Ben Vorlich (LL)

[JimboJim]

Time to head for hills again, but not much time, so needed to be something reasonably near and hopefully, not too long. Having done Ben Vane, I was at least familiar with walk in from Inveruglas, so Ben Vorlich, was the one which looked favourable for weather.
As described, it is quite a small 'cairn' which marks the off-point up the hill, but between the third and fourth pylon from the dam, won't be far off. The lower stretches were a bit boggy and indistinct, but on a clear day like this one, you have a fairly good idea of where you're aiming and you quickly get a good idea that this is steep! It was about one hour of solid grind, till things began to level off a bit. It was good looking down on the dam and gradually seeing the Arrochar Alps, Loch Lomond, Clyde estuary and hills to the north, gradually emerge into full view.

Loch Sloy Dam.

Loch Lomond

Once up on the ridge, I met a couple of bodach's (me, being a young chappy!) already heading down! How do they do that? Hardly looked like they'd been sweating. Me, I was sweating buckets and I managed to keep my t-shirt on, all the way to the top! I met a nice chap, Dave from East Kilbride, heading for the summit, so we swapped stories and had a bite together after some pics at the summit, which seemed to take a good bit longer coming than expected. Two and a half hours, more or less to the top, beyond the trig point.

Loch Lomond

Bird's eye view.

Clyde and distant Ailsa Craig.

Ben Lui?

Me

- and, me.

It started to get a wee bit breezy and colder, so we didn't wait too long before reversing down the route I'd come up. (Dave, had come up from the south ridge, which also looked a fair hike!) Just over four and a half hours, back to Inveruglas Information Centre and a most delicious '99' to round off the trip. Yum!

[Big Jesper]

You got another good day for it jimbo and good set of pics too. Hear you're up for the mamore challenge next year, don't think that you're fitness needs to improve that much with the times you are racing up the hills.

BJ

[JimboJim]

Ha, Ha, good one, BJ. I think we should do the Mamores 10 one morning, then squeeze in the South Glen Shiel Ridge before it gets dark? Then again, maybe just stick to our usual plod up one, or two in a day.