Ben Ledi

Peak: Ben Ledi (879m)
Area: Trossachs, Scotland
My quads had taken quite a pounding on the Ben race descent, so a warm-down was vital to stop me seizing up for a week. We had a long drive home in store, though, so despite the perfect weather a smaller peak seemed prudent. Ben Ledi occupies a superb position at the southern extremity of the Highlands and seemed ideal for our purposes this morning. It is the first real mountain reached after Stirling and the view south from the summit is over Loch Venacher and the lowlands. It is a very pleasant objective, eye-catching from Callander and beyond. We parked at Corriechrombie at the bottom of Loch Lubnaig and adopted a vigorous walking pace up the lower slopes of Ben Ledi. Kate had enough after the first steep 'staircase', so went back while I jogged up to gain the open hillside above the conifers. After steep scree, the path switches back sharply to take the obvious broad summit ridge northwards. Great views north-east to Ben Vorlich and the Breadalbane hills taken by the OMM in 2011, and west to Ben More, Stobinian, Cruach Ardrain and other mountains I have enjoyed in the past. The first summit cross I have ever seen in protestant UK (although I think it had just been adapted from an old fence post!). One hour from the car, and the mist rolled in for the five minutes I was there! Jogged down, trying to loosen the legs and mitigate the inevitable DOMS after the Ben race, in around 40 minutes.