| Distance | 23.6 km; 2300ft of climbing |
| Time | 6 hrs 30 mins |
| Difficulty | Reasonable, but brutal mid section |
| Good for | Some lake views & mountains towards the end |
Another overcast start to the day, with hilltops shrouded in cloud, but luckily it remained dry all day. Overnight rain had made some streams on the paths which made some sections quite slippery.
Leaving Rowardennan, the first view was of Beinn Dhub (642m) on the opposite bank of the lake.
A short way along the track, and immediately after signs warning walkers that traversing beyond this point would be inaccessible to emergency services, there was a quaint honesty hut selling all sorts of snacks and cakes. It was very well received by a large number of walkers (who I think were pretty honest…)
The first couple of miles were pleasant enough – a gentle climb along the shoreline up a wide gravel road. Little did we know this wouldn’t last!
Here, the hills on the opposite side of the lake are partially visible, obscured as they are by a regular smattering of trees. This ‘teasing’ was symptomatic of what to expect for the majority of the day.
When the path did drop to the shore, large expansive views of the lake were visible. This one was a typical view, looking north west up Loch Lomond.
On we plodded into thicker forested areas. This one is another typical shot before the path split into an upper and lower section. We took the lower hoping for more shoreline views, but were generally disappointed by the tree cover and also the terrain of rocks and tree roots which made progress slow. The lower path was also much narrower.
The upper and lower paths rejoined after a couple of miles and was the trigger for the path to narrow. There were a couple of small clearings, one of which boasted a carpet of bluebells.
After a lunch stop in Inversnaid, we continued along the path. This path now resembled an obstacle course traversing the quite steep hillside. Progress was painfully slow – about 2 miles in an hour and a half – and the impact on the knees and back was hard. It was brutal.
On occasion the path did meet the shoreline and allowed us another iconic view across the loch. This one is looking south towards the brighter clouds which were stubbornly refusing to clear.
A couple of miles south of Inverarnan, at the neck of the loch, the forest cleared and the path climbed. Remembering one bit of advice received which was to always look where you have cone from, a south-westerly vista of the loch and west bank was to be found.
Reaching a plateau south of Inverarnan, the promise of what to expect tomorrow came into view. On the left is what I believe to be Ben Oss (1029m) and on the right is Benn Dubhchraig (978m).
Life Two 