Busses, Trains and Beinn Dubh too.

[meangarry]

Friday for me was a watershed moment in my hill bagging. I used public transport to get to Beinn Dubh. It might not seem like a difficult thing to do but for me it was a fact finding mission which hopefully will see me adding to my meagre munro tally over the summer without relying on others to provide transport. I don't drive and at the moment have no intention to so this was an important step for me. A summer of summits with good weather on my days off awaits!
Friday morning I caught the 0710 from Moffat to Glasgow and the weather was fine. I had checked the forecast and it looked promising for the Luss area. Whilst still on the winter bus timetable this was probably as far as I could push it and return on the same day. I picked an easy Graham in Beinn Dubh to start me off. Arriving in the bus station I had an hour to sit and wait for the next bus and in that hour the blue sky turned into a grey one. Great, at least it was still dry though. The bus took a little longer to get to Luss than expected but by 1100 I was on the hill.
I kept a brisk pace as catching a bus home was always on my mind. It was still dry and the top of Ben Lomond was cloud free.

Ewe, Lamb and Ben Lomond

The views were still pleasant even with the grey skies. I only stopped a couple of times on my way up to admire them and snap the odd photo.

Islands in the Loch

The boggy bealach between the two rolling tops reminded me of hills closer to home in the southern uplands and I felt at home with wet trouser legs. Gaiters would have been welcome but I hadn't brought them. Do'h!

Looking to Ben Lomond as the cloud base lowered.

Heading up the final climb the clouds got much lower and decided to rain. There was no one around so it was a quick snap of the cairn and time to move on.

Summit shot.

On the way to the summit I had planned to find a few geocaches but I was in such a rush I missed a couple of them. Instead of completing the horseshoe I retraced my route from the summit to find them. On my way back I jumped off a peat hag bog hopped my way back over the boggy bealach. Upon reaching better ground I'd realised my sunnies had fell out the pocket on the back of my bag. (dunno why I'd bothered taking them!) So anyways, I wasn't going to leave them and I had a fair idea they had fell out on the peat hag parkour manouvre so off I went to traverse the bog for the third time! By the time I was off the hill I was awfy wet. The wind and rain had drenched my right side and it would be a long time before I was home and dry.

Heading back through the driving rain.

Once back at the shelter of the bus stop I grabbed a bite to eat and waited. Next thing I knew the bus I'd planned to get drove right past. Bloody driver waved his hands at me and went right past. Total bus wanker. Luckily there was another bloke waiting who said that the city link busses are terrible and we could get a service bus to Alexandria and then the train back into Glasgow. Thouroughly decent bloke he was! The train was a bonus too, the heaters were on and dried me right out!
So four busses, one train and a Graham later I've learned a good deal and now look forward to my first public transport munro. I think I'll get the train next time! Bus wanker!

[Fudgie]

The train from Queen St for Oban and Mallaig will take you past a whole load of hills so keep that in mind as it's a very easy way to do some of them

[malky_c]

Quite some effort getting up there from Moffat, I would have thought. At least I know there's a bus now, as I am likely to be heading down that way without a car at some point to do some walking.

Did you stick your hand out for the bus? I've heard of some drivers even ignoring a thumb out, but most of them won't stop unless you signal them somehow. Although quite why else you'd be standing at a bus stop in the middle of nowhere I'm not sure.

Once you involve a bit of camping or bothying, it takes the pressure off missing your bus a bit.

[tomyboy73]

well done, good luck with the public transport munro bagging

[dunrig]

That's a shame meangarry I always stick my hand out and the citylink buses stop - it is hardly worth it but you can always complain.

[meangarry]

Thanks for the encouraging comments folks, I did stick my hand out to hail the bus but he drove on by.

The train from Queen St for Oban and Mallaig will take you past a whole load of hills so keep that in mind as it's a very easy way to do some of them

Yeah fudgie, It's all about the connecting times for me. I will be doing this in future though.

Quite some effort getting up there from Moffat, I would have thought. At least I know there's a bus now, as I am likely to be heading down that way without a car at some point to do some walking.
Once you involve a bit of camping or bothying, it takes the pressure off missing your bus a bit.

Yep, I'll hopefully get the tent up that way too. There are a few bothies round about Moffat you'll be able to use. Over Phawhope and Gameshope are in great locations for a couple of nice hills.

[gmr82]

I've always looked forward to seeing that shot of Loch Lomond from Beinn Dubh, may well be there this weekend but as usual all dependant on the forecast. Can't believe the bus driver, reminds me of the time I was getting the first bus home at 6am to Inverness with full blown flu ( I was bed ridden for 2 days before, and 6 days after but I was desperate to get home as I was living on my own). The driver left the terminal 10 minutes early, I waved him down like a mad man and the ***** drove right by me