Saturday, July 21, 2012

Ben More

I tried Ben More back in May when I couldn't get to the top for snow, Sat morning forecast was pretty good and I  left the Vale nice n early driving up the side of a glassy Loch Lomond in the sun. Arrived in Crianlarich blue skies above except for a big grey cloud sitting on top of Ben More and Stob Binnien. Ran up the forest road and found the trail marked with white tape through the trees, lose sight of the tape and I have to fight my way through the last few trees. Onto the open hill at last, a more direct route this time, throughn tussocks, bogs and over moss covered rocks, steeper too. Cross the deer fence and onto the Sron Nam Forsairean ridge at about 2500' where a faint path winds me up and along the craggy ridge. Thermal top, hat, gloves and jacket on as I climb up into the clouds. I'm soon past where I stopped last time, a good decision as the summit is some distance further along the ridge. The path fades in and out over bouldery ground and eventually the summit trig looms out the mist where I stop and catch a breath and something to eat sheltering from the cool breeze. The run off  easy at first down the ridge and I soon warm up when I drop below the cloud. Over the deer fence and I stop to pick a line back into the forest, the tussocks make for a slow careful descent before a steep scramble back into the forest and I find the lucky white tape again. Finish in 3 hours and 1 minute. Some pictures here.

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