Journal 2013

Glen Spean, 18-20 January 2013

We found the Aite Chruinnichidh bunkhouse to be well-equipped and comfortable, with lashings of hot water in the showers. There were four people from Dundee, besides our FMC party of Peter & Helen, Brian, Tony K and me.

On Saturday Helen, Peter and Tony ascended Cnap Cruinn (a “Graham”) from the hostel. (It is pronounced “crap”, which may be slightly unfair, though it is not the most inspiring of hills.) Brian and I climbed the East Ridge of Beinn a’ Chaorainn, which gave an enjoyable winter scramble in crampons. (The rope was carried but not used, except to sit upon at the summit.) It was a cold and windy day, but with just a few short snow squalls. (In the photo you can just see a figure at the top of this ridge, which forms the skyline. For a larger version, see the Gallery.)

On Sunday Brian, Tony and I motored to Fersit (or a mile before it, as the road was becoming rather tricky) and went up Stob Coire Sgreadain. Again it was cold and breezy (-9degC on top, according to Tony’s instrument, and blowing fairly hard), and definitely not a day for hanging about. There was not a great deal of snow underfoot, but in places it had drifted over the heather, which made walking tedious. Any patches of old snow were extremely hard - almost glassy - and occasionally overlaid with windslab, which is possibly what created the avalanche conditions in Glen Coe.

Interestingly we had no difficulty driving (at least not on the main roads) though further east there were major problems being reported, with the A93 being closed on Friday evening while the A9 was absolutely unaffected. GDM

Milehouse, 8-10 February 2013

Present: Andy & Audrey, Brian & Anne, Tony, Graeme, Keith, Pete & Helen

Saturday was a grey day with cloud on the summits. Andy, Audrey and Tony did Carn Dearg on foot clockwise and Graeme, Brian and Keith did it anti-clockwise. Brian insisted on doing it on skis even although no-one else could see any snow! On the Sunday Graeme, Keith, Brian and Anne climbed Creag Dhu from the lodge in deteriorating weather, Anne very sensibly turning back before reaching the top. Sadly they saw a goat fall from the crags on the way in to the hill. Tony went to try his new skis at Cairngorm but the road was shut.

Achnasheen, 8-10 March, 2013

Present: Jonathan, Helen, Peter and Graeme.

Though the attendance had been depleted by late cancellations, this meet gave satisfying outings in hard winter conditions. Sub-zero temperatures and a strong easterly wind made it feel abnormally cold for March. Peter and Helen were the first to reach Inver Cottage, where they strove valiantly to defrost the interior with a blazing coal fire. By the time Jonathan and Graeme arrived in the early evening, the hut had been transformed from ice-cave to mere refrigerator, and gloves could be removed at the dinner table with little risk of frostbite.

On Saturday morning Jonathan and Graeme drove to the car-park near Ling Hut and set off at 8 o’clock for the north side of Liathach. A long tramp in blustery weather took them to Coire na Caime, where the clouds had risen to disclose the splendid crags that line this remote arena. The cleft of Twisting Gully snaked upwards into the mist, and promised not only a sporting line of ascent but also some merciful shelter from the wind. On a previous visit [Ling Meet, March 2000] this gully had been thawing and conditions soft underfoot, but today the snow-ice was like concrete. Giant icicles provided thread-belays, and from the stances one could admire Baos Bheinn to the north, boldly framed by the gully walls. An ice-pitch at two-thirds height gave access to the upper reach of the gully, whence the rime-crystalled crest of Liathach was reached in the late afternoon. The tops were now free of cloud, but the gale-force wind blew away any thoughts of traversing the ridge. Instead the ropes were quickly coiled and a slanting descent made to the road in Glen Torridon, where loomed a four-mile walk to the car. Providentially, no sooner had boots been planted on tarmac than a Glasgow University MC minibus drew to a halt. The driver Katie, having spent her day indoors writing an essay on Calvin and the Reformation, now granted salvation by offering a lift, which needless to say was accepted as grace irresistible.

Meanwhile the morning’s snow-squalls had deterred Peter and Helen from leaving the hut (and indeed from leaving their sleeping bags). In the late forenoon however they took the hill-path that leads from Inver east-south-east across the ridge to Scardroy Lodge in upper Strathconon, before returning to the hut in the afternoon by the same route. Once again, a welcoming fire was kindled and many a scuttle of coal piled on.

