and wet hair. this was surprisingly effective even though it was already wet.
- view from the tent - still raining
My Grandpa told me many years ago that when he was in the Army they were told to take their wet clothes to bed with them or just keep them on. With my legs inside my down sleeping bag and my down jacket on I was lovely and warm and we just got on with making a brew and then cooking our tea inside the tent. The only bit of me that was really wet was my feet and my neck but Rudolph was soaked all down his front.
- and again
the rain gradually eased off and finally stopped about 8.30pm. we got out of the tent briefly for ablution purposes - wetting my socks all over again in my soaking boots - I think I can justify a new pair - then went to bed.
In the morning there was quite a fog but as we packed up and got going it began to lift and turned into a lovely misty still morning.
- from campsite 7.30am
- wet grass and Loch Earn
There was a lot of bogginess compared to the previous day, and we noticed that the little drip where the American was trying to get water was a substantial little burn!
We got back to the car in good time to change into dry clothes, have a cup of tea and pick up daughter. and a final picture of the Islay ferry arriving at Kennacraig.
I've been caught on a hill in a thunderstorm too, with lightening striking close, so I know how scary it can be..
, it must have made for an exciting time up top though in all honesty it didn't sound like much fun 
love the cloudburst photo from the tent 