Ben Lui and the summit views

After 25 years of wondering what the views from the top of Ben Lui looked like, I wondered no more. The cloud had lifted from the summit and I was rewarded for the effort of not giving in to my sore feet. I couldn’t make up my mind which summit to head for first as both were now within easy reach. I decided on the south summit.



But first I looked down “Central Gully” to see the route I took quarter of a century ago. I has a strange queasy sensation looking down the steep slope and remembered that day ever so long ago when it was covered in mist and snow. Although the photo doesn’t capture the feeling of exposure, I can assure you that it was there.



Standing on the southern summit , looking towards the northern one I saw how steep the end of the climb was. I recalled the huge cornice in my memory and remembered standing below it as my companion hacked a route through it. The climb is around 1000ft high so you can imagine the exposure we felt, or what would have happened if the snow gave way or one of us slipped. Somehow I now couldn’t believe it was me that was there that day ? Whatever happened to that person ? Is he now lost in that mist of time ?



I looked over towards Ben More and Stobinian. Two more mountains that I climbed in the cloud of my younger days and two more that I re climbed just a couple of years ago. I saw the views second time round.



Looking down the southern ridge of Ben Lui. There is a crashed aircraft down there somewhere. A friend at work visited it several times and told me about it but I didn’t feel the need to go and see it. My legs had enough for one day and they still had to carry me home again.



It was the view over to Ben Cruachan that I thought the best from the summit. Loch Awe looked lovely glistening in the sun. I thought I could have been boating in Loch Etive after all, but I was glad I chose the mountain instead. I was now at peace with Ben Lui even though I knew I will never climb it again.



There were plenty of hills over by Tyndrum that I had climbed in the past too, but none seemed to beckon me that day but Im sure some will in the future.



I left the summit after taking a panorama view of the view hidden from me for 25 years, went to the northern summit and then made my way down the mountain.

I was a happy man. Only from the waist down did I complain. My legs didn’t seem to appreciate the view as much as my mind did but they soon got over my stubbornness :-D

Ben Lui and the struggle to summit

I sat for a moment or two on the bealach ridge resting my weary legs. They were feeling the effort of getting this far having not done any hill walking for so long. The view to the south helped inspire me to continue with my chosen route.



The summit of Beinn a Chleibh was still clear of cloud but I really wanted to see the views from the top of Ben Lui because they were denied from me the last time I stood on its summit.



The view over to Ben Cruachan also brought back memories of 25 years ago when I went round the horseshoe ridge in winter conditions. It was a lovely clear day then and I still have photos of the views from that walk so have never felt the need to re climb it.



As I pushed on for the summit of Ben Lui, I really started to toil. My legs told me to go back but my head kept thinking “If you don’t do it today..you will never do it again ..and you will never see the view from the top”



Somehow I kept going, ignoring the blister on my heel and stiffening feeling in my leg muscles. Then, just as the mist cleared from the summit, I reached the little ridge between Ben Lui’s twin summits .. I was really looking forward to the views from the top .....

Ben Lui and the steep headwall path

It was great getting out the muddy forest section and on to the open hillside where I made good progress across the flatter and firmer slopes of Fionn Choirein. I was heading for the headwall at the rear of the corrie where a path climbs onto the bealach between Ben Lui and Beinn a Chleibh.



The old guide books always mention that the path up the headwall is steep and care should be taken while walking it. That description worried me a little as I couldn’t make out the path from the corrie as the sun was directly behind making the hillside a silhouette. However the headwall to the side of the corrie looked very steep.



I started the headwall climb with a little apprehension but soon found I had nothing to worry about. The path traverses the steep slop at an angle and it proved easy walking the whole way to the bealach.



I stopped just before the bealach summit to survey the route I had just walked and admire the views to the north. The muddy forest path was now a distant memory.



I watched in disbelief and a little despair as the cloud started to engulf the summit of Ben Lui. As the mountain top disappeared from view I felt my feet get heavier and my legs get stiffer. Cloud seems to have that effect on my energy levels ?

Ben Lui and the muddy forest path

Although the weekend weather since my Kyle of Bute adventure has been reasonable, the fresh northerly winds put me off trailoring the boat to the sea. I was also aware that I wasn’t getting as much exercise as I like, by sitting on a boat letting the engine did the work. I felt it was now time for a good hill walk to get my legs and lungs pumping. Fresh northerlys were good for my cooling system which tends to overheat on summer hill walks.

I decided to climb Ben Lui simply because I did it around 25 years ago in the mist and never saw a single view. I always remembered that climb as I ascended it with a friend by its “Central Gully” route in full winter conditions. We didn’t use a rope because we didn’t have one but I will never forget seeing the cornice at the very top. I took the cowardly stance and let my climbing partner cut the route through. I often wondered what it looked like in decent weather.

This photo is of Ben Lui in winter condition. Central Gully goes straight up the front of the mountain and reaches the summit between the twin peaks of its top. Its a very long and exposed route but not too difficult for anyone with a head for heights.



My head for heights has long gone and I now get a nose bleed looking out my first story bedroom window, so this time round, I was going to climb it by the tourist route. Here is another photo taken in summer on my way to the start of the hill walk.



I parked in the carpark off the A82 main road from Tyndrum to Oban. It was a beautiful morning and I had the place to myself. Form this angle the mountain doesn’t look so spectacular and its hard to believe the summit is 3700feet high.



The first obstacle to overcome on the tourist route is the river Lochy. It was running low so I crossed by the stepping stones. I was over the moon crossing without getting my feet wet.



I followed the Eas Daimn burn and then cut off at its tributary through the forest to gain access to the open hillside. My lungs felt raw gasping in the cool morning air as I tried to find my stride. Its over a year since I attempted a decent hillwalk and I felt it.



The cascading water of the burn distracted me from the pain of lack of exercise. However it must be the muddiest path I have ever walked on. Although I didn’t photograph it, at times I was half way up to my knees in muddy slime. It was at the worst parts the path would narrow to cut through the trees so there was no way round the quagmire except trying to balance on broken branches laid by previous walkers



Finally I reached an open part and saw the end of the forest secrion. I couldn’t wait to get onthe the dry open hillside, in fact, if I had the energy, I would have ran. I didn’t have the energy and already, I felt like crawling.