Arrochar Alps extra

Monday 30th May 2005. After the dire weather on Jura and still being on holiday I decided to stay Sunday night with my folks in Helensburgh. Monday dawned with bright skies. I should say in this context "dawned" was after 9am. So rather than dash back to Edinburgh a decision was taken to go and enjoy the fine weather. To this end your correspondent headed to Arrochar to retrace his steps on a little run that he did in 2000 A.D. This consisted of starting and finishing at the car park at the foot of Beinn Narnain. The previous time this was done there was no chronology. Therefore, on this occasion some splits will be forthcoming along with a fuller report, possibly for the SHR Journal. The basics are that the run is up Beinn Narnain, The Cobbler/Ben Arthur and this time the scramble/climb onto the actual summit was undertaken and achieved. Then it is over to Beinn Ime on to Beinn Chorranach followed by a big descent before the haul up Ben Vane. From Ben Vane it is head for the dam at loch Sloy, cross the dam then straight up Ben Vorlich. My recollection was that it was all downhill from here back to Arrochar and so it is, almost. Well it transpired that the run back through Glen Loin was a bit more undulating than I remembered.

The weather was generally good with a couple of hail/sleet showers later in the day. According to the odometer the distance is 18.1 miles and there is 9000 feet of ascent. The time moving was 5 hrs 05 mins, and the total time was 5 hrs and 23 mins. Average movement pace was 3.6 m/hr. The extra 18mins is accounted for by my rather slow scramble onto the top of the rocks of the Cobbler/Ben Arthur and a stop in the glen between Beinn Chorranach and Ben Vane for some food. Once I work out how to get the gizmo to tell me all the information it is keeping from me I'll give some more accurate information. Certainly could be done faster in drier conditions and not stopping to admire the views. Also, anyone with better nerves than me, or who knows a quick way onto the Cobbler summit, could take a few minutes off at the Cobbler alone.

-- Ronnie Gallagher