Sack the Juggler wrote:For those who will know the highlands better than me in April, can you recommend some lower level peaks that will still be spectacular but less risky? What would Ben Lomond be like in April? Obviously subject to the snow conditions but a decent plan B?
Ben Lomond is a less serious proposition that Nevis, and will come into summer condition earlier in the Spring, but it is still not a trivial prospect in winter - the final section of the path is quite steep, gets buried and can certainly require crampons. The navigation is not without problems, either: there is a steep drop to the north near the summit, and it is possible to descend the north-east ridge by mistake in poor vis.
If someone with no prior hill experience were really keen on an April trip to Scotland, my advice would be to research a range of possible walks at a variety of altitudes and make sensible and conservative choices based on the prevailing conditions (both snow and weather). Coming with any one fixed target of Munro height is a recipe for getting out of your depth.