Edinburgh Mountaineering Club: Meet Report
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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