Edinburgh Mountaineering Club

Meet Reports 2002

Meet Reports

(See the photos here).

New Year has come and gone, for some it was Baltic Edinburgh, for the lucky it was the cold frozen Arctic Tundra of Kintail. OK, so there was no real snow to speak of, but there was lots of sunshine, and enough frost to make it look like it had been snowing, so the club trip for the annual New Year bash was enjoyed by all. Unfortunately the exceptionally good weather had an adverse influence on the Hogmanay festivities.

Most folk arrived on Monday night and Tuesday morning saw groups heading all over the area. Many headed towards Beinn Sgritheall via various routes. Some also took in the Corbetts Beinn nan Caorach and Beinn na h-Eaglaise. Others chose the longer route of approach from the North. The longest day was had by Tim who managed to take in Beinn a Chapuill after the three above-mentioned hills on the way back to his car in Gleann Beag!

The evenings festivities were kicked off with the traditional New Year's Eve meal, which was kindly contributed to by many. Gallons of delicious soup, great main courses and a load of different puddings (I counted (and tested!) at least three trifles) were particularly welcome after everyone's long day out, and we even had a selection of mammoth cheeses to round things off. Best of all there was enough to f eed most people the next day as well…great planning cooks! Thanks obviously to all the cooks, but also peelers, choppers, washer and drier uppers etc etc - it made a great evening.

The excess hill activity and feeding frenzy resulted in a relatively peaceful Hogmanay. It may have been the promise of another scorching day on the hills, or the choice of CD, but some of the group snuck off to bed before the bells, and following the frantic kissing and mobile phone calls many more followed. However, the fairies still managed to supply several bottles of gin and whisky, so a brave minority managed through till 2am with the hardiest souls heading off for bed at quarter to four. Kenny put in two special guest appearances after the bells, and even managed his first new year walk…apparently "you do not sleep much when you get older"! By local standards our performance was poor, reportedly Kintail Lodge finished at 7:00am, but they were upstaged by the locals in Glen Elchaig who managed 8 am! Unfortunately they do not see the sun between the middle of November and February and therefore were probably in no fit state to read their watches.

New Years day saw the hangover Corbett parties leaving at a respectable time of 10:30 (not quite Alpine) however the early retirees managed some longer walks including the Saddle and other various bits and pieces.

In the evening it was the New Year's Eve meal all over again, and Alistair did his best Anne Robinson impression hosting the quiz. There were suspicions of insider dealing with the Quarter to Fourers team, but in the end the Dream Team of Kenny, Alison, Lesley and Tim managed to romp home in style. They were given a close run for their money until the last round, which was all about the Alps so Kenny got all the questions right! (apologies to other members of the team who may have contributed to the answering of this round). The Dream team contented themselves with the glory of victory as the organiser had forgotten to buy any prizes - though it's the taking part that counts not the winning

(Al and Steph)

There was a full contingent for the last hut meet of the year with an overspill at the nearby Pottery bunkhouse. In theory we had 12 spaces in Raeburn's hut with 4 reserved for Scottish Mountaineering club members. However the number of places and bed spaces appeared to be based on people of midget like proportions or a need for some rather intimate contact. Anyway we spread out to the two bedrooms and hoped the SMC would not arrive.

Gillian was most distraught to discover on Friday evening that the planned double Corbett trip would only be a singleton following a demotion. This prompted a rapid change of route plan to ensure that the "real" Corbett was done first.

Saturday morning was particularly dark even for December and the kitchen resembled a war time bunker - that was until we realised that the shutters were still on the windows.

It was one of those days when there were about 100 different shades of grey around. West was definitely best with the main group's circular walk being right on the cusp of the east/west divide. Cloudy on Beinn a Chaorainn and sunshine on Beinn Teallach. Martin and Alan did two Corbetts and then came back over an unconnected Munro and top on the basis that it was easier to do this than come back along the track. I wasn't convinced myself. David and Fiona left at the crack of dawn and continued their early season blitz of routes in the Northern corries, the technical term for the conditions being "stonking". Lesley and Owen enjoyed an extended breakfast before tackling their Graham and expressed concern about the arrangements for the key. The rest of us were not too bothered, knowing that they would be back first anyway, even after the obligatory tea room stop [and yes they did get back first].

