Karabiner MC: Meet Viewer

Arran 23rd-31st May

Attendees:

Shore Lodge - Tom Arthur, Luke Cullum, Caroline Gay, Tommy Harrisson, Leah Holmes, Yvonne King, Jared Kitchen, Philippa Mae, Mark Rothwell, Jim Symon, Emily Thompson, Lewis Stonehouse, Lynne Williams, Dave Wylie. Arran Sleep Huts - Christine Beeston, Neil Boynton, Becca Gardner, Mich Harrison, Stu Hurworth, Kim Keegan, Bridgette Mapleson, Rog Mapleston.

May 23rd-24th

Bridgette and Rog made an early start, arriving on Friday evening to get a bit of a soaking on a coastal walk, in the hope of spotting some wildlife, which unfortunately remained out of sight. We greeted them on Saturday evening at the sleep huts after they had returned from a more successful walk, spotting a heard of red deer and golden eagles. We, being Stu, Becca, Kim and me, had just returned from a sea swim having become too excited by the sun on our arrival to contain ourselves from heading straight to the beach for a dip with the seals, who circled us with such thoroughness, we felt more the subject of their wildlife spotting than vice versa.

The Shore Lodge group arrived and Mark, Jim, Phillipa, Yvonne and Luke decided upon a tourist exped to the other side of the island for a quick 5k walk to Kings Cave at Blackwaterfoot.

May 25th

With a pessimistic forecast for showers and wind up high, various plans were made for a pre-rest day. Caroline, Yvonne, Kim, Lynne, Rebecca, Tommy and Dave walked (spotting a red squirrel on the way) down to the bus stop just South of The String and caught the bus over to Blackwaterfoot. They set off to walk anticlockwise round the Arran Coastal Way. At Lagg, they stopped at the hotel to treat themselves to ice-creams. Most of the team then decided to loiter there and catch the next bus back, with just Caroline and Dave continuing to walk. The others missed out, though, as the next section was rather excellent. Sights included a seal colony, basalt dykes and a submarine! When they got to Kildonan, there was well over an hour to wait for the bus, so they went into the bar of the Kildonan Hotel. There was "Live Music" advertised, but this turned out to be one guy basically doing Karaoke. At least there was decent bottled beer from the Arran Brewery available. Suitably refreshed and "entertained", they wandered up to the stop, caught the bus to Brodick, then walked back to the lodge. The total walking for the day came to about 15 miles in all, mostly in fine weather with plenty of sunshine, though with a few showers and a lot of wind. Mark went for sunny a low level 25K walk from Brodick to Lamlash via the coastal path with great views of Holy Island, returning via the Clauchland hills and the superb view point of Dun Fion Fort

Jared and Emily went for a ‘proper’ MTB bike ride around the woods near Lamlash, while Mich and Stu headed off for a ‘gentle’ bike ride along the East of the island, in an attempt to find some of the oldest fossils in the world – 1m long giant centipede tracks! What started as a smooth tarmac road (albeit very ‘Arran’ undulating!), turned into a lovely trail, as we followed the coast path away from the road and onto one of Arran’s many off-road MTB trails spotting a red deer along the way. However, in an attempt to avoid the hill on the MTB trail, they stuck instead to the coastal path, which quickly turned out to not be a bike path. The centipede tracks were at least located, before 3 more miles of ‘bike scrambling’ and another flat path was reached. The Lochranza Country Inn was a welcome destination, where we amused the barmaid with our journey and she recounted how it was the toughest part of the whole coastal path for walkers and not a path she would do again - on foot! Some beer down to fortify us, we felt able to cycle the shorter return journey of 18 miles with 450m of ascent. Luckily, there were plenty of KMC members to cheer us on along the way. Jim &Philippa making the hill seem all so easy for them in their car, returning from Lamlash. At least was good to see some people putting some effort in, Mark Jim and Jared trying hard on the difficult boulder problems that are Arrans only roadside climbing option.

May 26th - Monday

Lynne drove Caroline, Philippa and Dave into Brodick, where they met Stu and Mich for a hard severe gear shop and café visit. After dropping supplies off back at the lodge, they walked the short distance up to Brodick Castle and looked round the house and gardens, stopping on the way back for a little ‘forest bathing’. Hopes of seeing the many red squirrels sighted earlier by Lewis and Leah faded. Lewis and Leah’s wildlife spotting record was getting enviable.

Jim and Mark went for a wet and claggy hill walk over Beinn Bharrain (711m) and Muliach Buidhe (721m) from Pirnmil, dropping off near the swimming spot (visited by the team later in the week) of Coire Fhionn Lochen - 15k and 988m of Ascent.

Yvonne, Luke, Becca, Tommy, Kim visited the distillery in Lochranza & the standing stones then, having dropped Luke off at the hut, walked up Glen Rosa for a dip in the stream.

