A magical morning inversion on Ben Vorlich

[jimbell21]

Thursday 6th February 2020

With another howling weekend forecast to coincide with a rare weekend off, an early morning adventure was required before work at 3pm on Thursday. Checking the forecast at 11.30pm on Wednesday night as I finished work, I saw that an inversion was likely in many areas, so opted for Ben Vorlich at Loch Earn as a relatively short outing to get my fix before the storms hit.

I rocked up at the "car park" on Loch Earn about 8.20am, it was looking very promising. I ended up joining a retired chap for the first half of the walk, chatting away about hills as you do. I left him in peace and climbed the second half alone. Ben Vorlich itself was always above the clouds, and as some lower cloud swirled around, it looked like the cloud inversion was going to happen. Yaaasss!!!


Ben Vorlich upper slopes


Looking good!

Turning around to look over my shoulder, I saw the Lawers range starting to poke their heads above the cloud . So excited by this, I bombed it up the upper slopes towards the summit, briefly stopping to stick my crampons on as the path had turned to sheet ice and hard snow. Reaching the trig point was incredible, just wow in every direction!! What a morning!


The Lawers Range above the cloud


Vorlich trig point to myself


Stuc a'Chroin coming and going in the cloud


Summit panorama with Ben More and Stob Binnien centre in the distance


Ben Nevis zoomed, clear as a bell


Having a bite to eat by the trig point, watching the cloud flow down Loch Earn below


Ben More and Stob Binnien


Suppose I better get in one of the photographs


View to the south top

Summit video


After 40 minutes of enjoying the summit views I had to pull myself away and get down the hill back to the car. I could have stayed up there all day! I bombed down the hill and reached the car exactly 3 hours after setting off, a brilliant short outing.

Even better, I was home and still had time to cycle to work in Dalgety Bay in the sun for a 3pm start. A brilliant wee microadventure and making the most of the day. Needed a few coffees to see me through to midnight though

[Colin1951]

Best possible conditions! Thanks for some great pics, I’ve been over these two a score of times and never seen them like that.

[jimbell21]

Best possible conditions! Thanks for some great pics, I’ve been over these two a score of times and never seen them like that.

Thanks Colin. I've only been up them once before and never saw a thing all day, so yesterday was an absolute dream to see! Thanks for reading

[litljortindan]

Grand. That inversion with wee gaps here and there is better than the solid filled flat sheet type I reckon though I wouldn't quibble with the latter if I got it. Nice video clip too.

[jimbell21]

Grand. That inversion with wee gaps here and there is better than the solid filled flat sheet type I reckon though I wouldn't quibble with the latter if I got it. Nice video clip too.

Thanks , know what you mean with the inversion but it happens so seldom that I won't be that picky! Just anything under 50mph wind and sideways rain will do for now...

Cheers!