Ben Venue

[Taraloo]

Started off Ben Venue and took the wrong path which lead us on a nice wee warm-up circular walk right back to the car park where we started 10 minutes earlier! After not such a great start we took the correct path and headed off to find the start of the ascent to Ben Venue. We had been told by Scott our friend and fellow walker in the office that Ben Venue was very boggy in places so we all had our Gaitors with us. Turned out it wasnt quite as bad as I had envisaged, though still boggy. Weather was lovely to start with but as soon as we came out of the Forrest walk and started heading up the incline, the rain started.

Third of the way up Ben Venue

I enjoyed this hill and found it quite challenging especially at the scrambling parts. Just wish the weather had been better.

What lay ahead!

Before we reached the first summit we came across a mini cairn so we had to stop and pose of course.

Me and Louise at the mini-cairn

After a bit of a scramble to get to the first false summit we gave a few sighs when we realised it was another good half hour minimum before we would reach the real summit, plus it was getting rather windy and the clouds were rolling in. That said, we did manage the up down, up down efforts to finally reach the summit and after unloading our rucksacks we carefully approached the Cairn for some necessary photo opps but had to cling tightly onto the cairn as the wind nearly knocked us of our feet!

Clinging onto the Cairn at the Summit!

The views were well worth it and the cloud stayed away just long enough for us to get some nice photos of the rainbow overlooking Loch Katrine

The rainbow

view from the Summit

After not even 10 minutes at the summit the girls hands were like ice (they had forgotten to pack their gloves) so I shared mine with them and gave Lou my ridiculous looking furry hat (no vanity in the mountains eh?) and we headed back down. I was overjoyed that we had done this one as I have seen it many times from Ben Aan and was desperate to do it.

homeward bound

The forest was a welcome sight as we knew it wasn't too far after that and at least didnt involve any more scrambling.
Stopped off for a nice glass of wine at the wee pub in Aberfoyle, had a laugh at the funny photos (not showing those!) and headed off, another wee conquest completed, well done girls!

[kevsbald]

You should have taken a photo when you realised you'd done a circular route back to the car park.

[Taraloo]

Lol never thought of that Kevsbald! Think there would have been at least two disgruntled faces at the other end of the camera as it was me that was navigating Personally found it hilarious!

[magicdin]

radio scotland did a programme a few years ago about the west highland way
two lassies set out from bridge of orchy to inveroran (over the hill- mam carraigh)
when they got to inveroran hotel they turned right and walked back round the road to bridge of orchy

[Taraloo]

No way! Thats even funnier than ours. I am doing the WHW a week on Saturday through to following Saturday so will have to watch out for that one, with my past history! 2 weeks ago my friends and I had booked to stay at the MacDonald Hotel in Kinlochleven and planned to do the Devil's Staircase. Turned out to be a fab day and the sun was splitting the trees, we found it a lovely walk and were delighted to see Kinlochleven in the distance once we rounded the final corner. It was only then we realised that we had parked the car at the start of the walk and had to go back and get it! DUH! 3 out of 4 blondes maybe not a great idea when planning routes. Had to turn around and do the blasted Devil's Staircase again!

[magicdin]

the views would be good on the way back down though

[mountain coward]

There's certainly no vanity in the hills for serious walkers like us lot... however, in the Lakes, you get a lot of those yuppie walkers who think you have to have all the gear and turn up their noses at things like funny hats or people tying jackets round their middles etc...

I for one really don't care what I look like in the hills... to the extent of wearing odd gloves most of the time - I lost one my left thinsulate glove out of my pocket in the Mamores a couple of years back but found another, smaller, much lighter grey left-hand thinsulate glove so wear that now - I don't mind as long as my hands are warm!

Still need to do that hill... I'll watch out for the mini-circular near the start