Ben More on the Isle of Mull

We caught the 22.30 Calmac ferry from Oban to Craignure. Getting this ferry at this time of night guarantees the most fantastic of sunsets. After a stressful week in work there is no better release and reminder about what life is really about!

After the hour to Fidden Farm we jumped in the back of the van for a well deserved nights sleep. This was less eventful than last time when I was wrestling with the tent in the sea breeze! Once again we awoke to the most amazing view of turquoise seas and white sand.

The plan for the weekend was to circumnavigate Iona by Sea Kayak and climb Ben More for a spot of 'Munro Bagging'. The weather had other ideas. We decided to go for Ben More and hope that the weather improved for the next day.
We decided to park at the finishing point in the Cicerone guide to walking the Munros. This has to be one of the best guide books I have used in terms of clarity and accuracy. A short walk along the road it wasn't long before the ascent began.



The views out towards the Treshnish Isles were spectacular and well worth the effort. The wind was blowing quite strong at this point and the idea of scrambling the east ridge became an exciting prospect! Once on the ridge the route was clear and very enjoyable.



This was a walk with a quality 360 degree view throughout. The last scramble section became more exciting and route choice was interesting! The views took our minds off the constant howl of the wind. Compared to the tourist path which we descended, this was like being on a different mountain.

At the top we were rewarded with an even better view. As we had left late it was early evening when we topped out.

The descent was down the ever popular tourist route yet for the whole walk we saw no one. We had had the mountain and views to ourselves. This is definitely a walk to do again if given the chance. This for me epitomised why I like to climb mountains.