Luss Grahams, cracking hills but they don't get any easier

Hill:  Beinn Eich & Doune Hill
Category: Graham
Height: n/a
Parked up at Luss looking forward to a good walk. However, I noticed a warden at the metres, thought this was a free parking area, nope £9 for the full day. You don’t mind a smaller fee £3-4 quid but this is rip off. So our cars moved a small distance to free parking, there you go no money to them, their greed cost them, no sorrows.
Another extremely mild day for the beginning of January as we walked the tarmac road up Glen Luss for the 2 miles or so until we got onto the real walk. 

Beinn Eich

As you go up the road you get your first view of Beinn Eich.When you turn off at Edentaggart the first challenge is Beinn Eich, 703m. There is a faint track for a while before it becomes rough tussocky stuff. Don't follow the blue pipe around the hill or you will go off track. It is damp and boggy in patches and typical of Graham hills it is simply an unrelenting slog up the hill. 

Steep slog

With the steepness of the gradient there are also a significant number of false hope ridges, always another one behind it.

Getting there

Still plenty of opportunities to take a breather and look back at the hazy views of Loch Lomond.

Doune Hill ridge

 Doune Hill ridge looks far away from here.

Eich cairn

When we get to the top the small cairn has been flattened, cairn vandals? A light cloud is shrouding us and it has lowered the temperatures significantly. A quick lunch whilst looking down Glen Mollochan and across to Mid Hill & Beinn Dubh.
The knobbly hump of the Graham, Cruach an t-Sidheim can just be seen but not for us today.

Doune Hill ahead

We descend about 200 metres before making the gradual climb to the top of Doune Hill, the highest Graham in the Luss hills at 734m.

Misty trig

The trig appears out of the gloom and thankfully the climbing is over for the day.

View from Doune, Beinn Eich on right

A steep and meandering bracken and tussocky descent ensues with super views down Glen Mollochan, the burn twisting and turning, a lovely view.

Grassy descent

The walk out along the glen basically follows the left of the burn and is very wet and boggy in lots of places. But nice to feel hemmed in by the hills. Some impressive gulley’s on the flanks of Beinn Eich.
Finally the tarmac trek again back to the finish.
A tough walk today with an ascent of over 1000 metres that would make most Munro baggers proud. Good company and done at a good pace. Only disappointment, where was the wildlife?

Wildlife: Raven, 
Time: 5.59
Ascent: 1062m
Distance: 19.3km