by kathleenebowie » Fri Jul 26, 2019 8:58 pm
Date walked: 26/07/2019
Time taken: 7.5 hours
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Friday was looking the best day of the weekend, and thought we would give Duncan a day off from studying. Neil was working so we chose this route as he has done this with Paul. I managed to get the boys up and out the door around 9, and after a slow trip up to Killin due to slow tourists, we arrived at the Ben Lawers hotel just after 10. After the hottest day of the year the day before it was still warm at 21C.
We set of along the road at first and then up the track at the bone carvers shop. The path up beside the burn went through very high bracken, often covering the path. Calum hated this - being scared of beasties! Once out of the woods and onto NTS property, the sun hit us and it was hot work up to the first top. The boys were slow - chatting away - so I had to wait for them a couple of times. Even so, we made the top of Meall Greig in good time and had lunch (we had stopped earlier for doughnuts - yum!). The breeze up there was strong and it was jackets on after a morning of shorts and t-shirts. Luckily by now the cloud had risen off the other two top and from Ben Lawers, but it did cover the sun until we were back down.
The second top Meall Garbh again I was first up - almost chilly up here with a strong wind considering the temperature we have had recently. We didn;t stop for long and set off for An Stuc, with a steep downhill and up again - this time with a bot of scrambling. This time the boys had got their second wind and raced off ahead - and were waiting for me on the top. We found a lovely little sheltered spot under the cairn and enjoyed the views west over Ben Lawers to Glen coe and even the Ben,
Then again a steep downhill down to the Lochan underneath these hills and Ben Lawers. Me and Duncan went in for a swim having brought our swimming stuff. If was cold but not freezing - warmer than the sea usuall is - and lovely and refreshing after a sweaty sticky day. Still the dark clouds hovered over us though.
As we descended back to the road the clouds cleared and it got hotter again. A quick refreshment at the hotel and them back home for tea care of Dominoes.
