Elphin Meet

For a change the meet to the SMC's Naismith Hut in Elphin was oversubscribed, people no doubt drawn by the area and the good weather forecast.

Saturday saw Denis, Mark, Judith, Bruce and Morna enjoy an ascent of Canisp. For good measure mark then continued to Suilven, traversed it and ran back to the hut. There's always one... Meanwhile Roddy, Joe, Rod, Ann and John did Conival and Ben More Assynt. The latter three continued over the South Top of BMA on a ridge that has apparently been compared with the Aonach Eagach in Glencoe. While it is certainly pleasant, it is in quite a different league. At the other end of the scale Luigi and Manu had a score to settle on Stac Pollaidh. They had abandoned an attempt on November Grooves this time last year due to rain, so the bright sun of the morning was very welcome.

Sunday breakfast brought the familiar sound of heavy rain on the roof, leading to a relaxed breakfast and an early return home for all.

Near the summit of Conival

Along to Ben More Assynt

The summit of Ben More Assynt

Onto the South Ridge of Ben More Assynt

Airy in places...

...with great situations

Easy tramp off at the end

Rum

Back to the blog with a report from last month of a trip to Rum over the Aberdeen holiday weekend. John & Ann had been waiting for a suitable weather window for this trip for a few years and this was our chance. John had never been into the hills on Rum despite sailing around it and anchoring there dozens of times. The only complicating factor was that the skiing was still excellent and we didn't want to give up on that. So a compromise was reached with us skiing on Aonach Mor on the Friday, then over to Rum first thing Saturday for a little backpacking trip around the island.
 

Warming up on Spikes

Up onto Stob an Chul-Choire

Aonach Beag looking tasty

First we headed out west and over the rounded Orval in warm sun- quite a contrast to the steep snow of the previous day. Not the most exciting walk but superb views, and our first two eagles of the trip. We descended to Harris and found a good spot as far east as possible, just off the end of the raised beaches. This was to maximise our chance of getting a sunset, which looked just possible from the azimuth data. We were well rewarded.

 

Rum from campsite near Arisaig

Canna from Orval

Easy going on Orval, Skye behind

Rum Cuillin from Orval

Harris sunset 1

The next day it was up early for a traverse of the Rum Cuillin. It lived up to its reputation as a cracking day out, the only downside being that we got fairly dehydrated in the warm dry air with no water up on the ridge. The 2l that we were each carrying wasn't enough for such a big day out and the first stream on the way down was welcome relief.

Morning visitors to the tent

Sgurr nan Gillean

The rest of the ridge

Towards Ainshval

Traversing the twin summits of Trollaval

Hallival and Skye from Askival

The Askival Pinnacle

Harris sunset 2

We got back to the tent just in time for another spectacular sunset and a welcome sleep. The final day was a walk out on the landy track to the centre of the island before a sneaky ascent of our final Marilyn on Rum, the featureless Mullach Mor. This gave us more good views before a descent to Kinloch and a very interesting tour of the castle.

Steall Hut and Corbett Bagging

The AMC Meet to the Steall Hut was rather under subscribed, but Friday saw Ed, Scuz and Mark head off West.  Via a kebab in Grantown we made it to the hut with supplies of food, beer, port, cider and whisky. We used the traditional path rather than Evan's alternative route.

Saturday dawned with a covering of fresh snow at Hut level.  We decided to do The Ring of Steall and set off up the usual path but were soon thrown off course by being avalanched at about 500m.  Large amounts of fresh snow had fallen in the previous few days and was still settling down.  As the path above was loaded with snow we sought an alternative route to the east and fairly easily made the ridge of An Gearanach which proceeded to give some great winter scrambling (except Scuz didn't like it!)

