The comfortable BTW hostel is quite an established winter meet location, being accessible even in the icy grip of Beasts from the East and we still ended up with a full house, with road conditions not nearly as bad as feared. Extra boots are now required for the short walk from the hostel to the drying room, which is no longer inside the main building.
Claire H and Kenny caught the early bus from Glasgow on Friday and met up with Fiona M who’d kipped locally in her car to avoid planned horrific driving conditions. The 3 of us climbed Centigrade on Beinn an Dothaidh, which was Claire’s introduction to multi-pitch winter climbing (whooo!!) and part of Fiona’s gentle easing back into life with a neck brace post-bike accident (Oct 2017).
Saturday had a pretty poor forecast, with wind and sleety rain and a considerable thaw. A number of folk headed out direct from the front door: Matt, Sinead, Fiona C, David T and Fiona M fought their way up through a forest and went up Fiarach. Claire, Tony B and Keith found a nice line on Beinn Chuirn above the Cononish gold mines. Marcus, Tim and Sylvian headed out early doors to climb Salamander gully on Beinn an Dothaidh; Mike, Fiona R, Alison C and Kenny all headed off with snow shoes. Alison and Kenny did the Corbett Beinn Chaorach. Mike and Fiona R did Beinn Challuim via it’s NW ridge and a slightly esoteric grade I route. Meanwhile a huge group of Kate, Allan, Alison F, Harsh, Julian, Alan, Anne, Martha, Chris R (original) and Chris R (mkII) were on a very snowy Beinn Challum. There was much chatter in the communal lounge in the evening, and everyone was sleeping nicely when the fire alarm went off! The custodian turned up after half an hour or so and was welcomed by Sylvian who was in his pants. What A Man. Clearly impressed, the custodian not only switched off the alarm he also kept a vigil outside in the snow to make sure that when the alarm went off again (which it did, circa 2.30am) it could be silenced again. Fiona R apparently slept through the whole thing.
On Sunday the sun made another appearance to the south, and Martha, Claire H, ChrisxChris and Julian had a long walk and lots of hollering and tomfoolery on Creag Mac Ranneach (above Lochearnhead), testing their winter ironmongery in the process. Kate, Allan and Fiona C went up Beinn Each, and Harsh joined them for a bit before turning back. Alison, Kenny, Fiona M and Mike and Fiona R climbed Salamander gully while Tim, Marcus and Sylvian climbed centigrade. A fair number of others headed straight back to the ‘burgh.
Apologies, it’s a few months since the meet and I can’t recall what else was achieved that weekend!
Claire H
Sociable evening in By The Way – Claire HOn Fiarach, Fiona C there and Matt/Sineed manage to catch up onto this summit – David TFiona M stood along the posts – David TOn our first luck we went up through the forest ! – David TThe excitement builds_IMG_1033.JPG – Chris RSummit Creag Mac Rannaich_IMG_1095.JPG – Chris RGang summit Ben Challum_IMG_1001.JPG – Chris RDescent Creag Mac Ranaich_IMG_1124.jpg – Chris RCreag Mac Rannaich_IMG_1107.JPG – Chris RCreag Mac Rannaich summit_IMG_1096.JPG – Chris RCreag Mac Ranaich_IMG_1118.JPG – Chris RClaire H off on one_IMG_1058.JPG – Chris RAssault on Creag Mac Ranaich_IMG_1052.JPG – Chris RUnnecessary cornice traverse up Creag Mac Ranaich – Claire HSummit quest to Creag Mac Ranaich – Claire HSummit approach to Creag Mac Ranaich – Claire HPrints in the snow – Claire HEn route to Creag Mac Ranaich – Claire HCornice view – Claire HThhumbs up from Chris R! – Claire HMartha (PNM) in shiny glasses – Claire HJulian, Chris r^2 and Martha – Claire HDescent from Corbett Beinn Chuirn to gold mine – Claire HTony B and Keith approach Beinn Chuirn – Claire HNarnia – Claire HFiona M nears top of P3, Centigrade – Claire HKenny on Centigrade – Claire HFiona leading P2 on Centigrade – Claire HFaff captured – Claire HBelay grin – Claire HFiona M approach to Beinn an Dothaidh crags – Claire HCreag mac ranneach summit silly (Martha) – Claire HCringeworthy posture – Claire HBlack Mount from Beinn an Dothaidh – Claire HMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BMartha K – Sylvian BFionaM and DavidT on Fiarach with Beinn Dubhchraig behind – Fiona CLooking down Glen Ample to Loch Earn – Fiona CAllan and Kate on the summit of Beinn Each – Fiona CKate on Beinn Each with Ben Vane on the left and the Balquidder hills on the right – Fiona CMike en-route to Ben Challum – Mike WTypical NW ridge of Ben Challum terrain – Mike WTeam Dothaidh – Mike WTeam Dothaidh en-route – Mike WTeam Dothaidh en-route – Mike WMike p1 of Salamander – Mike WFiona p2 of Salamander – Mike WFiona p2 of Salamander – Mike WAlison p1 of Salamander – Mike WMike p3 of Salamander – Mike WBeinn Dothaidh views – Mike WTeam Dothaidh on centigrade – Mike WSylvian in the upper reaches of Centigrade, Creag Coire an Dothaidh – TimMarcus preparing to get stuck into some ice – TimOn easy first pitch of Centigrade, Creag Coire an Dothaidh – TimMarcus on Salamander Gully, Creag Coire an Dothaidh – Tim
