Over The Hill

Five years ago on my last visit to Beinn Ghlas and Ben Lawers it was heavy rain all day, with thick cloud on the hills and almost zero visibility. What a contrast with today; I was returning after five years, my companions after a gap of ten years or more, and the weather was brilliant, if a little cool at times. We arrived at the National Trust Car Park around 9 o'clock in order to ensure parking, as this range of hills is always a popular destination, especially in summer on a fine midweek day. Parked up, and boots on we were off by 9:15, with others already on the track ahead of us, and the car park predictably beginning to fill up.

First thing to notice is the increased growth on the trees and bushes within the Nature Reserve as the path climbs through the reserve and out onto the open hillside just short of the 650m height, quite easily gained thanks to the 400m high start point back in the car park. Nevertheless, there is a fine rock structure just outside of the reserve at the path junction which just begs you for a pause in your ascent, unfortunately it was already in use by those ahead of us, but, not to be defeated we found another just a few metres further up the track, and a short break in the sunshine was taken. A worthwhile pause, for the next 400m of ascent are considerably steeper than that through the Nature Reserve. There is no route finding problems on this hillside. A clear and precise track zigzags up the hillside, at times a constructed boulder and stone path, of the type that each step seems to be just a bit higher than you would really like. In other areas the path is of loose rock and stone, while, nearer to the summit a few flatter, grassier stretches relieve the gradient for a few metres before bare rock is clambered over for the final stretch towards the broad summit area.

We had left the car park with temperatures rising into the mid-teens and just a slight breeze - we were happy to be walking in light tops, free of cumbersome jackets; however, we were aware that the mountain forecast had summit temperatures of 5 degrees, and winds of 25mph, gusting to 35+mph, and so it transpired. Even before reaching the 1103m summit of Beinn Ghlas we had paused further down the hillside to put on windproof jackets, which, thankfully did the trick and kept the very cool wind from detracting from the beautiful day it otherwise was. We stopped on the summit just long enough to get a group photo, courtesy of another walker who offered to take the photo of our group as she saw us prepare for the photo, and then nearly took a tumble as she stood up and stepped forward, only to find that her boot caught in the strap of her rucksack. Now that would have been embarrassing, but thankfully she caught her balance, and we got a group photo; after which we promptly departed, heading down to the 1000m bealach between Beinn Ghlas and Ben Lawers intent on finding a more sheltered spot for a break before tacking the final steep climb up to the summit of Ben Lawers. With a south easterly wind, it took just a moment to dip down the northern side of the bealach and we had perfect calm in which to enjoy a break, the sunshine and to watch others as they appeared on the ridgeline in various stages of ascent or descent from Ben Lawers, it was indeed quite a busy mountain, living up to it's reputation as accessible and popular.

Of late, I have been a bit of a "one trick pony" in that all my hills have involved ascent, break, descent, job done. But today, with one summit behind us, and the descent to the bealach for our break, I now had to gear up for yet another ascent, this time 200 metres of rough rocky path, and the steepest gradient of the day. Suffice to say, I was glad to reach out and touch the twin markers of a fine cairn and the old Trig Point on the summit of this 1214m high mountain. But, as is always the case, summit adrenaline soothes those tired legs, and beautiful views take the mind from everything else. Otherwise, why would we keep coming back for more?

A careful descent from the summit of Ben Lawers soon had us back at the bealach from where there is an excellent path skirting the northern slopes of Beinn Ghlas, which undulates only slightly as it loses a meagre 100 metres in height as it drops from the 1000m bealach to the 900m bealach between Beinn Ghlas and Meall Corranaich; from which point is is a simple stroll, one foot in front of the other, on a narrow but easy path all the way back to the "begging" rock just outside of the Nature Reserve, and this time, it was free, ideal for that final short break and a drink before returning back through the Nature Reserve to complete a very satisfying walk.

Maybe we won't leave it so long before we return again to these two beautiful mountains - Great company, thanks.