This was our first ever hill and the first thing we did on getting out of the car at the Rowardennan car park was to go in the wrong direction. We followed the path towards the shore of Loch Lomond and I think it was the West Highland Way - a great start. Getting on to the right way we climbed some fairly steep paths through woods. The path is obvious and cannot be missed and leads onto the main ridge fairly quickly. It then becomes a stroll on gently sloping ground. A wee bit of a panic (well, to a first timer it was) as you see ahead of you a very steep slope and as this was the the first steep bit we had seen it looked difficult. In practice it's easy and you gain the top very quickly. A short little walk along the crest and suddenly you are at the summit. It's on you before you know where you are.
At the top were about 30 people all sitting around having picnics. Weather was very muggy and so hazy you could hardly see any surrounding hills. We were just able to make out the Cobbler and the Loch below was very hazy. The summit was pleasant though full of sheep and a plague of big, ugly, black flies. We decided to go down via the Ptarmigan hill which involved a short quick descent from the summit making our way through boulders. Looking back we couldn't believe what
we had done. The slope looked impossibly steep yet we had felt it was nothing. This was our first experience of how slopes on hills always look different from what they actually are. And you can't even photograph them as they never ever look anything like the reality. On the way down we lost the path but the way was obvious and we made our way back onto the
Ptarmigan Ridge overlooking Loch Lomond. This was a much steeper and rougher approach to Ben Lomond and we didn't envy the people who were making their way up. This too was our first experience of the knee jarring effect of walking down hills. Although a steady decline we were getting wearier and wearier. We were ever so glad to reach the road and stagger back to the car.
