Climb Ben Lomond walk

Climb Ben Lomond - Walk this famous Scottish Mountain

Ben Lomond walk from Rowardennan . . Gaelic = Beacon mountain Description: Distance Height Start Approximate time Parking 7 miles 3250 ft Rowardennan 3-4 hours Car park Rowardennan   Photo from The Cobbler List of harder walks Trossachs area Ben Ledi hillwalk Ben Vane (Trossachs) Ben Venue hillwalk Ben Vorlich AND Stuc a Chroin Stuc a Chroin from Glenample Killin area Ben Lawers Lawers-An Stuc ridge Meall Corranaich  Tarmachan Ridge  Kirkton Glen to Glen Dochart  Crianlarich area Stobinian from Inverlochlarig. Ben More & Stobinian  Cruach Ardrain and Tulaichean An Caisteal Stob a Choin Tyndrum area Ben Dorain  Ben Lui 1 Ben Lui 2 Ben Oss & Dhubchraig  Ben Challum Stob Ghabhar  Ben Achallader and Beinn a Chreachain Lomond/Arrochar area Ben Lomond The Cobbler (Ben Arthur) Bein Narnain Ben Vane  Ben Vorlich Dalmally area Cruachan ridge Dalmally Horseshoe Glencoe and Fort William area Buachaille Etive Mor Buachaille Etive Beag Bidean nam Bian Ben Nevis

Although a very popular walk, this is a serious walk in winter conditions - be properly prepared and add 50% to your time

Ben Lomond, easily accessible from most parts of central Scotland and offering magnificent views from its summit, is Scotland’s southernmost ‘Munro’ (mountain over 3,000ft) and and is probably one of the most climbed hills in Scotland.

For all its popularity it should not be treated lightly especially in stormy or wet weather when the unexpected onset of heavy rain and cloud can find the unwary walker dangerously close to sheer rock faces and falls .

The walk can be treated as a linear with the return by the same route on the 'tourist path' or can be extended to become a circular walk and the return made over Ptarmigan, the smaller knobbly knoll and ridge to the west of Ben Lomond

The main path starts near the little pier and behind the public toilets at Rowardennan car park and climbs through the woods with a wee scramble up some slippery rocks to continue on a rather wet and slippery track to a gate.

Once out of the trees Loch Lomond becomes increasingly visible behind you (see photo bottom of page) and with views opening up to the lowland hills in the south and south east.

The views to the north and west become increasingly spectacular with the unmissable outline of the Cobbler (Ben Arthur) apparent to the north west at Arrochar.

The path veers left round the corrie Coire Corrach and up to the Sron Aonaich ridge.

The final and steepest part of the climb zig-zags up to a long fairly level track with steep slopes to the left and finally to the final rocky slabs below the 3250ft summit, where you have earned a breathtaking view down into corrie Coire a’ Bhathaich on the north side.

The panorana from the summit includes a bevy of  peaks, from Bens Cruachan, Lui, Nevis, More,  Lawers and Stobinian with  Ben Ledi and Ben Venue in The Trossachs, the Paps of Jura in the west and Goat Fell with its sisters on the Isle of Arran.

Return route

Return by the tourist route

OR

if returning by the Ptarmigan route, walk approx north-west from the trig point to find a path descending steeply down craggy slopes - mind your feet here - to a beallach where the track becomes well defined after crossing some stepping stones. The track now rises to a high point before commencing a mixed descent to the lochside at Ardess near the hostel.

Conservation

Many parts, especially the steeper parts of the 'tourist track' have been rough paved to conserve the surface.

Some walkers tend to avoid this slightly 'uncomfortable' surface and walk on the grassy verges.

If tempted to follow their example, just take a look at some of the lake district mountain tracks where the paths on the fells are visible for miles!