Meet Report

5th to 7th August 2011 - Blackrock Cottage, Glencoe

All 10 places were booked for this meet.  The weather forecast had looked pretty poor earlier in the week but was improving all the time.  Fiona M and Anne C arrived early on Friday and did North Buttress and the two Buchaille munros, finding a nice new path to descent from after Stob na Broige.

Saturday was looking surprisingly good so Ian and Claire made an early start for the Aonach Eagach, finishing on the Pap of Glencoe.  Fiona M + Chris headed for the Buchaille and did Crow's nest crack before moving over to a deserted Rannoch Wall for January Jigsaw.   Fiona C did Beinn Fhionnlaidh and had the disadvantage of getting back to the hut first without knowing where the key was and having to wait in a midge infested carpark for an hour.  Kenny, Anne and myself did the Barnwall scramble on Aonach Dubh followed by Stob Coire nan Lochan, Bidean and Stob Coire nan Beith.    Graded at 3(s)/mod, it was on good holds, just as well because it was pretty steep and exposed.    Having now finished his tops Bill B  had a relatively normal day on Sgurr na h-ulaidh, although being Bill he approached it from the Glen etive side rather than the usual tourist route.

Gillian had headed off down Loch Arkaig for a couple of corbetts.  We reckoned on 4 hours of driving there and back and around 4 hours for the round of the two.  Even taking into account the Gillian factor and the possibility of a deep fried pizza in Fort William, it was still mildly concerning that she had not returned nearly 12 hours after leaving.  All was well as Gillian appeared just before 9pm having been tempted by the more remote corbett of Carn Mor. 

Everyone managed to get off the hills more or less before the heavens opened and the evening was enlivend by Fiona C's impersonation of a ptarmigan that she had seen on Beinn Fhionnlaidh.

The rain didn't stop and the midges clouding round the door were particularly vicious.  Everybody headed home on Sunday apart from Chris who did Beinn a'chrulaiste.

Definitely a weekend of two halves.