Hillwalking Thread

[Socks]

Anyone done any walking on the islands that they'd reccommend? I'm going to have a few days off in the next couple of weeks and quite fancy going to one of them for something a bit different. I'd love to do the Rum Cuillin but unless you want to spend 3 days to get there, do the walk and get back, it isn't possible any day other than a Saturday. I might give the Paps of Jura a go, then maybe something on the mainland the next day. September is my favourite month for walking - about half of the really good days out up the hills I've had havae been at this time of year.

[AyrshireTon]

Attempted Ben Ledi today.

Stupidly I didn't do much research and never found the summit due to mist and a quagmire climbing up through the Glen.

I missed the entrance to this walk and continued on up to where the cabins are and turned left up the hill.

Went through the forrest plantation until it cleared to a horrible barren bit where all the trees had been felled.

Continued on through what was a flattish area with a waterfall and some hills in front of me (could be Stank Glen?)

The engineered path continued up to a style and beyond that was some evil slope covered in mud and water that veered off up to the right then levelled off.

At this point I think I went the wrong way, looking at some guides online they say that you should go up and to the left but I went onto the right towards the waterfall area and followed an old rusty fence for about what seemed like a couple of miles, this wasn't easy due to thick mist - especially over to the left (which is where I reckon Ledi was).

I went over two or three summits and there was two pools of water.

Should I have went left after the muddy slope see uploaded images below?

First one is the top of the muddy slope.

Any help or directions appreciated, will try this again but I hope that it is as simple as following the other path at the start.

The path up Ben Ledi goes through trees, and emerges at a point whre trees are being felled.

After the stile, keep going up and the path doubles back on itself at a fence post, if I remember rightly. In poor visibility there will be a few false summits, but the actual top has an iron cross memorial very near the trig point.

[AyrshireTon]

My walking buddy wants me to do Ben Lui with him next Saturday. From what I've read this will be the most challenging I've done so far (done Ben Ledi, Ben Lomond, Ben Newvis, Ben Vorlich *over loch Earn*, Ben Vane, Ben Venue and the Cobbler *though failed to reach the true summit).

Anyone done this one that can tell me what it's like?

Not done Lui yet, but it's on the to-do list.

Seems the be a classic walk from Dalrigh, but can also be done from the north (which does not show the hill's real shape). There seemingly is a path all the way, steeper once you have entered the big Coire. The sight of the hill on the approach road to Cononish is meant to be fabulous.

[Gnash]

Attempted Ben Ledi today.

Stupidly I didn't do much research and never found the summit due to mist and a quagmire climbing up through the Glen.

I missed the entrance to this walk and continued on up to where the cabins are and turned left up the hill.

Went through the forrest plantation until it cleared to a horrible barren bit where all the trees had been felled.

Continued on through what was a flattish area with a waterfall and some hills in front of me (could be Stank Glen?)

The engineered path continued up to a style and beyond that was some evil slope covered in mud and water that veered off up to the right then levelled off.

At this point I think I went the wrong way, looking at some guides online they say that you should go up and to the left but I went onto the right towards the waterfall area and followed an old rusty fence for about what seemed like a couple of miles, this wasn't easy due to thick mist - especially over to the left (which is where I reckon Ledi was).

I went over two or three summits and there was two pools of water.

Should I have went left after the muddy slope see uploaded images below?

First one is the top of the muddy slope.

Any help or directions appreciated, will try this again but I hope that it is as simple as following the other path at the start.

I did Ben Ledi a few weeks ago and did much the same thing. The signposting at the bottom is terrible - it basically leads you up the "down" path at the very start. I did it in clear weather though (but it was bástard windy).

The top photo is the bridge you drive over to get to the car park bit on the left. We walked from there basically straight up through the trees following a fairly obvious path right up to the summit. We sort of bore left most of the way up. We came back off the hill the opposite way and ended up walking past the log cabin things. We lost the path coming back down actually

Exactly what I did, including losing the way on the way down. The wrong way, apparently.

[Middleton Mouse]

I thought Ben Lui looked too hard so Insisted we did another instead. Thankfully one of my friends was willing to do an easier one so we climbed up Cruch Ardrain from Crianlarich.

I was feeling a little sick when we got to the top but there was another Munro right next to us which we decided to go for as well. It was only about 1km from the hill we were on and it looked smaller than Ardrain. I can't remember the name of it though I'll look it up later.

My first Munro double header though and it was quite a nice day apart from the wind (which was awful). Was a bit boggy in places as well which made going uphill a bit difficult.

I'll post my photos when I get my internet connection back, I got some nice ones from the top.

EDIT: The other hill we did was Beinn Tulaichean

Edited September 7, 2008 by Middleton Mouse

[Middleton Mouse]

Here's a few pics from yesterday...

