Ben Ledi

 

Loch Lubnaig from the ascent

Wednesday, 22 February 2023

Ascent:      789 metres

Distance:   10 kilometres

Time:         2 hours 56 minutes

Ben Ledi     878m     1hr 29mins

It had been exactly six months since my last foray into the mountains. After returning from London, I decided to take the initiative and seek solace on the hills. I had previously arranged to walk on Thursday with an old neighbour, Arthur, who had been the piper at our daughter's wedding and at the end of my last Munro round. The conditions were more inviting today so I phoned him and we arranged to climb Ben Ledi, starting at noon.

I was slightly apprehensive having spent a week in London pottering around and lost any hill fitness I had last August. Even my morning sorties up Lime Craig had been far less frequent than normal. But what is normal nowadays? People keep saying that things will begin to feel more normal but life without your partner of 43 years will never be normal. I was using a new rucksack bought last August for the first time, it seemed too large for the spare pair of gloves, a water bottle, a sandwich and an orange. There was no need for waterproofs or winter equipment, the day was bright with excellent visibility but quite cold in the northerly breeze. My insulated jacket was soon to prove too warm as we chatted continuously on the steep path up the lower slopes. Unusually, I had to take a couple of phone calls during the ascent and I halted to avoid losing reception on the forest slopes as Arthur continued to climb.

Ben Ledi is my most climbed Corbett or Munro, being a 15-minute drive from home and for 40 years accessible from the garden of Blairgarry, my wife's parent's cottage on Loch Venachar. The paths are well made and it is probably the most climbed Corbett in Scotland, with only Ben Nevis, Cairngorm and Ben Lomond receiving more visitors. The ridge is reached at 600 metres and thereafter there is a steady climb with several steeper sections before the cross to commemorate Sergeant Harry Lawrie. He was the leader of the mountain rescue team and died in a helicopter crash on Ben More in 1987. I knew quite a few of the team and worked with his son so always reflect on the tragedy that took place on a fine February day similar to today.

Even on a midweek February day, the hill was moderately busy with twenty to thirty other walkers. There was no snow cover remaining although the easily visible twin peaks of Ben More and Stob Binnein had retained their cap of snow. We hunkered down amidst some rocks below the summit to eat some food before starting the descent. Arthur has a mountain leadership background and still takes out the occasional group. We both felt our age on the descent, Arthiur's knee was niggling him and my quads could feel the impact of a much longer descent than those of recent months. I was home by 3:45pm for an early bath but, for the first time, there was no fine dining or good company for the evening. That is no longer the norm.

Summit with Arthur

Looking north from the summit to Ben Vane