The Cobbler

This past weekend a couple of friends and I made our way out to Arrochar to hike the Cobbler! We took the bus about an hour north from Glasgow to the small lake village of Arrochar which sits on Loch Long. From there we began our almost 10 mile hike up Ben Arthur, aka The Cobbler.

It was a little drizzly when we set off, but about 20 minutes in it cleared up and was actually quite nice while we made our way up the forest switchbacks into the hills.

About halfway up the fog really started rolling back in. It was definitely eery, but still very beautiful.

We came across a local man who told us we should take the path right up the mountain when we come to the split in the trail, verses going around the side and taking the staircase up. He said it would definitely be worth the "wee bit of scrambling". Well it definitely was not just a wee bit! The fog kept rolling in, maker it darker and much harder to see. The further we got up the "trail", the steeper it became. by the time we were getting close to the peak, we were basically rock climbing up the side of the mountain!

When we finally reached the peak, we had some great views... for about 20 feet in front of us! It was extremely foggy and cold, but we took a quick break, enjoyed our accomplishment, and added a few rocks to the cairn.

Coming back down we decided to not risk our lives, and opted to take the long way around down the staircase. From there it was a pretty straightforward way back to the trailhead, and from there back on the bus home.

Another great adventure with great friends!