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Ben Vorlich (Loch Lomond)

Ben Vorlich (Loch Lomond)


Postby Bruadair » Sun Dec 05, 2010 7:02 pm

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

Date walked: 23/10/2010

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Here we go then...
This was to be my first accompanied walk, and I admit to having reservations...one being I could give my companion a few years (near to 20)...I was quite a novice and he was experienced...and....I hadn't really met him before so my concerns was that i would spoil the walk out for him, because I would be much slower. So on a bleak damp and dreary Saturday morning I set off from home at early O'Clock to meet Mark in the car park at Inveruglas.

After brief introductions we suited up and with Mark taking the lead we set off for the climb ahead. Being that my previous ventures all had straight forward tracks, you could have knocked me over with a feather when Mark stopped and suggested our route of assent.
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Looking down the route towards carpark over Loch Lomond and out to Loch Arklet
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And.....the way ahead!!!!
As we closed in on the summit the terrain started to whiten as a light dusting of snow was revealed.
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Icing sugar ??? maybe there's a cherry on top
Ever closer to our goal, the chance was taken for a few photo' scenic shots as the horizon widened.
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Looking out over Loch Sloy
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Looking south down Loch Lomond toward Islands, with Ben Lomond on left
Mission finally accomplished and trig point was reached.....Mark advised that there was some dispute over which was highest summit so to ensure box was ticked we walked across to 2nd summit (mission definately accomplished) where Mark took a barometric rerading and then again back at the trig point...guess what... the height reading was the same.
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Mark at trig point and 2nd summit in distance
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Yours truely doing the posey I did it shot
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And again at 2nd summit...just in case!!!
We then dropped off the summit and out of the wind for a well earned cuppa and sannie and then took and another couple of scenic shots to the south down Loch Lomond.
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To the |South
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And Again
A south west route down towards Loch Sloy was chosen for our decent
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Loch Sloy Dam
and that was a killer....I thought my knees were going to explode and was ever so glad to reach terra firma and the track back to the car park. Once back at the car park I took the oportunity for another couple of scenic shots...including a look back up the hill.
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Guess where
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On the to do list...Ben Vane in the sun
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Ben Vorlich from the car park
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A wee bird

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To sum up....this was my first sort of scramble up the side of a hill as oposed to the traditional tracky type route and what initially came as a shock turned out to be a buzz...Yesssss I Lllllovvved it.....I felt like a wee boy again.... and my thanks go to Mark for showing me real hill walking and yes I ached in the morning, and the next.....but welll worth it.
Last edited by Bruadair on Sun Jan 30, 2011 5:46 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Ben Vorlich (Loch Lomond)

Postby 2dalmatians » Sun Dec 05, 2010 9:00 pm

Great report Bruadair, I can imagine the pressure you were feeling walking with someone for the first time when you dont have that much experience. It seems it all worked to plan though. This was my 5th Munro and I went up the easy way - path just before the dam - and was knackered coming back too. But from your pics and report I wish I had taken your route. Well done mate
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Re: Ben Vorlich (Loch Lomond)

Postby skuk007 » Sun Dec 05, 2010 11:10 pm

Nice one Bruadair, know what you mean about the buzz. It's a great feeling. Look forward to more reports. :)
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Re: Ben Vorlich (Loch Lomond)

Postby rockhopper » Mon Dec 06, 2010 12:34 am

Nice report and nice route Bruadair. My son who had just turned 11 and I went up this one just over a year ago but we used your descent route for both our ascent and descent. Your ascent route looks much more interesting. I can remember doing the same as you on the top as we also weren't very sure which was the summit and it was also very windy.

You'll find that half the fun is on working out different routes and not using the normal tracks all the time - well done :D
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Re: Ben Vorlich (Loch Lomond)

Postby over2u » Mon Dec 06, 2010 4:37 pm

like rockhoppers post going up via your own routes, especially via non paths makes it a lil more interesting and much more rewarding .. I went up Vorlich late summer starting the assent from the Damn itself no path up back to the visitor centre via the "little hills" why they are called little heck knows??.. the views from the lil hills make that route of accent/decent well worth while.
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