Ben Lomond

[Marky]

After having walked this hill last year making it my second Munro I had decided that this would be a good hill for my wife ( Kirsty) to complete her second Munro. She has recently found the bug after listening to me going on and on about the hills (possibly thinking that she may as well join me rather that listening to me going on and on ). After looking at the weather reports we decided for the Sunday as the weather was to be better than on the Saturday, so off we went leaving the house at around 07:30 so that we could find a parking spot as it tends to be a little busy especially at this time of the year.
Leaving the car park at around 08:45 we set on up the path from the car park up through the trees to the Forestry commission road. Since the trees have been cut from this point you can start to get a view of Loch Lomond.

View Across Loch Lomond

The summit was covered in cloud but we were hoping that it was going to clear by the time that it would take us to get there. The air was very muggy and was making the going a little difficult if I am being honest and by talking to a few other people on the hill that day they were also finding the muggy conditions a bit tough. Carrying on up the path we came to the small rocky section at around half way up between the car park and the gate to go through and on to the ridge that leads up to the summit.

The small rocky section

Kirsty at the gate

The rocky section is very easy in dry conditions but I would imagine that a few people have been caught out buy this in wet and slippy conditions, most will go by hardly noticing it. On wards and up wards through the first gate with the sign for Ben Lomond and up through to the second gate that leads onto the main ridge. The path starts to get a little steeper once past the second gate and has in sections a proper stone path. As we approached the main ridge the steepness began to ease off and made the going much easier, a bit of a light breeze was also very welcome . Continuing on we made good time moving up along the ridge towards the summit and stopped for a sugar rush before we tackled the next steepish section that leads on to the summit itself. Kirsty was a little worried when she seen it at first, but when actually on the it there was no problem at all and it was not as bad as she thought it was going to be.

Into the cloud

Now all we had to do was walk along the path to the summit around the top of Corrie a' Bha'thaich which when seen from the summit is very impressive.

Corrie a' Bha'thaich

Me looking like Rambo

Now on the Summit we looked for a spot so that we could have some lunch and take a few photos for our evidence of making it to the top before making our way back to the car. The two times that I have been to the top it is very busy with around twenty people on the summit. I just wish that Kirsty could get a view before we headed back down. As we finished our lunch we got a very small break in the cloud and a thought that the well deserved view would arrive. We got a glimpse of the small Hydro Power station on the banks of Loch Lomond and a bit of a view over towards Loch Katrine an then it was gone so not to much of a view for us but then the weather reports from MWIS did only give a 50% chance of a clear summit for the area.

Me and Kirsty on the summit

our view from the summit

The way Back down was very straight forward as we took the same path as on that we had taken on the way up. The going was now very easy and gave us no trouble on the way back down to the car park we did however meet a lot of people on the way up and at one point it was like watching ants making their way across a garden path. As we approached the car park the cloud lifted from the summit and I turned to ask Kirsty if she wanted to go back to the top for the view from the summit I can't repeat what was said but I’m sure that you can us you' re imagination. All in all a very good day out I hope that you enjoy the pictures.

from the summit across to Corrie a' Bha'thaich

the path up

The path up

across to the cobbler

back towards the summit on the way down we should have waited for that view

[flipside]

thanks for the report, i never tire of going up this mountain i will be dragging the kids up it soon

[Marky]

Hi Flipside

Hope that you get a view from the top when you take the kids up I agree it's a great walk, the view when it is clear is fantastic if you can get it.

Cheers

[Weeshazza]

Good report and good photos. I havent done a Munro yet. Im hoping to do Ben Lomond soon before the winter comes in.

[southsider1972]

Great report and pics, we did it yesterday and thouroughly enjoyed it!

[Marky]

Hi Weeshazza

Go on go for it it's a great walk for you're first Munro not so easy (as if any of them are) but not too difficult. Navigation is straight forward if you stick to the main path.

cheers and enjoy

[Marky]

Hi Southsider1972

Hope that you enjoyed it as much as we did. Hope that you got some good pictures and had a good view from the summit unlike us. With a bit of luck my discription of the route was fairly accurate.

Cheers