On reaching Stob Corrie a Chairn we dcecided to change our plans and head east rather than inflict more 'scary' exposed climbing on Scuz.  Instead it was decided to do the 2 hills to the east - Na Gruagaichean and Binnein Mor, which were a nice hard snow plod - just to Scuzzer's liking!
At the bealach before the first of these ascents Mark wimped out due to being very unfit and feeling a little weary just looking at the next hill.  So he descended the Alt coire na Gabhalach which was magnificently white and, if careful, with only a few waist deep snowdrifts of snow to cross. But lots of sunbathing and enjoying the fantastic scenery made the journey back to the hut fairly painless.

The evening saw everyone reunited at the hut for a 4 course posh bothy tea curtosy of Ed (with a little help from his friends).  The stir fry was even good despite the sauce being left in the car!  This was all washed down with afore mentioned alcohol.

Sunday was forecast to have storm force winds and heavy snow, so we had to resort to Corbett bagging for Scuz.  We chose Beinn Ban above Glen Loy.  Ed decided that 3 hours of physical pain was better than the week of mental torment from not leting Scuz have her fun....

The SMC Corbett book says the route we followed is 'easy but dull' - just about right.

  Add in 40mph winds and driving snow and you had a lovely day out.....

We even had to get the GPS out to find the summit...

 

 

By the top Scuz had a couple of fairly reluctant friends....

 

The lesson is, get dropped at the gear shop next time Scuz says she wants to go Corbettering!

 

Sunday walk - Spittal of Glenshee

Morna and Scuz headed out to snatch a pre-Christmas Corbett from the Spittal of Glenshee. Fortunately the 100mph winds over hills and ridges didn't materialise so Ben Gulabin was achieved with ease and even a few views! To extend the walk we continued on a round over grouse moorland and was lucky enough to shelter in a high hut for lunch which had a patio heater and supply of beer!!! What moor could one ask for?

A descent to the valley and a wade across a river in spate brought us back to the car. A stop off in Braemar for a cuppa and a cake and a peruse around the 'toy' shop rounded off a fine day out.

Christmas Meet, Milehouse, Kincraig

Rarely, if ever, has the booking sheet been as dynamic as the one for this meet. There were almost as many cancellations as attendees, and that was with us making good use of the overflow camping facility. So with a wild and wintry forecast the committed headed off to Kincraig and a bit of a snowy shock. Despite the wintry weather in Aberdeen the sight of a good few inches of the white stuff in the hut car park still caused us some surprise, and a few parking problems.

Saturday was pretty much like the forecast; some clouds, cold but hardly a breath of wind. Most folks set off for reasonably big days out for the time of year. After failing to agree on a start time the popular choice of Bynack Mor saw two parties. Ann and John were the early birds who paid the price of breaking trail most of the way up, until caught by Stu and Juliette who had been delayed by dog issues. Their payback was getting down in the light, unlike the tardy tailenders of Roddy, Evie and Malcolm, despite having a ploughed trench to follow. Sadly the fine weather didn't hold and high up it was cloudy on and off, and there were some ferocious gusts too. Meanwhile, Jamie, Naomi and Linda B headed for the Glen Feshie hill and club members can see more of their exploits on the Facebook group. Sticking in Feshie, Scuz went for an ambitious double Corbett bag at the southern end of the glen but even she was defeated by the deep snow after just one, and Denis and Susan stuck to a low level walk around Achlean.

Deep going near the old Bynack stable

Bynack Mor in sight, but the clouds rolling in

 

Nearly there...

Getting a bit wild as we came down

Looking over to Ben Avon

Bright spell as we headed down

Saturday night brought on the usual excellent communal feast, with Malcolm's turkey terrine and Naomi's huge banoffi pie deserving special mention. There then followed what for me was a first, a bit of festive singing due to some secretive pre-planning amongst the musical types. All very festive.

Time for carols (singing chefs not shown for hygiene reasons)

Waking to the sound of heavy rain is never good, and less so with so much snow around. Given the exertions of the wading the day before most folks were happy with a long breakfast in preparation for some enthusiastic car pushing, before heading off to various cafes, gear shops and getting their skis out of storage. There have been some unconfirmed rumours about biking and some wee wanders...

