Club meet: The Cabin, Balgowan, 4-6 Feb 2011

Chris provides Adidas with the poster shot for their forthcoming mountaineering range

Last weekend a group of us headed up the road to a new venue for the AMC, the Edinburgh JMCS's Cabin in Balgowan. This recently re-fitted cottage provided a well-equipped and comfortable base for exploring the hills around Loch Laggan and beyond.

There would be a photo of the hut here had I remembered to take one.

Despite a distinctly awful-looking forecast issued earlier in the week, Saturday started out pretty settled and encouraged us to set off in two groups for long-ish walks. Donald, Richard, Derek and Graeme went south of the loch past Binnein Shuas for a breezy but fine day up the hills of Creag Pitridh and Geal Charn.

On the way up Carn Liath in the waning shower

Meanwhile, on the north side of Loch Laggan, Chris, Steve, Berta, Yvonne and myself headed towards the great bulk of Creag Meagaidh. After plodding up the flanks of Carn Liath in moderately grim rain/sleet/snow, this wet stuff soon diffused to provide fine views across the summits and into Coire Ardair.

And out comes the sun

Apart from the cold and gusty wind occasionally blasting us with spindrift, conditions were great and allowed us to complete a full loop over the other Munros of Stob Poite Coire Ardair and Creag Meagaidh in good time. Much bum-sliding helped reduce the descent time!




The food that night was up to the usual high standards, and followed up with a few drams around the fire with musical accompaniment from Yvonne on the ukulele.

"Can I have a bit of both please?"

On Sunday the cloud was much lower and the air milder. Derek picked-off the one he and the lads missed the day before, Beinn a' Chlachair, while the rest of us opted for a relatively short walk up nearby Geal Charn (different one to that of the Saturday). It was pretty clagged in higher up, but dry spare the last half hour and with many grouse and ptarmigan about to entertain.

Scarpa doing good business out of the AMC (Photo:Yvonne)

Ascending the slopes of Geal Charn (Photo:Yvonne)

Camera perched on a rock shot (Photo:Yvonne)