Edinburgh Mountaineering Club: Meet Report
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ClareA is less than thrilled at the prospect of a tight-rope walk - Fiona C View of An Ruadh-stac from Maol Chean-dearg descent - Tim
ClareA is less than thrilled at the prospect of a tight-rope walk - Fiona C

Meet Report

14th to 16th September 2012 - Invercroft, Achnasheen

Despite an uninspiring (although as it turned out, over-pesimistic) weather forecast, the meet was attended by its full complement of members with no dropouts, and reserves Rebecca and Carla staying nearby.  The Jacobites' hut was found to be very comfortable, with a spacious lounge and large fireplace - thanks to Pete and Sara for supplying ample coal - and now solar charged lighting.  However, the water supply remained a trickle at best.

High winds on Saturday didn't deter anyone, with members headed off in all directions to be battered by gusts on rock routes (Stone Valley Crags) or on the hills (or in the case of Chris and Fiona M, both), with Fionn Bheinn being visited by multiple parties over the weekend.  Tim bagged Moruisg (and its demoted-to-Corbett neighbour), Pete and Sara were the first up Fionn Bheinn, and Ian, Fiona C, Clare A and Claire H aimed for Sgurr Choinnich and Sgurr a'Chaorachain but were unsuccessful, concluding they'd have had to crawl to the summits in the wind.  Three of the party went for a consolation wild swim in a burn on the way back (feel free to speculate which member of the party sensibly opted to stay warm and dry instead).  They weren't the only swimmers: less intentionally, Mike managed to fall in a burn on the way back from Beinn Tharsuinn.

Saturday night saw the holding of the ballot for the oversubscribed-by-one Lagangarbh meet.  This was thought to be only the second time in club history (as remembered by those present) that a meet has gone to ballot, and our lack of experience at holding such things was evident, with much confusion when the outcome of the first attempt seemed to be that everyone was going after all.  Eventually it was realized that somehow only 14 of the 15 names had been put in.

Sunday started wet but rapidly improved over breakfast, with somewhat less wind than the day before.  The hut was swept, shuttered, drained, powered-down and evacuated in record time.  Fionn Bheinn got some more visitors (Carla, Rebecca, Ian, Clare A and Fiona C and Claire H, the latter in welly boots and high-vis jacket), Pete and Sara visited Moruisg and Tim bagged Maol Chean-darg (there were signs up saying the bothy at Coulags cottage would be locked for stalking season from 15th September to 20th October, and indeed while it was unlocked on the way past in the morning it was securely padlocked a few hours later on descent).  Mike, Fiona R, Martin, Chris, Kenny, Alison and Fiona M headed east to the hopefully drier crags at the "Costa del Moy" for some sport climbing.

Some members stayed up another day post-meet for the Edinbugh public holiday; one reports "...good day on our Graham on Alladale estate with an exciting wild boar incident where I lost the rest of my lunch. Can't wait until the wolves and bears get introduced as well...".

 

Tim