free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
27th October 2018 – Ben Vorlich14.68km
1030m ascent
3 hours 50 minutes
Another sunny Saturday, another morning spent working in Helensburgh. Fortunately I escaped at midday and was parked up at Inveruglas by 1. It was a gorgeous afternoon – this is such a stunning time of year and the sun was shining on Loch Lomond, but it was absolutely baltic




I headed off along the road (well sign-posted – this was a far cry from my normal off-piste malarkey

), past the Power Station and managed to head up the wrong track into a boggy field

I climbed over a fence, crossed the railway, climbed another gate and I was on the right track again….oopsies

Beinn Narnain to the left

It was really warm and although I’d put a load of layers on at the car I had to strip them back off again as I made my way up the glen towards the Sloy Dam


I reached the path – I remember hearing people complaining about this path but it had clearly been improved since then


Looking back to Beinn Narnain

As I climbed higher I could see Loch Sloy

The path climbed steeply and I could see some crags ahead above me


Loch Lomond was coming into view

Approaching a steeper section, the path wound its way through these rocks exposing some big crevasses that it would kind of suck to fall into


Loch Lomond

(any excuse to stop – it was a tough climb!)

It was really sunny but also freezing cold – there was a brutal wind that ripped across the mountain in the exposed areas. But look – wee silhouttos


Loch Arklet

Now on the ridge for real there were lots of impressive rocky outcrops and although there had been bits of ice further down, I was now into proper frozen ground. There’s something really satisfying about the thunk of a boot on a frozen path


Looking across to Ben More and Stob Binnein – significantly more snow there making it look like something out of Lord of the Rings



As I climbed higher up the ridge I could see down Loch Lomond and Ben Lomond – what a day


This was all unfamiliar to me as
last time I was here I had been up from the other side, and also it had been clagmaggeddon and I’d actually spent ages wandering around trying to find the summit
I finally reached the trig point although according to the OS map the real summit is the cairn a few metres further North.


Looking north towards Ben Lui

Looking into the far distance I could see a heathy dusting of snow in Glencoe

The trig point and Ben Lomond in the distance

The Arrochar Alps

Sitting on top of a big rock

Beinn Bhuidhe and Cruachan


It was looking dark in the distance


Loch Sloy and Binnein an Fhidhleir

It was really cold – the wind was really strong and it was freezing

So I headed off down the path, stopping to pose in the sun


Arrochar Alps

Narnain and the Cobbler


Home time….

Looking back up….

Despite it being so cold I just couldn’t get over what a stunning afternoon it was


Looking down the steep slopes of Ben Vorlich to Sloy Dam

As I made my way down I looked back – steep wee bugger


Loch Lomond

The light was starting to drop a little

A dam fine view (I’m here all day

)

Back on the track it was an easy walk back

I met a few other folk on the way out and chattered to them (not like me at all….

)

I hadn’t thought it looked like much of a sunset but maybe it would have been worth waiting up high…

A wee visit to the Falls of Falloch turned out to be muddy but impressive (mostly impressive that I didn’t fall over

)
28th October 2018 – Meall na Fhudair & Beinn Damhain18.17km
1309m ascent
5 hours 50 minutes
It was a cold night but I was warm and toasty inside my sleeping bag. I’d also had an extra hours sleep! I was awake nice and early and parked up at 7.30. I managed to squeeze Colonel Mustard in near a fence without blocking any entrances. The moon was shining in a beautiful blue sky – it was shaping up to be another stunner


Glen Falloch farm

I headed down the road a short distance before heading up the correct track today

This led me to a bridge over the railway today


The track climbed steeply uphill – again the extra layers came off fairly soon

Ben More was poking out and looking inviting


The track contoured around Troisgeach Bheag….

….which soon gave me some great views down the northern tip of Loch Lomond

The track then began to zig zag upwards


The sun began to peek out


The amazing colours and early morning


Eventually it was time to leave the track – there were a few traces of a path to follow in places but it was basically off-piste


The sun was properly up now

Looking up Glen Falloch

As I climbed higher the views increased

Ben Lui, Ben Oss and Beinn Dubhchraig

It was rough ground – fortunately a lot of the soggier bits were at least partially frozen making it a lot easier underfoot, although I did manage to stick both feet in the same bog

Glen Falloch


It was tough work but an enjoyable climb – the wind was significantly reduced from the day before which made sticking to the rocky ridges the nicest way up.
Loch Lomond and Ben Lomond

How on earth does this rock stay upright?


