Another beautiful day awaited, the morning air crisp and frosty, the sun shining brightly through the curtains as we woke. By the time we were going the car was pretty much defrosted and we headed off to the Arrochar Alps.
Parking up, Bruce cut me some slack, paying £8 (£1 an hour) rather than hedging his bets on our time. This was appreciated as I hate being on the clock and feeling rushed!
Straight Up
Wow! This was some start! We left the car park which was pretty much at sea level, crossed the road, then immediately turned onto a wet boggy path that could be mistaken for a small stream at points, to go steeply up through the trees. I was glad that Bruce had advised gaiters or who knows what state I’d have ended up in, particularly given my propensity to draw mud like a magnet, usually ending up looking like I’ve been on an entirely different walk!
When the path did improve there were good views of Ben Lomond, the skies clear and showcasing mountains all around.
There were many boulder steps to climb up. While Bruce felt this made it easier, I questioned whether having to repeatedly lift my weary legs was in actual fact tougher. It is likely he was right as I think we did make better progress overall.
We reached the peak of Cruach nam Miseag having broken the back of the climbing. From here we could see Beinn Narnain, a short drop down leading to the next ascent.
Beinn Narnain
Ahead of the final push up to the summit were stopped to contemplate the route and have a snack. At this point I could see a path going so far up, then it was unclear where we went other than through some rocky bits. The route guide (Walk Highlands) did suggest that there was some easy scrambling. Looking up, it was the gradient that I found alarming as much as the prospect of a scramble.
At this point we met another couple of walkers, dad and the loon. The loon was young (early primary age) and goodness me, I wish I had his energy! He was literally running and jumping around, greatly enthusiastic about everything! They went first as we headed up again and I drew comfort in having folks ahead of me other than Bruce (who did offer to go behind).
Off we went, a path leading us up. There were a few wee scrambly bits through rocky patches and I was glad that I’d stashed my poles in my rucksack to give me free hands to hold on and provide a bit of extra security. The upside of this path was that it came and went, zigzagging a bit here and there, never with too great exposure so any steeper sections still felt quite safe. Before long we were at the top and I was quite delighted with myself, grateful of Bruce’s support on route up. For once, this being a special day for us, we got a photo together.
The views from the summit were good, Loch Long being clearly visible.
Beinn Ìme
Having had the joy of Beinn Narnain, Beinn Ìme looked quite boring in comparison. Clearly visible as we made our way down the steep descent to the bealach, we met a couple of folks heading up Narnain the easier way; I was glad Bruce hadn’t suggested this option as I’d have taken it and would definitely have missed out on the fun part of the day.
The only issue heading up Beinn Ìme was the long hard slog. Essentially we just had to choose a low gear and grind it out.
Up, up, up, we progressed slowly and steadily until we reached the top. Again, we were rewarded by lovely views. At 1011 metres, this was the highest point of the day.
The wind having gotten up a little more, we weren’t keen on hanging around for too long and made our way back on the path we’d come up. There were quite a number of people out and we stopped to chat to them as they headed uphill. Although quick, the descent felt long and we were glad to reach the decent path that would take around Beinn Narnain, avoiding the need to go back up and over.
The views of Ben Arthur (The Cobbler) were fantastic! Had it not been for weary legs and rising wind I’d almost have been tempted to see it more closely!
After a time we grew tired of this path and reached a point where we just wanted to be back at the car! It was good to have points of interest to keep us going.
The path that we were on finally reached the forest, zigzagging all the way back down to the car park and sea level. It was with great delight and satisfaction that I took off my boots and settled into the car for the journey home.
Clare, happiest outdoors! 