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Ben Hope

Ben Hope


Postby bootsandpaddles » Wed May 09, 2012 8:28 am

Route description: Ben Hope

Munros included on this walk: Ben Hope

Date walked: 04/05/2012

Time taken: 3.5 hours

Distance: 7 km

Ascent: 908m

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It didn’t look that promising when I peered out of the van: low cloud - all a bit dismal really. “I’ll just have another 5 minutes” I thought. When I woke up again 2 hours later :oops: the cloud hadn’t lifted much but I still had hopes of doing both Ben Hope and Ben Klibreck. Passing through Altnaharra my plans were dealt a bit of a blow when a sign indicated that the minor road to Hope was closed at Strathmore Lodge. Unfortunately I hadn’t got the OS map of the area so I wasn’t sure how near I could get from the south. I had made a last minute decision to do Ben Hope and had just printed out the route map from Walkhighlands! :roll: It is after all a fairly straightforward route. So I felt there was nothing for it but to drive all the way up to Tongue and then down from Hope to the start of the walk. This seemed to take forever (I love single track A roads!) but the bonus was that by the time I arrived at Ben Hope the cloud had lifted and it was another glorious day. Any chance of doing Ben Klibreck as well had vanished though.

A large sign indicates The Way Up.
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The Way Up
It is pretty boggy but there is compensation in the form of lovely waterfalls
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Waterfalls
beside the “path” and views down the strath.
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Strathmore
Once on the broad ridge it was a straightforward walk to the trig point over grass and boulders with small patches of snow.
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On the ridge
A couple of ptarmigan croaked at me as I went past. As I sat eating my lunch clouds blew in and the temperature dropped but not before I had had chance to admire the views of the nearby hills
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View from the summit
and out to sea.
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Hazy view towards Tongue
I could even see Ben Klibreck
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Ben Klibreck
but that was as close as I was going to get that day. Hurrying down to keep warm I quickly dropped out of the clouds and it wasn’t long before I was back at the car. I enjoyed the drive back much more as there was no pressure of time. The scenery up there is superb and I am looking forward to getting back to explore it further.
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Ben Loyal
Much better to take your time and enjoy the day rather than turning into an obsessive, time-driven Munro bagger.

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bootsandpaddles
 
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Re: Ben Hope

Postby quoman » Wed May 09, 2012 8:37 am

Just love it up there, Iam going up to do the four in 2 weeks time hopfully so cheers for that.
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Re: Ben Hope

Postby basscadet » Wed May 09, 2012 8:43 am

Loved the photos :D
I lived up that way once upon a time.. Have to get back there soon.. :)
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Re: Ben Hope

Postby iainwatson » Wed May 09, 2012 10:34 am

nice report,hopefully going up in august to do the most northern 4 and then down to ullapool to do 6 over the course of 5 days,this report certainly helps,

cheers :D
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Re: Ben Hope

Postby dooterbang » Wed May 09, 2012 12:26 pm

Lovely hill.

Thats a power nap eh :lol:

We did do Klibreck the same day then round to Inchnadamph for Ben More Assynt and Conival.
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Re: Ben Hope

Postby bootsandpaddles » Wed May 09, 2012 1:03 pm

We did do Klibreck the same day then round to Inchnadamph for Ben More Assynt and Conival.[/quote]

All four on the same day - that's impressive!!!!
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Re: Ben Hope

Postby dooterbang » Wed May 09, 2012 1:55 pm

bootsandpaddles wrote:We did do Klibreck the same day then round to Inchnadamph for Ben More Assynt and Conival.


All four on the same day - that's impressive!!!![/quote]Sorry - i meant the next day, we did the other 2...only Monty could manage all four in a day :wink: :lol:
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Re: Ben Hope

Postby EwaMH » Wed May 09, 2012 2:00 pm

..or maybe paddy_da_mighty_atom after his crianlarich effort!!!
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Re: Ben Hope

Postby audreywaugh » Wed May 09, 2012 3:05 pm

We were here last Tuesday and also saw the "Road Closed" sign, but decided to chance it, met a campervan coming the other way, turns out the road was closed over a small hump bridge at the lodge?! We had driven all the way round the coast from Gairloch to Durness, so it was not a welcome sight! Ben Hope was lovely, views were amazing, not a cloud in the sky. 8)
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Re: Ben Hope

Postby Graeme D » Wed May 09, 2012 3:50 pm

Nice! Every man and his dog seems to be heading up that way soon. Gives me something to look forward to when I go up there myself ....... in or around 2020 most likely! :lol:
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Re: Ben Hope

Postby bootsandpaddles » Wed May 09, 2012 4:49 pm

Graeme D wrote:Nice! Every man and his dog seems to be heading up that way soon. Gives me something to look forward to when I go up there myself ....... in or around 2020 most likely! :lol:


It'll still be there!!
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Re: Ben Hope

Postby simon-b » Thu May 10, 2012 12:25 am

Thanks for the photos of those brilliant views, bootsandpaddles.

I was on Ben Hope and Klibreck in March and got the notorious Sutherland gales and clag in a week of otherwise fine weather. Not complaining though, Ben Hope's western cliffs wreathed in mist, and the wind roaring against them, was very atmospheric and impressive. And on the way down from Klibreck things cleared, and there was a magnificent view of Ben Loyal to the north.

All the enthusiasm on this thread for this area and Assynt is well deserved. Those who say you are coming here soon are in for a treat.
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