Ben Vane

[David.Ferguson]

Started this trip with the intention of doing Ben Vane,Beinn Ime and Beinn Narnain and then camping out in Gleann Leacann Sheileach.Looked like a a reasonable plan until i got to the top of Ben Vane and had the view below:



With my relative inexperience and not great navigation skills yet (and the fact that as a spectacle wearer the wind driven rain and steaming up made me practically blind) i decided to descend Ben Vane the way i came up.Having experienced the slippery rock and a couple of unexpected scrambly bits i thought that the western slope would be a challenge too far.

So headed down and then walked up Gleann Leacann Sheileach until the ford at NN275083,got the tent pitched a bit earlier than planned and enjoyed the views (and wind and drizzle).The picture below is looking towards the lower
Easterly slopes of Ben Vane.



Late in the afternoon the air/sea rescue copter came right up the valley and headed into the cloud between Ben Vane and Beinn Ime and was in there for a while before heading out and back down the valley and round towards Loch Lomond.I had met a couple of guys heading up who i think were heading for Beinn Ime,hope they didn't get into any bother.




Anyway only other disturbance was the midnight stag roaring competition,not the best alarm call in the middle of nowhere.

Nice short walk out in the morning and another Munro done,Ime and Narnain will need to wait till next time.




If i am honest if it wasn't for the movies on my ipod this would have been one long night in a small tent.

[skuk007]

Bad luck on that weather David, was certainly different from when I did it.

I know what you mean by the scrambly bits near the top of Ben Vane. I would have been a bit nervous going to Beinn Ime in that fog aswell. I don't remember any scrambling between Ben Vane and Beinn Ime, although it was quite steep going down and up again.

Hope you get a clear day next time you tackle these, the views all round are worth it.

[Paul Webster]

Hard luck. Was that your first wild camp? If so, hope it hasn't put you off too much. It may be hard to beleive at the moment but the hills are sometimes completely fine and sunny

[David.Ferguson]

Hi

007,i did Ben Vorlich a couple of weeks ago and got perfect weather.Just my luck on Friday,with the visibility and
the fact i was walking on my own i was better safe than sorry.

Paul,yip my first one but not put off at all.I think it is a confidence thing with the navigation. I also need to invest in
contact lenses,the visibility in rain and when the glasses are steaming up from the heat on your face when working
hard is frustrating.So some Daily Disposable lenses for me i think.


David.

[kinley]

I also need to invest in
contact lenses,the visibility in rain and when the glasses are steaming up from the heat on your face when working
hard is frustrating.So some Daily Disposable lenses for me i think.

Remember that - I was driven back to lenses very quickly after taking up walking. Glasses are always steaming up from sweat/breath/rain/mist.

Pain in the wotsits