Meet Report
1st to 3rd March 2002 - Pottery Bunkhouse
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