walkhighlands

2 firsts to reach the double

Route: Ben Lawers and Beinn Ghlas

Munros: Beinn Ghlas, Ben Lawers

Date walked: 03/01/2015

Time taken: 5.08 hours

Distance: 12.33km

Winter hillwalking is a pastime I have always admired from in front of a laptop looking at other peoples photographs and videos mainly on this website and occasionally other sites.
Have always stayed well away from the hills at this time of year when the snowfall starts for various reasons, main ones being the dangers involved in hillwalking in the winter, the cost of the extra equipment necessary and the lack of knowledge on how to use this equipment.
But having recently done Ben Vorlich and Stuc a chroin at Loch Earn as my first double hill I was itching to get back out on the hills and didn't think I could wait until springtime.
After a few text messages to my hillwalking buddy we decided we would do my first winter walk but what hills to choose as there are so many. After reading another walk report I read that Ben Chonzie is an easy but uninspiring hill made a lot more interesting by the addition of the snow and made this as a suggestion, my hillwalking mate cammy suggested that Beinn Ghlas and Ben Lawers would be a much more interesting proposition. This was much more suitable as it gave me a double to reach double figures.

So the decision had been made and after purchasing an ice axe we arranged to walk it on the Saturday morning. Keeping an eye on the weather reports and it was looking to be a good day weather wise and I was up at 5 in the morning and picked the mate up at 6.30 and drove the 2 hours to the car park at Ben Lawers mostly in the dark. at one point driving along the road into Killin we got a brief glimpse of the hills we were about to climb and I thought oh no look at that snow covered monstrosity.
The drive up to the car park was also a tad icy with the car wheel spinning a couple of times before we made the safety of the car park.
Got ready and we were walking for 9am.
So it was up through the walled garden and across the road and through the first gate, navigation was pretty straightforward on the day as it was easy to see the intended target and we never had to refer to the map at any point during the day.
The walk was pretty straight forward and it turned out to be a cracking day out with the most amazing views ever and to actually see it myself instead of looking at someone elses photographs was brilliant.
However I've never felt cold like that before ouch!


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So my 2 firsts were first winter walk and first hill in the top ten in height.
This was an absolutely cracking day out and took away some of my misconceptions about winter walking, however if the weather was a bit wilder it would have been a whole different ball game.
If you were to ask if I would do it again the answer would be definitely just off to google crampons :crazy:

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Comments: 9



beinn ime

Attachment(s) Munros: Beinn Ìme
Date walked: 21/07/2011
Views: 3792


first munro done

Attachment(s) Munros: Ben Lomond
Date walked: 21/06/2011
Distance: 13km
Comments: 9
Views: 6505

sonic


Activity: Mountaineer
Mountain: Beinn Ime

Munros: 16
Corbetts: 2



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Statistics

2015

Trips: 1
Distance: 12.33 km
Munros: 2

2011

Trips: 2
Distance: 13 km
Munros: 2


Joined: May 25, 2011
Last visited: Jan 07, 2023
Total posts: 124 | Search posts