ADRC 5 Peak challenge . Isle of Arran. August 2012

First stop at Coire-Fhionn Lochan.

Looking down on lochan.

Meal Biorach. (551M)

Meal Donn. (643M)

Bein Bhreac. (711M)

Her one time to be taller than the rest of us on Mullach Buidhe. (721M)

Lunch on Bein Bharrain. (717M)

Walk leader at the finish.

Today Saturday August 11th I was the walk leader to take a group round the west coast of Arran to do the 5 peak challenge walk. 9 of us met at Ardrossan for the 7.00AM ferry to Brodick which was cancelled and replaced with a 7.30AM sailing . Undeterred we set off and arrived in Brodick too late to catch our bus connection for the start of the walk at Thunderguy on the west coast. Stagecoach the bus company then found us a bus from somewhere that eventually took us round the island to the start. Now nearly 1 hour later than planned we set off up to Coire- Fhionn Lochan when as walk leader I decided to try and make up for lost time I would set a real tough pace to see how everyone could manage. After a mile or so I looked round to find the whole group right behind me and going strong. Once we cleared the lochan we had a bit of scramble up Meal Biorach to our first summit where we had a short break before carrying on up Meal Donn with a large rock cairn on the summit. Another brief stop and on down a wee bit before ascending Bein Bhreac where the group started to see the surrounding views of the island and beyond but unfortunately not nearly as clear as it was on Thursday when I did the recce so aplologies for the lack of photos. Mullach Buidhe was our next hill with its long ridge walk and a good old climb to the top. From here we could see our last peak Beinn Bharrain when I persuaded the group to go for it and they would be rewarded with a lunch stop on the summit. Now we had really made up for lost time so we could afford a farly leisurely descent all the way down to the village of Pirnmill where we had an hour to spare to wait on the bus to take us back to the ferry where we met up with the rest tof the group who were doing a low level walk in the Brodick area. Once  all safely on the ferry home the time was spent catching up on each others walks . Thanks to all who came with me on the challenge you all excelled yourselves with the speed you completed the walk, I was very impressed and look forward to meeting you all again soon on another of my serious outings in the mountains on the lovely Island of Arran.