Following the high temperatures we had two weeks ago on Cruach nan Capull and the following week of continually high temperatures and heatwave conditions in some areas I had opted for a local leg-stretcher last weekend and took an easy stroll from Balloch to checked out the recent work done to clear the John Muir Way between Stoneymollan and Gowk Muir, and a fair job has been made to reinstate the path up the hillside, albeit it is now a blatant scar on the landscape as you approach it from the Balloch direction. Anyway, keeping an eye on the weather, as we do, Thursday was forecast to be the day the high temperatures broke and we would return to a more normal Scottish summer, with the hill forecast looking to be low cloud, poor visibility, drizzle and a strong wind. Perfect!

Ian suggested Beinn Luibhean, the least frequented mountain within the Arrochar Alps which we had not done since replanting had taken place as part of the hill stabilisation work being done to help prevent landslides on the Rest and Be Thankful, and the subsequent high deer fence which surrounds the hill making access somewhat restricted. According to Walkhighlands Beinn Luibhean is now basically an out and back route, up and back via the broad south ridge, this being in contrast to our previous trips which had been via an anti-clockwise route up the glen alongside the burn to the pipeline workings and onwards towards Bealach a’ Mhargaidh before swinging west to the summit, with the return being a descent of the south ridge, a pleasant circular walk which as we set off from the parking area by the A83 was far from my thoughts, an out and back via the south ridge was our plan for the day. Or so I though!

The rough track soon begins to run alongside the new deer fence, and just beyond a main gate through the fence, which is not the point of entry there is, a little further on a large kissing gate which is the designated entry point onto the main south ridge. Once through the gate, a faint path hugs the fenceline for a short distance before then cutting upwards to gain the main ridgeline. Indistinct to start with, the path becomes more obvious as the thicker vegetation is left and the shorter grassy hillside is reached, it is obvious but never more than a single narrow path, I guess through use it will become more defined in time.

The south ridge is no easy stroll, with a constant gradient of 1:3 it is a relentless plod upwards which we took at a very leisurely pace, enjoying the climb as the initially low cloud base began to rise above the surrounding mountains and the odd spot of blue sky made fleeting appearances. It was certainly cooler than of late with a brisk breeze blowing which had us don light tops just to fend off the slightly cooler air; slow and steady it was until we reached the unmarked summit, no cairn, no Trig Point on this lonely Corbett, just some magnificent views as the low cloud lifted off the surrounding mountains and we made the most of the spectacular scenery in every direction from our lofty perch. Wonderful.

As always, once on a summit we were in no hurry to depart, and so a very leisurely lunch followed and we just sat back to enjoy the day. Come time to depart a question was raised as to whether we just follow Walkhighlands advice and return back down the south ridge. However, I was not too keen to take the knee bashing a steep descent can result in, and ventured to suggest making a circular by returning via the bealach and pipeline as I outlined at the start of the report was our previous route up to the summit. Walkhighlands does mention that for those transiting onwards to Beinn Ime there was a stile in the deer fence, which I was fairly confident would lie somewhere in the bealach and which we could cross to reach the pipeline track. So with enthusiastic responses from my fellow walkers, off we set heading for the bealach. A relatively easy descent brought us within sight of the bealach, but no fence could be seen, until looking further afield the fenceline could be seen but rather than running through the bealach it was in fact quite high up on the side of Beinn Ime. It was rather funny to find that at this point I was in a majority of one as to the choice of route, and had to grow broad shoulder while others around me started to get very slopping shoulders as to whose fault it was we may not have a convenient gate to see us through the deer fence. To add to the heavy responsibility I now had to bear the bealach was a nightmare to cross, it was like walking on a giant dried out sponge. Deep sphagnum moss covered the whole area, thankfully it had dried out, but each step forward went deep into the moss making for slow going. And, things did not improve beyond the bealach as we trudged down the small ridge between the two burns leading to the pipeline and small dam. This area, which we all recalled being a nice grassy rise when used as an ascent route, was now overgrown in deep vegetation with no discernible path whatsoever; my only consolation was that my knees were fine, the soft moss, vegetation and easy slope were good to the knees, they just sapped the strength from the legs. Hey-ho! Finally, Mike who was on a crest a little further ahead of Ian and myself turned and gave a big thumbs up and we knew instantly he had seen a gate in the fenceline ahead, so, at last I felt a level of unspoken forgiveness lift the responsibility for route choice from my shoulders. All, well almost all, was forgiven.

The final kilometre down the glen was via the old pipeline track which had deteriorate somewhat and was almost hidden below a covering of bracken, obviously since the construction of the deer fence and the kissing gate onto the south ridge this route up the glen has fallen into disuse, a pity, as it is a great circular route, however, at the end of the day our general agreement was that unless you are prepared to trudge through some rough ground underfoot, and the possibility to a very wet bealach in normal conditions, the Walkhighlands out and back via the south ridge is probably the sensible route for a day out on Beinn Luibhean.

However, given all we had today, it was a great day, the weather was perfect for hill walking and the company just the best. Thanks Ian and Mike for another memorable day in the hills.