Another long, overnight drive from Maidstone and straight to Ben Chonzie. Picked as it seemed easy, was one of the more isolated hills to pick off and to see if it justified its title as the most boring munro. We took the road up Glen Leadnoch from Comrie looking for Coishavachan and Invergeldie. A bit puzzled when earlier than expected we reached a couple of houses and a closed gate marked Private. Not sure at all if this was Invergeldie or if we had to go through the gate - no obvious place to park. I went over to a lady just coming down a path on her horse and like a twat just asked her where we were. Looking down her nose from on high she rather haughtily announced " You are on the Glengeldie (Invergeldie, whatever) estate". Sorry m'lud for asking. Actually I do her an injustice, she was very pleasant and told us there was a parking area about a hundred yards back, by the school. Sure enough there it was, signpost and all which we as usual had missed. We were the only car and didn't really expect anyone else. Full gear on and up a signposted track for quite a distance. Not quite sure where to leave the track. The book says leave after 1 1/2 km to another track but there seemed to be quite a number. Eventually when the sides of the burn seemed to be levelling off we followed a faint track over and then North East up a very misty hill. The path soon petered out so it was just a question of going uphill and trying roughly to keep North East. We were not particularly concerned as we knew going uphill would get us there. Eventually reached old fence posts which we knew went to the top and followed these, noticing on the way a couple of cairn like objects. After the fence turned at a right angle we were soon at the top at a large cairn set on what appeared to be a round top (too misty to tell). No Guinness (well it was only 10.00) but sandwiches and juice. We noted that here there is a three way fence meeting point and if not careful in mist you could easily take the wrong way.
Back down the fence then following the ridge to the point we thought we had come up we soon came across an old couple of codgers. Surprise as we had not expected to see anyone, let alone meet them on the same route we were on. One of them must have been in his seventies with horrible rotting teeth but we had a pleasant chat. They had done the hill from the other side and now were trying it this way. At least it confirmed we were on the right road down. Not for long though as going down seemed to indicate we were following the wrong compass bearing (South) so we adjusted to South West and seemed more to parallel the hill eventually, however, coming out onto the track. This was much higher up than where we had left it earlier on but it enabled us to see there were a number of tracks leaving off so you could take your pick. I'm sure one of them (and one looked wider than others) would have given a better route uphill but I couldn't say which. A long, but easy, walk down to the car, amazingly passing quite a number of people. A much more popular hill than expected, and the car park was quite full.
Was Ben Chonzie boring? - not at all. Despite the rain and mist it was a very pleasant walk up the hill and back. We've had plenty similar, Glas Maol at Glen Shee was much less interesting and nothing can be more boring than the God awful Carn Aosda and The Cairnwell.
