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So, we have a free morning to go and climb up a hill, so we need to make it easy. Obvious choice - Ben Lomond.
Although Ben Lomond is easy, is it not a bit boring and also absolutely mobbed, though, I have to ask Dad, who's been up it twice already. He says I suppose so, so I tell him I want to go up Ptarmigan and really early.
So, we did!
Headed out past the memorial on the West Highland Way
- The war memorial
- Looking up the loch
Turned off right and began to climb up onto the ridge. The views started to open up to the south.
- Clouds beginning to form...
- Getting lighter
- Me
Once we finally got onto the ridge and out of the shadows, we saw where we were heading for.
- I can see summit!
The Arrochar Alps had all come out to play.
- Sloy Dam looks huge
- The view south from a bog
Headed along the ridge.
- The stepping stones over the HUGE river
We headed for the intimidatingly steep ridge to the summit. It looked quite scary, until we remembered what the last hills we'd climbed were - the world famously easy and gentle
Cuillins!
Reached the summit with not much difficulty at all.
- Me - the only person on the summit of Ben Lomond on a beautiful day!
- Dad
- Us
- Me
You can see another version of that photo
here (no. 5)!
It was then that we noticed some cloud below us...
- The path inviting us to leave, but look at what's behind...
- Cloud inversion to the east
- The trig and cloud inversion to the south
- I like cloud inversion
- The cloud inversion in the Forth valley
- It's time to leave
Started to head down
- Goodbye!
- Heading down
- We've been up there!
It was now that we were reminded that this is the most accessible munro, as there were billions of people passing us.
- Of we pop!
- At the bottom
Off for McDonald's (not renowned for being super energizing but oh well!)