Climbing Ben Lomond

May 30:  Today was a "rest day" but is otherwise known as "peak day."  So, Jan, Ron, Kathy and I climbed Ben Lomond, a 3,184 foot peak overlooking Loch Lomond.  We completed the trip up in 2 hours and in 3.75 miles.  We did a circular route that brought us down against the flow of people coming up (i.e., a more gradual incline).  We descended in 2 hours also, and the total trip was 8.25 miles.  The views were impressive as were the midges and the number of other hikers.  The view to the north is looking into the heart of the Highlands with ranks of mountains.  The view west looks over the loch and one or two ridges of mountains.  The view south is mostly our path down, some forest 'plantations' and to the border of the highlands and lowlands, from whence we have come from Glasgow.  The view east is of some rolling hills, meandering rivers and surprisingly 'lochans' or small lakes on the tops of hills.  I guessed that they are very large, year-round puddles of rain and snow melt; there are no inlets or outlets.

Midges were seen along the way, but didn't swarm until near and on the top.  When we reach the summited, Kathy saw a flock attached to my forehead.  She said it looked like pepper.  I think the midges all got stuck in my sweat and drowned.  I wiped them off and immediately applied Smidge, the locally-produced midge repellent, which is a big seller in this area.  The weather is great for this time of year (sunny and dry) and the midges have emerged early.

Just after the four of us left the summit, we met up with Betsy and Dennis, who had walked up the standard, more gradual (and according to the guide book, the more boring) route.  They had reached the shoulder of the mountain within about 500 feet of the top.  They turned around there and we all hiked down and back to the hotel.  We must have passed a 100 people going up or down - families with young kids, teenagers, runners, lots of couples and groups of tourists.  It was Monday of a 'Bank Holiday Weekend' in good weather.  The trail is very well used and is somewhat 'braided' in places.  There are crews working on trail restoration; there was a interpretative sign that showed a 15-foot wide section of trail in 2000 (due to over use and erosion) that had been narrowed to 5 feet in 2010.

After cleaning up and having a beer/cider, we all gathered at the Chalet.  We again decided to have 'take away' dinner -- we went to the bar and ordered off the dining menu, waited in the dining room for them to prepare what we had ordered and toted it back to the Chalet to consume.  It worked great.  While we were waiting, we had a brief but intense rain shower, which was mostly over by the time the food arrived.

Jan and Ron had to catch a taxi back for their last night at the Oak Tree Inn in Balmaha and we found out today, that they had to wait an hour and half for a ride.  The finally hitched a ride.

So endeth the rest day.