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Ben Vane
Map By Loch Lomond. Did this on my own while Trisha stayed in the car in a car park on the bonny banks of the loch. I got into trouble with her for getting back two hours overdue. Her mood not improved by listening to bagpipe music for 5 hours - a piper was there for the tourist coaches. Think she thinks I did it on purpose. Actually I couldn't find the path right at the start for twenty mins. Then I walked 2 kilometres and started trying to go up the wrong mountain, retraced my route, yomped pathless up a hillside but couldn't get through the conifer plantation. Scratched my head and finally figured out where the right mountain was. Plodded over to it, another mile or so and by the time I got to the bottom of the right mountain it was 12.00 (I'd started at 10.20 and said I'd only be 3 hours).
Seemed pretty obvious I'd be pushed to do it in 3 hours. Should I give in and return a beaten broken man? Well no, I had to carry on. It was a hot sunny day and as I progressed I realised I'd made a mistake thinking that half a bottle of dandelion and burdock and a small carton of orange juice would be enough. I was sweating prodigiously - fortunately I'd bought a hat which kept the sun off my head though the hat itself was soon soaked in sweat. (I'd also got some useful knee supports since Beinn Alligin - they do the job but cut into my thighs a bit). I had to ration the drink. Unfortunately there were no proper streams on the mountain at all. Eventually I got to the top - about 2.00 I think - sat down to eat my cheese roll, and I couldn't do it! I was so dehydrated I had no saliva at all and it was like chewing ashes - impossible to get any of it to the state where I could swallow it. I had to spit it out and do without. I made my way back down. Trisha near tears. Guilt tarnishing triumph. Shattered. I drank a can of IrnBru and another carton of orange juice. Left Loch Lomond and stopped at the first cafe we came to for 2 milk shakes, one after another - they just seemed to be absorbed straight into my body before reaching my stomach. I felt a bit better then. Physically. Still guilty though. Good views at top and not a single person on the mountain apart from me. We stayed the night in Moffat. (previous night had been in Arrochar). | |
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