Walkhighlands

After reading JWRamsays summer walk report for Ben Lawers on Thursday i thought i`d stick a wee post on for my day there - yesterday Saturday 6 / 2 / 2011. A day which started very well despite the forecast , but unfortunately endured heavy snow for over an hour on the top & then cleared nicely on the way back down.
I set off from home with Oskar as usual , on passing through Callander the car park at the far end of the town behind the chip shop was completely flooded by the Leny , even the ducks were in boats. On via Killin & the falls of Dochart were raging in full torent , i didn`t stop - telling myself to move on & i`d get a foto on the way home. Wrong.

I parked up at the car parking area & got ready , joining an English guy who had travelled up from Rhyll & was touring around a wee bit sleeping in his VW camper, we tagged along together for quite a bit untill i told him to go on in front as he was fitter & i couldn`t keep up & didn`t want to hold him back.

All around the views were impressive as i gained height i could make out a group of 5 & a dog over on Meall Corranaich ,


as i descended the bealach after Beinn Ghlas to Ben Lawers conditions underfoot deteriorated a lot , ice. I had to put on crampons that i`d previously borrowed from a friend,they worked fine , to a point , but as strap/tie on type on a non ridgid boot they weren`t ideal. However i managed , the lesson being new crampons and/or rigid boots.
Or summer walking.

Just before the final push up to Ben Lawers itself i was passed by a group of 4 English guys who all chatted ,they had seen Oskar with me as they closed in & were keen to see him, 1 of the guys had lost a crampon & was down to 1 only - on getting back to the car park just after 5pm a single crampon was hanging on the gate post !
I was then passed again ( frequent stops to adjust / tighten crampons) by 2 guys who went up a snow corrie quite quickly - foto attatched - i didn`t take that route , instead veering to the L/H side up the path .

Now the weather closed in with heavy snow & a bitting wind just as i summitted , deep joy.


As the snow was very heavy i waited out of the wind on the north side for quite a while,however it didn`t go off , so i continued down & at the bealach met a guy on his way up ,again we had a blether & off he went , next i met 3 Polish guys continuing up to Ben Lawers , they didn`t have crampons on but were keen - the snow was now belting down. I had hoped to go down the bypass route avoiding going back over Beinn Ghlas , but i couldn`t find the point where to head down , (the snow was intense) I knew the Polish guys had come up that way - but i couldn`t see it.

Once back over Beinn Ghlas i knew it was all downhill , the snow & bitting wind lessened & then stopped , another coffee break before my walk out.
I couldn`t understand where the folk who had passed me had went !
I wasn`t that slow 3 hrs from the car to the top , almost an hour on top sheltering & a final 15 min coffee stop - probably 7.5 hours all in - with crampon troubles.
I thought i would have passed them coming back , the weather was quite poor at this point so i wouldn`t have thought anyone would have continued on.Coming back down i saw 2 single walkers coming along the bealach way below me , on getting to the car park there were 2 cars left after me , they would have walked out in the dark as the light was fading -


so no foto of the Falls of Dochart on the way home
A longer day out than i had expected / planned but i`d enjoyed myself as had Oskar

Great report Steven, it sure looked cold.

Shame about your crampon trouble. Micro spikes are good but I think in these conditions crampons looked the safest option. Well done on your bagging

Great report, love the pic of the two guys going up the snow corrie - have to say, it sounds a bit like piccadilly circus up there

Good work Steven..........I did these at back end of last year in horrible conditions.....and had a thought to go again last Saturday, but went West to Arrochar & Beinn Ime instead...........the snow corrie shot is superb and looks a bit scary, I think I also would have taken the path.....love the shot of Oskar leading the way to Lawers summit.

Best regards..........B

Weel done steven think that might have been us you seen on corranaich.We had a great day just got down before the snow.Wind was a bit raw was it no

Well done you and oskar getting these two done in that weather.

Thanks everyone for your remarks , they really are appreciated !
Overall i had a great - but long day out - it certainly beats working the w/end

Pigeon - i have another image - it`s a wee bit clearer ,of your group on the summit i`ll upload it via photobucket tomorrow.

I`m working the next 3 w/ends unfortunately , so unless i get a nice mid-week day away somewhere the next hill will just have to wait till March

Great report and photo's Steven, as other's have said the photo uf the guys going up the corrie is superb, rather them than me mind