The Cobbler (Ben Arthur), Arrochar - Tuesday 2nd Feb 2012

I had last been up at the Cobbler with the dogs about a month ago, then there was quite alot of snow on the higher areas. Today there was alot more of the white stuff and our group from the GWHC were heading up for an enjoyable hike in winter conditions. I was first to arrive at the Succoth car park, meaning I had plenty of time to get my kit in order before we set off. Alfie also got to have a wee nosey around before being trussed up in his dog coat and harness. Gradually everyone arrived and got geared up, a few new faces for this one too, The Cobbler is always a popular walk.

With everyone ready to hit the trail, we crossed the busy A83 road and took to the forestry track that winds it's way up through the Monadh Liath plantation, not to be confused with the mountain range near Newtonmore. Kenny and I set off from the front and before long we realised that we had stretched the group out a wee bit. We had zig zagged our way up and out of the forest area, so waited on the rest catching up. News soon reached us that some of the group further down the line were grumbling about our brisk pace.

I don't normally react to other walker's gripes of this ilk, but as this is my own personal blog i'm going to express my views here. I hike for my own reasons and benefits like everyone else. I walk at a chosen pace and do not moan at slower walkers for whom I have to wait  for, to catch up. I do however find it annoying to have to wait for slow walkers who are slow because they are either chatting or taking excessive amounts of photographs. Especially in winter when we are standing around and losing heat. Out of courtesy I don't moan when others are a little slower than the norm, nor do I try and gee people along and get them to move at my pace. So, anyone who chooses to complain about my own pace can expect little of my sympathy... rant over.

So yeah, we waited for the rest to catch up and then blisteringly sped off up the path beside the Allt a' Bhalachain. Just after the Narnain Boulders we grouped up again as several of us were going to cut off the path and ascend the western gully. At this point we stepped into our crampons and began to climb up the iced over stream that marked out the route. I was interested to see how Alfie would cope on steeper terrain in these conditions and thus far he appeared to have had no problem using his claws as crampons.

The other section of the group chose to walk up the main path to just beyond the Lochan a' Chlaidheimh, there they would then take the southerly staircase route up to the south peak. For us up at the col, the route would take us up onto the north peak first before we retraced our spike marks back down to the col and then up onto the south peak (884m). A few of the other section had broken off to do Beinn Ime instead of the Cobbler, but we met the rest on the south peak before everyone moved back down to the col to have a quick bite to eat.

After refuelling we started down the staircase route to the cross paths at the Lochan. Most of the group were going to head on down the path back to the car park, but myself, Barry, Kenny and Stewart decided that Beinn Narnain was looking too inviting to resist. We moved north at first before heading east up the shoulder of Narnain. It got much colder as we neared the summit (926m). My insulated platypus tube froze, which it hadn't done on the Cobbler, so even that few extra metres in altitude can make alot of difference.

We didn't hang around for long on the top, heading quickly southeast towards the Spearhead. It was here at the gully where we really had to utilise our axes to the max. After watching Barry, Kenny and Stewart having to axe arrest at several places, I decided to turn face-in and down-climb the gully using my axe in a technical fashion. All worked out well, except that Alfie was stuck at the top of the Spearhead refusing to budge. I had to climb back up and tie his lead onto my pack's belt. He then grudgingly moved down the gully with me coaxing him in between axe placements. Kenny was anchored down below and watching to make a catch if need be, but thankfully Alfie stayed attached to me and we got down safely.

From there we trotted along the ridge to Cruach nam Miseag and then down to Creag an Fhithich before we broke into the forested area that took us back down towards the main road. We lost Stewart for a bit in the forest, maybe he needed some quiet time? but he soon popped out farther along the track as we joined the wide path back to Succoth.

The rest of the days hikers had dispersed with some opting for a drink at Ben Arthur's Bothy. Barry and I headed round there and managed to catch a few of them before they hurried back to the big smoke.


Some photographs courtesy of spritely paced GWHC members.