When I was asked by a friend whether I’d be up for climbing a mountain for charity, I immediately said yes. These are 5 things I learned the day I climbed Ben Lomond.
Ben Lomond
Ben Lomond is Scotland’s most southerly Munro. At 974 metres in height, it ranks around number 184 in order of altitude. Scotland’s 184th highest mountain seemed like a perfect introduction to mountain climbing for a beginner like me.
On a clear day Ben Lomond offers breathtaking views of Loch Lomond and far, far beyond. This, and its proximity to both Glasgow and Edinburgh (no more than 2 hours drive from either city) makes it one of Scotland’s most well-known and popular Munros.
Photo by paisleyorguk
Although it’s been said that Ben Lomond is one of the easier Munros to climb, don’t be fooled like I was.
There is a clear and well-kept tourist path that rises gently and steadily until you reach the steep incline of the final ascent to the summit. But as I discovered, Scotland’s mountain weather is unpredictable. What started out as a pleasant hike up a large, lush green hill, quickly turned to a difficult battle against strong winds, torrential rain and dense fog.
Photo by Graham Grinner Lewis
This is What I Learned
1. I’m slightly scared of heights.
Who knew? I didn’t. To be honest, what scared me most was not being able to see much beyond my feet. As the fog thickened, visibility reduced to a few metres. This was when the fear kicked in and my imagination began to run riot. The higher we trekked, the less I could see, and the more I expected every step to take me over a cliff edge.
2. The weather can change in an instant.
When we started out, it was a beautiful sunny summer’s day. About two thirds of the way up the mountain, the weather changed dramatically when the sun gave way to wind, rain and fog. I was totally unprepared for the change in weather in terms of clothing and equipment (or lack thereof). But I was also physically and mentally unprepared. When I eventually reached the bottom, I was soaked right through and absolutely shattered.
3. The ascent is much easier than the descent
I have to be honest, the descent felt never ending and was so much harder on my legs that the climb to the top. This might have had something to do with the fact we chose to take the slightly shorter, but steeper and rougher route down via Ptamigan ridge. I’m sure the horrific weather (I might be exaggerating slightly) also played a part in what was a much less enjoyable descent.
4. Every part of my body hurt like hell for about a week after.
Seriously!
5. The sense of achievement having successfully climbed my first Munro was awesome.
That”s me on the right, hood up, wearing a light blue jacket