The Cobbler

The Cobbler is a mountain of height located near the head of Loch Long in Scotland. Although only a Corbett, it is "one of the most impressive summits in the Southern Highlands", and is also the most important site for rock climbing in the Southern Highlands. Many maps include the name Ben Arthur, but the name The Cobbler is more widely used.Arrochar AlpsThe mountain is the most spectacular, although by no means the highest of the so-called Arrochar Alps, due to its distinctive, large rocky summit features which are supposed to represent a cobbler bending over his last. The features are visible many miles away from the mountain. Despite the mountain falling short of Munro height, due to its summit features, ease of access, and excellent summit views, it is one of the most popular mountains in Scotland.Three summitsThe Cobbler has three distinctive summits: the middle one is the highest. The top is crowned by a rocky outcrop that marks the true summit. A very good head for heights is required to attain the true summit, which can best be reached by crawling through a hole (known as the needle) in the summit rock formation from the north side to the south. This leads to a ledge around 1m wide, with a sheer drop of well over 100ft on one side. The ledge is steeply inclined, and some scrambling ability is necessary to negotiate it and eventually gain the summit. Using this route is known as "threading the needle". The easiest descent is by the same route – however, this is more difficult and extreme care must be taken, especially when descending the final part of the ledge. The mica schist rock is very slippery in the wet and falls can be deadly.