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Time up - 2 Hrs 30 Mins
Time down - 1 Hr 45 Mins
Well after reading Davgil's report last week for Ben Vorlich I decided I would do it myself today. I headed off at around 8am from home with my fiance Lynn. It was to be her 3rd Munro. We were in the carpark and heading away from the car at 8:45. Some nice views were to be had across Loch Lomond towards Ben Lomond with the sun coming up and the water calm.
- Sun coming up over Ben Lomond
After walking through the padlocked gate and under the railway we followed the tarmac track around towards Loch Sloy reservoir looking out for the small cairn that marked the path up the hillside. After a while walking we got to what looked like a path and further up the hill there were 3 people already half way up. There was no small cairn but it looked like I could trace a route from where I was to the top so we headed onwards.
- Loch Sloy Reservoir
About half way up the steep section from the track I turned to realise I had shot ahead from Lynn over the last minute and she was struggling behind. I waited on her to catch up and it became clear she was having issues. Her new boots were rubbing the back of her heels and two blisters had formed already. Every step was now painful and she was really struggling. We suspected before we came that the boots could have done with being a size bigger and it was now clear they had to be. She decided that she couldnt go on any further and would head back to the car while I headed to the top.
- Lynn heading up
Now that I was alone I headed up the next section as fast as I could so that she wasnt waiting on me too long. I wasnt on a path but after coming around the side of a large crag (on the right of the photo) I found the path I should have been on and continued onwards.
- A Path !
I was starting to reach the cloud that was hugging the summit and the views downwards and ahead were starting to get obscured.
- Looking down at Loch Sloy
- Heaading into the cloud
After walking in the clouds a while over some icy/snow covered ground and also after taking a slight setour on to the top of a craggy section and back (see walk route diagram) I eventually caught site of the 3 guys I had followed up the slope just ahead of me. As I got closer they asked me where the summit was as the path they were on had dissappeared. After a quick check of the OS map we all headed directly up the slope from where we were standing and out of the mist appeared the trig point. I let them know that the actual summit would be a bit furhter on and headed across for a flag shot.
- Summit Flag Shot
I didnt hang around long at all and headed across to the trig point before starting my descent back to the car.
- Trig Point & Cairn
Coming out the cloud I got some nice views of Loch Lomond and the surrounding areas.
- Looking back to Loch Lomond
- Looking across to Loch Arklet Reservoir
On the way down I ran a few sections where I could. This was a first for me as im ususally done in but my fitness must be improving as I was quite enjoying it. I would just slow to a walk when the steep bits came.
I briefly bumped into two guys coming up who asked me if they had to go much further, but since I had took a detour on the way up and had ran a bit of the way back I wasnt really sure. I think I just said it wasnt too much further to be safe.
A short while later I bumped into a couple coming up with two dogs who had already stopped and talked to Lynn on her way back. I stood and spoke to them for a few minutes before heading on. They were very friendly and the whole time I was going to ask if they were on this forum but I bottled it, so if your reading this it was nice talking to you both
I continued down this path which was badly eroded in places and also a little boggy at bits before reaching the tarmac track and low and behold there was a small cairn to mark the route. I was planning on jogging back to the car from here but after 20 seconds of running I realised my legs were jelly so I ended up having to stroll back.
Lynns boots are going on ebay if anyone is a size 5 looking for new boots
Eddie