Easter Sunday 08/04/12

We reached Rowardennan at about 10am. The weather was cloudy with drizzly rain, with the sun threatening to break through. Having just devoured a cream egg in keeping with usual Easter breakfast traditions, I was raring to go. This was to be my first official Munro, given that I have no evidence of mountain conquests achieved when I was younger.

Our four-man party quickly ascended the first couple of hundred metres through the sporadic woodland and moors that made up the majority of the lower slope, hindered only by a steep rocky section that required some minor scrambling.

We raced up a large section of the mountain with a shallow gradient, but our progress was unclear given that most of the summit was obscured by cloud. On more than one occasion we reached what we thought was the final ascent only for a new slope to emerge in front of us from the clouds.

As we entered deeper into the cloud the wind picked up and began to batter us. By the time we reached the steep final section it had become no less than a gale, completely obscuring any view we had of the loch.

After one final push we finally reached the wind and rain-swept summit. We met a group of gents who, judging by the shell suits they had worn for the occasion, were also from Glasgow. They kindly took our picture and offered us a can of the beverage they had been drinking on their way up. We politely declined.

Our descent started out as a brisk walk and quickly developed into a jog. Despite the worsening conditions, traffic on the slope was becoming increasingly busy as the day wore one. Our knees ached from the descent but the incentive of Easter Sunday dinner spurred us on, and five hours after our departure we arrived at the car park again.

As much as I can't wait for the next Munro, a return to Ben Lomond on a clearer day is a definite.

Rory