There was a tense moment on Saturday evening when headlights shone and 4 people strode purposely up to the hut. Fortunately it was only the Pottery overspill bearing gifts of mince pies and left-over wine. Most of the conversation that evening cannot be repeated for fear of self-incrimination. The cultural section of the club panned art flick Morvern Callar which had not had a bad review until then. It is not clear whether Anne's view could be taken into account though since she walked out of the film after half an hour.

Sunday seemed to be more of the same, but a bit colder and clearer. Good bleak winter walking. Apparently lots of Corbetts and Grahams were done by more or less the same groups as the day before.

(Alison)

Looking at the forecast earlier in the week would have suggested a good weekend to sit and read books at home. Indeed an outing on Thursday night between Charlotte Square and the pub involved a heavy drowning. Buoyed by the club optimists and the improving weather forecast still we all set off with the objective of a Glen Coe gathering. BlackRock greeted us with its usual open arms and a warm welcome. Well - it was warm once the fires were lit.

The Saturday was an alright winter's day. Cloud base at a little below the tops and a bit of drizzle in the air. We all set off in different directions. Some climbing the two Munros out the back door some travelling round to do some bagging in the Mamores and an attack on some corbetts in Glen Etive. Meanwhile the hardy explorers decided to complete the first exploration of the Hidden Valley. It appears we were beaten too it as there was a huge path. So much for it being hidden.

The evening was spent eating marshmallows and seeing how many different sauces you can have with pasta. There followed some serious book reading and a very creditable assault on the Scotsman Crossword. During the night a very strange thing happened. While many had gone to bed leaving alcohol behind, in the night it all seemed to have disappeared. A very strange phenomenon indeed.

The sunday morning dawned bright and crisp. There had been a sharp frost over night and the skies were clear blue. A very excited group began to hatch plans for the day to enjoy the scenery at its best. However, there was one member of the party who decided that rather than go for a refreshing walk on such a glorious day they would go back to bed for a bit as they had the mother of all hangovers. I wonder if there is any connection with the mysterious events of the previous night....

A fantastic weekend was had by all. Definitely a place to go back to. Next time I'll ensure we order the same good weather.

Have a happy Christmas and a Great New Year.

(Keith)

I am pleased to report that this meet was full with all 18 places taken plus 2 dogs, Sam and Jessie. We arrived on Friday night to appreciate the warm glow of the stove lit by Lesley. Surprisingly no-one stopped at the pub on the way there.

Saturday didn't look too promising and we knew there would be a lot of snow after the recent fall but all set off eagerly to the hills. Anne and Ian did Carn Bhac and Beinn Iutharn Mhor, William and Katherine set off to do this but were deterred by the knee deep snow and headed to Derry Lodge via Carn Liath where they met Owen. Lesley did a Corbett, Morven, again wading through knee-deep snow. David and Fiona spent hours wading through snow to the base of Lochnagar but didn't get to the top of anything, I think Kenny and Alison had a similar experience. Albert and Judith and Sam had a low level walk due to Albert's sore knee, but probably a good call. Hywel and myself cycled into White Bridge to do An Sgarsoch and Carn an Fhidhleir. We were walking in snow as soon as we left the track and then soon we too were knee/thigh deep in it. Also witnessed an impressive avalanche, fortunately Hywel had chosen an avalanche avoidance route! The weather was glorious and the views fantastic. The cycle back was much easier as I fastened my rucksack more loosely and could actually breathe this time!

Sat evening was spent fighting for a place by the stove, as it was pretty parky. Alison also entertained us by practising her first aid bandaging on Lesley, ably guided by Nurse Judith.

Sunday did not look promising but a group set off to do a Graham (Creag Bhalg) by Linn of Dee, Anne, Richard, Kenny, the two Alisons, Ian and Gillian. William and Katherine in their own words 'wimped out', as did a few of the rest of us after a trip to the 'gear shop'

(Cathy)

12 Get High In Skye...

See Fiona's photos here.

Over the glorious long weekend, it is fair to say that the EMC have must ambled, scrambled and rock-climbed virtually every inch of the Cuillin ridge (and some of the Trotternish ridge) between us in varying parties. Saturday seemed to be the whole of the Scottish summer rolled into one day. This did catch a few out in terms of carrying enough water or sun lotion, but no-one was going to complain after a day of clear blue skies with views for miles around. Bill must have done some seat-of-the-pants scrambling on Sgurr Dubh Mor though, leaving the rest of his group fearful of exposure for the remainder of the day. Some needle and thread in the evening however and Bill's shorts lived to see another day!