And finally I was on the summit of Troisgeach


Another perfect day


Meall nan Caora and Cruachan

Beinn Damhain and the Arrochar hills

Towards Ben More

The summit of Meall an Fhudair – looks a long way away


Although the route description said to bypass Meall nan Caora I figured I might as well go over it – and it turned out to be another great viewpoint as well as a slightly drier route
A wee frozen lochan


Ahead to Meall an Fhudair

The bealach would normally have been a bog fest but largely frozen all I had to do was dodge the lochans


It was a relatively easy climb and there were traces of a path which became much more pathlike as I climbed higher. Finally at the top the views down to Loch Fyne opened out

Loch Fyne and the Paps of Jura

Beinn Bhuidhe

The Cruachan range

Bens Lui, Oss and Dubhchraig

North – Ben Challum I think

Ben More and Stob Binnein

Arrochar skyline

Meall an Fhudair summit

Troisgeach and the Crianlarich hills


Lochan Beinn Damhain

I sat and enjoyed the views for a while before heading down the south side of Meall an Fhudair – it was a much easier descent than I had feared although I did scare off a big herd of deer


Beinn Damhain ahead

After a while I picked up a burn which I followed downwards – it cut an impressive groove in the hillside

The ground became a bit squishy at the bottom as I hopped across a couple of burns – looking back to the lochan

Whoops I didn’t need to drop down this low


It was a steep climb up towards the ridge of Beinn Damhain – fortunately it was in the shade which made for a slightly easier ascent


Finally on something of a ridge I could see back to the lochan


The summit of Beinn Damhain ahead

Reaching the summit the views down Glen Falloch were back


Loch Sloy glinting below Ben Vane

Beinn Bhuidhe and Cruachan

Paps of Jura

Ben More

Beinn Damhain summit

Meall an Fhudair with Bens Lui, Oss & Dubhchraig

Ben Vorlich, Loch Sloy and Ben Vane


It was chilly – I enjoyed the views for a while before heading downwards – it was craggy and steep to start with and lost height quickly

Meall an Fhudair

Lochan Beinn Damhain and Ben Vorlich

There were some more steep sections and I was into heather and rocks – treacherous ankle-breaking territory but I made it down intact


I was finally on a track, across a bridge and on the home straight – looking back up my descent



The railway viaduct

I got back to the car before 2pm thanks to my early start. It was such a nice day that it seemed a shame to head home so early, so I hatched a master plan
Cruach Tairbeirt4.30km
411m ascent
2 hours 21 minutes
I stopped at Inveruglas for a cup of tea (and a pee

) before heading down the road…it was a beautiful afternoon and everyone was out and about. However I eventually found myself parked up at Arrochar and Tarbet station.
I had scanned through
Denfinella’s report and sure enough, as I sat in the car I could see a lady wandering around looking at my car….as I got out to put my boots up she came over and let me know that I was parked in a railway carpark and that I was supposed to park at the bottom of the road… I pointed out that there were no signs to this effect and she admitted that as it was late I was probably ok. As I headed for the underpass she did remind me again that I really shouldn’t be parked there

I thanked her for informing me and headed uphill
The path was easy to follow initially, despite there being a few fallen or felled trees to climb over. Ben Lomond was visible through the trees


The path was fairly clear although it got progressively muddier as I climbed. The forestry wasn’t too dense and it was easy to dodge the worst of the mud.

As the forestry came to an end it became impossible to climb out as there were uprooted trees and a big bank of mud – a bit of exploration found me a bit where I could scramble up and I was onto the hill for real.
The views onto Loch Lomond were wonderful in the Autumn evening light


Beinn Narnain and The Cobbler

I headed up through grass and soon picked up a path – turns out I’d missed a turning in the forest


As I climbed higher I could start to see down Loch Long – it was going to be a good one


The Brack and the Cobbler

The Cobbler and Beinn Narnain

Loch Lomond opening out

The path was fairly squishy a lot of the time but it was decent underfoot and led me easily uphill. I was at the summit in well under an hour and having a wee wander around gave me spectacular views in all directions


The summit of Cruach Tairbeirt with Beinn Narnain and Ben Vane behind

Loch Long and the sun making its descent behind The Brack

Ben Vane, Loch Sloy and Ben Vorlich

Ben Vorlich

The Cobbler

I tried to get a Jaxter on the trig point but the camera angle wouldn’t work and this was the best I could manage


So had to make do with using the trig as a tripod



Ben Vorlich and Loch Lomond

Ben Vorlich

Ben Lomond

I headed a wee bit West to a wee hill which made gave me a better view down Loch Long for the sunset, which was pretty awesome


Looking back to the summit

Loch Lomond

The Cobbler

Sunset behind The Brack





It was really cold


The sky didn’t quite light up in the way I hoped but it was still stunning




The Cobbler

Now it was just starting to get dark and it was time to get down the hill….

Looking back up – a wee hill but some impressive cliffs


Loch Lomond

I actually followed the path this time which led me into the forest without any acrobatics

The head torch was on as it was dark in the forest and soon I was crashing around in undergrowth


Safely on the trail made for easier walking (no big tree trunks to climb over

) and soon I saw the lights of the station and then my car, in the still virtually empty car park

Fortunately the car park lady was safely inside out of the dark and cold and I was able to drive off in peace.
A wonderful weekend – sometimes all you need is some beautiful weather, great hills and a bit of alone time