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Given the recent change in the weather to something resembling Summer, I had high hopes that my 1st walk to bag a Munro (or 2 as the plan was) would be done in suitably calm weather but as the working week drew in and the Saturday approached, the forecast didn't change and I resigned myself to the fact that it was going to be showery. Of course, in hindsight, showery would have been a fantastic result.
When I parked up the car about 10.30 and took stock of the current downpour I almost immediately cut the trip to 1 Munro (sorry Beinn Narnain, maybe next time) and altering from the set walk on this site to basically set out towards The Cobbler and then strike a path to Beinn Ime. If the weather improved (no chance) I could maybe reconsider Beinn Narnain or The Cobbler on the return. Either way I would be doing the longer route and taking on the higher peak so the weather wouldn't limit my trip too much.
So I walked.. and it rained and given that I couldn't see much of Beinn Narnain as I swooped round it's base I figured the view was not going to be the ultimate goal of this trip. From the car park to where the path splits to The Cobbler is very well maintained and as such, not very eventful. When I reached this point the wind had picked up, the rain was getting heavier and I was feeling very pleased about how my bargain mid-height walking boots had coped. I met a group of 4 chaps milling about the grid reference post who were apparently without map, compass or gps but were also striking out for Beinn Ime, not a good idea when visibility even here at 2,000ft was about 300ft at the time. Imagine my pride when on my first trip I felt so well equipped with all of the above (albeit the free to use Viewranger was the extent of my GPS however it worked terrifically when I could get enough shelter to operate my phone.)
I would say my pride lasted approximately 500m when the path split and the trail to Beinn Ime... well... disappeared. From there on it was a bog with streams until the gate (which was a reassurance that I was on the right track.) Past the gate there was a stony trail which was sadly having an identity crisis and had decided to be a stream for the day. At this point the Viewranger was an extremely handy piece of kit to keep me on the right track as visibility was down to about 60ft and the trail, where the ascent was gentler, was non existent with all the lying water.
On the plus side, I had the place to myself. I passed one other walker at about 2,800 who was on his way down as I was heading up and the 4 mapless chaps must have made the sensible decision not to carry on. I didn't see another person until I was back at the Cobbler and on the better paths.
The final ascent was wet and windy, my boots took on a bog too many and let in water quite near the summit (so near and yet so far.) At the summit I took 20mins to take a seat on my seat pad (best purchase for the trip and £1.99) behind a boulder, ate a roll and took on some liquid.
The decent was quicker as I had accepted at this point my feet weren't going to get any dryer and bog or no bog I was getting down the hill, on to the better paths and eventually back to my change of shoes and socks in my car.
All in all; minuses were the complete lack of views from the top, the wet feet and the fact that even the sheep near the summit were looking at me like a lunatic.
The pluses were I had the place to myself, insects were not an issue and (presumably) Beinn Narnain on a dry day will be a walk in the park!
Bring on the next one...!