In the evening, rather than going to the pub, the pub came to us with lashings of beer being ferried in from the Old Inn next door. This enabled us to share tales of our adventures in the hostel, and when these ran out Kenny put the justice system to rights and we all decided that the 'Scotland Today' news team were rubbish ('allegedly' - Ed)! Don't ask me why ... Meanwhile Keith-Arthur-Daly-Bevan wandered the hostel doing a roaring trade selling cheap bridge tickets!

On the Sunday it was a game of two halves, quite literally. We set off on a more typical Scottish summer's day; thick mist and a chilling dampness in the air. Once above 2000 feet however we were above a cloud inversion and Costa del Cuillin returned. Bare legs, bare chests and lashings of sun lotion were out again as we all lounged around at the top as if it was a perfectly normal thing to be doing in Skye in September. Whilst we didn't relish descending down into the mist again, we were at least delighted by the Brockenspectres that accompanied us.

Of his day with Alan on Sgurr na Banachdich et al, Martin beamed 'it was the sort of day you wait a life time for'. Of their lower level walk in the clag on the Trotternish, Lesley, Owen and Richard said 'Hrumph...'.

After a night in the pub (a return match was due), everyone got up on Monday to much more gray and drizzly weather. No doubt some took an airing in the hills on the way home, but certainly everyone went home with their own highlights of a spectacular weekend!

(Nicola)

Dalmally Meet Report

A select few - four to be precise - gathered in the pub on the Friday night contemplating the weather forecast. It really was going to clear up tomorrow, wasn't it?

Bright and early on Saturday, Sandra joined us as we were having breakfast. Unfortunately, her waterproof was still in Edinburgh ... Richard saved the day with a spare coat. After some overnight rain, things looked a little brighter, so off we all went. By this time, Sandra had joined us, and she, Fiona C, and William set off for the Dalmally horseshoe. The weather kept on coming over us - half an hour of sun, half an hour of rain (hail at one point). At the top of Stob Diamh, we had to abandon any thoughts of continuing to Ben Cruachan as the wind was just too strong, and the clouds were massing in the distance. It did look nice towards Crianlarich though - a popular refrain throughout the weekend. Lesley went Corbett-bagging up the Auch Gleann near Bridge of Orchy, while Richard climbed 2 Munros above Victoria Bridge.

Supper was a fairly brief affair in the campsite due to the lovely midges that appeared - as did Kenny and Alison, having said that they were not going to be anywhere near Dalmally that weekend. They had a good day on Beinn Sgulard.

In the pub, we retreated from the smoky bar to the 'games' room, where someone spotted Trivial Pursuit lurking on a shelf. It was only after several questions that an antipodean bias became obvious, and we discovered that it was indeed the Antipodean version. This slowed the game down somewhat, and Fiona did get asked at one point if she had missed a turn or two! She made up for it with a late rush at the end, almost catching Kenny and William. Kenny had had an easy run, despite many complaints - most of us would probably have been able to name Scotland's patron saint for example (-:

After a rather sleepness night due to some very considerate fishermen armed with mobile phones, an industrial quantity of cigarettes and some lager-lubricated larynxes, it was probably a relief to get out of the campsite on Sunday morning. Anne had joined us by now, bringing the numbers up to 8. She and Richard climbed An Caisteal and Beinn a'Chroinn in a bitterly cold wind though good visibility until hitting the clag on top. Lesley and Fiona headed for a lovely Corbett called Stob a'Choin near Inverlochlarig (behind Balquhidder), and again had good visibility, albeit with plenty of clouds around.

(William)

Photos and Meet report from the Ballater Meet

Iain Macleod has provided these photos from the Ballater meet and Anne Craig has kindly stepped into the breach to provide the Meet report...

The prospect of yet another wet and miserable weekend seemed to deter most members from attending this meet. By the time we adjourned to the local pub on what turned out to be a pleasant (and midge free) Friday evening, only Richard, Iain and I had turned up. Matt and Phil arrived later to make the numbers more respectable.

