Hill Walk

I'm all behind 'like the coo's tail' as my Mum used to say, so just catching up properly here.
Those ultras are a different thing entirely aren't they @Scroggin . I used to run a little but nothing on those levels. I was lucky enough to be on the Easains the day Jasmin Paris was doing her Ramsay Round - that's a serious undertaking.
Slightly less demanding have been my 2 recent outings - one on Sunday to another favourite hill -Stuchd an Lochain, and yesterday to Ben Venue, which I hadn't been on for about 15 or 16 years.

A high start for S.an Lochain, so it's a good short walk. Steep start up from the dam, so you quickly start to get views


Plant life is looking good at this time of year



The view across to the Black Mount hills between Bridge of Orchy and Glencoe


One of my favourite views - and ideal for a spot of lunch. Lochan nan Cat, with the summit cone up ahead


Ten minutes, and a couple of hundred feet, to the summit [but no ring ousels to see this time!]


and the slightly murky views across to the Tyndrum hills

A round trip of around four hours, and always pleasant.

 

Lovely to see your Scottish views again @fairygirl.

 

Lovely walk @fairygirl , stunning views.

 

Enjoying your pics Fairygirl while we're holidaying in Norfolk . So so different, flat , green fields but no hills to be seen .

 

Thanks folks - much appreciated.
I couldn't live somewhere flat @Valleysgirl !
Got out again on Wednesday [31st July] just to make the most of the weather before it breaks.
Ben Venue - a hill I did about 15 or 16 years ago, but that was in late winter/early spring. Things have changed a bit since then. Like it's near neighbour Ben A'an, there's now a constructed path almost the whole way to the base of the summit cone. A lot of the walk before that is forest, but a huge area has now been cleared, and some mixed plantation in sections nearer the hill have been put in place. The open boggy stretch now has path too. That was a skating rink when I was there last time!
It's all very straightforward, and not a difficult walk, but there are great views across the various lochs, especially Loch Katrine, to the many hills beyond.
Early on, you cross Achray Water via a footbridge, and get a lovely view of the waterfalls below. The photo doesn't do it justice


An hour and a half later, you get a nice view back down the path


A bit of rough, scrambly incline, and another hour or so, and the lower summit is just ahead. Many people assume this is the true summit, but it's a couple of metres lower, and the true summit is ten/fifteen mins away to the north west.


The views are still good across to Loch Katrine, and to the Arrochar hills beyond


but the views from the higher, true summit are even better


The view east, from the lower summit, across to the other two nearby lochs - Achray and Venachar


The harebells are looking even better than they were on Sunday, at S. an Lochain



I got a pic of the waterfall that's on the approach to the col, on the way back, but it was a bit far away unfortunately


A long walk in, and about 9 miles in total, so around 5 hours, but a nice breeze stopped the sun being too hot. A good hill for a frosty autumn day, or a snowy winter one though, so I may go back and do it from the other side, at Loch Ard, to the south.

 

Lovely pictures @fairygirl , I'm not sure I could live anywhere else without the views of the Pyrenees.

 

I did one of my favourite walks today with my brother on part of the Sandstone Trail in Cheshire, about a 45 minute drive away. No steep climbs but quite a few ups and downs with some scenic views of Cheshire. It was a 5.5 mile walk over 2.5 hours, followed by a three course pub lunch!

Some views from Bulkeley Hill.





View across a farm on the way to Raw Head, the highest point on the Sandstone Trail at 227m.



Distant Cheshire.



Sandstone cliffs below Raw Head.



View of Bickerton Hill from Raw Head.



Another farm view.

 

Not been out much, but made the most of the good weather the other day and visited one of my favourite hills - The Brack, at Ardgarten near Arrochar.
It was roasting hot, as I was later going out and the sun was high enough to get over the adjacent hillside, so having the shade of the forest path in the early part of the walk was very welcome, and there were a few bits of shade on the steep ascent to the beautiful lochan below the summit cone.
When you emerge from the bit of woodland [ which is the most awkward part of the walk for me due to my short legs and the large rocks which have to be negotiated] you get a nice view of the crags on the northern side of the hill



A couple of hours or so, and when you get a clear day, you get good views south. SOme of the earlier cloud/mist hadn't quite cleared. Loch Long, in the foreground, was sparkling though


One of my all time favourite views, from the southern side of the lochan, across to the Arrochar hills


As well as trying to sit more in the garden, I'm trying to do the same on hills when the weather's good. My lunchtime view at the other end of the lochan wasn't too bad, and I sat for about 15 minutes. The sun reflected on the water, and just the company of the dragonflies and the odd bee....and silence...



The view across to the Glen Douglas hills, with the plane trails



Summit view across Arrochar, on Loch Long, with Loch Lomond beyond that, to Glasgow's Beacon Hill - Ben Lomond.


Summit view to a few of the Arrochar hills - right to left- The Cobbler, Beinn Ime and Beinn Luibhean...


...and a close up of B. Luibhean - with Ben Nevis and it's partner Carn Mor Dearg, with the adjoining arete, in the distance. They're over 40 miles away


Another Corbett, Beinn Bheula, to the south west of The Brack, from the trig


The descent from the bit of woodland to the forest road is almost as awkward as the ascent, and requires a bit of dreeping down the bigger rocky sections.



It doesn't matter though - when you've had a lovely day out.

 

Thought I'd do the 'wildlife' separately as there's a limit on pix in each post

The sheep were trying very hard to keep out of the heat - don't blame them. One or two had some serious fleece on them, and I felt so sorry for them. They must have been boiling. This one was taking it easy


Those aformentioned dragonflies. They were seriously taking the mick. Couldn't get any chance of a photo as they were darting around so swiftly over and around the lochan, but as soon as I sat down to have my lunch, they were hovering around right next to me. Soon as I picked the camera up, they went back to rocketing around like mad again. Grrrr.....
I got one more by luck than anything else, so it isn't great


The tads will overwinter and be froggy next year, as is often the case on our hills

 

Taking my breath away Fairygirl with your pics this morning , Thankyou . We are nestled in a Valley with The Sugarloaf and The Skirrid just a stones throw away not done them this year but we are lucky it's quite rural with lots of places for an excillerating walk around the corner . In fact our bungalow is next too a Viaduct and it's the place to go for a quick walk. Oh and Pen-y-fan ( Brecon Beacons ) is close by fantastic views walking up there .

 

Gorgeous as ever!! xx

 

Beautiful pictures @fairygirl thank you.

 

@fairygirl keep going and keep them coming....

 

Lovely photos, but so the opposite of where I am at the moment in Norfolk. It's flat here, much easier for walking! At least there are trees and lots of wild flowers, especially in spring. Where my home is, in Dordogne, it's hilly and there are a lot of trees and grass. I couldn't live where there aren't trees. I think parts of Dordogne are the prettiest places I've seen.

This is a walk very near where I live in Dordogne.