The corbett Stob Ghabhar and Cruach Ardrain on the right

The summit of Cruach Ardrain with Ben more & Stob Binnian in the background

From the top of Cruach Ardrain...

Ben More & Stob Binnian

Ben Vorlich & Stuc a Chroin

Ben Ledi

Looking back to where'd we'd walked from

Beinn Tulaichean from Cruach Ardrain

Cruach Ardrain from Beinn Tulaichean

Pic of the day - looking back at Cruach Ardrain from the bog

The biggest problem we suffered yesterday was the wind. I'll maybe update you with a decent report later but I've lost my internet connection and the report I was typing in another window crashed and I lost it.

[Reynard]

We walked up Ben Lui today. Bloody hell! It took us nearly eight hours

We walked up the never ending road to the farm and then along the crappy road to the Cononish and walked up a bit of a random way up the glen between the mountains and then straight up through the small corrie to the ridge. That was was an absolute slog through soft spaghnum moss and it was incredibly steep. We then followed the path round past the crashed aeroplane and up to the summit. All of this in visibility of around ten feet. I was completely disorientated at one point, the point where I was almost refusing to believe the compass and map

We came off the hill through the giant corrie at the north side of the mountain, which was a bit keystone cops at times, as we spent most of the time falling over. Coming off the mountain it just seemed to go on and on and on and on. I was scunnered at the end, had fucking sore feet and couldnt wait for a pint in the Drovers.

Its supposed to be one of the more challenging mountains and has great views from the top, but as usual it was shit weather and I saw nothing.. Definitely a tough mountain to climb though but I would find another way to climb it to be honest. That way is just far too long. Glad it's been climbed now though as it means I will never be back.

[Dunning1874]

A guy I knew who was a friend of a friend died after he fell hillwalking on Thursday night. He was only 21.

[Middleton Mouse]

A guy I knew who was a friend of a friend died after he fell hillwalking on Thursday night. He was only 21.

I can easily see how some of the walks could be very dangerous especially if he was on his own. Poor lad!

[Fudge]

I've bundered up a couple of Munro's myself in awful conditions (Ben Lui being one of them) and I never really thought about the dangers. Poor lad.

[Dunning1874]

I can easily see how some of the walks could be very dangerous especially if he was on his own. Poor lad!

Yeah, he was alone. He enjoyed hillwalking, a lesson to all not to do it alone.

[Reynard]

I've bundered up a couple of Munro's myself in awful conditions (Ben Lui being one of them) and I never really thought about the dangers. Poor lad.

Yeah there was a few times this afternoon when I thought that it would be quite easy to fall a thousand feet off the path if I just took a wrong step. When I see folk out walking on their own I just think they are stupid to be honest. If they even twist an ankle or something they would be humped.

Don't like hearing about folk dying on the hills though.

[Fudge]

Yeah there was a few times this afternoon when I thought that it would be quite easy to fall a thousand feet off the path if I just took a wrong step. When I see folk out walking on their own I just think they are stupid to be honest. If they even twist an ankle or something they would be humped.

I'm happy to go out myself if it's a popular hill/mountain (often go up the Ochils) as I know there will be other people there should I need help. I can read a map, use a compass and now take a GPS with men so I'm as well prepared as can be.

[Reynard]

I'm happy to go out myself if it's a popular hill/mountain (often go up the Ochils) as I know there will be other people there should I need help. I can read a map, use a compass and now take a GPS with men so I'm as well prepared as can be.

Yeah its fair enough when its something like The Cobbler or Ben Lomond or something like that and theres practically a queue to get to the summit at times. I just think its a bit mental to walk on your own in bad conditions and on a difficult hill. Plenty of folk seem to like doing it though.

[jester]

Winter 2008 walking programme available HERE

[Fudge]

Winter 2008 walking programme available HERE

That looks really good. Think I will join up!

[jester]

Anytime! It's better to have a bit of company, especially in the winter. Plus you don't have to sit having a beer by yourself afterwards B)

[Fudge]

I will phone for an application form later on today or tomorrow.

I'm presuming walking is done at a moderate pace - nothing TOO fast I hope. I've done a couple of Munro's with a guy that's a rock climber and I just managed to hang onto his coat tails (almost literally!)

[jester]

I will phone for an application form later on today or tomorrow.

I'm presuming walking is done at a moderate pace - nothing TOO fast I hope. I've done a couple of Munro's with a guy that's a rock climber and I just managed to hang onto his coat tails (almost literally!)

Try one of the B walks first, the A walks can go at a fair old pace.

[Fudge]

I'm hoping the do all the Buchaille Etive Mor peaks pretty soon. Munro Magic suggest 5.5 hours, is this about right?

Also, from Glasgow, is 2 hours about right to get to Altnafeadh (where the walk starts)?