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| Ben Vorlich summit |
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| Stuc a' Chroin from Ben Vorlich |
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| Ben Vorlich on descent from Stuc a' Chroin |
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| Looking south west towards Ben Venue |
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| Looking west from Stuc a' Chroin |
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| Stuc a' Chroin across Coire Fhuadaraich, ascent route on left |
Monday, 23 January 2012, Self
Time: 5hrs 24mins
Ascent: 1240metres
Distance: 15km
m Ben Vorlich 985m 1hr 42mins
M Stuc a' Chroin 975m 3hrs 14mins
I am beginning to get a bit worried about the accuracy of the mountain weather information service, it has been my main source for several years but after predicting a glorious day on Meall a Bhuiridh and Creise, which turned out to be cold grey with low cloud, it gave a poor forecast for today. So much so that my original plan to climb these two hills based on the 'sun all day' BBC forecast was almost abandoned. At breakfast it was dark grey to the west but clear blue skies to the north east in the direction of these two munros. They are prominent and seductive mountains viewed from Stirling on a fine day and there are many days when I was sorely attempted to leave work for them.
It was a later start than I had intended and it was still below freezing so the car had to be scraped before starting out. I guessed that this would be one of those adventures when I passed a large well fed fox sitting next to the road at Braes of Greenock just south of Callander. The journey along Loch Lubnaig was enticing as always on a bright morning but as I turned onto the south Loch Earn road I met black ice and waltzed along the unusually (for Stirling) smooth tarmac just managing to remain on the road. When I parked by Ardvorich House there were two cars there and it was after 10:30am before I started the walk. The track up through the house grounds and then up Glen Vorlich is a glorious start with the first objective of the day, Ben Vorlich, baring its white shoulders at the head of the glen.
The micro hydro electric scheme that had been under construction when I last walked up this glen two years ago had been completed and a new bridge had been built alongside the upper holding pool. It was cold and raw as the winds came in from the north west and the ground was rock hard in the icy conditions, I retrieved my walking pole from my rucksack for the climb along a well maintained path that climbs steeply towards the summit. Three walkers from Bridge of Allan were on their descent and they recognised me from work days so we had a catch up on all things from the new curling facility in Stirling to which hill has the most mountain hares - I am convinced it is Ben Chonzie but one of them thought Mayar.
The summit arrived shortly after the sun had been extinguished by cloud and the cold wind made it no place to linger. I had been told by the Bridge of Allan party that another couple were attempting to go over to Stuc a' Chroin and on the descent to the bealach I caught up with them. They were in two minds about continuing although they were wearing crampons and wielding ice axes neither of which I had thought about yet. They had become cold and asked me the way down to the bealach, all the paths were hidden beneath the snow, and whether the route up the face of Stuc a' Chroin was easy. I had climbed it a couple of times in January and knew that it could be tricky so I told them it would add a couple of hours to their day. I continued down and shortly afterwards they began to follow my tracks. I stopped for coffee and a sandwich by one of the huge boulders at the bealach and they were arriving at the bealach as I set off again.
On the climb up the steep rocky face the snow had been converted to boiler plates by the freeze thaw process so it was time for crampons for the last 150 metres of ascent, it is fairly uncompromising through the rocks. I was aware that the couple were following my tracks so I tried to avoid the steeper exposed gullies until two final sections just below the plateau. On both of these sections I had an adrenaline rush with the exposure and rocks below. I kicked deep steps into the hard snow so they would be able to follow up. Finally I had to breach the cornice and haul myself onto the ridge by the cairn at 961m. There is then a walk of about 800 metres to the summit and once again the clouds rolled in and eliminated any views.
