Thursday 27 June - Beinn Ghlas 1103m and Ben Lawers 1214m

Ben Lawers from Beinn Ghlas

Lochan nan Cat below An Stuc from Ben Lawers

Beinn Ghlas from slopes of Ben Lawers

Ben Lawers Trig

We were at the carpark early given the popularity of these hills and previous parking difficulties, and were well up Beinn Ghlas before we spotted two figures far below. The light breeze was a blessing after the delightful but hot, windless approach through the birch trees beside the Burn of Edramucky. Beinn Ghlas at 1103m is a substantial Munro, its small cairn perched at the edge of its north face which falls steeply into Coire Odhar. Often regarded as a mere point on the way to its more lofty neighbour Ben Lawers and its 4000ft magic contour, Beinn Ghlas is a very fine hill in its own right.

A lengthy break by the cairn to take in the view allowed the two figures to catch up and we enjoyed a pleasant fifteen minutes or so in their company. They were from Crieff, a mere forty minute drive away, and were in training for their planned fourteen day walking trip to the Pyrenees in September.

The Lawers range was very much part of my early hill days, courtesy of the newly formed school climbing and walking club - a winter ascent of Beinn Ghlas and Ben Lawers around 1966 or '67 which today, sadly, would probably never get off the ground once the 'risk assessment' had been completed. I don't have a date for when Lynne and I climbed them so that suggests 1976 or 1977, since for some reason we only started dating ascents from 1978. Much later on I was persuaded to 'lead' a party from work up Beinn Ghlas and Ben Lawers which was a real pain in the neck, particularly since all but one of them had never been on a hill. This nascent company walking club didn't develop any further, thankfully.

With a 'see you on the summit' we left our fellow walkers from Crieff and departed down to the bealach. So far my concerns about the crowds likely to be encountered were unfounded and there appeared to be only one or two people at the trig point on Ben Lawers. Indeed by the time we'd made the fairly steep and enjoyable ascent those figures had gone.

We had lunch just below the summit, overlooking beautiful Lochan nan Cat lying below An Stuc's south-east face and enclosed by three Munros.

Back at the bealach we took the path which skirts the north face of Beinn Ghlas and descends to the lovely and very hot Coire Odhar, which at one time was popular with skiers.

The National Trust for Scotland has done an excellent job on this and the main path up these hills. Often constructed paths are badly done and don't sit well in the landscape, but this is not the case here. Even the relocation of the carpark has been done with care, being reasonably well hidden from the summits and from the road. Well done NTS. No-one could grudge the £2 parking fee.

Another memorable day, both of us savouring our return to the fine hills in this area. Life well spent.