Arkle, a wonderful Corbett with stunning views

[The Rodmiester]

I had driven up on the Friday evening with the thoughts of maybe climbing the four most Northerly Corbetts and this one had been in my thoughts for the Saturday. After a pretty uncomfortable night trying to sleep in the car with the rain battering down and noise with Stags rutting at the start of the climb, there is quite a large area at the bridge over the burn but much of the surrounding area is waterlogged. I awoke on the Saturday only to hear the rain battering on the car and me thinking it was not such a bad idea sleeping in the car and leaving the tent inside it's pack.I was not about to start under these conditions and decided to drive towards Scourie which i did and by the time i'd got there the rain has stopped a little so decided to have breakfast in the layby near the toilet. After eating my cereal I saw a wee glimmer of blue in the sky so decided to return to the start point, by the time I'd reached it it was once again raining hard but more blue was showing so decided to sit it out for an hour. At eleven o'clock it was off and time to get booted up.

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The rain stops and the clouds lift and yes, looking good, Arkle in front at the start of the tarmac track

Further on the well made tarmac track

A fine reflection on Loch Stack

After passing the house on the left continue on the good track and over this bridge, after crossing you are heading towards the tree plantation so take the left path when you come to it

Looking over to Ben Stack

The tree plantation guarded by the two enormous boulders which you pass through

Looking back in the other direction

Loch Stack and Ben Stack from the track above the plantation

The route ahead after crossing the burn take to the heather slopes and keep on the high side of the burn (the right) and continue following same up the heathery slopes

Looking back to the track which I have just left

My target is the stony lump in the middle so I have to cross the burn at a suitable crossing point

Higher up on the stone covered East summit which is vast and in bad weather may be difficult to find the cairn

First sighting of the East summit cairn

The actual summit of Arkle is on the left but the East summit cairn is on the left

Looking over towards the summit of Arkle from the cairn on East Summit

The scree slopes on Arkle

Looking back again to Loch Stack

After going down quite steeply to the bealach climb up again to come across the narrowing section of ridge which is an easy scramble in dry windless conditions

Stone pavement

Me at the actual summit

Looking back to where i'd come

Foinavon

Heading down to the bealach between the two summits

[Sgurr]

See you have yet to do Foinaven, which, if possible, is even better. Love that third photo with the reflections.

[The Rodmiester]

See you have yet to do Foinaven, which, if possible, is even better. Love that third photo with the reflections.

Hi Sgurr, yes Foinavon was also on my radar for the time I was up there also Ben Loyal, but the weather was really atrocious. I think I'll leave Foinavon for a good day and also a day with more daylight, so it's next year now most definitely as I've just had a wee op on my leg and that's one of the reasons I'm on catchup with my WH reports. I can't believe how good the day turned out to be, you could see for miles in all directions, just love it up there.
Yes definitely save Foinavon for a good day, looking forward to it enormously