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Ben Vorlich [Loch Lomond]

Ben Vorlich [Loch Lomond]


Postby Driver84 » Tue Jun 01, 2010 9:48 pm

Route description: Ben Vorlich via Loch Sloy

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

Date walked: 13/02/2010

Time taken: 6 hours

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Right, here we go, the 1st walk of the new year!
Didn't want anything to hard going, and we (the girls dad and I) were wanting something with some lesser snow on it.

Another nice early start and within an hour and half or so we arrived and parked up at the Inveruglas Visitor Centre. Surprisingly it wasn't too cold despite the recent cold snap that had hit us.
Follwing the start of this route as described on here we walked along the main road until we hit the road that passed under the railway: the walk began now. I always find it surprising how breathless the wee small inclines can make me, but not long after the sound of my panting had disappeared that the low hum of the sub-station came into hearing.

We had reviewed the route as described on here, but feeling adventurous we cut off the path early and decided to tackle this our own way. It wasnt long before we hit some pretty steep ground and a few craggs. what a start this turned out to be. The climbing was relentless but soon it 'levelled' out and we made some good ground. At around 500m we found a good grass platfrom amongst the craggs and stopped for some lunch and too actually try and enjoy the views, which up until now we had neglected.
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What great views we had. sat there looking in at the surrounding snow covered tops, I don't think we're going to get that easy non-snow walk we were after. A quick look at the map, before we set off again, showed that we quite a bit to do in front of us. Almost instantly, we hit steep ground again that involved some considerable climbing having to make our own hand holds in the ground, some times grasping huge clumps of grass just to haul ourselfs upwards.
By this point I was beginning to struggle and had to losen of my rucksack as it was so close to the back of my head I couldnt look up to see where I was going. Unbelievably, it was to get even steeper so we decided to traverse around from where we were.
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Wham! Crags! Couldn't go up and round so we had to cross over them. This too was another 1st me, but hey, it had to be done. Just as we were starting to make our way across we looked below us, quite a considerable drop, and could see a couple of smaller groups ascending and descending the path which is described on this site. Looks as if it would have been so much easier, but where's the fun in that, right???
Looking back at the crags.
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About 5 minutes later the crags had been crossed and now we faced a nice wee snow corrie. It was quite solid, but was able to kick the boots in and keep the ice axe secured to the rucksack. Then here we were, on the path.
Straight forward from here then?
Nope!
We had now hit the snow line.

Everything was white, and steep, and looked very similar all around. We had been on this hill for 4 hours and there was still no sign of reaching this summit and we knew it would be getting dark soon. We were close to jacking it all in when we met some people coming back down who said we were only about 15 mins from the top. That was it, that's all we needed, that little glimour of hope. One final haul!
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And sure enough we were soon there.
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The open, long, expanse of the snow blanketed summit.
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What amazing views! the cloud level must have been only a couple more hundered metres above, but it helped us see all that stood before us.
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Seeing as it was going to be getting dark soon, we wanted back on the path as soon as. Don't mind doing that in fading light, but didnt fancy descending in low light.
We retraced our steps and in doing so were pacing a guy who was out solo and so we headed back together chatting.
Then all of a sudden our path disappeared, over a near vertical edge. Had we come this way? None of the three of us re-called coming up this. The guy who was solo checked his GPS and sure enough we had all come up this. The girls dad started his descent, sliding down on one bent knee with the other leg in front. The guy solo stopped to crampon-up. And me? my poles came out and I started to sidefoot down this 'cliff' and then, I was gone! My standing foot gave way and I was rocketing down the slope. I threw away my poles, not wanting them to snag on anything, and took a glancing hit off a boulder before coming to a 'controlled' two footed stop against another pending boulder.
Christ! That was intense. Anyway, I was soon greeted by my poles as they finally slid up behind me and so off we went again, only to be greeted by another small, less steep slope. Looking ahead I could see it led to safe level ground so away went the poles and out came the axe for a little slip and slide, yup it was all intentional this time.

We stopped briefly for a sugar-rush before making the final assault on the descent and it was quite heavy going with the ground again quite steep in places and now slightly wet underfoot in places. Then at last, 'solid' ground as the path/road from Loch Sloy dam was reached which gave much needed relief to what were now very weary knees and thighs.
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Driver84
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Re: Ben Vorlich [Loch Lomond]

Postby monty » Tue Jun 01, 2010 10:17 pm

Nice report Driver..
Some excellent pictures with some nice ice formations. Sounds like you were lucky not to injure yourself. Crampons are essential in that kind of weather. :D
monty
 

Re: Ben Vorlich [Loch Lomond]

Postby Driver84 » Wed Jun 02, 2010 6:43 pm

Cheers Monty.
I didn't even bruise! but yeah lucky escape.
They are hopefully going to be one of my next purchases, we just didnt expect it to be as bad as it was.
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Driver84
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Re: Ben Vorlich [Loch Lomond]

Postby Alan S » Wed Jun 02, 2010 11:30 pm

Good report there driver some cracking snow pictures. 8)
Never seen a thing from the top of this one and was holding on to the trig point to stop the wind blowing me off so its good to see a view :)
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Alan S
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