Arrochar Alps III - Ben Vane

Ben Vane From Coire Grogain

It’s been a grey old day in the SW Highlands and a cold Caledonian wind has chilled me to the bone. I’ve been back again to the Arrochar Alps to climb Ben Vane, the second lowest Munro and the last of the Arrochar hills I am visiting third time around. It’s a good wee hill for a summer’s evening or a brief February day. I was stuck with the latter! The mountain is best accessed from the Inveruglas viewpoint half way up Loch Lomond (see the Ben Vorlich blog entry from November). Once again, the Hydro road up Coire Grogain leads you to the foot of Ben Vane quite comfortably and the day’s work – a fairly unrelenting steep 600m slope – presents itself in front of you after only about 45 mins from the car.

The Summit Cairn With a Distant Ben Lomond

Unlike some recent outings, there were quite a few walkers about; like me, wrapped up in windproofs in order to keep out that pesky wind! A well-marked path guides you up the steepness, a steady pace ensuring you soon gain height and win the impressive view back down the glen towards Loch Lomond and the hills to the east. Not today I hasten to add – cloud appears to have become my new hill buddy! Grassy slopes give way to more rocky terrain and after a few twists and turns around some rock outcrops, and a number of unhelpful false summits, you arrive suddenly at the top of the slope only 300m from the summit cairn of Ben Vane (915m; middle hill). Today’s climb passed quickly as the persistent cloud prevented any panoramic views from distracting me. The only time I really stopped was at the summit where a friendly group of club walkers from Glasgow proved good company for a while.

Then it was back the way I had come and I didn’t waste much time beating down that Hydro road to the comfort of the car and the warm embrace of it’s very efficient heater!

Ben Vane and Ben Vorlich From Ben Lomond

Check out my future plans for this winter on: http://www.hillways.co.uk/winter/winter.htm