Attending
Davie Paterson
Irene Morris
John Kirkham
Mike
Paterson
David Morris
Andre Hawryliw
Apologies
Jimmy
Taylor (was coming with Jake)
Jake Brewster (back troubles)
No-Shows
John
Meechan (saw the weather forecast?)
Martin Dand (pass withdrawn?)
Meet Notes
The Inbirphaolin hut is in a fantastic location down Glen Etive. The club has been going to the hut for many years and despite it's age it still makes for a cracking venue due to it's proximity to many Fine Munro's and Corbett's. Storm damage to the surrounding woods has produced a
lot of lumber for the fire, but this was difficult to burn again
because of its high water content. The grand feature of the hut
remains the ‘Execution Shed’ composting outside toilet which
remains remarkably ‘pong-free’ .
Weather
Notes
Friday
evening and Saturday, apart from around midday, were very wet indeed:
typical West Coast Driesch with the rain coming straight down in
volumes. It was drier around Saturday lunch time and then it turned
colder and drier with a light smattering of snow on Saturday night.
Sunday was an excellent day: cool and bright with lots of sunshine
and only a few snow squalls moving quickly over the hills.
Special
Note One
Davie
Paterson started to climb Stob Coire’an Albannaich with his brother
but after 100 metres thought the better of it in the pouring rain,
deciding to join Irene and John on their expedition to the bright
lights of Fort William instead. Later it was pointed out that he had
climbed it before (along with Meall nan Eun) but he had forgotten (it
was on 13th
April 2002 with a large group of Eight Mile Highers to be precise).
Therefore Davie got two Munro ‘ticks’ on Saturday without
actually having to climb anything.
Special
Note Two
It
seems that John Kirkham has developed a taste (addiction?) for
Kentucky Fried Chicken, and given the weather on Saturday, he decided
to go to Fort William in search of the elusive Colonel Sanders.
Irene, and later Davie, decided to go along for the ride.
Unfortunately only McDonalds has made it across the Atlantic to Fort
William, so they had to retire to Morrison’s Supermarket, where
Davie treated himself to a full size all-day breakfast. Meanwhile
John bought a few packs of fruited scones and some small jars of jam
to share for a High Tea back at the hut.
Unfortunately
John was not wearing his glasses and the small jars turned out to be
pickle! This was not immediately obvious at High Tea. Davie was the
first to experience a Branston pickle scone which he had been told
was blackcurrant jam. Too polite to say anything at first, he assumed
John had been buying cheap out of date produce again and that it had
gone off. Others were soon less polite! Peach Chutney is no better on
a fruited scone. Those less visually challenged soon discovered the
source of the strange taste from the labels on the jars.
Hill
Notes – Friday
John
Kirkham
– The Stob (a Graham in the vicinity of Balquidder)
“Very
wet and no visibility”. Used a mountain bike for access so got very
muddy.
David
Morris –
Creag Mac Ranaich (a Corbett from Glen Ogle)
Meanwhile
Irene had a snooze low down in her sleeping bag in the car at the
Lochan Lairig Cheille and was treated to the frontal view of a group
of men urinating at the side of the road (apparently the lochan
translates as the ‘Loch of the Boys’, so perhaps that is how it
got its name).
Hill
Notes – Saturday
Mike
Paterson
- Stob Coire’an Albannaich (a Munro from lower Glen Etive)
Succeed
in terrible weather, low visibility driving rain, etc. Decided not to
continue to Meall nan Eun due to the conditions.. The whole range was
shrouded in mist and rain all day.
Andre
Hawryliw
- Bein Maol Chalium (a Corbett from Inbhirphaolin)
Very
wet going up and down, but wonderfully clear on the summit ridge. An
excellent hill (highly recommended) with good views all around
(unfortunately did not take camera due to the heavy rain at the
start).
David
Morris –
Beinn Trilleachan (a Corbett from the bottom of Glen Etive)
Also
very wet to begin with, but this was the only other hill to clear and
to remain so for much of the day. It proves that the sun really does
shine on the righteous, although there was a long walk back on the
road as Irene was back late from Fort William.
Hill
Notes – Sunday
Andre
Hawryliw
– Beinn Mhic Chasgaig (a Corbett from Altchaorunn)
Interesting
plank bridge across a deep Himalayan style gorge (smaller and
straighter then Glen Nevis) leading to a steep ascent. Very wet
underfoot with another river crossing, but excellent weather and just
a few cloudy snow squalls moving through. An excellent hill with
superb views of Creise, the Buachaille, and out across Rannoch Moor:
highly commended.
Everybody
else went home and missed out on a superb weather day on Sunday as
the following pictures from Beinn Mhic Chasgaig show.
Thanks to Andre for the meet report
