Ben Lawers & Beinn Ghlas

[steven65]

After reading JWRamsays summer walk report for Ben Lawers on Thursday i thought i`d stick a wee post on for my day there - yesterday Saturday 6 / 2 / 2011. A day which started very well despite the forecast , but unfortunately endured heavy snow for over an hour on the top & then cleared nicely on the way back down.
I set off from home with Oskar as usual , on passing through Callander the car park at the far end of the town behind the chip shop was completely flooded by the Leny , even the ducks were in boats. On via Killin & the falls of Dochart were raging in full torent , i didn`t stop - telling myself to move on & i`d get a foto on the way home. Wrong.

I parked up at the car parking area & got ready , joining an English guy who had travelled up from Rhyll & was touring around a wee bit sleeping in his VW camper, we tagged along together for quite a bit untill i told him to go on in front as he was fitter & i couldn`t keep up & didn`t want to hold him back.

All around the views were impressive as i gained height i could make out a group of 5 & a dog over on Meall Corranaich ,


as i descended the bealach after Beinn Ghlas to Ben Lawers conditions underfoot deteriorated a lot , ice. I had to put on crampons that i`d previously borrowed from a friend,they worked fine , to a point , but as strap/tie on type on a non ridgid boot they weren`t ideal. However i managed , the lesson being new crampons and/or rigid boots.
Or summer walking.

Just before the final push up to Ben Lawers itself i was passed by a group of 4 English guys who all chatted ,they had seen Oskar with me as they closed in & were keen to see him, 1 of the guys had lost a crampon & was down to 1 only - on getting back to the car park just after 5pm a single crampon was hanging on the gate post !
I was then passed again ( frequent stops to adjust / tighten crampons) by 2 guys who went up a snow corrie quite quickly - foto attatched - i didn`t take that route , instead veering to the L/H side up the path .

Now the weather closed in with heavy snow & a bitting wind just as i summitted , deep joy.


As the snow was very heavy i waited out of the wind on the north side for quite a while,however it didn`t go off , so i continued down & at the bealach met a guy on his way up ,again we had a blether & off he went , next i met 3 Polish guys continuing up to Ben Lawers , they didn`t have crampons on but were keen - the snow was now belting down. I had hoped to go down the bypass route avoiding going back over Beinn Ghlas , but i couldn`t find the point where to head down , (the snow was intense) I knew the Polish guys had come up that way - but i couldn`t see it.

Once back over Beinn Ghlas i knew it was all downhill , the snow & bitting wind lessened & then stopped , another coffee break before my walk out.
I couldn`t understand where the folk who had passed me had went !
I wasn`t that slow 3 hrs from the car to the top , almost an hour on top sheltering & a final 15 min coffee stop - probably 7.5 hours all in - with crampon troubles.
I thought i would have passed them coming back , the weather was quite poor at this point so i wouldn`t have thought anyone would have continued on.Coming back down i saw 2 single walkers coming along the bealach way below me , on getting to the car park there were 2 cars left after me , they would have walked out in the dark as the light was fading -


so no foto of the Falls of Dochart on the way home
A longer day out than i had expected / planned but i`d enjoyed myself as had Oskar

[Merry-walker]

Great report Steven, it sure looked cold.

Shame about your crampon trouble. Micro spikes are good but I think in these conditions crampons looked the safest option. Well done on your bagging

[ChrisW]

Great report, love the pic of the two guys going up the snow corrie - have to say, it sounds a bit like piccadilly circus up there

[Bruadair]

Good work Steven..........I did these at back end of last year in horrible conditions.....and had a thought to go again last Saturday, but went West to Arrochar & Beinn Ime instead...........the snow corrie shot is superb and looks a bit scary, I think I also would have taken the path.....love the shot of Oskar leading the way to Lawers summit.

Best regards..........B

[pigeon]

Weel done steven think that might have been us you seen on corranaich.We had a great day just got down before the snow.Wind was a bit raw was it no

[gammy leg walker]

Well done you and oskar getting these two done in that weather.

[steven65]

Thanks everyone for your remarks , they really are appreciated !
Overall i had a great - but long day out - it certainly beats working the w/end

Pigeon - i have another image - it`s a wee bit clearer ,of your group on the summit i`ll upload it via photobucket tomorrow.

I`m working the next 3 w/ends unfortunately , so unless i get a nice mid-week day away somewhere the next hill will just have to wait till March

[pruney84]

Great report and photo's Steven, as other's have said the photo uf the guys going up the corrie is superb, rather them than me mind