One of my training walks before setting off for the Los Tres Picos expedition, was climbing Ben Lomond. Often referred to as the “easiest munro”, this hike should not be mistaken for a simple, short hill day – Ben Lomond is still a mountain after all. But in terms of munros, there is a car park at the very beginning of the walk, a easy-to-follow path and some of the best views in Scotland to motivate you, making the Ben Lomond hike an ideal first munro day.
Begin at Rowarennan Car Park
The standard route up the mountain begins from the Rowardennan car park and toilet block, with the path beginning by climbing through the forest, crossing multiple parts of a river along the way. I would say this is actually the toughest part, as it is a constant incline for a good while. After this initial climb, the terrain subdues slightly to a mild uphill gradient ad the trees eventually disappear. Look over your shoulder while grabbing a drink to soak in your first taster of Loch Lomond views. As the path climbs and slightly turns, the views open up start showing the vast landscape of lochs and summits.
Continue to follow the well-trodden path, leading to what seems a little like plateau, however there is still a slight gradient. From here, you will see the final cone of the summit in front of you – almost there!
Summit & Descent
The last section towards the summit is slightly steeper, unsurprisingly. The terrain is much the same, following a wide ridge up towards the summit. The summit of Ben Lomond can often be a busy one! So have a hug, take your summit photos then find a spot you can rest and take in the views and your success!
You can see how stunning the views are above, albeit if you look at our photo properly, you will see the big grey clouds too. There is a reason people joke about Scotland having four seasons in one day. From tshirts and sunburn in the morning, our summit changed to rain, hail and thunder in a matter of moments.
The Ptarmigan Path
To descend, you can simply follow the same route you climbed. Or, for a change of scenery, the Ptarmigan path is a wonderful trail down. The intial drop off the summit to the path is is near a near-vertical scramble – something to consider if you have a fear or heights or suffer from vertigo. This section only last around 20 minutes and eventually the path eases. Following the ridge line, you have effectively come in a full semi-circle and can look to your left and view the path you ascended earlier.
The return trail is fairly simple, but does not have a high gradient so can feel lie it takes a while. Eventually you will be walking amongst ferns, flora and fauna before reaching the West highland Way path. From here it is less than 5 minutes to the car park.
The Ben Lomond hike is a wonderful day out, and given it is a popular trail with an identifiable path, it is an ideal first munro. A beautiful hike taking an average of 5 hours, with scrambling sections and stunning loch views. Check out the WalkHighlands website for full details and enjoy your hike!
A few top tips:
- Take plenty water & Sunscreen. Beautiful weather? As soon as you are out of the trees at the start of the hike, the sun is relentless. So keep hydrated and lather on that SPF. Yes, I know it’s Scotland, but I swear, when the sun shines it really does SHINE!
- Equally, take your waterproofs. Funnily enough after the sweltering start, we had to race for our waterproofs on the summit. Without these, it would have been VERY uncomfortable descent.
- Comfy footwear. I personally prefer walking boots, as I like the ankle protection. However, if you are hiking in summer (therefore no winter gear needed), the path is easy enough terrain that you would be fine with comfortable trainers. I have an earlier version of these Merrell trainers that are incredibly comfortable, and also Gore-Tex lined, so my toes always stay dry!
Are you training for a big adventure? Tell me all about it! Drop a comment below. You might like to read my top training tips or have a look at some altitude advice, if you’re headed somewhere super high! I also have plenty other munro posts too.
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