5/4/11 Thursday
Last night we camped a few hundred feet up the tourist path up Ben Lomond and this morning took down the tents just as the rain started at 0645 a damp day ensued with views of the largest body of fresh water in the UK (they seem to like their records round here!) severely curtailed. Ben Lomond is a bit like Snowdon via the PYG track but off piste to the north is fairly trackless until over Cruinn a Bhein (a Corbett). The mists did clear enough for a view of Lock Lomond to the south and we were puzzled by the two padlock attached to the trig point, maybe it would otherwise escape. We were back down to loch level by 1200 with a Munroe and a Corbett in the bag, but a wet walk up to the next stop of about three rmiles was needed to complrte the day. After a “swift arf” we climb the back road to a very nice bunkhouse (converted old church with original stained glass) well it is still raining we are wet and the tents are not, with two more days of rain forecast it seems a good idea to dry out.
It is a bit of the UN along the route, probably as many from out of UK as from within. Organised transfers are used by many and many seem to think 7-8days adequate time. We suppose with no kit and up the main route with no deviations that’s about right. Tomorrow we are off into the hills again but it may not be much harder than the lochside which is said to be a fairly rough path up this section.