Wow, today was a tough one as I stepped onto that hill, with trees and loch Earn behind me with a clear and purposeful will. I walked so slow and steady but had two today in my sights, one step in front of the other ascending to the heights.
Ben Vorlich had been in my eyeline for some time, but I had been put off by the fact it sits alongside Stuc a Chroin. I felt confident I could manage Vorlich, but Stuc I wasn't so sure. What if I did one and then couldn't do the other, what if the scramble was out of my capability…..anyway, I picked a day and packed my what-ifs at the bottom of my backpack.
The day was warm but overcast, pretty perfect for me. Parking was easy and Loch Earn was like a mirror as I left. The path up Vorlich is clear and obvious, walking through trees on the skirts of the Munro then heading high onto the open hill. This was my first of the year and my legs took to it okay albeit slowly. I tend to walk alone, I don't like to keep others back and I don't enjoy trying to keep up. A bit of mist sat at the summit so I couldn't see the trig point until I were nearly there. Midges and horseflies were enjoying the stillness of the day and the sweaty salt on my legs. It took me just under 3 hours to get to the top and I felt confident to carry on to Stuc a Chroin!
I found the going tough from the get-go, the steepness and loose rock made it tricky and slow going down, but I was committed now and had time and light on my side. The Munro couldn't be seen at this point with clouds shrouding the top, it wasn't until id crossed the bealach that the hill showed itself and I stood in awe working out how I was going to get up there. With so much rock it's easy to lose the path. I knew that the boulder field and steep scramble could be avoided so I set off following a wee path to the left. It was steep, and slow going. The mist was blowing across my doubts but determination and stubbornness kept me moving slowly up. Now and then I'd stop, perch on the path and wonder at my position and how small I was in this magnificent landscape. The top was getting closer and despite my tiredness I kept moving slowly, inching ever nearer. Eventually, I saw a line of metal posts that indicated I was nearing the plateau. I scrambled up and shouted into the sky in delight. It was then a short stoney walk to find the cairn. A well-earned tea and piece break, soaking up my achievement…I had managed two summits! It had taken me just over five hours to get here and I still had the long walk back.
With my belongings and rubbish packed away again, I set off home. The path would bypass two Munros so was going to be a longish walk out and was expected to be boggy. My legs struggled with the incline and I was glad of my poles, pretty soon I hit the boggy lower ground. It is energy-sapping going up and around these areas, looking for the least wet areas. We hadn't had a lot of rain so I was surprised how soft the ground was. I lost it in one particular large area and ended up sliding down twice whilst trying to get out. It was quite funny and added an authentic hillwalker look to my attire. Eventually, though I joined the main path and I was very glad of the regularity of the path. It took me three hours to get from the summit of Stuc a Chroin back to my car and I was exhausted, wobbly-legged and the only car left in the layby. Looking back at the mountains I thanked them for the day, it had been challenging but I had done it.
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