The “Big” Ben More

 Munro baggers will know that there are two of their objectives that are called Ben More.  The Mull version is possibly better known as it is the only Munro on that island and is quite often kept to be many compleaters’ final summit.  But the mountain that looms over Crianlarich is a mountain that commands respect.

Ten club members set out from Inverardran Cottage which is the superb base of our hosts, the Ochils Mountaineering Club.  We walked alongside the A85 on the course of the old railway before starting uphill just past Benmore Farm.  The zig-zag track led to the start of the pitched path that relentlessly gains height.

Ben More is a TRAIL 100 mountain and is described by TRAIL magazine as “sadistically steep”; it’s not wrong!  We walked up towards the snow line and as the snow became more abundant than occasional patches, just above the start of the old stone dyke, we put on our crampons.  Progress now became a lot easier.

Cruach Ardrain

The boilerplate characteristics of the snow showed that it had gone through quite a few freeze-thaw cycles as the sunny days melted the surface and the nights of clear skies refroze the top layer of water.  These conditions were widely reported across Scotland at the time and in the days that immediately followed, resulting in many walkers being caught out, lulled on to the hills by seemingly attractive conditions but finding themselves have to deal with bullet névé.

Ben Lui & Ben Cruachan

The views became more expansive as height was gained with Ben Lui and Ben Cruachan particularly catching the eye to the west.  We took a line slightly to the left of a direct summit bearing and curved around to the right as we neared the top.  Whether the true summit is the cairn or the trig point, I had my photo taken at both to satisfy myself that I had actually reached the highest point of the mountain.  All the ground was shrouded by layers of snow subjected to cycles of freeze thaw and there was a slight breeze compounding the sub-zero temperature; we took shelter in the natural cleft a few feet below, and just to the west, of the summit pillar.

Ben Lawers & Loch Tay

Ben Vorlich & Stuc a' Chroin

Many summits, near and far, completed the impressive panorama.  Bens Lomond, Lui, Cruachan and Lawers could be seen from the south to the north-east.  Ben Vorlich and Stuc a’ Chroin were prominent just south of east.  Neighbouring Stob Binnein dominated just over a mile to the south.  And a tantalising glimpse of the Paps of Jura 70 miles to the south-west was a surprising highlight.

Stob Binnein from Ben More summit

Stob Binnein from just above the bealach

We had become a group of four as the faster amongst us continued well ahead of us.  As we descended south towards Bealach-eadar-dha Bheinn I spotted a group of people and immediately feared the worst.  I soon recognised a few people from our original 10 and as I got nearer was told that one of our party had taken a tumble and had sustained arm, shoulder and possibly rib injuries.

Luckily a group of Manchester and District (MAD) Ramblers were quickly with him quickly followed by a member of the Tayside Mountain Rescue Team who was out on a walk with his wife.  Telephone conversations were had and soon the Prestwick based Coastguard rescue helicopter was on the scene and our casualty was promptly airlifted to hospital in Glasgow, no doubt reaching the warm indoors before any of us!

AIRLIFT!

AgustaWestland AW189    G-MCGT 

We all took the traversing descent path down to Benmore Glen with the group once again splintering based on differing levels of fitness and fatigue.

Such a taxing day resulted in the night’s meal being hailed as the finest of feasts.

West Highland Way

I must be getting old.  I had plans to walk up Schiehallion but I didn’t feel my legs were up to it after yesterday’s big day out on Ben Lomond.  As well as the lie-in I’d had to recover.  And I wasn’t the only one !

We chose a much easier option and decided to walk up the West Highland Way to Tyndrum.  After scrounging a lift to Crianlarich train station, we set off up the well-marked path into the forest.

I’ve never fancied myself as a long-distance walker – summits have more easily held my appeal – but, if I had to choose one to do I’ve always thought that the Milngavie to Fort William option would be a good introduction.  There are options including wild-camping or using one of the baggage transfer companies which allows walkers to travel with minimum weight.  I think I’d go for that, not to be encumbered by a large sack and taking away the end-of-day hunt for a suitable pitch.  Although it wouldn’t allow you any flexibility about lengthening or shortening the day should the mood take you.

We followed a good graded path and had occasional glimpses through the trees of some of the higher ground, notably Beinn Odhar, before dropping down to cross the A82.  This stretch was much flatter and we were soon nearing Tyndrum and The Real Food Cafe, where we had arranged to meet our lift back to the hut.

Beinn Odhar

I enjoyed the walk more than I thought and maybe, at some point in the future, I’ll try the West Highland Way, but I’ve still got a few hills to do first !

Ben Lomond

I didn’t really care what anybody else’s plans were, I was heading for Ben Lomond.  Others in the club mooted the idea of a direct ascent of Ben More from Crianlarich but it was obvious that the route would be relentless.  The promise of more varied terrain on the Ptarmigan ridge proved more alluring.

Although Rowardennan was an hour and a half’s drive from the hut, that didn’t seem that long compared to yesterday’s six hour journey from home.  Five of us headed for the ridge after starting on the West Highland Way and followed a good pitched path to the snowline, avoiding the iced up steps although microspikes made progress somewhat easier for one of us.  As we ascended, the view over to the Arrochar Alps opened out and we made our way up to the Ptarmigan ridge.  Our meanderings along the ridge took us in and out of the wind and we found a suitable spot for lunch, cold but sheltered.

Beinns Arthur, Narnain & Ime

We had been able to see Ben Lomond’s summit ridge and saw walkers in the distance, some descending the north-west ridge.  It looked as if some turned back as we didn’t see them progress to the base of the ridge but we did come across one crampon-shod couple who said that the ridge was not too bad.  A young couple caught us up and overtook, not surprising as they were inadequately equipped – summer boots and a water bottle for the young woman who looked like she was on the way to the gym; jeans and Timberlands for the young man.  No sign of axes or crampons in the single small rucksack being carried !  The minus 5^oC temperatures and 30mph plus winds demanded more suitable clothing !

Ben Lomond summit from the Ptarmigan ridge

At the base of the summit ridge we put on our crampons and made our way up.  The spikes made a difference and I was happy to acknowledge that we had made the right decision at the right time.  A couple of us used ice axes but I felt comfortable using my poles – at only one point would I have preferred an axe but the position wasn’t desperate.  And my goggles proved invaluable in the wind.

As we moved up, a group of eight young Poles followed us.  They were as ill-equipped as the previous couple – no winter boots, crampons or ice axes and although they had reasonable jackets their legwear couldn’t have given them much protection from the wind.  After five hours of walking we took our summit photos at the trig point and the Polish group waited for us to start making our way off in the mist; I’m pretty sure that their main method of navigation was to follow footsteps !

We followed the voie normale down to below the cloudbase and after a while dispensed with the crampons.  It’s a pretty uninspiring path and it made me glad that I’d chosen the Ptarmigan ridge as the way up.  Towards the bottom it was muddy and its condition betrayed the huge number of feet that must use it, both up and down.  It’s probably one of the most used ways up any Munro.

Beinn Narnain

And as daylight waned at the end of the walk, the hills took on the fiery tones cast by the sunset with the alpenglow giving the upper reaches of Ben Lomond a spectacular colour.

The Ptarmigan ridge and Ben Lomond