Ben Vane

Ben Vane  is a Corbett Hill, which was the next on my list of hills in the Trossachs area . This is a hill which could be quite easily climbed from the south side off Balquhidder and offers good views around southern Highlands . In Balquhidder  you may stop at a local parish graveyard , famous for the rest-place of legendary  Rob Roy .

Having left A84 at Kingshouse I drove westwards and stopped shortly in Balquhidder by the parish church . Although the church's graveyard is believed to has been a burial place of Rob Roy , the detailed information says that it's not quite sure. But certainly Balquhidder is the place where famous ( or infamous ) chieftain spent his last years and died in a duel .

Shortly after the church I turned left and looking right to the west I could see the shores of Loch Voil . Soon after the bridge I choose the narrow road , going south through the wood to Ballimore.

Before I reached the farm in Ballimore,
I was able to asses the distance to walk - Ben Vane emerged behind the first line of hills .

I left the car by the bridge in Ballimore, and as I crossed the stream , I turned immediately to the right , stepping onto the path  marked as the ' footpath to Brig o' Turk' .

The footpath crossed muddy patches at first , and after getting over a metal gate I walked westwards along the same stream I had crossed by the farm. I was on the path described on 'walkhighlands' website , and according to the instruction I should follow till the end of north-west shoulder of Ben Vane . At that point I should leave the path and climb the grassy slope on my left . What I did .

On the ascent to the main ridge , I v'e taken the picture looking back to north-west and tops of Ben More and Stobinian towering in the background .

Zigzagging and partly traversing the slopes using sometimes tiny paths , I got to the main ridge.
Down to the right , Glen Finglas Reservoir is clearly visible.                           

On the final ascent to the top , the impressive view of Ben Ledi









 

Finally , on the summit of Ben Vane (818 m), marked with a small cairn . I put my own smal piece of stone on it.

Not much to do on the top, although the views were nice. I looked down on the grassy ridge , rolling mildly south to Ballimore - the return walk seemed to be pleasant .

Nice path ( at places over small bogs )
leads all the way down to Ballimore

The return way is easy and simple and I think it wasn't longer than 1.5 hrs of walking down to the farm .

Bagging Stuc A' Chroin

I had had an unfinished business , after having climbed Ben Vorlich a year ago without taking on Stuc a' Chroin . These two Munro's are very close to each other , and both might be done by walking circular route from south shore of Loch Earn . I decided to start from Loch Lubnaig in Trossachs , a couple of miles north-west off Callander .

I started early morning by the farm and lodge in Ardchullarie More , on A84 road . I followed the path left off the buildings .

Soon I joined a broad , steep track in the forest which I followed upwards.

After steep ascent , I left the wood behind my back . And looking back , the view on Trossachs across Loch Lubnaig with Ben Ledi in the background .

Enjoying sunny and bright morning , I shortly reached a signpost , which redirected me to Beinn Each - a Corbett Hill (813m) which was a first obstacle on the way to Stuc a' Chroin .
A tiny path runs to the left (eastward) and winds up amidst brackens, densely covering the slopes .

 I was patiently going up when I spotted a pair of wild goats . I was really in awe , looking for the first time at these animals .

After two-hours walk from the starting point, I reached the top of Beinn Each ,
with the main objective of the day still to be climbed .

View from the top of Beinn Each to the North-West .

From the top the path goes down to the left and zigzags on to the rocky ridge, which stretches out of Beinn Each to Stuc A' Chroin .

The path on the ridge is difficult and sometimes hard to read , but in general runs along the rusted fence posts , what is helpful .

At the end of the ridge I lowered to a boggy pass ,and  the path turned right to the east and finally I started ascending the Munro . Again the metal posts were along the path , showing the way to the top .











Close to the summit , I came across a herd of sheep; much higher than wild goats .

Down at the foothills Lochan a' Chroin.














After 3,5 hrs walk , I got at last onto the top plateau and followed to the north tip , where the path from the south-east (to Callander ) joins .

Unfortunately , the thick coat of  mist covered the mountains . Not only the mist , a drizzle came with the wind .Not being sure of finding the alternative return route in these conditions ( which goes north and turns west to Glen Ample), I took back to the same path I had come to.













Descending the Stuc a' Chroin was a bit a tricky , due to wet ground after droppings .On the lower slopes the air cleared out and Beinn Each was fully displayed .

Having descended the Munro's , I did not follow the path to Beinn Each as on my way onward . Instead , I choose a hardly seen path ( used by deers perhaps or sheep ) , which goes off to the west from the bog  where the rocky ridge starts . I simply followed along a small burn to Glen Ample , through the heater and grass .

After getting down to the plantation , I found the path running along the fence . The last difficult passage ( at some point the path disappears)and I got to the bottom of Glen Ample .From there  the wide track led me back south to Loch Lubnaig .