Always Worth The Effort

Nick Drainey weighs positives and negatives en route to Ben Venue

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WHY do we bother going hillwalking? When youthink about it, there are many things involvedwhich just make us grumpy. From wet weather making water seep into every nook and crevice of our clothing to cattle looking less than bucolic when gathered across a path, we can often be heard grumbling as a route is followed.

My biggest Victor Meldrew moments come when the ground underfoot becomes squelchy and boggy. Despite this, I have regularly made the trip up Ben Venue from Loch Achray, which was something of a bog fest on the lower slopes until recent forestry work was carried out.

Now, forestry is another bugbear for many, including myself, especially when swathes of non-native trees cover whole hillsides. However on the way up Ben Venue, the felling has also meant a lot of path rebuilding which makes crossing the peaty, muddy terrain much more pleasant.