free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
I managed to have a fairly active summer dodging about here and there, after 2 and a half years of driving I am finally feeling a bit more confident in leaving the county
but these last couple of months I haven't been out anywhere that exciting. Last Sunday the weather looked good so I neglected my long lie and thought I would head to Loch Earn and have a go at Ben Vorlich. I was on my own so it seemed a fairly safe option with it being a popular hill. I took my trusty side kick Penny the whippet with me who is no 11 and 1/2 but I always say I would rather attempt something and fail with her than achieve it on my own. Well she put me to shame! Being out of practice I was huffing and puffing as she lead the way (until the last section).
Bit of lingering mist at the far end of Loch Lubnaig
I had to stop the car and get a shot of the lovely reflections on the loch
I didn't take any photos on the way up as I was keen to try and push on. I set off in the lovely warm sunshine, the path is very straightforward and easy to follow and is constantly up hill although rather gentle to begin. The higher we got the colder it got and the further on I got the steeper it started to look. I kept pushing myself on as Penny was still happy climbing on up. The temperature really started to drop and annoyingly I had left my hat in the car, luckily I had on one of those multi purpose neck scarfs so if anyone was up Ben Vorlich that day and say and idiot with one round their head, that was me!
As I reached the bottom of the final section Penny seemed to lose her earlier enthusiasm and so did I, purely because of the cold wind and I was starting to feel a bit done in but.....
We made it to the top!
I couldn't turn back when the trig point was in sight so we slowly made our way up.
It was a case of taking a few snaps and getting down
A bit of sleet heading in but it luckily avoided us while we were at the summit
Cracking views were to be had, just a shame I couldn't sit down and enjoy them.
She did so well but looks rather chilly here
Not today!
Don't be deceived by blue sky and sunshine
We got caught in a minor sleep fall on route down
Typical rainbow shot over Loch Earn
Penny with her achievement in the background
Well, we made it, no. 9... who knows when no. 10 will be reach and what it will be...