We woke on Saturday to beautiful sunshine - so much for the forecasts! Richard, Iain and I had a fabulous, but long, day on Ben Avon and Beinn a'Bhuird. On the walk out, we were regretting having left our bicycles at home. Matt and Phil opted for a shorter day on Lochnagar, returning to Loch Muick by the Dubh Loch.

Keith and Nicola turned up on Saturday evening, and joined the rest of us in the pub where we were 'entertained' by (and were also the subject of entertainment for), the local country and western singer.

On Sunday, Keith, Nicola, Matt and Phil went off to Mt. Keen and got the best of the weather. Iain did some of the Munros at Glenshee. Richard and I had a fairly miserable (but thankfully short) walk up Mt. Blair in the mist and drizzle. I wimped out after that and left Richard to bag another Graham on Dundray Hill.

(Anne)

Report from Newtonmore, July 2002

This was heading for the worst attended meet this year until some late arrivals saved the day. Only 4 made it to the campsite on Friday night, with the weather on Saturday morning perhaps illustrating why.

Richard got soaked on Beinn A'Chlachair (Laggan) before adding a 'wee Graham' in the afternoon (it was too short a day otherwise!). Fiona opted for a low-level walk near Kingussie in a fruitless attempt to stay dry. Bill and Kate had the best idea - they stayed in the van until it stopped raining when they headed up the corrie on Creag Meagaidh.

Alison and Kenny arrived on Saturday having also opted for the 'stay in the car until it stops raining' approach before climbing the Graham behind the campsite. Dennis was the last arrival on Saturday - again having had a very late start to avoid the rain.

Bill and Kate were offering 'coffee and a dram' in their van on Saturday evening, but instead a few of us headed off to Newtonmore to the pub. Richard provided most of the evening's entertainment, with tales of what he had spilt inside his tent over the weekend. Don't ask to borrow Richard's tent!

Sunday dawned dry, with the forecast promising (and delivering) glorious sunshine in the afternoon. Everyone headed off separately to do a variety of hills in the Cairngorm, Monadhliath, Laggan area.

(Fiona C)

I think this meet will win the prize for least attendance with a select few arriving at the campsite, 6 in all. On arrival we were told as part of a group to go and camp in the dip! This was hidden from the rest of the site and was actually a very pleasant dip despite the fact we felt we being segregated! Not sure what they thought we'd get up to?! ... and we didn't.

We didn't actually get locked in the Lock Inn but we didn't manage to extricate ourselves till the early hours, partly due to the excellent 'oldies' they were playing. Mind you, Jen had a musical knowledge that belied her age and gave Richard and Lesley a run for their money in 'Name that tune'. When we did escape the campsite seemed very far away!

Breakfast next day was a rather unsociable affair with everyone sitting in respective cars to escape the rain! However having come all this way we decided to make the best of the day. Lesley, Hywel, Jen, Tom and Jessie headed for a Corbett at the end of Loch Arkaig, not a drive Jen is eager to repeat. Richard, now on his second round of Munros after having completed his Corbetts last weekend on Mount Battock, went off to Loch Quoich and Cathy to Glen Shiel. The day was pretty wet to start but the sun came out to varying degrees in the afternoon depending on where you were.

Some of us had an excellent meal in The Bothy where the seafood was fantastic. Hywel had a seafood platter which even he didn't manage to finish despite off loading some of it to others. We then adjourned to the Lock Inn again where Richard eventually joined us. He'd completed his first two munros by 3.30 pm. thought he'd get back too early and did Sgurr a' Mhaoraich as well, just for good measure!

Sunday dawned wet again, Tom headed home to watch the football, Jen headed home and Cathy and Hywel set off with a walk in mind but were easily deterred by the wind and lashing rain, as was Lesley. Richard however battled through wind and rain to do a Graeme called Cnap Cruim and did admit to getting soaked, him and Sophie both.

(Cathy)

Report from Gairloch (Jubilee Weekend, June 2002)

(See the photos here).

Despite an unpromising forecast a large number of us descended on the Sands Holiday Park at Gairloch to celebrate the Jubilee weekend. I counted 29 people and 20 tents but no flags or bunting. Older and wiser members have told me that this is not a record but I was still impressed.

Clearly a multi activity weekend was planned with bikes and barbecues. Not for the first time the intricacies of bike racks nearly resulted in disaster. Alistair put his bike rack on upside down with 2 bikes attached. He made it to Crianlarich where Stephanie spotted the crucial error.