On Sunday morning Helen reported that snow was filtering through the roof to the attic sleeping-platform. Outside, the flakes were flying horizontally past the windows. Prudence indicated a swift southward retreat before the roads became blocked. In fact the squall soon blew over, emboldening Jonathan and Graeme to drive down the road to Achnashellach, where blue skies and verdant rhododendrons supplanted the bleak monochrome world of Achnasheen. The splendid old stalkers’ path was followed into Coire Lair, and an ascent made of Sgorr Ruadh - Jonathan’s first Munro in the Northern Highlands - by the Central Couloir. Once again, crampons rasped on the snow and barely penetrated its surface. Long before the summit was reached a foul blizzard had swept in from Beinn Liath Mhor, freezing the eyelashes and obliterating the mountains, only to clear again perversely during the descent. As the path wound downhill into the shelter of the old pinewoods, it seemed that winter was giving way to spring. GDM

Elphin, 4-8 April, 2013

Present: Keith, Peter & Helen, Tony K, Audrey & Andrew, Calum, Graeme, Steve.

In contrast to the small attendance at Inver the previous month, this was an oversubscribed weekend. The meet secretary having absconded on a business trip, the administrative difficulties were expertly resolved by the Honorary Treasurer, who secured accommodation at the Naismith Hut for a total of four nights. Peter, Helen, Steve and Tony therefore travelled north on the Thursday, with the others arriving in various combinations on the Friday evening.

Friday was a fine spring day that allowed Steve and Tony to enjoy the alpine conditions on Quinag, while Pete and Helen had an exciting time exploring some of the “scary bits” of Ben More Coigach. A grand sunset was augmented by smoke from the moor-burn incidents that had made the headlines in the preceding week, and later the Club’s star-gazing sect were able to marvel at Comet PANSTARRS in the night sky.

On Saturday, Calum, Steve and Keith climbed Canisp (stress on the second syllable, according to Briggsian edict) from Loch Awe, returning on foot all the way to the hut. Pete and Helen had a pleasant though damp walk round the bottom of Cul Beag to Loch an Doire Dhuibh and back. Meanwhile Audrey, Andy, Tony and Graeme drove to Inchnadamph and climbed Conival and Ben More Assynt. Unfortunately there was no view from these summits, but the outing was enlivened by a professorial disquisition on the “pipe-rock” underfoot, which exhibits fossilised vertical worm-burrows, relics of the Cambrian period when the quartzite was marine sand.

A few centimetres of snow fell overnight, even at the hut, making for rather wintry conditions on the hills on Sunday. Audrey, Andy, Steve and Tony climbed Beinn an Eoin, a steep little “Graham” that lies across Loch Lurgainn from Stac Pollaidh, while Calum explored some lower hills near the hut. Keith and Graeme went up Spidean Coinich of Quinag and traversed the ridge to Sail Garbh, before retracing their steps and descending the excellent stalkers’ path by Lochan Bealach Cornaidh. In the evening several SMC members arrived at the hut for a few days of geological exploration, giving the meet secretary a conversational opportunity to show his newly acquired knowledge of pipe-rock. Everyone else having gone south, Keith and Graeme now formed the rear-guard of the meet.

On Monday they went up Cul Mor from the Cnocan rock, again taking advantage of a very good path. Despite the previous evening’s promising radio forecast, the top was in cloud, and a cold wind deterred the party from lingering at the cairn. Unlike some of the Club’s previous April meets, when shorts and shirtsleeves have been seen on the hill, this was a thoroughly wintry weekend that called for axes, crampons and windproof clothing. Moreover the hills of Wester Ross and Sutherland were looking their best under snow. So much for global warming! GDM.

The Smiddy, Dundonnell, May 2013

Sadly, only three people went on this meet - Rosemary, Tony and Audrey - because it was a good weekend.

Tony had the hut key and so Rosemary was very pleased to see smoke coming from the chimney as she approached in the evening. Audrey was not far behind. It was a lovely evening, prompting a short walk along to the loch before dark.

Saturday was bright and clear so Tony and Audrey left first to do the four eastern Fannaichs. Rosemary headed north on the Ullapool road to the Beinn Dearg car park,where she cycled in as far as Glensguaib before heading up the NW ridge of Eididh nan Clach Geala. As she started up the path which eventually leads to Seana Bhraigh, the views looking back westwards were superb, however the weather became cooler and cloudier as she neared the summit and she saw two ptarmigan on a patch of snow.

The path between Eididh nan Clach Geala and Meall nan Ceapraichean was not obvious due to large patches of snow, however Rosemary managed to avoid most of these in a rising traverse westwards from the col. The walk back out to the bike from the Meall nan Ceapraichean/Beinn Dearg col took two and a half hours but the bike made short work of the rest of the track.

