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PICTURES AND TRIP REPORTS FROM MY WALKS IN THE ENGLISH LAKE DISTRICT
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I had made tentative plans to meet Sue, Helen and our other friends on Goatfell today which were dependant on fine weather so I was glad to open the tent to a lovely warm morning.
Looking down to Sannox and the coast from the path down.
On the track up Glen Sannox.
I had followed one of the golden rules of multi day walks and that is "never pass a tea shop" so even though I had not long had breakfast, the tea rooms at Corrie golf course were visited for second breakfast. And looking at the climb ahead I thought I might well need it.
One of the several very nice waterfalls passed on the climb to the Devil's Punchbowl
After a bit of a hot slog up a grassy slope the Devil's Punchbowl is reached.
On the path across the lower slopes of Cioch na h-Oighe. Sometimes the only clue that there was a path was a bit of flattened heather but I picked my way across without much trouble but always aware of the quite steep drop to my right.
I knew sooner or later the horizontal path ended and things become seriously vertical.
Looking around the corner in to Glen Sannox to Cir Mhor and Caisteal Abhail. I started wondering when the path would take the sharp uphill turn to the left and then I remembered reading in the guide book " be careful you don't get drawn into the glen" which when I checked is exactly what I had done. I turned round and walled back the way that I'd come
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How I'd missed this cairn I'll never know but I gave myself a mental slap to remind me to concentrate more as the terrain was now getting seriously hairy..
Looking down from the path. concentrates the mind.
As does looking up. What followed was an exhilarating climb on narrow paths mixed with a few little scrambles..
Wider view of the head of Glen Sannox from the climb.
View back to the hills ( the second ridge ) where I had camped the night before.
After reaching the top there is more exciting stuff to come. These pinnacles reminded me a little of Bristly Ridge in Snowdonia but perhaps without the tricky down climbs. Also the granite rock was very grippy.
Fellow walker gives scale and an idea of the sort of terrain to expect. This chap was flying along and soon left me ( but in my defence he wasn't carrying his house on his back ).
The pinnacles from the climb to Mullach Buidhe..
Arran's weather was true to form and as I passed over North Goatfell the skies darkened and it began to spot with rain. This is on the path to Stacach with Goatfell behind..
As I was climbing to the summit of Goatfell a familiar face appeared over the edge and told me to get a move on. Sue was waiting at the top and had been watching me come over the tricky path. I let her take my picture but we didn't hang around as it was quite cold on the top..
Goatfell from the path down.
Brodick with the top of Holy Island beyond.
We met Helen and our other friends on the way down and I got a lift to the Glen Rosa camp site.
Today the girls where walking the Rosa loop and maybe having a wander up the glen, so after the tough day yesterday I joined them and we walked nearly to the end of Glen Rosa.
This is Garbh Allt where I started my climb to Beinn Nuis on Saturday..
Unfortunately the cloud never really lifted so we no views of the dramatic mountains around the glen.
I returned with the girls to their house in whiting Bay and after hosing me down and scrubbing me with a yard brush they even let me in
Just a couple of pictures from Thursday. This is looking across Brodick Bay while I wait for the ferry.
And a last look as Arran disappears into the mist.
Even though the weather was mixed and as usual my plans were wildly optimistic I managed nearly all that I wanted to do and thoroughly enjoyed my visit. Arran is very easy to get to, the Calmac ferry is very reasonable ( only £ 7.50 return for foot passengers ) and as Sue was staying till Saturday I returned on the train which only cost me £13 from Adrossan harbour rail station to Blackburn.