It was hoped that the weather would improve enough to dry the rock for tomorrow.

May 27th

While the weather had improved, it wasn’t enough to convince many to climb. Lynne drove Lewis, Leah and Dave round to the West side of the island to explore some of the local archaeology. They started off on Machrie Moor, with all its stone circles and standing stones. Next, they drove on to Blackwaterfoot and walked North along the Coastal Way to find King's Cave. They encountered Christine and Neil en-route - who were also exploring that area. After the caves, a circuit round the woods of Torr Righ Beag was done before they headed back to the car.

A group walk for Mark, Tommy, Evonne and Tom who completed the Sannox Horseshoe via the witche’s step 18.24K and 1751m of Ascent - tops - Cioch na H-Oighe(661m), Mullach Buide(829m), North Goatfell(818m),Chir Mhor, Caisteal Abhail(859m) and Suidhe Fhearghas (631m) all in fine conditions.

For Stuarts birthday treat, he and Mich headed to So’wester slabs, to see if it was dry enough to climb. Back on the bike for the first few km, a long walk in and a poorly chosen scramble approach led to finding the only people in 3 hours – a pair bumbling around at the start of the route! After some time, we managed to get on the route – which seemed to still be drying out, but had a great bit of type two fun along the way. Back at the hut later on, Stu’s synopsis of the route ‘Vdiff my arse’ seemed to put a few folk off from wanting to see for themselves and some alternative arrangements were made for excursions on rock for the next day.

May 28th

Lynne, having struggled to find another willing partner to climb Pagoda Ridge, on A' Chir, Coire Daingean - Main Face, a 220m, 9 pitch, 3 star HS - ambushed a fairly exhausted Mich with too much enthusiasm to resist and off they went.

Caroline persuaded Dave that today was the day for going climbing up in Glen Rosa. They'd been put off having a go at "Sou Wester Slabs" on Cir MhÃor, having heard from Mich and Stu about their ascent ("V-Diff my arse!"). Instead, they decided to do an easier route on the East face of A' Chir: "Boundary Ridge" which is graded as mostly a "Grade 3 scramble" but with a Diff finish. They set off to walk in up the Glen, encountering Jim and Mark part way up as they headed in to do Pagoda Ridge before Lynne and Mich.

Leah, Lewis and Philippa thought is best to oversee activities from Glen Rosa and embarked upon an observational circular walk, and upon their return leg, met Lynne and Mich hastily trying to make up for a late start. When they got back to the hut, Leah and Christine went to Corie Fhionn Lochan for a dip.

Stu, having been blessed with a rest day, drove over to the west side for some sightseeing, before teaming up with Lewis and Neil for a lad’s pub crawl. When eventually kicked out of the Brewery (!), they resorted to drinking in the hut car park until the midges decided they shouldn’t be out any longer.

Back to the Coire and Dave meanwhile, leading up the initial slabs, found them unexpectedly technical and extremely bold. With a second team of Tommy, Yvonne and Kim approaching from below, he pre-placed a few pieces of gear for them, then backed off the pitch. Tommy was bold enough to make it up, while Dave and Caroline scrambled up the adjacent grassy gully. Caroline began to lead the next slab, but hit exactly the same issue - it was all far too bold and technical for a Diff, let alone a scramble. Again, gear was pre-placed for the other team! Some abseil practice was now the order of the day, leaving Tommy, Yvonne and Kim to continue up the route. It was obvious that many others had also given up at the same point, with a very thick and old rope loop in-situ round a block. "Diff my arse!": Dave reckoned that it seemed more like Hard Severe, 3c. With their abseil safely completed, Caroline and Dave left their comforting shroud of midges and began to descend back down the Glen. They noted that Jim and Mark seemed to have done their route OK, but that Mich and Lynne were now having some trouble getting up the Pagoda...

Jim and Mark’s only feedback about their apparent effortless ascent of Pagoda Ridge, was that, yes, it was HS ‘sometimes’, ‘a bit bold’ and the boggy one and half hour walk in/out was gruelling. I suspect a little downplay – not least the approach time! – 1 ½ hours my arse!

Having made it back down to the Glen Rosa bridge after an effort-some attempt at most of Pagoda Ridge, Lynne and Mich bumped into Tommy, Kim and Yvonne, as they got down from their route. A half-epic all round! (with 24 hours being the official full-epic as defined by Colin, the official off-site adjudicator of such events). Although three abseils and about £200 of gear being donated to the cause felt more like full-epic to Lynne and Mich.

