The view across Loch Lomond to Inveruglas seen on the way down from Ben Lomond

The north west ridge of Ben Lomond

Ben Lomond was a munro I had intentions of doing for quite some time now. It was always an elusive summit yet lay only 2km away from the main road to Fort William. If only the wet bit wasn't there! Transport was my major problem and I asked whether it was worth going out just to climb one munro for a weekend?

The issue of how to get to the foot of the summit remained uncertain for a long time. After enquiries on uk.rec.walking I found a timetable that could get me to Balmaha - a reasonable start. It spurred me on to go out and climb it. The weather forecast was dubious - in the end the forecast the night before going out was for heavy rain and possibly gales - Urgh! It would test my keenness to do a two day traverse of the East Lomond Summits.

On the day itself, I was dropped outside Balloch at dawn. In the end I decided to try and hitchhike to the foot. Within 20 minutes I obtained my ride to Drymen and a further hitch saw me at the Lomond Car Park at 9.30am. The forecast promised rain by the afternoon - I wasn't looking forward to the weekend. Somehow I lost my feeling of being tense and nervous before starting a walk - probably through going to Scotland too often.

On with the walk. The pace was steady up to the open moor and so far it was dry. Then a shower hit. I thought 'this is it!' the shower soon passed and it remained dry for the bulk of the walk. Navigation was trivial - it was a simple matter of 'follow the path'. I still referred to the map extensively to measure progress up the hill. A party coming off the hill said the snow was deep on top - at least I had my axe!

The slopes finally steepened up to the final summit zigzags to the ridge. The snow was ankle deep. The final ridge was pleasant with reasonable amount of snow accumulated in the northern corrie. It was 12pm - the ascent was slow - chiefly due to stopping many times to take clothes on and off.

Now time to descend the north west ridge. I was glad of my axe for this bit - it was reassuring. The descent was steep but not difficult - but a slip could be bad news with this snow. I stopped briefly to check with my compass that I wasn't on the north east summit nose. I continued down and emerged from the clouds to be given a murky view of the surrounding hills. Time for a few pictures.

The view of Ben Vane across Loch Lomond

I was now off the Ben Lomond slopes and on to the bogs of Cailness Burn. They weren't of the peat hag variety - more like tufts of grass with water between - and still very rough! There was also a deer fence to tackle on northward journey. I reached a track and it was now time for lunch before tackling the low top of Cruachan (and more deer fences) before dropping to the dam of Loch Arklet.

The Desolate Gleann Gaoithe
- north of Ben Lomond

I reached the Inversnaid road at 3pm and it was now time to walk up the Snaid Burn to find a place for the night. I decided to take a 'short cut' across barbed wire fences round the Garrison of Inversnaid - I could have simply taken a bulldozed track, Doh! The rain set in hard now and this time it wouldn't stop! I reached a field of highland cattle - this didn't look good. I left the track and heading for the stream to find a way round the cattle.

Loch Arklet - east of the Inversnaid Hotel

After negotiating two barbed wire fences, I found a pitch next to the stream among all the reeds / bracken with a nice barbed wire fence to separate my tent from the cattle! I was dry and the rain relented for my tent to be set up before coming down hard again! After some soup and dinner I was asleep at 5.30pm for a nice long 14 hr sleep. Ah Bliss!

The rain continued into the night and the morning. I felt little reason to get up and go so I had a lie in until 8.30. I reluctantly packed up and left my dry haven for the damp outside. I was packing up a dripping wet tent and stuffing everything into my rucksack - including my camera which I normally have ready by my side.

It was up and over the barbed wire fence and then I trudged up the slopes of Beinn a' Choin. The gradient was moderate and it seemed an age to climb the 600m to the summit. I paused regularly because of overheating and that horrible yucky damp feeling on my forehead. I eventually made it and mow navigation was a simple matter of following a fence over a knolly ridge heading north.

The tempo of the rain increased through the day to a steady drumming! At least I was dry inside my goretex! I departed from the ridge and arrived at Lochan nam Muc. I now had a short moorland walk to do before dropping down to Glen Falloch. One of the burns, despite having a small catchment area, was furious and quite dodgy to cross save for a narrow point to jump. All the burns were like this but this one was bad! The descent down to Glen Falloch was initially steep but soon moderated though I was now ploughing through deep bracken to get to the West Highland Way.

Once on the path, it was easy going along the watercourse / path to Inverarnan where first impressions suggested that the way across to the road was flooded! It wasn't thank god - the driveway was millimeters above the flood water. My it was a wet day. Upto now, there was no / little wind during the day but now this was a strong southerly (soon to turn northerly).

I arrived at the Drovers Inn and settled in to some chips, soup, icecream and coke! A nice reward after a long day! More so that there was a roaring log fire! Now it was back to Manchester, deadlines and presentations. I checked the Nevis web camera on Monday - Aonach Mor was plastered in snow in glorious sunshine! Oh, if only I had another day!