Scotland Van Trip

We drove north on Friday evening to Tyndrum as we’d been invited to join a friend and his Dad on their last Monroe, just north of Bridge of Orchy. We made the By the Way campsite our base with several vans and tents rocking up along with those staying in their little camping huts. Tyndrum is one of those places I have always just driven through, maybe stopping to use the facilities at the Green Welly Shop, so it was lovely to stay there and seen a bit of the area.

Saturday dawned bright but the forecast was for rain to arrive. We were on our way from Victoria Bridge about mid morning and it was a hot, slightly midgy climb up Stob a Choire Odaire, their last Monroe. We all congregated just below the top to witness the culmination of 20 odd years work for Rich and many more for his Dad! A certain symmetry was lent to this as its neighbouring mountain Stob Ghabhar was Rich’s first Monroe many years ago. A couple of bottles of whisky were produced as well a summit cake, and the sounds of a piper came from a well placed iphone!

View from near Victoria Bridge

After all the whisky was consumed along with some truly rank lethally strong beer – if you could call it that! – we turned down for the col and then back to Victoria bridge. The first shower actually met us as we arrived back at the cars. The whisky that had been drunk was then washed down with various drinks in the not oft’ open Inveroran Hotel.

On Sunday people all went their separate ways, some back home, others headed off to the Outer Hebrides for a summer holiday, and we hung around in Tyndrum! The forecast had been for a wet day, all day, and it came as no surprise to us that that is exactly what it was! We were tired, two late nights after a very busy few weeks meant that we were pretty happy for once to chill out in the van, drink tea and read books! After a cooked brekkie that is! The forecast was for improvement on the Monday and Tuesday as well which helped the idle day pass well.

On Monday, P and I rode along the West Highland Way from Tyndrum to Glen Coe and back, stopping at the Glencoe Ski area café for a bacon buttie for lunch. I’m not normally keen on an out and back ride, and it certainly was not a very technical ride but this was great – it really is beautiful scenery, and crossing Rannoch Moor was something else. We passed a fair number of walkers, many obviously walking the whole of the WHW but saw no other bikers. Once back at the van and re-hydrated with copious amounts tea, we drove west and down the side of Loch Awe to find a kip spot, and watch a beautiful sunset illuminate the fells there in a stunning orange alpenglow.

Rannoch Moor, Glencoe in the background

The morning dawned sunny too, and we drove round to Arrochar to go climbing on the Cobbler. We had previously walked in this area a few years ago on the way home from some friends wedding in Invergarry, in very windy and wet April conditions. That day we crawled over the summit of Beinn Narhnain and Beinn Ime, and did not venture across to the Cobbler. On this day, the sun was out although the warmth was tempered by a stiff northerly breeze. We just crossed our fingers that the north peak routes would be sheltered enough, otherwise it was going to be a long walk with the climbing gear!

The walk up was dispatched in well under guide book time – and we thought Gary Latter’s times would be fairly tough! And luckily for us the route we had planned Punsters Crack was wonderfully sheltered! This is a 3 pitch Severe, which has a reputation for being good value for the grade – and I am very much in agreement with that!! The ‘step’ on the second pitch is interesting!! But the top slab was beautiful!! After returning to our packs and having some bait we left the packs hidden and walked across to the Central Peak and South Peak before heading back down to the valley and heading home, taking full advantage of the newly opened M74 extension through Glasgow, meaning we avoided queues on the M8 – Bargain!

Top slab of Punsters Crack, South Peak in the Background, The Cobbler