Over The Hill

This walk caused me a small dilemma, it was on my birthday, and my eldest son and his wife were traveling from Luton to be with us for the weekend, mainly to say happy birthday dad. So was I going to miss the walk, or would they understand if I left them reading the Sunday papers while I spent the day on the hills? Wonderful son & daughter-in-law, of course they wouldn't mind, after all it was my birthday, so off you go dad they said - thanks I said.

There is a fairly straightforward route up Ben Vorlich, which involves an easy walk along the Loch Sloy access road, and a steep, but relatively short ascent to the ridge and summit. But that's not our way, and Peter was set on taking the long circular route, via the inappropriately named Little Hills, as you will see later, and a return via the north ridge to Stob nan Coinnich Bhacain.

We parked up on the A82 just opposite Stuckendroin Farm and, ignoring the cacophony of sound coming from the farm outbuildings, which sounded like the whole of Crufts were barking at us, set of up the farm track signposted Ben Vorlich, heading towards the underpass that would take us to the other side of the West Highland Railway line.

Leaving the underpass behind, we were soon crossing a gently sloping grassy hillside heading for a small group of trees which lie at the base of the Stuc na Nughinn ridge were the real climbing would begin. Once on the lower ridge, its a relentless climb up the steep grassy slopes. There is a faint path which winds its way around grassy, and sometimes rocky outcrops as you gain height, and on a clear day like we had, fantastic views open up, north towards Ardlui and the head of Loch Lomond and, ahead of you, the Little Hills and the corrie's of Ben Vorlich gradually come into view.

At just over 500m height, Stuc na Nughinn top is reached, and ahead is the Little Hills. Two minor tops sitting at 793m and 808m. Surveying our route ahead, it was difficult to see how anyone could class these as Little hills, they looked as steep as anything around, and so it was to prove as we continued to climb towards these tops, with the ridge narrowing and ever steepening, it was with some relief that we reached the first top at 793m.

Until this point, we had been heading generally south as we ascended the ridge, but having reached the 793m top, its a 90 degree turn and west down a steep, rocky descent, losing 50m in height to a small bealach, before a steep ascent to the 808m top. As in life, put in the effort, and you reap the rewards. And so it is when you reach these two tops, the views south to Ben Lomond and Loch Lomond are quite stunning, and we considered ourselves very fortunate that today we had a clear blue sky with visibility extending as far as the eye could see.

The descent from the 808m top to the small lochan situated at the 763m bealach is via a series of short scrambles over some minor crags and grassy ledges before ascending west through some rock slabs, and then southwest over the broad open top for the final few hundred metres to the summit cairn on Ben Vorlich. We had seen no one during our ascent, yet had to compete with quite a few other walkers for summit space, one group at least, and I suspect the other also, having ascended from the Loch Sloy route.

Quite bizarrely, the north ridge immediately beyond the summit cairn was still holding quite a covering of snow for a distance of about 500m down its length, much to the delight of a few of the group who attempted to toboggan down on their backsides, without much success it has to be said. Tobogganing over, we continued to descend the ridge above Coire Creagach to the bealach at 560m before a final short steep climb up to the summit of Stob nan Coinnich Bhacain, at 674m.

At this point, we were virtually due west of our start point at Stuckendroin Farm, but with some awkward crags between us and the lower, grassy hillside around 350m height. So with considerable care, we set off on our descent picking our way around and down through the crags and gullies on the east side of Stop Nan Coinnich Bhacain until we eventually reached the gentler grassy slopes and the underpass below the West Highland Railway. We knew we were back at our start point when we were again greeted with the incessant barking of the dogs in the farm outbuildings.

An excellent, energetic and challenging walk, with stunning views - Thanks Peter