Ben Vorlich (Loch Earn)

[EmmaTowle]

So after telling myself I wasn't doing any big hills on my own again after being a bit freaked out by two weirdos on Ben Lomond a few months back, I decided that it was time to get over it so I headed off to Ben Vorlich on Saturday morning.

I parked up just as two other groups of walkers were getting ready to go so I ended up not being on my own for parts of the way up anyways.

One group was a walking group, and I thought they had said their name was outdoor pursuits but I've been googling and can't find it so I have no idea who they were, which is a shame as the lady I was chatting to was very nice. The other group were four mountain bikers doing they first hill.

It was raining a bit when I got there so I put the waterproof trousers on before I started, but ten minutes it when it turned to only a bit of a drizzle I took them back off again as I was chuffing roasting! I set off at 10:30 and the weather was pretty much the same for the whole walk. Visibilty wasn't great. Not much of a view at all but enough to see where I was going so that was good enough for me!




I found it a bit of a struggle really. Had to stop quite a few times, but then I pretty much haven't done any exercise for the past month so that will most probably be why! I reached the top at 12:35. Had a quick bite to eat and bunged an extra layer on as it was pretty windy and cold up there.





I was chatting to the mountain bikers and they were heading off Stuc a'Chroin and were asking two other men that I was talking to if they were heading that way too and I think they all ended up giving it a shot as I went back down by myself. I had never planned on attemping Stuc a'Chroin as I was there on my own, but possibly would have considered it with other people, but it really was not great conditions up there so I decided I was much happier just heading home





I forgot the memory card for my camera so I have a few good camera shots, and a few not so good phone shots.



This is me happy to be on the way back to my car and I was back in it at 2:10

[pollyh33]

Well done Emma!

You did this at a fair old jaunt!!

Sorry got to ask , what spooked you on Ben Lomond?

[EmmaTowle]

It was just two foreign guys that changed direction and walked right behind me for quite a bit. They were going down on my way up but when I passed them they turned and went back up again. I was a bit worried as they were talking a lot in whatever language they were talking in. Just spooked me a bit. Made me realise that I was really very alone up there and anything could happen

[pollyh33]

That's just plain creepy!!!

Glad you're ok. X

[EmmaTowle]

Yeah it was a bit

And thanks

[Liathach]

Do I recognise your Username from MX5OC?

Glad you had a good day on Vorlich. It's a good hill. I once had a stiff pull up the buttress of Stuc a' Chroin in very deep fresh snow.

[EmmaTowle]

Wow that's a blast from the past. I sold my MX5 when I got preggers over three years ago. Haven't been on there since

[lomondwalkers]

Well done Emma, glad the two muppets on Lomond didn't put you off for too long!

[ChrisW]

Good effort Emma, particularly when there was little reward in the way of views, you look pleased to be going back down

Could the people you were talking too be from the outdoor sports company UK outdoor pursuits

or there is a Cairngorm one called active outdoor pursuits started by a husband and wife team Roy & Sophia

[kevsbald]

If it's any consolation Emma, when I'm oot and aboot on my own I keep a wide berth from the foreigners too!

[Liathach]

A photo of your car still flashes up every now and then on the website. It just so happened I noticed it just before reading your TR!

[Paul_Antonia]

Well done for getting back out there Emma and on what looked like a pretty wet day too. Reckon that Experience on Lomond would've freaked me out too and I like to think I'm a big lad that could handle myself if necessary. To put it into perspective I've never heard of anything like that before in nearly 30years of walking and I've never heard of anyone reporting something like that either so it's something that is very unusual. My experiences are that the people you meet on the hills are never anything other than friendly. Much more so than if I were in a city. Get out there and enjoy the hills even more. Never let anything like that stop you from doing something that you love.

[EmmaTowle]

Well done Emma, glad the two muppets on Lomond didn't put you off for too long!

Thanks!

Good effort Emma, particularly when there was little reward in the way of views, you look pleased to be going back down

Could the people you were talking too be from the outdoor sports company UK outdoor pursuits

or there is a Cairngorm one called active outdoor pursuits started by a husband and wife team Roy & Sophia

I very was glad lol. I was knackered!

Dont think thats them but thanks for trying. I will keep looking

If it's any consolation Emma, when I'm oot and aboot on my own I keep a wide berth from the foreigners too!

Im kinda a foreigner, well Im from Norn Iron so not really technically foreign lol. Dont be keeping a wide berth from me if you spot me when your oot and aboot! lol

A photo of your car still flashes up every now and then on the website. It just so happened I noticed it just before reading your TR!

Thats funny. Must go for a look. I miss that wee car.

Well done for getting back out there Emma and on what looked like a pretty wet day too. Reckon that Experience on Lomond would've freaked me out too and I like to think I'm a big lad that could handle myself if necessary. To put it into perspective I've never heard of anything like that before in nearly 30years of walking and I've never heard of anyone reporting something like that either so it's something that is very unusual. My experiences are that the people you meet on the hills are never anything other than friendly. Much more so than if I were in a city. Get out there and enjoy the hills even more. Never let anything like that stop you from doing something that you love.

Thanks for that! It really does make me feel much better about it. Everyone that I tell about going out on my own tells me its not safe to do that, but I kinda like it

I think thats enough quoting for now lol