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Eep. It's been a while since my last report, a while since I did this walk, and a while since I've been out in the hills in general! Itching to get back out but the weather just isn't co-operating.
Did this back in April on a lovely warm(ish) day. Started in Glen Croe, and started thrashing up the Cobbler from the back - Mike described it as the 'punk' route - short, but angry as hell. Being nowhere near as fit as I should be, it was a gutbuster to get up, with about 700m of gain inside 1km. Probably should have warmed up at the bottom because going straight into high-gear to get up this thing was well and truly knackering. Nonetheless, got to the top without incident.
This was my second visit to the Cobbler, which was one of the first hills I ever did. First time I looked at the needle and proptly though 'feck that'. Now, with some scrambling and even a winter skills course behind me I felt a lot more confident about tackling it. Truthfully, it's a piece of ****, it just looks exposed. Wouldn't want to do it in the wet though - holds were quite polished and that mica would be slippery as hell when wet.
![209057_10150547399815096_891280095_18565047_4252073_o.jpg]()
- On the Cobbler
So, after a sandwich, it was off down the nice step path down to the bealach, and onwards to Beinn Narnain. Now, I must admit - I didn't summit this one, I had a "D'oh!" moment about half way up. I realised I'd left my rather pricey Oakley sunglasses sitting on the top of the Cobbler. D'oh indeed! If they hadn't been expensive I'd have just taken the loss and cracked on up Narnain. As it was, I turned around and went back up the Cobbler - stashing my pack behind some rocks on the ascent (lazy bugger, couldn't be bothered carrying it up, so it meant I could run up it)
Got my glasses from the top, and it was back down to the bealach once again to meet Mike (who had went on and summited Beinn Narnain), and onwards to Beinn Ime. My legs were pretty shot at this point, I had really thrashed them on the Cobbler going as fast as I possibly could. So, I was a bit slow getting up Beinn Ime. My legs just didn't want to work. Galling, considering I was mentally raring to go. So anyway, got to the top of Beinn Ime and time for another sandwich.
![beinn_ime_i_by_relayer2112-d3e8isk.jpg]()
- Looking back to Beinn Narnain and The Cobbler from Beinn Ime
![beinn_ime_ii_by_relayer2112-d3e8j07.jpg]()
- View from the top of Beinn Ime
Was getting a little later in the day at this point, and I wanted to get a train out of Glasgow at 1900, just over 2 hours time. Our original plan was to cover Beinn Luibhean on the way down, but to save ourselves time we dropped down into the glen and were back at the car within an hour - and I was on my train at 7 prompt.
Good day out - bit knackering, bit disappointed at not getting to do 2 of the 4 planned summits but there you go - I was happy with the two photographs I ended up using which is the key thing for me. If I get good photos, or learned something, it was a worthwhile day.
Oh, and as before - high-res photos are on le website -
http://www.stuartcolephotography.com