Graeme picked this hill as it was on our way south, looked easy and the weather was awful. Parked the car on Loch Lomond at the main car park opposite the Power Station at Sloy, the book saying that parking was umwelcomed at the start of the track 700 metres down the road. That didn't seem to deter others though as there were 4/5 cars parked there when we arrived. Along a good road for about a mile passing large electricity power stations and pylons we then broke off left on a track over a bridge and found the pathway to Ben Vane about quarter of a mile up the track. The path goes steeply up onto the beginning of the ridge leading all the way to Ben Vane, this being the first time we have walked a ridge right from the bottom. The weather was still bad, non stop rain and mist covering the top of the mountain. On the ridge the climb was flatter for a while then up a few hummocks gaining height all the time. The pathway was clear and remained so the whole way to the summit. The book says "an obvious route with traces of a path". Nonsense, the path
is prominent all the way. Going up the mountain it reminded us of Cruach Ardrain with its slope and crags. About half way up we entered the crag area. Without a path we might have had a few problems winding our way up, but the path made it easy. Very steep but no problems. Some folks on the way down warned us that the top was dangerously windy and further on another couple told us the same. As it was windy where we were we wondered what on earth we were going to meet.
Up we went in and out of the crags which were huge, passing a large cave which we thought would be useful for lunch on the way down (we didn't use it in the end). The way got rougher as we got higher, having to go up a couple of wind blown gullies where a bit of handwork was required. Reached a top which I was convinced was it but it was only the first of a number of false tops caused by the mist.
At the summit we simply took our photos and got off it as quickly as possible. It was so cold, windy and misty there was no point in staying. Quickly down the by now very wet and muddy path, me feeling weary and legs fighting to gain control. At one point I slipped full on my back in a patch of mud - delightful. Having said this the path down was relatively easy, the whole hill being just like one grand waterfall and surprisingly quickly we were back at the track then at the car park.
