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The Three Amigos set off to conquer The Cobbler one fine morning.
The weather was near perfect for an attempt on The Needle ...clear, blue skies, no wind, sunshine all day
Bubba, a seasoned veteran of Boot Camp with many successful Needle ascents under his kilt was confident that this would be a good day for the two new recruits keen to 'cut their teeth' in the Alps by 'bagging' this iconic Corbett.
Tough Mudder Bo was keen to get some 'real mud' on his t shirt and test his endurance in a national park, The Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park to be exact, as opposed running around some country estate.
The obstacle course at Boot Camp is 'natural' not 'man-made' and there's no 'elf and safety' out here in 'big country' just common sense, as he was about to find out.
Sam was feeling almost saintly on the day. It's a sign! . It's a sign! He uttered as he saw this photo
He was about tackle a walk of 'biblical proportions' in Gods own country and certainly looked the part.
After the obligatory photo shoot at the entrance to Boot Camp, a 'right of passage' for all new recruits, Bubba leads the way up the trail towards the first objective to test their 'metal' ..The Narnain Boulder Scramble. Leaving the Butter Burn Splash at Chillout Creek (not the real names) for another day.
Bo claims his piece of Boot Camp straight away and renamed this stone... Bo Rock
We head on up the track and soon reach the Narnain Boulders with the famous Cobbler in the background waiting for us.
Bo and Bubba tackle 'the big one' first. After a few attempts we decided to err on caution and tackle it another day keeping our energies for the main event... The Needle.
We did return a few weeks later ...this time with Bo's 'better half' and we conquered the big rock by scrambling onto it's flat top. Look out for this report coming soon in 'Bubbas Micro Adventures'
We then crossed over the Ailt a Bhalachain stream further up and headed up the steep corrie with the North Peak towering overhead to the right of the path heading for the col between The Cobblers Last and The Needle.
We were treated to the sight of some 'real' rock climbing as we watched a guy suspended in an almost impossible position hanging in mid-air by just his finger tips and a thin rope. Wow!
We stopped for some 'selfies on the col before heading up to the left to reach the true summit about 10mins later
Sgt. Bubba took the time to show his two recruits around Boot Camp pointing out Ben Ime, Ben Narnain, Ben Vane and Ben Vorlich and some of the other Munros in the area for another time. All could be seen clearly on such an excellent clear, blue sky afternoon. It was a joy to be out in the hills on a day like it was.
We stopped to take a selfie at the top before Bo and Bubba scrambled up onto the 'true' summit by 'Threading the Needle' whilst Sam 'chilled' out below and took the 'official' snaps from it's base.
In order to reach the true summit of the Cobbler you have to crawl through the 'eye' to a ledge on the other side overlooking a serious drop onto boulders below. You then have to 'shimmy along the ledge being careful not to trip, slip or stumble and then up a sloping ramp. You then have to pull yourself up onto a couple of leaning rocks memorising your own personal, preferred handholds and footholds for the return leg and finally clamber up onto the sloped summit which is about as wide as a double bed though I wouldn't recommend sleeping here
Thus 'Threading the Needle' because you thread yourself through the eye, along and double back on yourself!
At Bubbas Boot Camp you also have to then sink a beer, cook a steak and fly the Saltire as a mark of respect to God's own country
Sacrificial offerings to the Gods ....a sort of 'pagan' ritual at Boot Camp and a 'right of passage'
Mind the Gap
We did the customary Boot Camp salute to the 45', had a few beers to celebrate... then scrambled back down through the eye.
Safely back of the Needle ...it was time for some Boot Camp celebrations waving the flag and sinking the beers and just generally enjoying the 'great outdoors' on a wonderful day weather wise
Sam waving it for the 45'
The weather was so good we were able just hang around and enjoy the stunning views from this vantage point, have a few more flaggans with our lunch and then head on back down . Job Done!