Inverewe gardens was a popular choice for the early arrivals on Friday. Saturday was much more promising. Richard took the chance to bag his penultimate Corbett on a day raiding trip to Beinn Lair. He seemed disappointed that it had only taken 9 hours. Not long enough for Gillian either who bagged another Corbett on the way back. The Baosbheinn group seemed to suffer from some localised hurricane force winds, with Alan R resorting to a crawl to get to the summit.

It wasn't exactly warm in the evening at the campsite but at least the wind was keeping the midges away. I noticed some smug smiles on the faces of the people who had brought duvet jackets.

Sunday saw a very leisurely start. The club's English contingent found a pub in Gairloch to watch England v Argentina in the morning. The long June evenings enabled some hills to be done afterwards - Ben Alligin, Ben Damph, Slioch, Beinn Eighe, Baosbheinn, Ben Airigh Charr, Sail Mhor and some climbing "reccies" - the rock was still too greasy.

Arriving back at the campsite we saw a gigantic bus parked outside the shower block. A party of German school children had arrived and made camp just beside us. Those of us who had camped towards the middle of the spot gradually became encircled. Fortunately, everything was quiet in the German camp and there were no international incidents.

On Monday morning it was pouring with rain. Most people made a quick escape. Alistair managed to have a breakfast barbecue with the help of his umbrella. In the end only 9 people were left but the early birds definitely didn't get the worms. By midday the skies were clearing quickly and it turned into a glorious afternoon and an even more glorious evening. Alan R set off for a quick bag of Sail Mhor but was tempted onto one of the subsidiary tops of An Teallach. He would have gone further but had to turn back - expecting a short day, he hadn't taken any food.

At last a nice sunny evening to sit outside and drink wine and beer while watching a chinese cookery demonstration by Jon and Jo.

Tuesday was the start of a mini heatwave in the Northwest ...

(Alison)

Report from Resipol, Ardgour (May 2002)

With stories of terrible weather doing the rounds, it was with some trepidation and lots of waterproofing that we set out for Ardgour on the Friday evening. Catching a ferry to get to a meet always adds that little something to the drive on the Friday night, albeit in this case there is an alternative route via Fort William if you get to Corran too late!

Saturday dawned damp, but gradually improved as the day wore on. As usual, club members departed in all directions. Lesley and Jessie bagged a Graham and 2 Corbetts in Morvern, then took a rather longer route home than they'd originally intended. 3 separate groups climbed Beinn Resipol, with Owen and Margaret striking out from the main path to enjoy the full walk up the ridge to the NW of the summit. Alan and Anne, and Bill, Cathy and James took the conventional route, all apparently meeting up along the way. Only one group did Rois Bheinn, seeing not a soul all day, but enjoying views of Rum, Eigg and Skye for most of the day (-:

Saturday nights on a meet wouldn't be right without a visit to the pub, and this was no exception. The Resipole Farm campsite even has its own pub and restaurant on site, which we made full use of. A rather large group of about 15 people sat down to a very good dinner together, followed by more beer at the bar.

Sunday, as is often the way, proved to be the worse day weather-wise, and a couple of members decided to view Ardnamurchan point from the safety of their car! Rois Bheinn and Beinn Resipol were climbed again, with the author having rather an epic descent from the latter after coming off the wrong side of the ridge in the mist. Oops.

(William)

Report from Cannich (May 2002)

This weekend started with a rumble for some. Eileen, who had been up on the Friday back backing, managed to pitch her tent over the Strathconon Fault line (not that she knew at the time) and had 3 earthquakes during the evening, officially measuring 2.3 on the Richter Scale. Plays havoc with your camping stove apparently...

From thereon it proved to a be a faultless weekend (tremouring with laughter yet?). It was really one for the 'glass is half full types' who had brought along their shorts and sun tan lotion, as the bank holiday weekend proved to be glorious. Cobalt blue skies, sun shining all weekend and never a cloud to be seen. It was also a winner for list-tickers of every type; Munro-baggers, Corbett baggers, Graham baggers and even some who were just tidying up on a few of their tops! There were also some people who came along just to enjoy the walking, the sunshine and good company...

