Cnoc Coinnich

[rob munbett]

Still nursing my post-op knee but heading off next week for my annual Kintail bash with friends, I decided that a light morning work-out was required and, since the forecast was showing a big yellow sun over the area, I thought Cnoc Coinich up the Coilessan Glen from the Coilessan car park would be just the job. However, when I arrived, the hill were all covered in thick cloud. Never mind, I thought, it will soon burn off. No chance! I set off up the signposted Coilessan Glen Road which was gentle enough at first but steepened considerably when heading through the trees to the gate and the open moorland.

The steep path through the trees

I remembered from coming down The Brack this way a few years ago that the Cowal Way 'path' on the map is really quite imaginary on the ground so I headed for the obvious cairn with a while pole sticking out of it. I followed about 5 or 6 white poles across some pretty boggy morass until the path started to descend.

The helpful white poles of the Cowal Way

This was the 510m contour at the foot of the NW ridge of the hill. From here I climbed steadily up the broad ridge up into the murk. There were some crags over to the left and some steeper sections but I made good progress keeping to the right.

Heading up the broad NW ridge

As usual, the was a bit of a false summit but when I passed a small lochan (marked on the Harveys map, not OS), I knew I was at the summit.

Approaching the summit

The summit cairn .... honest!

It wasn't really a day for having a seat to admire the views (if only!) so I headed off back down the route of ascent, which was very gentle on the knees.

Descending the broad NW ridge.

It was just a case of not wandering too far left - the natural slope of the ground tended to take one that way but I had noticed two large balancing boulders on the way up, so I just aimed between them and curved round to the right to reach the white poles and the cairn when I enjoyed my snack.