Ben Lomond, to me, will never be just another mountain. Even from a distance, this sharp granite horn pierces the sky in a way that can only create a momentous first impression. The peak is located on the divide between the Seymour and Stawamus Rivers at the head of Clipper Creek, and this story, while it dates back some fourteen years, might as well have been yesterday in my mind.

In May of 2006, Simon Chesterton and I had viewed this iconic peak while we traversed nearby Chanter Ridge. I don’t recall either of us discussing it at the time, but the conversation was probably unnecessary. That mountain, we knew, was Ben Lomond, and we were absolutely going to climb it one way or another!

Though most people I knew had never heard of this mountain, I’d been preoccupied with it for about a decade by then. I’d only seen it up close recently, and after all of the years I’d spent exploring the Seymour Valley, all I knew was that Ben Lomond formed part of the headwaters of the Seymour River. It was first ascended in 1908 by noted climbers Chapman, Gray, MacDonald, and Perry, who were very active in southwestern British Columbia. The mountain, in fact, borrows its familiar name from another located in the Scottish Highlands. The similarities, however, end there. Scotland’s version is a relatively easy walkup in the southern Munros, just 974m in elevation. Our quarry looked considerably more challenging, and just getting to the mountain was going to require serious commitment! Now it was the tenth of June, 2006, to be precise, in the midst of a long spell of unusually hot spring weather. Finally, the day had come to climb Ben Lomond, and we were ready. Though Simon and I had managed Chanter Ridge very well, on this trip we we invited more people along. We put together a solid team of five, with Denis Blair, his son Alan, and Chris Hood also signing on for the mission! To get to the trailhead, our first order of business was to drive as far up the Furry Creek Road as we could manage, which turned out to be about eight kilometres. We knew, ultimately, that we’d have to access Ben More via a logging spur followed by some stiff bushwhacking. I soon could see the top of the slope, where Denis and Alan were taking a break, under cloudless blue skies. They had scouted the route ahead. It occurred to me that it must be immensely satisfying to be able to experience the mountains with your father, as Alan often has. Denis, for his part, is now into his seventh decade and still climbing in fine style. His trade secrets? Beer, plain or plain ripple chips, and plenty of exercise. Take from that what you will! The slope ahead looked steep, but the snow conditions were absolutely perfect, and the mountain waited quietly as the midday sun beat down on us. Our chances certainly looked promising as we geared up, finally breaking out our ice axes and strapping on our crampons. So, did we summit Ben Lomond? Truthfully, it all depends on who’s answering that question! If you’re up for it, join me for the conclusion of this story: A Bad Case of the Bens, Part Two, coming up soon right here. Same Bat time, same Bat channel!