17 May 2021
Mull is such an amazing place that it’s really hard to choose which adventure to write about. On Map 47, I covered Staffa and the Treshnish Isles. There’s an overlap between the two maps and on map 48 I could write about an excellent day circumnavigating Iona on foot, including reaching the high point or a similarly scenic adventure on Ulva including a trek across the bridge over to the stunningly peaceful and undisturbed island of Gometra. However, Ben More is the only Munro on Mull and in fact the only Scottish island Munro apart from those on Skye.
Various ascent routes are possible, but I agreed to make the ascent with my husband who declined any of the tougher alternative routes so we ascended the route from just below Dhiseig and returned the same way.
It was a straightforward climb from sea level, with significant height gain straight away. The final part of the ascent revealed views on both sides of the ridge – at least when the cloud left the area. The very last bit crossed the summit plateau to a sizeable wind shelter with plenty of space to social distance. We enjoyed our lunch while chatting to a single man who had climbed an alternative route via A Chioch, with a difficult fairly exposed step in one place and also a couple of retired teachers who had come up the same way as us.
The fact that this mountain is higher than those around it and the precipitous drop from it in all directions apart from the direction from which we had ascended makes it feel an impressive summit.
The cloud started to clear and we enjoyed some fine views from the summit and on the descent.
Where's Kathryn? 