Ben Narnain

David Kaye

1 July 2019

In keeping with Marauders tradition, 4 of the original acceptors dropped out. John and Sue had a fixture clash. Jim and Marion didn’t want to get wet. So we failed to get a single attendee from the sprawling metropolis of Peebles.

Sandra rode to the rescue by signing up daughter Jenni and her (Jenni’s not Sandra’s) boyfriend Pete at the eleventh hour.

So it was that a magnificent 9 gathered at the exorbitantly expensive car park at the head of Loch Long at the appointed hour of 10:30, namely Sandra, Jenni, Pete, Susan, Neil, Willie, Mike, Russell and David .

David continued the traditional theme by finessing the correct route up a relatively new path, necessitating an extra mile’s walking as we backtracked from the depth of the forest. How we laughed.

The weather was better than forecast - dry and warm, if anything too warm. A very light shower was a welcome change.

We had decided to eschew the usual route straight up 3,000 vertical feet from the car park, in favour of a pleasant walk up the excellent path by the “buttermilk burn”. We stopped for first lunch in the lee of the famous Narnain boulders.

Shortly after the restart David complained of feeling slightly sick. For once common sense prevailed and he set off slowly downhill in the protective company of Nurse Susan.

The rest of the party pushed on, heading for the bealach, and soon found yet another new path heading directly for the summit. The top of the hill was in mist so they were denied the usual magnificent views of the Cobbler, Ben Lomond and Arran.

Locating the descent path in limited visibility proved to be tricky, and our heroes accidently located the old path for an alternative route back to the burn.

At this point our good luck with the weather waved a fond farewell and a steady downpour developed.

I left my heart in San Francisco
I left my boots in darkest France
I left my jacket in the car boot
Now I’ve gone down with Trench Foot

Some time later, a slightly damp, bedraggled party arrived back at the car park where they rejoined David and Susan, who had recently returned from the warmth of the Arrochar Tearoom, where they had consumed copious amounts of hot tea and sticky buns, for purely medicinal purposes.

Once changed, the group set sail for the Slanj Bar and Restaurant in Tarbet where Russell managed to catch up with David and Susan in liquid and solids consumption.

New boy Willie who had been retired for 48 hours proclaimed the walk “better than working”, to which we couldn’t disagree.

August Meet

August is a busy month with holidays, festivals etc. so we’ll try for a more modest walk which will allow a return to base in good time for evening activities. I propose an ascent of Bishop Hill from Scotlandwell on Sunday 11th of August. (Midweeks aren’t what they used to be). Who’s up for a pleasant, non-knackering half day in a local hill with a fine viewpoint? The walk will be led by Maureen, so no more of these entertaining navigational gaffes.

Cheers, David (now back to what passes for normal)