Stu thankfully had rescue pizza that he’d got earlier for a very welcome meal when Lynne and Mich finally returned. Kim however, had a minor re-fuelling epic, for when she eventually got back to the Sleep Huts, she found the kitchen – along with all of her food – locked up! (a 10pm curfew was apparently in place for the kitchen!) A takeaway dinner was thankfully quickly prepared by Yvonne at the hut, that was deliveroo’d by Stu and Mich on their return. Definitely worth noting for anyone staying there in future!

Everyone agreed that their assaults in Glen Rosa had definitely been an adventure and Tommy later drew a cartoon of the day's escapades!

May 29th

A mixed activity day. It was rather wet, so a rest day was called by several of the team. Caroline went for a circular run around the coast near Lochranza, taking in the Kings caves before returning to the real action of the day – completing the Scotland of Old jigsaw with Phillippa, that had been started earlier in the week. Lewis and Leah began a "Wildfowl" one which looked much easier, then Stu and Dave joined in and, between them completed it, to much excitement.

Mark went for a ‘quick’ 5.8K run (no time to confirm how quick), into Brodrick and back via the lovely fisherman’s path before a lot of lounging around, reading and the popular sport of jigsaws making spectating.

Yvonne drove around to the South coast where she had several difficult pitches of playing cards in cafes and pubs with Becca, Tommy and Kim.

Stu had a bike ride with Tom in the woods above the castle. Tom carried on further while Stu came back to the hut to join the jigsaw frenzy.

Mich jumped at Leah’s suggestion to visit the Brodick Hotel spa, which turned out to be an excellent idea, especially when allowed access to the quiet main hotel spa area with the heated spa loungers as it all looked a bit ‘busy’ in the ‘public’ facility for poor recuperating mountaineers to swim properly.

In the evening, the 18 KMCers still on the island (Sadly Em and Jared decided to head home early), headed out for a communal meal at the Ormidale Hotel just down the road at Brodick. After the meal, they all joined in with the pub quiz.

There may have been some fine Lochranza whisky tasting courtesy of Lewis later on at the hut and a little dance till the wee hours – the wildfowl jigsaw was unfortunately deconstructed by accident.

May 30th – Friday

While a few nursed a slight hangover, Lynne headed back home, with Kim, and Tommy - who was due at a wedding in Kent later on that day!

Mark, Jim and Caroline had a super day out completing the A Chir ridge traverse. The route - Glen Rosa via Croc Breac (401m) Beinn Chiliabhain(653m) travesing round Coire Daingean onto the A Chir Roidge- offered exposed Alpine climbing, 3 abseils and lots of exposed easy free climbing and tricky route finding - 20.4K and 1022m Ascent, returning via Coire Buidhe/Fionn Choire back down Glen Rosa.

Yvonne, Becca and Tom attempted to paddleboard (and swim?) over to Holy Isle from Lamlash Bay. Unfortunately, their efforts were thwarted by the wind, which insisted on driving them back to shore! However, their day was recovered with a walk along the North coast to see the millipede footprint fossils and confirm that it’s not a bike path.

Stu and Mich had more success getting to Holy Isle in the canoe and visited St. Molaise's Cave, a site of historical and religious importance and sacred site for Christian pilgrims – and the local goat heard, who must be very devout as they give their blessings in abundance, making our pilgrimage very brief!

Lewis had managed to sober up enough to drive over to Lochranza, where he and Leah were rewarded with a Golden eagle and an otter spot.

Christine drove Philippa and Dave around to Thundergay (or "Thunderguy" according to the local house name signs - that's the Norse god Thor, surely?) on the North West part of the island. Luke went round as well, but in his own car. They all walked up to Coire-Fhionn Lochan, then round to the far side of the water. Christine and Philippa went in for a swim, while Luke and Dave just loitered on the shore. It seemed a popular spot, with many others heading up and down the path to enjoy the place. Unfortunately the cloud was low enough to cover the local hilltops, so neither Luke nor Dave were tempted to extend the walk. Instead, they all headed back down to the cars and Luke drove off on his own. Christine took the other two South as far as Auchencar where they had tea and cake at Cafe Thyme".

Leah joined Stu and Mich, who had ended up at the botanical gin beach bar (yes that is a real thing in Brodick!), to go for a swim. Her swim was promptly abandoned however when she realised how many jellyfish she would be swimming with and they headed back to the hut as the midges began to emerge and the bar promptly closed!

The Scottland of Old jigsaw was finally completed in the evening, despite one missing piece.

Saturday May 31st

While everyone remaining got the ferry, Jim decided he’d rather join the local celebrations and hang around Brodick for a while longer to wave his rainbow flag and eat ice cream. There were reports later of a rainbow flag heist in Brodick!!??? Jim has declined to comment – only that he was perhaps ‘a bit bold’. The jury is still out.

Sat 24th May - Sat 31st May, 2025

Isle of Arran

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