free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
I wasn't sure about a walk out this weekend due to my father's being terminal illness and we (the family) having spent most part of the week his bedside. I desided a walk would do me some good and joined freinds Ian Hill and his son Riis from Stirling on their outing and after picking them up enroute headed for Lochearnhead.
We could see snow covered tops on the drive up to the normal start point at Ardvorlich and parked again at suggested offroad parking area. Once suited up we set off up the track and it wasn't lond before we got our first sight of what lay ahead.
![PICT0076(4).JPG]()
- Ian & Riis with Ben Vorlich rising behind
Once up into the white stuff the track got a bit dodgy with ice covering boulders and some deep pockets of snow and being cramponless an off track route was chosen in order to gain some height and have a bit more substance underfoot.
![DSCF7510.JPG]()
- Off track on the hillside
We picked up the track again as it turned SE and wound it's way up onto the first shoulder where with being a little exposed we took some shelter just off the flat for approx' 15 minutes as there was some snow fall and a cutting wind from the west which was making the snow sting our faces.
Ready to go again the way ahead was surveyed
![PICT0080(3).JPG]()
- Still a bit to go then
Again with neither of us having crampons, the route to the summit was slow and tricky as we had to kick in footholds or and where possible utilise footholds that had been made previously. By the time we reached the top, the wind was howling and we took some shelter behind the trig point until it eased off a little.
![PICT0087(3).JPG]()
- Riis firmly settled whilst Ian tucks in
When the wind eased a little I took a stroll over to the 2nd top to survey whether or not we could tackle Stuc a Chroin, but without crampon or ice axe and facing high winds along with snow flurries we desided against it and set off back down off the summit.
![DSCF7519.JPG]()
- Yours truely taking a walk over to 2nd top
Remembering the struggle up, we looked for an alternative route down and noticed some footprints in the snow heading off in a North Westerly direction, where the slope was a bit more gradual, so we desided we would follow them for a bit and at times were thigh deep in snow. Whilst keeping an eye on the previously laid footprints we took advantage where we could to gain some ground by bum sliding down the slope....the longest slide being approx' 100 metres as we were reaching the end of the snow cap.....and then it was a trek across some boggy ground before catching the track again.
I know some of the more experienced walkers and climbers out there will be calling us all sorts of idiots.... but we had a ball, and it certainly helped take the previous few days off my mind for a bit.
Once back home it was a rush back down to Ayr to share the experience with my father and the family after which a few hours later he sadly passed away....so this walk is dedicated to him.
