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Vorlich on a cracking snowy day

Vorlich on a cracking snowy day


Postby weaselmaster » Sun Jan 18, 2015 6:30 pm

Munros included on this walk: Ben Vorlich (Loch Lomond)

Date walked: 18/01/2015

Time taken: 4.51 hours

Distance: 14.7 km

Ascent: 1152m

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I wasn't going to go out today. Tired after yesterday's trek around the Carn Marig hills I was going to have a lie in, mooch around the house and chill out. But...the forecast for clear skies made it impossible to stay in bed. I couldn't let a good hill day pass without heading out. So Ben Vorlich was the choice, for it's NW Top which I hadn't managed last time I was up there. A leisurely drive to Inveruglas in bright sun, with Ben Lomond looking sweet as a peach across the loch, got away at 10am, with several other walkers heading that way too. The ground was crisp and icy underfoot and I was hoping that the snow would be easier to manage than yesterday's deep drifts. Because it's a popular hill I was also reckoning that a path would have been tramped through the snow on the long slog up Lag Dubh. Ben Ime and Vane were looking glorious over to my left as I walked along the track up towards the dam.

Ime & Vane
ImageP1050516 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Vane
ImageP1050517 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Just before turning off up the hillside I see a wee green tent - the nutters out camping turn out to be Leithy & Basscadet who'd been up Vorlich yesterday. We chat about conditions and I continue on, remembering the unremitting steepness of the section up to the bealach with a shudder. I can see a number of folk up ahead and there are clear footholes to step in which makes progress easier. It is less easy to overtake folk without diverting into soft snow :roll: I am still feeling tired and sluggish, with my jogging 3 times a week clearly having taken the energy out of my legs. Well that's my story and I'm sticking to it. As I near the top of this section I meet a guy coming down who says the wind is hellish higher up and he hasn't enjoyed the experience at all. I note he doesn't have goggles on - maybe that contributed. I stop to put on my crampons and goggles in preparation for the assault to come. It is windy when I step onto the wind scoured bealach, impeding walking but not that bad. I sit in the shelter of a group of rocks and eat my lunch, watching to see if the groups of walkers behind me are going to appear or turn back. Most seem to turn back, only 1 guy threads his way towards where I'm sitting juddering in the wind blasts.

Fancy meeting them on a hill :lol:
ImageP1050518 by 23weasels, on Flickr

It's a long way to the top...
ImageP1050519 by 23weasels, on Flickr

ImageP1050522 by 23weasels, on Flickr

ImageP1050524 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Windy at the bealach
ImageP1050525 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Time to go on - it's icy underfoot and I'm thankful for my crampons biting into the crunchy topping. Looking back, Ben Lomond looks serene poised over Loch Lomond and Ben Vane is knobbly and rocky, with steep sides running down to Loch Sloy. I follow the trail of footsteps towards the summit, meeting a number of folk on their way back down. Up ahead I see the trig point and beyond that the summit, where there's a guide and a client on a rope...seems a bit strange as there's not much likelihood of falling off anything up here.

Onwards
ImageP1050527 by 23weasels, on Flickr

The sunlit summit
ImageP1050528 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Ben/Loch Lomond
ImageP1050529 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Vane
ImageP1050531 by 23weasels, on Flickr

ImageP1050532 by 23weasels, on Flickr

View towards NW summit
ImageP1050533 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Onwards I can see the NW Top and follow a couple of guys over to it. The wind has dropped to hardly anything between the two tops, meaning the snow's deeper. I arrive at the Top and enjoy the vista of Ben Vorlich with a dazzling sun behind, trails of spindrift racing over the snowy surface. Back I go, meeting one of the guys I spoke to on the way up who has almost got to the summit - a tiring day he says. The descent is rapid - yomping over snowy slopes is much easier on the way down than coming up, although some folk I pass seem to be struggling a bit with it. I keep my crampons on for grip, hence missing the excitement of bumslides. Back at the road someone's built a tall snowman with groovy hair. I stride back down the track, passing a number of folk out for a walk by the look of their clothes and get back to the car in under 5 hours, a bit snow dazzled but rejoicing that I decided to get myself out today for this fine walk.

