Ben Bowie

[McMole]

With Thursday predicted to have the best weather of the week, we selected the Marilyn of Ben Bowie for a relatively short day. A predicted sharp overnight frost led Jaywizz to plan a late start to allow icy roads to thaw. We took the more scenic route via the M9 to Stirling then the A811 rather than M8, Glasgow and Erskine Bridge.

The entrance to the forest track off the A818 to Ben Bowie was reached at about 11:40 to find five cars already parked there.

Fortunately there was space for just one more wee one. This is obviously a popular walking route. As we pulled on our boots, first a runner with dog then a party of three arrived along the cycle track from Helensburgh and headed into the forest followed shortly by us. About a mile later as we passed to the north of Ben Bowie's summit, we looked for signs that any of the numerous sets of footprints in the snow covered track had led off to the claimed route through the trees to the top. There were none, and with brashings covered by snow any route in that direction lost its appeal. At a wider section as the track turned to head SSW we caught up with another walker and chatted as we watched a family of three complete construction of two snowpersons.

Jaywizz with snowpersons and a walker who'd started his walk in Helensburgh.

About half a kilometre later where the track hairpinned to the NE we left it to follow the signposted Three Lochs Way. Having read reports of bog and barbed wire, when we reached the fence we did not follow the trio through the gate, but instead walked beside the fence towards the summit.

Heading alongside the barbed wire fence

The family of three on the path

This proved to be a reasonable route, and compared with our return route using the path across the boggy field it was not as 'soft'. We reached the first top and summit soon after the trio who had used the boggy path, and continued after them to the second and lower top which sports a small cairn.

Looking back at the summit from the northern top and its small cairn

On the top with Loch Lomond in the background

Both tops gave good views with the more northern affording a better view of Loch Lomond.

Conic Hill and Balmaha

Dropping a few metres to the north then gave some shelter from the cold breeze while we had a snack and some hot coffee. Back on the summit I crouched down to align it with the cairn on the northern top for a photograph of Ben Lomond. Looking at the lower of the hills in the background, I think this confirms that the northern bump is the lower of the two. Perhaps someone should move the cairn to the true summit?

Ben Lomond from the summit with the cairn on the northern top in the centre

Jaywizz does a Jaxter!

With confirmation from the trio that the barbed wire was wrapped in plastic we used the path when we headed back and were soon back on the main track.

Yes the barbed wire has been nullified

Crossing the boggy field back to the Three Lochs Way

This was now almost deserted: just one cyclist heading uphill who stopped for a chat, then the same passing us as he zipped back down a short time later.