I took a few photos and then walked back north past the 961m cairn and along the summit ridge beyond the cornice until I could find a more secure route down into Choire Fhuadaraich. I was worried about the two walkers whom I had not seen emerge from the rock/ice face of Stuc a' Chroin. However as I climbed out of the Corrie onto the north west ridge of Ben Vorlich half an hour later they were returning from the summit of Stuc a' Chroin along the edge of the cornice. So although they would not be down until well after dark they were safe. I charged down Coire Buidhe until I reached a hard snow shelf which steepened as I descended, my ice axe had to be rescued before I could continue to the frozen bog beyond. It thoroughly tested my new boots as I sank ankle deep into the ice infused bog. I rejoined the main path by the hydro dam and enjoyed the walk out to Ardvorlich House. It had been an eventful and taxing few hours in some real winter conditions.
It was a later start than I had intended and it was still below freezing so the car had to be scraped before starting out. I guessed that this would be one of those adventures when I passed a large well fed fox sitting next to the road at Braes of Greenock just south of Callander. The journey along Loch Lubnaig was enticing as always on a bright morning but as I turned onto the south Loch Earn road I met black ice and waltzed along the unusually (for Stirling) smooth tarmac just managing to remain on the road. When I parked by Ardvorich House there were two cars there and it was after 10:30am before I started the walk. The track up through the house grounds and then up Glen Vorlich is a glorious start with the first objective of the day, Ben Vorlich, baring its white shoulders at the head of the glen.
The micro hydro electric scheme that had been under construction when I last walked up this glen two years ago had been completed and a new bridge had been built alongside the upper holding pool. It was cold and raw as the winds came in from the north west and the ground was rock hard in the icy conditions, I retrieved my walking pole from my rucksack for the climb along a well maintained path that climbs steeply towards the summit. Three walkers from Bridge of Allan were on their descent and they recognised me from work days so we had a catch up on all things from the new curling facility in Stirling to which hill has the most mountain hares - I am convinced it is Ben Chonzie but one of them thought Mayar.
The summit arrived shortly after the sun had been extinguished by cloud and the cold wind made it no place to linger. I had been told by the Bridge of Allan party that another couple were attempting to go over to Stuc a' Chroin and on the descent to the bealach I caught up with them. They were in two minds about continuing although they were wearing crampons and wielding ice axes neither of which I had thought about yet. They had become cold and asked me the way down to the bealach, all the paths were hidden beneath the snow, and whether the route up the face of Stuc a' Chroin was easy. I had climbed it a couple of times in January and knew that it could be tricky so I told them it would add a couple of hours to their day. I continued down and shortly afterwards they began to follow my tracks. I stopped for coffee and a sandwich by one of the huge boulders at the bealach and they were arriving at the bealach as I set off again.
On the climb up the steep rocky face the snow had been converted to boiler plates by the freeze thaw process so it was time for crampons for the last 150 metres of ascent, it is fairly uncompromising through the rocks. I was aware that the couple were following my tracks so I tried to avoid the steeper exposed gullies until two final sections just below the plateau. On both of these sections I had an adrenaline rush with the exposure and rocks below. I kicked deep steps into the hard snow so they would be able to follow up. Finally I had to breach the cornice and haul myself onto the ridge by the cairn at 961m. There is then a walk of about 800 metres to the summit and once again the clouds rolled in and eliminated any views.
I took a few photos and then walked back north past the 961m cairn and along the summit ridge beyond the cornice until I could find a more secure route down into Choire Fhuadaraich. I was worried about the two walkers whom I had not seen emerge from the rock/ice face of Stuc a' Chroin. However as I climbed out of the Corrie onto the north west ridge of Ben Vorlich half an hour later they were returning from the summit of Stuc a' Chroin along the edge of the cornice. So although they would not be down until well after dark they were safe. I charged down Coire Buidhe until I reached a hard snow shelf which steepened as I descended, my ice axe had to be rescued before I could continue to the frozen bog beyond. It thoroughly tested my new boots as I sank ankle deep into the ice infused bog. I rejoined the main path by the hydro dam and enjoyed the walk out to Ardvorlich House. It had been an eventful and taxing few hours in some real winter conditions.
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