Our club trip to Loch Lomond, Scotland in early
February had some very snowy but fine days.On one
such day four of our more intrepid walkers,Chris, David, Mo and
Les set off for Ben Vane 915 metres in what proved to be
mountaineering conditions.
Ben Vane had alluded our members on previous occasions due to deepsnow conditions but this was a very fine day and there was an easytrack to the base of the mountain.Temperatures were how ever belowfreezing with a forecast for -6 C on the summit plus the wind
chill effect.
Initially there was a path which ascended steeply over
increasingly frozen rocky ground. From the half way stage the
mountain was plastered with snow, layered in slabs and care had tobe taken to asses the avalanche risk. Crampons and ice axes weredeployed as the ground steepened.
There was lots of step kicking and there was some easy scrambling over and around rock steps. Towards the top the wind picked up andcare was needed on the icy surface as the slope steepened.
Visibility however remained good. As the route up was so steep a
safer descent was made down the north ridge and then down easier
snow to the Loch Sloy dam. A top day.
A photograph of our members David Foster, Mo
Rushton and Les Ball on the slopes of Ben Vane,
Loch Lomond, Scotland on 9th February 2018.
