At last! Cnoc Coinnich

[WeeHills]

Spring appears to have sprung, the sun is shining, the forecast set fair and I have jiggered my elbow. This has put a minor dent in my faint Bridge of Orchy plans, not because of the walking so much as the driving. I'm not sure the twisty part of the A82 is wise so am opting for a trial run on the shorter, straighter route to Arrochar and a hill I generally neglect, Cnoc Coinnich. The Arrochar Hills being close to hand and conveniently located near the road are a 'go to' for me when weather is fine but time is short. Cnoc Coinnich, being a slight outlier is an exception to this rule. I keep popping up The Brack and thinking 'I must make time for Cnoc Coinnich' then not doing any such thing. Today there is plenty of time and it presents a solution to the dodgy elbow problem so why not?

Longer days and shorter drives make for a leisurely start, I don't leave the house until 8 and am on my way up the forestry track from Ardgartan by 9. The track undulates westward providing a gentle warm up before swinging up hill towards the path to The Brack. I'm not overly concerned about the teeny scramble at the start of this path, I've been this way often enough to be confident I can manage despite the sore elbow, and it is, indeed, fine. Beyond this point I'd usually dig out the old walking poles which I am less confident about so decide to go with just the one. That lasts all of five minutes, it feels weird and unbalanced, so the second comes out even if I am more wafting it around ineffectually than actually daring to put any stress on it.

Soon enough I emerge from the trees, over the fence and onto the open hillside. From here on the path upwards is a pleasure. The crags and knobbles of The Brack loom above as height is gained quickly alongside the burn, dotted with waterfalls, views opening up towards the other Arrochar hills. The sun is shining, the hill provides shelter from the wind, there are hints of ground frost higher up. I pause for coffee and a few snaps at one point then continue up to the lochan.

Towards Corbett number one, the craggy Brack

Out of the forest looking up Glen Croe to Beinn an Lochain and Beinn Luibhean

It's a pleasing path up the side of the burn

As height is gained Beinns Ime and Narnain emerge behind The Cobbler

More distant views now emerge, hazy in the spring sun, the waters of the lochan sparkling and choppy. From here I also get the first proper good look at Cnoc Coinnich beyond, looking green and inviting. It is a lovely spot and a quick bite to eat provides an excuse to linger for a few minutes before heading up the last section to the summit. The path twists this way and that before suddenly the trig appears and I'm there.

Choc Coinnich from the lochan

Over Cruach Fhiarach to Ben Lomond

The Brack's summit is a fine viewpoint, eastwards across Loch Long, its waters shimmering in the bright light, the Luss hills beyond. To the north the Arrochar hills dominate, with more distant Munros, Ben Lui and Beinn a Chleibh keeking between Luibhean and Ime. West offers fine vistas over Cowal and hazy hints of Jura in the distance and to the south a chance to study the main purpose of today's visit, the lesser trodden Corbett of Coinnich, and scope out the ground between the two.

The Brack summit trig, Ben Donich to the left and Beinn an Lochain to the right

Summit views over Loch Long, shimmering in the spring sunshine, to the Luss hills

Arrochar hills, Luibhean, Ime, Arthur, Narnain

Cnoc Coinnich from The Brack summit

Before moving on it is time for more coffee, more food, more lazing around admiring the view, though in a slightly sheltered spot, it is blustery here. Fed and watered I pick my way down, heading slightly west to avoid the crags. The descent is nicely straightforward, grassy, not too steep, no need for strain on dodgy elbow. There is a track, faint at first and coming and going a little through boggy bits but with the weather clear it is soon picked up again as it meanders towards its meeting with the Cowal Way.

It is nice walking, passing a lochan here, a craggy bit there, nothing too steep or strenuous. Before long I arrive at the cairn marking the long distant route, rows of way markers stretching left and right from it. I take the right hand line and follow them towards Cnoc Coinnich's north ridge. The ground here is properly squelchy, good thing I like a bit of bog stomping. Even once the ridge line is reached the ground is pretty saturated, though short steepish sections offer some respite on the gentle, grassy ascent. It is a very easy going kind of hill and doesn't seem long at all before I find myself approaching the wee summit cairn.

Cairn marking meeting with the Cowal Way, Ben Lomond in the background

Views back to The Brack

And on to Corbett number two, Cnoc Coinnich

Painted way markers lead the way over boggy ground

And a very fine summit it is too, atop an all round fine, and nicely squelchy, wee hill. From here watery landscapes predominate to the south over Lochs Long, Gare and Goil, and towards the Clyde Firth. To the north The Brack almost completely obscures the Cobbler behind it from this angle. The Luss Hills look perhaps finer from here than the previous summit and far to the north-west a snow capped Cruachan can just about be made out through the haze. It is all very lovely, and took no great effort to get to, the only slight snag is it is rather exposed to the southerly wind and there is little to be found in the way of shelter.

Cnoc Coinnich summit cairn, Luss hills in the background

Hazy vista south from the summit to the Firth of Clyde

Cowal hills above Loch Goil

Loch Long with a hint of Loch Lomond across the narrow isthmus between Arrochar and Tarbet

Neighbouring Ben Donnich

North over the Arrochar hills, The Brack almost totally obscuring The Cobbler from this angle

I don't stop for long before heading downwards in search of a less blustery spot for more sustenance. A final pause once out of the wind is followed by a retracing of steps down the grassy slopes, back to the Cowal Way. An easy descent, nothing steep, nothing craggy and back across the bogs to the cairn, this time continuing along the way marked route into the forest.

The first short section through the trees is loose and stony but not long. Soon I find myself picking up first a forestry track, then a single track road through a seemingly interminable tract of conifers. Tedious doesn't even begin to cover it. I am sooooo bored, it seems never ending, I kind of wish I'd gone back over The Brack the way I came even if it would have taken twice as long. Eventually, to great relief, the car park appears, I pack up and head home. And touch wood the elbow doesn't seem any the worse for spending five hours ineffectually wafting a pole around. More distant destinations are back on the agenda.

[Graeme D]

Lovely! I did this route last May and you have many of the same shots as I have in my report except many of mine have snow cover on the higher sections.