Saturday morning one group got the boat along Loch Mullardoch and set off on various missions on the local hills, the Beinn Fhionnlaidh 3, the northern (An Socach etc) 4 and a Graham bagging back-pack to Spean Bridge! Others did a wide range of hills including a popular outing to Tom a' Choinich and Toll Creagach. Lesley ('call out the mountain rescue if I'm not back by midnight!') Armstrong went out for one of her usual short-strolls over a Corbett or two. All in all everyone had quite a long day and, it has to be said, we were not the liveliest people in the pub that night.

Sundays can sometime see a mixed level of commitment in terms of the 'mountaineering' part of the 'mountaineering club'. Normally on Sunday it tends to be raining, you have a hangover and 'there's stuff to do' in Edinburgh. However as we were so late to the pub on the Saturday, the sun was still shining and we had a holiday Monday it dawned on us that we had better go walking again. Unused to the experience and lacking imagination we all swopped hills and did the reverse of what the people had done the previous day. A fine day was had by all. Who says we can't improvise!

Somehow we all managed to get to the pub at a more reasonable time on the Sunday (must be the practice) and so by Monday morning we could return to form and a few people sneaked home to 'do their stuff', some declaring they would do some bump or other on the way home. For those that that did endeavour to climb another hill (the views from Fionn Bheinn were fabulous by the way) what another fantastic day!

(Nicola)

Report from Torrie Shieling, Inverie (April 2002)

(See the photos here).

This year, for the first time, the Club were trying out the Torrie Shieling Bunkhouse at Inverie for the Spring weekend break. Driving from Arisaig to Mallaig on Friday evening to pick up our boat, the views were simply stunning with Skye, Rum and Eigg etched clearly against a beautiful sunset - a good omen perhaps for the weekend to come. Apart from having a bit of difficulty getting Jessie into the small boat taking us to Inverie, the journey over was wonderful, allowing us to catch the last of the light before arriving at Inverie around 10pm.

Saturday dawned clear, bright and cloudless. The mountains here are absolutely superb and before long, small groups had disappeared off to do various things - Anne and Richard climbed Luinne Bheinn and Meall Buidhe; Alison, Lindesay, Alistair and Steph climbed Ladhar Bheinn by its western ridge, with Alison going on to bag the Corbett, Beinn na Caillich; Dennis took the boat round to Loch Nevis and climbed Sgurr na Ciche and Garbh Chioch Mhor; Martin had a massive day on Ladhar Bheinn, Luinne Bheinn and Meall Buidhe. Albert, Judith, Cathy and I walked up to the head of the Mam Meadail and climbed Meall Buidhe then Cathy and I went on to climb the Corbett too - Beinn Bhuidhe - this turned out to be a very long way indeed. It was only when we thought our planned dinner at the Pier House might be under threat that we decided to drop down before the end of the ridge - ok until we hit a deer fence. The only way for the two of us and the dog to conquer this was to squirm limbo fashion under the wire which was all of about six inches above the ground. After about half an hour we ran into another deer fence and ended up "posting" Jessie through an enlarged square in the fence before we clambered over it, snagging both clothes and skin in the process. The meal in the Pier House was booked for 8pm - Cathy and I made it for about 8.15 having had the fastest shower in history.

I think it would be safe to say that our meal was simply superb. Between platters of langoustines, bowls of mussels and pan fried sea bream, the whole experience was a culinary delight, washed down as ever with copious quantities of wine.

Sunday was wet and grey to start with but we all set off to do various versions of the same hills as Saturday. By early afternoon, after some sleet and hail (the top of Ladhar Bheinn was quite white), the sun came out and all the crap weather cleared from the west, leaving marvellous views for anyone on top of a hill at the time. It also turned out that I was not the only one to be accompanied by a four-legged friend. Dennis found himself befriended by none other than little Wheeshtie (aka Rhona), a wee local dog of some character who stuck with him during his entire walk up (and down) the Mam Meadail. Being only 12 for the weekend, we had organised a communal meal, with Alistair and Stephanie providing a stunning fish pie, topped and tailed with delicious soups and puddings.

Our last day, Monday, was once again glorious. Although Anne and Richard climbed Beinn Bhuidhe, the rest of us had saved the shortest Corbett for the last day - Sgurr Coire Choinnichean - and two routes were taken to reach the summit. It is a fantastic hill and once again the views were glorious. We managed to find a route down which brought us virtually to the bunkhouse where we could pack up and get ourselves back to Inverie for our boat ride to Mallaig (some managed to fit in a spot of lunch before we left). Leaving Inverie, the hills looked magnificent - it is a truly magical place, and wee Wheeshtie was seen underneath the pier, having obviously turned up to bid farewell to his walking chum. Although a more expensive meet than our norm, something tells me we will be back.

