With the early May bank holiday came spring, the strong scent of gorse, many eagle sightings, sunshine, climbing and merriment. We all gathered around the fire in the evenings to ward of the cold nights (somewhere around freezing).
On Friday, Anna and Claire heading into the Lairig Ghru for a climb, with a crumbly texture. As Claire puts it: “The walk in started well. And then someone forgot stuff in the car. And a bit later someone else dropped their phone and realised about a mile later so there was an impromptu trot. And it was cold and windy. The climb was utterly terrifying. Mega stress. With Weetabix. And then a nice ridge when we eventually found it. Lunch on top was sort of comfort eating. But we saw baby reindeer on the walk back so everything was sunbeams and rainbows in the end!” Meanwhile, in a less hair-raising experience, Martha, Helen and Hamish had a wind and chilly stroll over Sguss a’Muillin and Meallan nan Uan on their way up.
Saturday was a little drizzly to start, but had sunny burst throughout the day. Keith, Shireen, Julia and Martha enjoyed fantastic views and cracking hills in An Ruadh-Stac and Maol Chen-Dearg. Andrew headed up Beinn Eighe, and Pauline and David up Beinn Dearg behind Liathach.
Two parties set off for Slioch. Claire, Alex, Fi and Hamish walked along the ridge to the Munro Top. It was a long way down to the river at the bottom where they all got soaked and a pole almost washed downstream. Hamish was a sturdy hand. They followed deer tracks up to the cloud free summit of Beinn a Mhuinidh and had a welcome pint in the Ledgowan on the way back. Meanwhile Doug, Helen, Emil, Rhi, Anna and Iain learned to “screather” (scramble on heather) their way onto a lovely-higher-up scramble on Slioch, with dramatic views, eagles and some opportunities to starfish our way up rock faces.
Sunday brough better weather and more views. A large party (Pauline, David, Julia, Fi, Hamish, Julia and Alex) along the fantastic Liathach ridge, with Andrew somehow joining archaeologists in Torridon for a dig. Another group (Anna, Helen, Iain, Doug, Emil) had a “steep bog slog” in and out of the Seana Mhellan crag, with some sun brightening up the climbing by the afternoon.
Claire had a solo adventure, running “walking efficiently” from the hut over 2 Grahams (which she is in denial about bagging) and onto the comparatively well pathed Beinn Liath Mhor, Sgorr Ruadh and Fuar Tholl. She trotted/stumbled down to Coulags and managed to thumb two lifts back to the hut: “which was great because I needed a bath and everyone on the train (rumour had it there weren’t any on Sundays?!?!) really needed to see that”. Nearby, Shireen and Keith headed up Fuar Tholl and Sgorr Ruadh, and over the road, Martha and Rhi jogged into the wire bridge and enjoyed the lovely sunny ridge of Sgurr a Chaorachain, with another eagle encounter on top and a refreshing swimble in the river on the way out.
The weather on Monday was peachy. Helen, Rhi, Anna and Doug headed up the very fine slabs (VFS) on the south side of Fuar Tholl, enjoying the warm rock in the sunshine, and a really excellent plunge pool to cool down on the way of the hill. Meanwhile, Pauline and David made quicker progress over the same hill on the path, and the rest of the gang headed for hills on the way home. Martha, Andrew, Hamish and Claire headed up Little Wyvis involving a friendly deer, some shiny deer, cuckoos, the discovery of mouse nibble marks on their lunches and a marvellous swim in the Black Water. Alex, Fi, Iain, Emil and Julia headed over the bigger Wvis, and Shireen and Keith went up the Sow of Atholl.
Fantastic weekend, in a really quite amazing hut! Until next time…
Rhi W, Douglas B, Martha K, Andrew T, Emil B, Alex W, Julia R, Iain R, Helen A, Claire H, Keith H, Hamish P, Pauline J, David J, Fi T, Anna B, Shireen C
Rhi W
