walkhighlands

Share your personal walking route experiences in Scotland, and comment on other peoples' reports.
Warning Please note that hillwalking when there is snow lying requires an ice-axe, crampons and the knowledge, experience and skill to use them correctly. Summer routes may not be viable or appropriate in winter. See winter information on our skills and safety pages for more information.

Taking the Kiwis up Ben Lomond

Taking the Kiwis up Ben Lomond


Postby Jaxter » Fri Jan 06, 2017 12:23 am

Route description: Ben Lomond

Munros included on this walk: Ben Lomond

Date walked: 29/12/2016

Time taken: 5 hours

Distance: 12 km

Ascent: 990m

Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).

James and Jeanne, friends from New Zealand, were in the UK for 2 years and wanted to get up a scottish mountain - they were in Balloch for Christmas so I picked them up en route and we took the opportunity to go up Ben Lomond.

Despite being the middle of winter it was one of those typical scottish winters where there was virtually no snow so I wasn't worried about their lack of crampons - in fact mine didn't even go into the car :roll:

We set off up the path - :roll: it wasn't raining but definitely was overcast
Image

Towards Loch Lomond
Image

It was easy walking for all of us - even me taking it easy on my dodgy knee and we made good progress. There were even some views looking back down the ridge

Image

Image

However, before long we were well and truly into the clag and the views were gone - still, it was a bit damp but still not raining!
Image

The clouds parted and Jeanne was able to enjoy some nice sun reflecting off the water, even if it didn't feel as warm as it looked down there!
Image

Image

We made the summit, it was cold and windy so we hid in some relative shelter to eat lunch - James had brought Irn Bru to pretend he was Scottish :lol:

It wasn't a day for lingering and I wasn't sure of conditions on the Ptarmigan so we headed back down the same way as we wouldn't have seen anything anyway :roll:

James and I playing in the snow - hard to believe that it had been 20 years since he'd last been in the UK!
Image

We didn't hang around too much on the way down and headed back to Glasgow as they were off to Edinburgh to experience Hogmanay with a cousin. Still - not the nicest day but we all enjoyed ourselves 8) :lol:
User avatar
Jaxter
Wanderer
 
Posts: 1486
Munros:217   Corbetts:139
Fionas:90   Donalds:49+13
Sub 2000:129   Hewitts:69
Wainwrights:81   Islands:35
Joined: Aug 8, 2011
Location: Glasgow/Inverness

Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).



Can you help support Walkhighlands?


Our forum is free from adverts - your generosity keeps it running.
Can you help support Walkhighlands and this community by donating by direct debit?



Return to Walk reports - Scotland

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 72 guests