(Lesley and Jessie)

Meet report from Ullapool, Easter Weekend 2002

Forecast for the weekend was excellent, with most people setting off from Edinburgh on Friday morning and 'doing something' on the way North. Walks completed ranged from Creag Meaghaidh in the East to Cul Mor in the North. Alison and Kenny were the only climbers and they spent the day on the Ben.

Friday night at the campsite was warm and pleasant with most people relaxing and chatting (while the pasta and sauce was cooking) until dark. After dark we retired to the Ferry Boat Inn.

After some considerable time on Saturday morning spent discussing the options, most people finally chose to head North for the Corbetts and Munros of Suilven, Quinag and Ben More Assynt. Richard headed off on his own for a 43km round trip to bag an obscure corbett (funnily enough there were no volunteers to accompany Richard) while Alison and Kenny headed off to climb a gully on An Teallach. Another day of excellent walking in good weather was followed for most people with a few beers in a local hostelry.

More discussion on Sunday morning resulted in a number of different parties heading off - some went to the Fannichs, Alison and Kenny went for a graham near Stac Polly, Alan R traversed Ben More Coigach and Lesley and Fiona headed for Cul Mor. Tim and Jane won the prize for being the last out of bed but still managed to fit in a Corbett south of Ullapool. Again had good day was had by all and another evening was spent in the pub consuming well earned food/beer.

Monday dawned wet although was soon clearing to blue sky and sunshine. Reluctantly most people headed for home, leaving behind Alison and Tim C who were staying up for an extra few days.

(Fiona C)

Meet report from the Pottery Bunkhouse (March 2002)

Another popular meet with a mix of new, newish and well kent faces...

The avalanche forecast was low on Creag Meaghaidh for the first time this season, so the climbers made an early start (disturbing some student lie-ins) with everyone walking by 7:30am. Four routes were done, Pumpkin, Staghorn Gully, the Sash and Raeburn's gully. Martin moved up a grade for his one winter climb of the year reporting the experience as "interesting". Amazingly, the first 3 pairs topped out simultaneously enabling a combined effort to find the window descent route. Wayne and Catriona avoided any navigation problems by reversing their climb. On the walk out an MRT helicopter whizzed in. Two climbers were apparently stuck on Staghorn gully. Later it was reported that the MRT had slated the inexperienced climbers who lost their bottle when a small avalanche passed by and refused to move up or down. MRT described them as resorting to dial-a-rescue.

On the other side the walkers had a more leisurely start climbing Creag Meaghaidh from the Moy side. Hywel did his stuff in white out conditions checking the accuracy of Keith's GPS. A smaller group was corbetting at the Corrieyairack pass. Lesley made up for her Corpach corbettless weekend and bagged a demoted corbett as well just to make sure. In the evening some of us still had enough energy for some late night hot tubbing but most folk opted for the pub.

Sunday was amazingly spring like. There are reports of short sleeves being worn. Nicola regretted the decision to wear thermals under her tracksuit bottoms. There was something for everybody - Munro, Corbett, Graham and pimple bagging, skiing and climbing.

(Alison)

Meet Report from Blacksmiths and Smiddy Bunkhouses (Corpach, February 2002)

Despite the very unfavourable weather forecast for the weekend and the exceptionally unpleasant driving conditions on the Friday night, almost everyone arrived safely, with only one or two choosing to drive up on the Saturday. Saturday started off with grim weather - snow, high winds and nil visibility - there wasn't a huge amount of enthusiasm around early on. However, before not too long at all, the weather cleared and blue sky appeared and suddenly everyone was very active. One gang went off to the east end of Loch Eilt to attempt a couple of Corbetts but Dr Broon decided to climb them the opposite way round and eventually ended up on top of Beinn Odhar Mhor after a fairly hard climb. The weather, which had been coming and going all day, prevented any further tops being bagged that day - so no Corbetts!