Raeburn Hut Meet, Dalwhinnie

Reports from this autumn are starting to sound a bit familiar with another dodgy forecast and another bunch of members heading off on a meet to see what could be salvaged. In the end it turned out OK, the forecast on Saturday being overall better than forecast and Sunday was fairly pleasant for November. What did make this meet unusual was the large number of new members attending, almost half the meet. Luckily they didn’t seem too put off by the rest of us and soon joined in with the route planning for Saturday’s outings.

The interesting hill party selected an unusual route up The Far via the rocky cleft of the Dirc Mhor, which provided plenty of botanical and geological diversions for Denis, Malcolm and Jane.

 

Dirc Mhor

Dirc Mhor

Linda B fancied a crack at Creag Meagaidh and was accompanied by Naomi, Lai Yan, Greg and Roger. Despite rumours of a navigational “wobble” around Mad Meg’s Cairn I’m assured they did reach the actual summit, then carried on round the corrie over the other two Munros. (see Ann & John’s ski round of this route here)

Rod and Bob went for a bit of a yomp over most of the West Drumochter Munros and as expected were easily back in time for tea and cake, as was Giancarlo who bagged the solitary Meall Cuaich. Another solitary effort was put in by Roddy who went on a mission to bag one of the Corbetts above Glen Roy.

That just left John & Ann to tackle the biggest outing of the day, the traverse of the three Munros south of Loch Laggan. Despite being a big day a lot is on landy tracks so the going was quite fast, except for the direct descent north from the summit of Beinn a Chlachair, which has little to recommend it. Like the Creag Meagaidh group, the promised clearance from the west never really happened although a few good views were had.

Brief break in the clouds near Creag Pitridh

Saturday night as usual brought out the culinary flair in members, with an excellent three-course communal meal well up to the high AMC standards.

Most of the group ready to face Sunday

I’m a bit less sure of what went on on Sunday, which was a much better day in terms of weather – cold and clear with some fresh snow on the higher tops. The Creag Meagaidh five went up The Fara, John & Ann did the East Drumochters, Jane & Bob went for a bike-assisted bag of Beinn Mheadhonach from Glen Tilt.

West Drumochters from the east

West to The Fara

Torridon Meet

Last weekend a hardy bunch of AMC-ers were undeterred by the foul forecast and headed across to Torridon where the excellent accommodation of the Ling Hut was waiting. Most even arrived in time to cook in the hut and get the place warmed up the tail-enders. 

Ling Hut

Saturday dawned reasonably bright, with little sign of the promised heavy showers although the strong winds were getting going. Most played it safe with sensible lower-level routes with easy escapes. Lowest of all, Mark and Ed undertook the Great Northern Panorama Traverse (around the back of Liathach to the rest of us). Linda B and John traversed Beinn na h-Eaglaise & Seana Mheallan, which gave them fine views of all the main Torridonian peaks and the considerable bonus of a finish in the pub. My, how the Beinn Damph Bar has changed. Malcolm and Donald battled up Sgorr nan Lochain Uaine and got back in time for an afternoon nap, while Rod laughed at the wind and managed to bag most of Beinn Eighe. That just leaves Linda S, who put us all to shame by running over Sgurr Ruadh just to get to Fuar Tholl, then almost ran back over Beinn Liath Mor but by then it was too windy even for her. And she wasn't last back...

The customary communal meal was suitably demolished despite the not inconsiderable challenge of Ed's Christmas Pud appearing as a finale, all washed down with the surplus wines from the Sailing Meet.

As predicted, Sunday was the sort of windy washout only the West Coast can deliver, so we all came home.

Beinn Damph from Beinn na h_Eaglaise

On Beinn na h_Eaglaise

Liathach from Seana Mheallan

Loch Torridon from Seana Mheallan