Steven Loraine - 132580

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Winter Walking Record

Details

Date : 10/02/2024

Duration : 3-5 hours

Style : Solo

Type : Quality Mountain Day (QMD)

Weather : Light snow - poor visibility

Wind : Moderate wind

Camping Type : N/A

Nights Camping : 0

Mountains : Beinn an Lochain Ben Lomond

Flagged :

Description

Parked 2kms below the Rest and Be Thankful viewpoint on the A83. The mountain's NE Ridge is largely in full view from this point. Began crossing some open ground to quickly begin the steep and unrelenting pull up numerous turf and rock steps to a small flattening at 637m. Here donned crampons and got out ice axe. Also put on climbing helmet because the high level traverse below and around large crags skirted the lip of a large drop to further very steep ground and crags. Snow was underfoot from 400m, including new soft snow over old ice and I didn't want to take any chances of a slip or worse resulting in a head injury. Climbed steep rocky steps to reach the high level traverse which was narrow and close to the edge of a drop but also a fine 'balcony' to view the glen below (Glen Kinglas). Soon enough, the narrow strip is passed and a sharp turn left brings you to another small flattening below the final climb from 764m point to the summit. The path keeps to the edge of the Old Man's Face crags and swiftly carries you to the first and lower of thew mountain's twin summits at 901m. A short descent to a narrow bealach and then a short ascent to a narrow platform results in the second and higher summit being reached, at 901.7m. By now, visibility was at around 20m with light snow falling and stiff breezes. Took food back down at the first summit and enjoyed a rapid descent to the base of the summit's climb and thence to the 764m point. Here there is a short drop back to the 'balcony' and the following steep rock steps (which an MR person who I met recounted as an accident black-spot on this mountain. I negotiated those steps and then reached the 637m flattening. I kept crampons on for another hundred or so metres in height of descent and then stowed away all winter equipment once the melting snows had been passed. A rapid descent from 400m to the base of the NE ridge ended an enjoyable and quite taxing winter half a day.

Area : Loch Lomond to Strathyre (Ben More)

Ben Lomond (974m) and Ben More (1174m) sit on opposite sides of this area which stretches from Loch Lomond to the western end of Loch Earn. There are two distinct sections, to the north and south of Glen Voil, with the remaining peaks sitting to the south of Loch Katrine. Access to the majority of the hills in this area is commonly from Crianlarich, Aberfoyle or Callander.

Location

Marker
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