A leisurely start but as it was Sunday it was packed and we had to park down the road. Going up the stairs, following the crowd, was easy and such a difference from the New Year when we climbed Beinn Narnain. I had no problems whatsoever and was at the 1000 foot level in no time. From there on it was a simple, straightforward walk up, with a brief rest at the Narnain boulders for photos. The weather was turning against us, starting to rain and the top was in thick mist. The path got steeper and rockier but no problem and we eventually reached the North top with a crowd of people. The rocks up here can be very treacherous in the wet and we had to be constantly on our guard.
Next stop was the Centre peak and the moment I saw it in the thick mist there was no way I was going to try it. It looked decidedly dodgy. No such qualms for Neil (son-in-law) and Graeme, off they went, straight through the window and on to the ledge. I waited with camera ready, waited and waited. Next thing a head (Graeme's) pokes out of another window at the rear saying they had come across a climb that was problematical. Still I thought they would do it but they didn't. Neil claimed that the rear looked dodgy and they didn't fancy it on slippery rock and thick mist. Both were confident they will do it in better conditions. For my part I managed to look through the window but that was all. Still, if we go again I'll have a bash.
We didn't even think about going to the South peak of the Cobbler but headed immediately for Beinn Ime. Because of the mist and the uncertainty of path directions we headed off the Cobbler in a NW direction, contouring the mountain and generally aiming to reach the path coming off Beinn Narnain towards Beinn Ime. No real problem although, when contouring a mountain it would help to have one leg shorter than the other. We eventually reached a path (not the direct route from Beinn Narnain) which appeared to be going up the right way and this was confirmed by a passing stranger. Unfortunately the path petered out, either that or we missed our way, and we had to rely on the compass taking us NW and the fact that we knew that while going uphill we had to be getting nearer the summit. Eventually we were successful and came across a path at the top ending up at an enormous enclosed cairn where we stopped for photos and Guinness.
On the way down there was no path (or again we may have lost it in the thick mist) and we kept following a SE bearing. Every so often we would reach a crag edge and have to move right but generally we kept going SE. At about 650 metres by the altimeter I stated that technically we should be at the col between Beinn Narnain and Beinn Ime, but in the mist it didn't look like it. Imagine my delight when at that moment the mist fell away and we were 10 feet from a path leading only about 50 yards away to the stile over the fence on the path to Beinn Narnain. That was precision route finding indeed! Naturally no luck was involved, only skill. At this point Neil left us as he wanted to do Beinn Narnain and who could blame him. Graeme and I walked down the path as we had done at the New Year, noting as we did that we had not come off the Cobbler by the recognised route. There was a pathway coming straight down but our way had been way round the mountain. A leisurely stroll and we were back at the car, beating Neil by only 15 minutes.
