Conic Hill

Conic Hill summit

11 February 2021

Ascent: 380 metres
Distance: 4 kilometres
Time: 1hr 21mins

Conic Hill          361m      42mins

Conic Hill on the shores of Loch Lomond is one of those popular micro hills that attract crowds from the Central belt at the weekends and during school lockdowns. It is perfect for families on sunny days when parents and children can compete for moans on the ascent or treats on the summit. Today was different, the overnight temperature had dropped to the lowest since 2010. Despite the bright sunshine, it was a finger-numbing -4°C as I arrived at the almost empty car park just before 10 a.m. There was only a Mountain Rescue vehicle that looked as if it had arrived shortly before me. It is almost 9 years to the day since I last climbed the hill during the first leg of a three-day walk of the West Highland Way.

The well-made paths through the forest at the start of the walk were covered in soft powder snow but after passing through the gate onto the open hillside, the strong north-easterly wind had cleared the powder snow from the path. There were patches of ice, easily negotiable, and the flights of steps were generally clear. It became more tricky alighting onto the grassy slopes above where the burn had overflowed and created a bit of an ice rink. The West Highland Way path climbs to the north of Conic Hill and it alternates between hard dry gravel and sections of ice requiring some careful footwork. I continued to the east and highest end of the series of peaks that make Conic Hill and climbed the last 50 metres up a steep snow slope until emerging on the pudding stone of the summit. Conic Hill is on the Highland Boundary fault and capped by this rock.

It was bitterly cold in the northeasterly but the views in all directions were sublime, The man from the Mountain Rescue had been about ten minutes ahead of me but he had ventured off, presumably making his way back by the series of diminishing peaks to the south-west. It seemed like a good idea and I decided to descend in that direction. Each of several mini ascents was easygoing, the wind had blown away the snow. Each descent was down a steep slope of hard snow, any slip would result in a rapid slide down and I had no axe or crampons but it was the landing pit of puddingstone that worried me. 

The route meanders down a grassy slope to join the main path at the top of the steps. I had met no one so far and on Conic Hill that is rare. Three tough-looking young men in outdoor work clothes, with no hats or gloves, were coming up the steps and having a laugh. I explained the route and hoped they had a good day. When I arrived back at the car park there was a white van advertising plastering and roughcasting.  The workers had obviously found it too cold to be mixing concrete or plaster and had given themselves a deserved outing on Conic Hill, I would guess that they had no difficulty.

Approaching the West Highland Way path

Across Loch Lomond to the Glen Luss hills

Ben Lomond

Conic Hill with Gualann behind

Loch Lomond islands on Highland boundary fault

The descending tops of Conic Hill

         

Conic Hill 361m 42mins