Ben lomond via ptarmigan ridge

The most southerly Munro and a more popular hill than those I would typically choose to run, but it suited our purpose on this day, and with the corries full of snow, it seemed a good day on which to do it.

We were both spent, following a arduous day on the hill in much more taxing conditions and the grind up Ptarmigan Ridge went on for just a little longer than felt reasonable. But once high enough that the views opened out, I was glad we’d made the effort. Even more so that we’d started early enough to beat the walkers, large numbers of whom were slogging to the summit via the ‘tourist route’ - this path once so eroded it was popularly reported to be visible from Glasgow.

The summit ridge is spectacular if short, and our descent, on mostly grassy trods - avoiding both walkers and awkward stony path which has reduced the erosion from a 25m wide scar to a 2m track - a real treat after days spent breaking trail in soft snow for mile after mile further north. And it was one of the last few that remain to ‘compleat’ my 282.