Our First Munro of 2025!
In my attempt to be a responsible bagger and role model, my lack of winter training meant I wasn’t going to attempt a Munro until March at the earliest. However, a break in the weather combined with a massive thaw saw ideal conditions for Nathan and myself to tackle our first Munro of 2025, Ben Lomond.
A Surprising Start to the Year.
I was so excited to get out on the hills again. To get out there in January wasn’t in my plans, but this is Scotland after all, and you have to take any chance you get when it comes to the weather. So although Matt and Tara couldn’t join me on this adventure, a break in Nathan’s football meant he could come and along and add another Munro to his belt! I’d gotten him a scratch-off Munro poster for his Christmas to match mine, so he was keen to scratch off a third and get started on his target of 10 for the year.
Sporting several new pieces of outdoor equipment acquired by way of Christmas presents, I was wearing my new Nike Trail trainers and kitted out with a Jack Wolfskin baselayer and hat. I was keen to try out these new Trail trainers, as I’d heard good things, and they were certainly light and comfortable. Perhaps the most comfortable pair of shoes I’ve ever worn if I’m honest. Their light weight is also beneficial for my HNPP as it will help reduce the load on my ankles and hopefully allow me to walk further before the pain really starts to affect me.
The journey up was uneventful, and we made our usual stop at McDonald’s, Stirling for our breakfast of bacon rolls. Roman also did his usual, and refused to go in the boot, instead wanting to reside curled up in the foot well; having travelled from Romania by truck, we’re think he’s been mentally scarred by that journey as he’s always been wary when travelling in any vehicle.
A Quieter Approach.
We were quite surprised to find the car park almost full on arrival, managing to bag the second last spot, even at the early time of 8:30. This was either going to be a very busy walk, similar to Ben Nevis, or everyone was taking advantage of the parking meter being out of order and they were all camping somewhere…
After a brief chat with some older gentlemen who headed off towards the tourist path, Nathan and myself headed further along the banks of Loch Lomond. We followed part of the West Highland Way for about half a mile, before taking a right at the sign marked for Ptarmigan ridge, our chosen route of ascent to the top of Ben Lomond. Although not the regular route, my research had shown that the views going up were much better this way and, although technically harder, it should be much quieter than going up the tourist route.
Once out of the small woodland, the path immediately started gaining height, with several zig-zags to navigate and burn your legs out in the process. As we climbed and summited the first section, I distinctly remember cursing myself for having eaten too many mince pies over the festive period. It’s amazing how quickly you can lose that hill fitness. I was definitely not as fit as I was for the the last Munro we did, but I was still managing along without cursing myself too many times. Nathan was also finding it tough, and I had to wait on him on several occasions to let him catch-up, but to be honest I was grateful of the extra recovery time.
Unfortunately, at about 500m the clag came in, and we couldn’t see more than 50m in front of us. We passed through the deer fence, put Roman on his leash, and made the short push to the south summit of the ridge. Once at the top we felt the temperature drop significantly, and we each stopped to put a layer back on and refuel; me with an energy gel and Nathan with some chocolate buttons.
There's a Ridge Here Somewhere.
With the clag and mist still surrounding us, it was virtually impossible for your brain to comprehend the dangers that lay either side of us. We followed the path, completely oblivious to the fact that there were steep drops on either side. In actual fact, the whole place was giving me Lord of the Rings vibes, and whilst sharing this notion a mother and her son appeared out of the mist in front of us making their way down from the summit. Most hikers are a friendly bunch, and after sharing in each other’s adventures, they assured us we were less than half an hour away from the summit, which gave Nathan the little kick he needed.
After what felt like a steep climb to the top, I glanced at my map to discover we were still a good quarter mile from the true summit. With the clag and cloud, we couldn’t see our goal, only false summit after false summit. Although disheartening, we were still clinging onto the possibility of breaking through the clouds and into an inversion akin to our last adventure. Sadly, this wasn’t to be this case.
Come on boy, Jump!
The last section before the summit got pretty steep. It wasn’t quite a scramble, as I didn’t have to use my hands at any point, but if you had smaller legs than mine, then you might have to pull yourself up on the tougher parts. I had Roman on a tight leash too, and wondered if he’d manage some of the bigger rocks, but he did admirably. Anything he could get his front paws onto, he could jump up no problem.
Nathan sounded exhausted as he questioned how many metres we had to go. A quick glance at the map confirmed we were almost at the top, and we started to hear voices as we climbed ever closer. After cresting onto the summit plateau we were welcomed by about 8-10 people in their individual groups, hanging around the cairn. After greeting the first group and exchanging a sarcastic joke about the fantastic lack of a view, Nathan and I headed across and bagged the summit with a proper father-son selfie! Munro number 11 for me, and number three for Nathan!
A Busy Descent.
We didn’t stay for any length of time at the top. Both of us were feeling even better, now we knew it was all downhill from then on, so we decided to keep going before we stopped for some lunch. The descent was a big contrast to the ascent, where we only ran into 2 people, and now we were passing people left right and centre, and even having to stop to let people by.
There were all sorts of walkers coming up the hill; from proper kitted out hikers, to families, solo baggers, and even a group of youths blaring out some rave music from a bluetooth speaker. Each to their own I guess, but I’d rather been listening to music from my headphones and not disturb other walkers who are more than likely looking for a bit of peace and solitude. It’s also to be expected, as it’s the closest Munro to the city of Glasgow, so most of the overconfident bams looking for a bit of an escape head up this direction.
Finally the clouds started to disappear and we stopped at around the 500m mark on some large boulders for a spot of lunch. Ham and cheese rolls for me, and a potato scone and tomato sauce rolls for Nathan managed to fill us up as we enjoyed the views back down Loch Lomond.
The tourist trail was certainly not as steep as the Ptarmigan ridge route, but I’m sure it felt a bit longer than it actually was. I was managing to get into a decent descent pace, almost skipping down the rocks and embankments, but found myself having to slow up again to wait on Nathan who was being guided down by Roman, who was still on his leash, but not in the slightest bit worried about the sheep that surrounded us on both sides of the path.
Nathan started to tire and was questioning how many kilometers we had to go, so I turned it into a bit of a countdown, giving him a target of the trees in front of us before we were pretty much there. This proved to be nonsense, as soon as we got into the trees we were presented with the steepest part of the descent, and a pretty slippy one at that. I’d better not fall right at the end, was my thinking at this point, as I clambered down very gingerly, using Roman as an extra bit of balance with his lead. Once down we made light work of the final section that returned us back to the car park to complete the loop. You could tell Nathan was pumped he’d done it, but very glad it was over. He’s not quite double Munro ready yet, as he was didn’t talk much all the way home, but I’m sure he’ll be out pacing me in a couple of years! Now what Munro should we do next? Back to the Lawers range to finish that off? Or should we start the Arrochar Alps? Let us know!
