On the morning of this walk I drove from the Lake District into Scotland, through Glasgow and alongside Loch Lomond as far as Rowardennan. I have been here before; back in 2004 I completed the West Highland Way which passes through Rowardennan. As I drove through the village of Balmaha I had nostalgic thoughts of the wonderful evening I spent there beside Loch Lomond, but I couldn't help noticing with sadness that the pub where I'd eaten my dinner had been torn down. On that occasion I walked along the West Highland Way from Balmaha only as far as Rowardennan, a distance of seven miles, and then walked up Ben Lomond. On this occasion I drove to Rowardennan along a pot-holed road that was flanked by bluebells and rhododendrons. After eventually finding a parking spot in the crowded car park I set off up the clear path through a delightful wood bedecked with bluebells and out onto a dreary grass hillside. On the clear tourist path I passed scores of people who were also climbing this immensely popular mountain, where my only compensations were the stunning views of the gorgeous Loch Lomond behind me and beautiful small flowers such as lousewort amongst the grass and other flowers whose identification does much to frustrate me.
Near the summit it was quite windy, though fortunately the path along the summit ridge keeps to the sheltered side so I didn't find it too bad except when I wanted to have a look at the awesome cliffs that face Coire a Bhathaich. The summit ridge is really quite good, and was a welcome change after the dreary grass slopes of Sron Aonaich. There is rock in abundance to satisfy while the well-graded path minimised any re-ascent until eventually I reached the crowded summit of Ben Lomond. In 2004 the weather was so poor at the summit, and since I was still quite a novice hill walker at the time, I turned around and returned back along the tourist path. Ever since then I have been really disappointed that I didn't continue along the ridge, but now I finally got my chance to complete the walk that I'd originally planned to do on that occasion.
I continued along the summit ridge down a fantastic, steep, rocky slope that required hands-on-rock a couple of times for support, even if not for scrambling. Following an excellent path I crossed over to the subsidiary top of Ptarmigan and down an undulating ridge back to Loch Lomond. This was a really fun descent along a delightful path that constantly and cunningly twists and turns all the way down the ridge and all the while with that view of Loch Lomond ahead of me. My delight in the path increased near the end when I entered an area of bluebells and young bracken that followed me all the way into the loch side wood. The sun came out during my descent making for a wonderfully warm end to a fabulous walk over a fabulous mountain. After the bad weather I had the day before this walk I hadn't been expecting this so I was thrilled to be able to revisit this mountain in such good weather. Ben Lomond was my first Munro, my first mountain in Scotland above three thousand feet. It was the first of many, but by no means the least. Despite its huge popularity this is a great mountain.
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