Another gang had a go at Sgurr nan Coireachan from Corryhully but again weather conditions and very deep snow prevented them reaching the top. Anne and Richard, however, successfully did Meall na Teanga and Sron a' Choire Ghairbh - must have been a good day as Richard had downed two bottles of wine before 9pm! David and Fiona abandoned their climb in Glencoe, Kenny went skiing at Aonach Mor and Martin did a Graham on his way up from Balquhidder.

On Sunday, the weather was a lot more settled. Some went off climbing in Glencoe; others did Beinn a'Bheithir from Ballachulish; Mike went skiing; a small gang climbed Meall a Phubuill.

This bunkhouse was new to the club and general feedback seemed to be very positive - hopefully we'll be back some time in the future.

(Lesley and Jessie)

Glen Feshie Meet Report (January 2002)

I knew the meet was going to be a good one when the meet list was full within 10 minutes of opening. The temptation of Jean's cooking was far too much to refuse. The message had obviously passed to some of the newer members of the club as there was a good representation of new members.

The Saturday passed off quietly enough, with three main groups. One group climbed Mullach Clach a'Bhlair with the age range spanning between 25 and 70. Alan showed the youngsters a thing or two as he marched his way up to the summit in fine time. A decision was made to try some navigation practice on the way down and ignore the obvious LandRover tracks. This decision probably added half an hour and an awful lot of bog hopping (and falling into snowy holes) to our descent. A much hardier group decided to try and find some snow in the Northern Corries. As expected there was a severe lack of the white stuff but they still managed to thrash their way up something. Lesley maintained her reputation of doing nice easy Corbetts and managed to persuade some fellow club members to join her on a couple of hours on a metalled road before climbing the hill.

Then came the main event of the weekend - Jean's cooking. Rather than 18 of us fight over the kitchen each heating up a bowl of pasta and sauce we all sat back and let the host cook. This was our fourth consecutive meal at the hostel and it certainly won't be the last. The only problem with the cooking is that the portions are designed for people with incredibly large appetites rather than the hungry walkers she was faced with. The first course was a fantastic Butternut Squash soup (recipe follows at end if you are interested). This was followed by huge venison pies and a massive aubergine and nut bake. Both were fantastic. The amount of food that arrived could easily have fed the other 6 club members who were turned away, but instead Jean's chickens were in seventh heaven for the next couple of days enjoying the leftovers (good to know where we are in the pecking order eh?). This was followed up by a fantastic looking chocolate and cream roulade. Only two of the three were eaten - the leftovers of the second one were eaten for breakfast. We all retired to the couches very full but very happy.

I'd love to say that Sunday dawned bright and clear. However, we awoke to the customary wind and rain. Hence a fair few of us returned to Edinburgh without getting out of our cars.

The reputation of this meet as one of the best has been maintained. Next year we might need to arrange two so that everyone can have a go. Roll on the Glen Feshie meet for 2003...

(Keith Bevan)

Butternut Squash Soup:

Ingredients - 1.5lb Butternut Squash, 1lb Sweet Potatoes, 1 medium red chilli, a chunk of root ginger, 2 cloves of garlic

Roast all of the above with some olive oil for about 40 mins at 200 (not sure what the gas alternative of this is).

Then liquidise with a can of coconut milk and 1 pint of vegetable stock.

Rucksacks Bunkhouse Meet, Braemar (February 2002)

With gales and heavy rain forecast, it wasn't shaping up to be a classic weekend. With this in mind, no one was seen coming out of the Alpine hut before about 9am on Saturday. Some of the more intrepid (foolish) occupants of the main hostel (i.e. Katherine and me) did set off for a walk bright and early, West from the Linn of Dee. When the horizontal hail set in, we did wonder what we were doing, but it turned into a great, if breezy, day. With Alan in hot pursuit, as we found out later, we climbed Sgur Mhor and descended the ridge back to Derry Lodge and home.

Elsewhere, Hywel took to the slopes of the Lecht, watched from the car park by Alistair and Keith (well, until the rugby started, at which point they retreated to the bar of the Fife Arms). Would have probably been more entertaining watching Hywel... Drowning our sorrows (for the most part) after the rugby, the club descended on the disco at the Fife Arms in the evening, where many members could be seen strutting their stuff on the dance floor.

Sunday dawned brighter than Saturday, but soon the weather returned to form. The snow was starting to lie in the Glenshee car park as we drove past, thought about going for a walk, then thought 'naaaah, maybe next time'.

(William)