Climbing 'The Cobbler' for a good cause

Thirty people scaled The Cobbler in Arrochar, Scotland on Sunday 30 May 2010 to raise money for UJIA's Ethiopian Bar-Bat Mitzvah twinning programme. Here is climber Steven Banks' version of events...

If you are going to choose a mountain in Scotland with all the challenges of a great day out then it has to be The Cobbler. 881 metres above sea level, 28 adults and kids plus one dog set out to witness some of the most stunning views Scotland has to offer. To lull you in to a false sense of security there is a pleasant but steep uphill walk for about 40 minutes. At that point the whole landscape opens out and the view of the mountain, black in the shadow of the sun in the distance in all of its glory, a huge foreboding mass waiting for its visitors to ascend.

In the distance the mountain top actually looks like an upturned shoe, hence the name. Over an hour into our trek we crossed a stream and the scramble began. Quite gentle at first, but soon enough both hands had to be free as the balancing act of stepping from rock to rock on this steep slope upwards challenged even the fittest of the group. Half an hour later we had reached the first ledge and after a short break it was onwards and upwards to the next ledge before the summit. Some serious scrambling was required to pull yourself up to the next stepping stone and then the next on the way to the resting point above. Even the dog was unable at the steepest point to find a way up and had to be helped.

The summit was reached, which is really a plateau of ground and part of it falls away quite sharply. The wind blew at 20mph which was relatively light but made the 6 degree temperature seem much colder. Hats and gloves for all.

For that extra challenge there is a huge circle of rock standing on its side on the summit. There is a hole in the centre which can be crawled through to a narrow ledge on the other side. Beyond the ledge there is a sheer drop. By walking on the ledge to the back of the circle you can heave yourself up and on to the top of the circle of rock. A few of the group decided to get up there and wave the Israeli flag.

Hot chicken soup has never tasted so good. What a way to spend a Bank Holiday Sunday. Some of the group had never climbed a mountain before and the experience will live with them for ever. Our legs will be sore for a few days but I can already hear the question...

"When can we go again?"