The Sunday was another lovely day but Audrey had to go home. Tony decided to cycle up from Gruinard Bay and climb Beinn a' Chaisgein Beag and Rosemary took the scenic route home via Gairloch, Kinlochewe and Morvich.

Inverie, Knoydart, 7-10 June 2013

Present: Pete & Helen, Keith, Tony, Andy & Audrey, Steve, Graeme

The group were blessed with fantastic summer weather, making sunstroke a real danger. On the Saturday Ladhar Bheinn was attacked on several fronts - Andy, Audrey and Tony cycled up to Folach from Inverie, Pete, Helen and Graeme climbed it via Aonach Sgoilte and Keith opted to continue up to the Mam Barrisdale before commencing his ascent. Steve did Corbett Sgurr Coire Choinnichean.

On the Sunday Andy, Audrey, Tony and Graeme went up the Mam Barrisdale then on to Luinne Bheinn and Meall Buidhe, descending the west ridge of the latter back to Inverie. On the Monday Graeme did a Corbett, Keith did a coastal walk and Andy and Audrey ate ice cream and drank lemonade. All agreed that it had been a super weekend - the author just wishes she had been able to go! Rosemary

3rd Camping and Caravanning Meet, Braemar, 19-21 July 2013

I collected Keith from Inverkeithing station on one of the hottest afternoons of the year and then picked up the caravan from storage before heading up to Braemar. We got there at 5.30pm however it took an hour (and three circuits of the site) to get the caravan pitched! For a description of how not to endear yourself to site wardens see here. Eventually I got on a pitch and Keith went off to pitch his tent. By the time he came back, the table was up outside, the oven was on for dinner and I was sitting chilling out with a glass of white wine. Relief!

The plan was to do Ben Avon on the Saturday, which dawned misty but quickly became a scorcher. I was to set off on my bike, which would give me a head start on Keith, who would catch me up on the hill. Ah, well - the best laid plans…started to go wrong when we got to the car park and discovered that neither of us had brought any change for the parking meter. Cue return trip to campsite. Then we were almost set to go when I realised I’d left the hose for my hoser in the caravan. Cue another return trip to the campsite for me, while Keith set off and I lost my cycling advantage. The upshot was that I caught him up but soon realised that I couldn’t keep up so he went on alone and I eventually got as far as the photograph before turning round. I got back to the campsite in time to have a shower and relax in the sun before Keith phoned for a lift, some three hours later.

Keith struck his tent on Sunday morning but we paid for Sunday night for the caravan to allow us to make the most of the day. I walked up to Loch Callater while Keith climbed Creag nan Gabhar. We had dinner at the site before leaving at 7pm for a pleasant drive home. The running of Braemar site transfers from the Caravan Club to the Invercauld estate in October 2013 - hopefully it will remain a well-run, reasonably priced site because it is in a great location. It also provides a substantial amount of income for local businesses. Rosemary

Inbhirfhaolain, Glen Etive, 4-6 October 2013

As usual, Pete and Helen were the first to arrive at the hut and Pete had done a sterling job as Aquarius by the time that Graeme and Rosemary arrived at 7pm. Everyone then decided to cook at the same time, including Graeme who decided to cook Saturday night’s dinner on the Friday, which made for a bit of a crush in the kitchen and some discussion on how many cooker rings each person needed. Brian, perhaps sensibly, ate at home and did not arrive until 10pm! The night was wet and humid and the Saturday morning much the same. All the cars were left at the hut as Pete and Helen went off to climb the Wee Buachaille, Brian and Graeme to do Stob Coire Sgreamhach and Rosemary to investigate the nearest Corbett - Beinn Maol Chaluim. Rosemary was back at the hut by lunchtime, having decided that it was just too wet and windy to bother going up a hill, and with a collection of cans and plastic bottles she’d found discarded by the roadside. She spent the rest of the afternoon updating the FMC website, which had been sorely neglected over the summer. Brian and Graeme were next to return, at 4.30pm, and Graeme bravely headed off to the river for a bathe. Andy, Audrey and Tony were next to appear, having climbed both tops of the Wee Buachaille. Once all were back at the hut a short(ish) committee meeting was held round the fire followed by a very convivial meal, Graeme’s preparation on Friday paying off as he produced an excellent bolognese shortly after the close of the meeting. The weather on Sunday was even worse than Saturday so everyone headed off, however Rosemary and Graeme found some sunshine further east and so spent a very pleasant afternoon exploring the bolted climbs at Benny Beg, south of Crieff, en route home. Climbing in October - must be a record!