(Beinn) Ime happy to be back on a Munro...

Leaving six weeks between Munro trips is getting to be a bad habit...a habit that needs to be broken big style!! With that in mind, I have managed to free up three Sunday's in a row for Munro trips...now all I need is the weather to remain kind for me. Clearly the weather gods were NOT listening to me today then. I checked the MWIS forecast for west highlands on Friday and was promised 70% cloud free Munro summits and clear weather, despite the impending weather front that was due to strike Scotland for the next three weeks at least...I really should have checked it again on Saturday night, because it clearly changed in that period. I left Aberdeen at half six this morning and headed off to Arrochar, hoping to arrive no later than half nine ready to get going. Unfortunately the poor weather, coupled with surface water on the roads, means that some drivers cannot go any faster than 45 mph, and make it almost impossible to pass on our tight winding road network. I eventually arrived at the car park at Arrochar at ten o'clock...lost time to make up for! The last time I was down here to attempt Beinn Ime it was in conjunction with Beinn Narnain, I managed Narnain and most of Ime, but I succumbed to a stomach bug that left me unable to eat anything all day (not to be advised when attempting a Munro, never mind two Munro's) and subsequently devoid of energy.

But for today it was only the one Munro in my sights, and I was free of any ailments, had filled up with a healthy breakfast prior to leaving, so was hopeful of a successful jaunt. The snow had been falling steadily on the way down from Perth, the wind was thankfully minimal lower down, and I knew the start of the route from my previous venture here. I parked up in Succoth and crossed the road to the start of the route, unlike the last time when I had to start a strenuous climb from the word go, this time I followed a zig-zag path through the torn down forest that follows the Allt a' Bhalachain for a calf sapping 2k until the massive Narnain boulders are reached.  The snow was lying thicker than I had imagined (the last time I was here on 18th Jan 2012 it was limited to the summit tops) and it was slow work getting this far, or so it felt anyway. There were loads of other walkers out today, not bad considering the conditions, but then again we were on the access path to the most famous Corbett in the land, The Cobbler (Ben Arthur). It may not have the height to match the Munro's but it certainly has the character. With one of the most distinct outlines in the southern highlands, it has been increasingly popular amongst walkers to this area since the 1890's. Last time I was here I managed to get some cracking views of the Cobbler from atop Beinn Narnain...nae chance of a repeat today!! It was getting so claggy that I was struggling to see much further along the path I was on, never mind any of the peaks either side of me. The path continues on for a further 2.5k, rising so steadily that you barely notice an incline, until it reaches the Bealach a' Mhaim at a height of 637m. The snow was even thicker here, and beneath it all lay a very boggy (though thankfully frozen) bealach to cross. I could make out the fence at the far side of the bealach, now just to safely negotiate my way across to it. I followed what looked like previous footsteps, although faint because of the constant snow fall and wind, and with only a few stumbles to speak of I was safely across. From the fence it is a solid climb for the next almost 400m...not easy in these conditions. The wind was picking up and blowing spindrift constantly in my face, making it almost impossible to pick out the route beneath my feet. I struggled onwards and upwards into what was increasingly developing into a minor blizzard (is there such a thing??). Almost 200m further up and I saw the first two walkers since the turn off for the Cobbler...reassuring to know that I was not the only one attempting Beinn Ime today. It transpires that they were heading down without reaching the summit, after one of them had pulled his groin around 100m further up, almost 100m short of the summit, bummer!! They informed me that the wind only got worse higher up, and they were not wrong! What they omitted to tell me was that the visibility worsened with every upward step. I'm pretty sure that it was close to this spot that I admitted defeat the last time I was here, but given that I could hardly see my hand in front of my face I had no way of telling for sure. I plodded on against the gathering maelstrom, knowing that if I kept on this bearing then I would eventually stumble onto the summit cairn. Eventually the Munro went no higher and I knew I had reached my destination...then almost fell over the crags at the other side! I would usually take my time at a summit, drink in the views, take a multitude of pics, enjoy my lunch...but not today. I barely managed to get the frozen clips of my rucksack apart to allow me to free Jelly McBaby for a summit pic...indeed the poor wee fellow fell over in the wind, or slipped on the ice...so there was no way I was staying long enough to suffer the same fate! Annoyingly, I had prepared a flask of soup for today, hoping to stave off the chill effects of the weather, but now I was going to have to leave it until I could get out of the worst of this weather...carried all the way to the top of a Munro for nothing, I could have left it in the car and saved on the weight in my rucksack!! I started to retrace my snowy footsteps back off the summit, down through the rocks I had picked my way through on the ascent, very carefully of course as the slip factor increases on the descent. My next problem was that my footsteps from the ascent had started to disappear, meaning that I would have to take even more care on the way doooooooowwwwwwwnnnnnnn.....oh poop, too late!!! I swear I was being as careful as I possibly could, yet I still managed to step into a sucking bog on the way down hill...all the way in to my thigh with my right leg!! I pulled out as quickly as I could, but it was way too late to stop freezing cold water pour into my boot down the inside of my now soaking trousers. This was the last thing I needed in such poor weather conditions, I had no way of stopping at this stage and removing my boot so had to wait and suffer until I got lower down. I could feel the water moving inside my right boot all the way down the remainder of the hill, my sodden sock shuffling forward with each step, making my toes squeeze tighter together on the down steps and causing me no end of discomfort. I eventually reached the fence at the bealach again, stopping just long enough to remove my boot and wring the water out of my sock, before slipping them both back on again (note to self for future reference; always carry spare socks!!!) and attempting the rest of the return journey in real pain as the wet sock began to rub against my heel and toes. Apart from anything else, it was bloody freezing and my soaking leg was starting to feel the chill from my thigh down to my toes. The remainder of the trek back to the car was done in a grumbling self flagellating (verbal only) way as I cursed every pained step of the way back down the frozen path. Just before the Narnain Boulders I caught up with the two guys from earlier, the ones that turned around before the summit, and they asked how the top had been? I explained that they hadn't missed out on anything worth seeing, and that appeared to cheer them up a bit. I shuffled on down the path...the final descent down the zig zag path was agony as I had blisters coming up on my heel and outer toes from the soaking sock rubbing against my skin and squeezing my toes together against my boot. I returned to the car desperate to get out of my wet bottom half...top half was nice and cosy by contrast...and in need of a heat up. Total journey time was 4.25 hours, for a distance of around 12k and almost 1000m of ascent. I also still had an almost 3 hour drive home in deteriorating conditions to contend with...who says the life of a Munro bagger ain't glamorous???
Until next time (hopefully not 6 weeks this time!!) stay safe on them thar hills folks...

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