Heading for NW top
ImageP1050534 by 23weasels, on Flickr

View North
ImageP1050536 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Weasel
ImageP1050537 by 23weasels, on Flickr

View back to Vorlich
ImageP1050538 by 23weasels, on Flickr

ImageP1050540 by 23weasels, on Flickr

ImageP1050542 by 23weasels, on Flickr

ImageP1050544 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Lomond
ImageP1050548 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Sculpted snow
ImageP1050550 by 23weasels, on Flickr

ImageP1050552 by 23weasels, on Flickr

ImageP1050554 by 23weasels, on Flickr

ImageP1050555 by 23weasels, on Flickr
weaselmaster
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Re: Vorlich on a cracking snowy day

Postby harrison123 » Sun Jan 18, 2015 7:00 pm

That was me on the rope mate, training for an upcoming trip to the Alps... Obviously no rope is required for doing Ben Vorlich, but it was good practice for us! :D Was a brilliant day, great report...
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Re: Vorlich on a cracking snowy day

Postby dooterbang » Sun Jan 18, 2015 7:01 pm

A very enjoyable read, your relentless pursuit of outdoor adventures is joyful.

Looking at those views I'm wishing I hadn't decided to take it easy and lay about.

Those 2 guys were just brushing up on some rope work. Was young Harrison whom I was out with yesterday on Stob Diamh.

Cheers
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Re: Vorlich on a cracking snowy day

Postby Collaciotach » Sun Jan 18, 2015 7:55 pm

Nice one and I get the tired feeling as well :wink:
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Re: Vorlich on a cracking snowy day

Postby weaselmaster » Sun Jan 18, 2015 8:05 pm

harrison123 wrote:That was me on the rope mate, training for an upcoming trip to the Alps... Obviously no rope is required for doing Ben Vorlich, but it was good practice for us! :D Was a brilliant day, great report...


Well that makes sense of it! I originally though you must be really, really scared needing a rope:lol:
Was a fine day, just great to be out there.
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Re: Vorlich on a cracking snowy day

Postby Fife Flyer » Sun Jan 18, 2015 8:35 pm

Another good one Al, with your usual high quality photo's :clap:
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Re: Vorlich on a cracking snowy day

Postby Collaciotach » Sun Jan 18, 2015 8:40 pm

You need to start staying in at the weekends , you ll do urself an injury :lol: :lol:

Cracking pic of the ridge there , cracker and good report :D
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Re: Vorlich on a cracking snowy day

Postby PeteR » Mon Jan 19, 2015 1:18 pm

Stunning 8)

I hope there's a few more weekends like this for when I'm able to get back on the hills.
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Re: Vorlich on a cracking snowy day

Postby bluesheep » Mon Jan 19, 2015 1:22 pm

harrison123 wrote:That was me on the rope mate, training for an upcoming trip to the Alps... Obviously no rope is required for doing Ben Vorlich, but it was good practice for us! :D Was a brilliant day, great report...


Harrison, you have been spotted! Although Ben Vorlich could be used for training for crevasse rescue, as there is a real danger of falling into a rock crevasse when the upper bits of the mountain are covered in snow. We saw some mighty holes after Christmas.
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Re: Vorlich on a cracking snowy day

Postby basscadet » Tue Jan 20, 2015 12:17 pm

Oh what a difference a day makes.. the difference in snow conditions since we had been up the day before was :shock:

We just went exploring the Arrochar caves on Sunday.. :roll:

We may be nutters for camping, but you're just as much a nutter for going up there in that wind :lol:
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Re: Vorlich on a cracking snowy day

Postby weaselmaster » Tue Jan 20, 2015 2:14 pm

basscadet wrote:We may be nutters for camping, but you're just as much a nutter for going up there in that wind :lol:


No arguement there!!
Not been out in the tent for a fortnight, so looking forward to a bit of snow camping this weekend
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Re: Vorlich on a cracking snowy day

Postby cmarcol » Wed Jan 21, 2015 1:38 pm

Great stuff! Settled on this one instead of Glen Lyon. You romped up past us (and back down past us on Sunday). Think we feature in a few of your photos too! Was a great day but I wasn't having that wind up top so just played in the snow all day! :lol: Well done for beating the wind :clap: great photos!
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