free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
Just before Christmas I tore the cartilage in my knee whilst running with MT & Polly. I endured fluid build-up and an inflamed kneecap. For the last 12 weeks I’ve been doing an hour of physiotherapy daily, incorporating different exercises as I progressed. I was banned from hillwalking and running!
Five weeks into physiotherapy I was allowed to participate in spin classes, so I was doing 5 per week. Two weeks ago I got the go ahead to walk those hills
. I started slowly doing Ben An, followed by a pathless Graham from Glen Fruin, and then the Corbett Ben Venue…all seemed well.
When half way through 16 days A/L my plan was to drive to Assynt early Saturday, following seeing Goldfrapp the Friday evening as part of BBC Radio 6 Music Festival. The plan for Assynt crumbled on the Wednesday as my little old car finally went to the car park in the sky.
With no transport, and no one available for a lift due to Mother’s Day, I quickly looked what was available via public transport. Destination Isle of Arran
. Sunday morning I left Finniestion and walked to Central Station. Train>Ferry>Bus> and I was ready to start my assault on 3 Corbett’s from North Glen Sannox
The Start – Heading West alongside the North Sannox Burn, the Sun beating down on me and not a soul in sight
With Caisteal Abhail soon in view I was quickly on the ridge, another 3K to the summit.
It was warmer than the “feels like 3 deg” predicted by the Metoffice, but I wasn’t complaining at all
The views over to Caisteal Abhail and its ridge looked magnificent, and I knew it was to get better!
Time for some Dooter Posing
The ridge and CA.
I reached the Summit in two hours. My plan was now to find a nice spot, have lunch and take in the breathtakingly tremendous views , observing what lay ahead for me. I was apprehensive as I had never descended the very steep South face of Cir Mhor, this wasn’t helped later when chatting with a fellow walker…
The Arran Corbetts – what a view!! Cir Mhor (centre) my next target with Goatfell (left) afterwards.
After a long layoff I was overjoyed and super exhilarated to be up high in the mountains again, it just feels utterly awesome. I was also loving the solitude, I felt like the only person on this range
I reminisced about the last time on these mountains when I did a summit camp back in August 2016. I had the car then, which was roadworthy, and took the ferry from Lochranza to Tarbet. I would cycle around Tayvallich and Lochgilphead. Great days, even though I came of my bike and ended up in A & E with concussion and subsequent headaches for 3 months…ah the joys of outdoor pursuits
Back to some serious mountain porn posing – Dooterbang is the man for that
A few boulders and some seriously impressive looking ridges – I was feeling very excited
The commanding thrust of Cir Mhor and its tiny peaked Summit.
Whilst on route to Cir Mhor I went over on my ankle – ouch!! I sat for 5 minutes till the pain subsided slightly and was on my way again. Wearing new trail runners wasn’t helping either as I had already tended to the back of my ankles with plasters and compeed…but it was too nice a day to worry about pain!!
Remember that fellow walker I mentioned…. I got chatting with him whilst he was descending Cir Mhor’s SW ridge, just as I was ascending it. I queried the Southerly descent of CM. He informed me he went down a little way but basically sh#t himself! Further explaining that at one point you had to lower your body down some rocks and then jump onto a large slab at a steep angle. He wasn’t doing it so headed back up.” I’ll have a look” I quipped, now filled with fear!!
I soon reached the summit of Cir Mhor. Took a quick photo looking at the ridge leading up to Goatfell. From here you can’t see the steep descent off CM
I started tentatively down the strewn boulders, always looking at possibilities of routes. There was indeed a very tricky move which I just managed, at the expense of grazed shins and arms. With all these little ailments I was feeling like John Rambo
Above me I heard a shout! Some Australian fell runner asking what it was like down there, not down under
. I gave him the thumbs up. He joined me and we chatted a bit before he scrambled quickly down the steep face.
Eventually I reached the bealach and started heading up the ridge to Goatfell, now mindful of catching the last ferry at 19.20 hours. I was now starting to feel less energetic but I was loving the challenge, it reminded me of how I felt cycling up the Sa Calobra in searing heat – hard work but perversely enjoyable
A quick look around to CM – did I really just descend that!!
Some patches of snow still lay around so I ate what looked appetizing, this refreshed me for the final push to the top of the ridge.
Views back to CM from the ridge.
I now only had the scramble over the pinnacles to reach the summit of Goatfell. I really enjoyed this scramble, although at some points I thought there was no way down. However, a roving eye helped the cause.
Views from the summit of Goatfell.
Three were only two people on the Summit of Goatfell, a bloke from Irvine and his girlfriend who was from Eastern Europe. We chatted a while, milking the views, before we all left the summit at 17.00 hours. Shouldn’t be any bother for catching that last ferry…
The walk out was really nice, escaping the jagged and smooth rocks of Goatfell for a barren landscape looking South. My legs and arms were stinging, my feet felt like I was wearing a pair of Herman Munster’s four season boots with crampons attached! But I was loving it
It was around 19.00 hours when I hit the coastal path back to Brodick which cuts through the golf course. This provided a nice backdrop out to the sea and looking back to Goatfell.
With just five minutes to spare I made it onto the ferry – phew! I guzzled down two bottles of Lucozade and got a nice seat up on deck, hoping for a nice sunset. Joining me was fellow Walkhighlander Tommy Lavelle whom I had chatted with on the way over.
What materialized was one of the most amazing sunset’s I have ever seen!! Initially it was only Tommy and I taking this in but soon it felt like the whole ferry had stampeded its way to the upper deck
. I’ll let the photos and video do the talking….
Me spoiling the view, and holding up the Goatfell Range, that Lucozade is way better than I imagined
Unspoiled, extraordinaire, illuminating sunset over Arran…
I was already feeling that I had experienced such a wonderful day but the sunset took it to a whole new level, one that will live long in the memory
My friend Ian was meant to be over cycling and we’d arranged for him to drive me back to Glasgow, however he couldn’t get over…but he did come and provide a lift – top bloke
I got home after 10pm, totally buzzing but equally shattered. Been a while since I walked 20k and 3 Corbett’s, but I can’t wait to do it all again...
Arran has it all and I recommend you visit it soon - only £15.95 for a rail & ferry return, so no excuses
My route
