Introduction
Ben Lomond
topographical map
The summit is easy to get to from Loch Lomond but is far out of the way if based at Arrochar as you have to drive all the way round Loch Lomond. The southern ridge is pretty broad and moorland like and its only the final summit ridge that is narrow at all. The most popular route up is from the Rowardennan forest car park at the end of the public road. The path is well worn and rough in places through the forest, but generally well drained. Above the forest the path is of a generally better construction and deep erosion scars that used to exist are now fully healed. The best way off is via the northwestern ridge. The is the only section that is at all rocky and leads down to the Ptarmigan ridge from where it's said to be quite easy get back down to the road side.
North of Ben Lomond lies some boggy moorland. The hills between Ben Lomond and Inversnaid Hotel are much lower - about 500m. Loch Arklet is dammed. You can walk across it, although a high iron gate lies at the north side of the dam and demands some gymnastics to get over it. North of Inversnaid lies a knobbly landscape with Beinn a' Choin being the principle summit in the area between here and Inverarnan. The ground leading up to the ridges is generally pretty wet but the north to south ridge is well drained and also has a fence to make navigation easy. The West Highland way sticks to the shores of Loch Lomond and in the summer it will be plagued by people and more critically, midges. It's apparently quite fine as it navigates through wooded slopes abutting onto Loch Lomond - sometimes steep in places. |
