Sunday 29 December 2013

Christmas cobwebs

Driving back north from Christmas in Surrey and Swansea, we took the opportunity of a decent forecast for Sunday to stop in Dumbarton and explore the Arrochar Alps. It was good to blow the cobwebs away and start working off some of the Christmas excesses! There was plenty of soft snow, and a rising freezing level, so we decided to give climbing a miss, and headed up Beinn Narnain from the main path to the Cobbler. The southern corrie was a bit of a slog breaking trail in snow up to knee deep, but the South East ridge past 'the Spearhead' was good fun. There appeared to be good ice on the rocks above 800m, but deep soft snow on NE and East aspects, just as predicted following SW airflows.

The Cobbler
Starting the SE Ridge of Beinn Narnain. The Cobbler in the background.
Skirting 'The Spearhead'. Soft snow on this NE aspect.