Over The Hill

Ben Donich is one of our “go to” mountains, always there when you are looking for something local but still a little challenging, and Ben Donich serves this purpose well. The weather forecast was reasonable, a little cloudy, but with brighter spells of sunshine. No rain forecast. As I drove up along Loch Lomond the cloud was quite low over the hills, down to about the 350 to 400 metre height on some spots, but it was dry. Driving up the Rest and Be Thankful all changed. Suddenly it was wipers on as the rain started, and that was how it was as we left the forestry parking area, fully waterproofed up, so much for no rain forecast.

Through the lower forest slopes on the rough and very degraded track and onto the open hillside with the rain easing slightly, but still not enough to remove the waterproofs. Onwards and upwards on the main track up the north ridge and we were soon approaching the steeper and rockier sections en-route to “the bad step” before which the rain finally eased and we were able to disperse with the waterproofs.

It was an unusually quiet hillside, we only saw one other small group of five who passed us and disappeared into the misty gloom which persisted for the entire ascent to the trig point on the 847m high summit. With no real chance of any views, and a slightly chilly breeze picking up, we spent no more time on the summit than was necessary to take a few photos before descending slightly to the small un-named lochan which is located just off the summit, but which is unseen, and therefore very rarely visited or even notice by most of Donich’s visitors, but which we have often used as an ideal spot for a lunch break, and today was to be no exception.

As we relaxed by the lochan the weather improved, and the forecast bright spells began to appear, and with them a warming from the sun, which was very evident when we finally departed the lochan for our return descent with the sun feeling nice and hot on our backs. We made one more stop about half way down the hill, just to enjoy the sun and the widening views now that the low clout had dispersed.

Another day of variable weather on the hills, and maybe we should try a much later start on occcasions, as, with the brighter weather came those walkers missing on our ascent, walkers, dogs and all, a busy descent route indeed, all of which made for yet another very enjoyable and energetic day on the hills.

Thanks Ian and Mike once again for your company.