Ben Arthur aka The Cobbler

[missMHK]

Sun 30th Aug 2009 - Mackie & I decided to have a go at The Cobbler on our way home from Glencoe. Maybe my legs were a bit heavy from the previous day's exertions on the Pap of Glencoe (that's my excuse!) but I found the first section really hard going. As well as being very steep, I also found the path very boring & monotonous.

The second section walking up the side of the river with the summit in sight was a massive improvement. When the path forked we decided to hang left - I heard someone refer to it as the 'corrie' side but I'm not sure if this is the correct term? Anyway, everyone else must have decided to take the right hand path as we found ourselves alone until we reached the summit - which was nice! I really enjoyed this section, even though as we scrambled up the gully it got wetter, windier and mistier.

By the time we reached the summit visibility was really poor, we checked out the peaks & then made our descent down the steps to the Ben Ime path where we pretty much jogged our way back to the car. Apart from the horrible zig-zag path section at the beginning I enjoyed climbing The Cobbler itself & would like to do it again one day when visibilty is more than 10ft!

A special mention has to be made of the young lady I saw making her descent down the path wearing hipster, ripped jeans, white trainers & carrying a pink handbag.. classic!! Fair play though because somehow she looked immaculate - I on the other hand was covered in mud, had sweat running into my eyes & my hair had formed itself into a funky afro!

Yours,
missMHK

[Paul Webster]

Yes, that first bit of new path up the Cobbler is very annoying isn't it? with all those zig-zags....

Conditions at the top didn't look so great for the ripped jeans and pick handbag

[mountain coward]

I saw the very same woman I'm sure - she was doing Striding Edge and Swirral Edge on Helvellyn! Trainers and a handbag - closely attended by boyfriend. I was seething at the time as, although she was obviously terrified, she got round and I was sat being afraid at the top of Swirral Edge and didn't do it. I've done it since though which proves that time and experience make me slightly less of a mountain coward...