Edinburgh Mountaineering Club: Meet Report
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Meet Report

15th to 17th April 2003 - Achmelvich

The week before Easter was full of clear blue skies and temperatures approaching a balmy 20c, surely this spell of tropical weather couldn't last for the Easter weekend at Achmelvich. The laws of weather that dictate it breaks down just prior to an EMC meet were however well and truly turned on their head on this occasion as the sun continued to shine as 14 people pitched up at the superbly situated Achmelvich campsite. As this campsite had a no dogs policy, our canine loving members had an alternative meet at Ullapool campsite.

Most people arrived on Good Friday, however some lucky people had the good fortune to have been on holiday all week, these people being namely, Kenny, Alison, Anne and Gillian as well as Lesley who managed to spend the glorious week in the Outer Hebrides. I feel these people should really suffer some sort of penance for their outrageous good fortune with the weather, a week at Butlins perhaps!

With the fine weather there was a real mix of activities over the weekend. In some people the sun brought out the "lets have a long day and make the most of it" attitude while in others it was "lets go to the beach and er sunbathe". Most fell somewhere in between, but for long days the prize surely goes to Tim who started at Elphin and after climbing Canisp decided to come back over Suilven, well it`s on the way back after all! Kenny and Alison climbed at Reiff and reported excellent conditions, but bemoaned the fact you couldn't get a bar meal in Lochinver after 8pm on Easter Saturday, the fact they had run out of food only compounded this situation and then they couldn't light the stove, but then they had been away all week so I didn't have too much sympathy and certainly didn't offer any food! On the subject of food Gillian attracted quite an audience while cooking mashed potato in the pitch dark, at least we think it was mashed potato, whatever it was she enjoyed it.

For most people Corbetts were the order of the day with Cul Mor, Cul Beag, Canisp, Glas Bheinn, Foinaven, Meall Horn all seeing ascents over the weekend as well as the token munros of Ben Mor Assynt and Conival. A fabulous weekend...

Alan R