Eight Miles High Low Down

The Meet Report

The Cabin, Balgowan 19^th – 20^th May 2012

Attending

Jake Brewster 
John Kirkham

Andre Hawryliw
John Meechan

Apologies

Irene & David Morris who had to take desperate last minute measures to deal with a ‘Leaky Lavvy’.

Otherwise the poor attendance was probably down to the concurrent Scottish Cup Final, certain passionate Jambo club members even flying relatives across the Atlantic to attend the game. Doubtless they were very “Miraculous” celebrating the result afterwards. It will probably take a long time for their euphoria to subside, so the match will be replayed at many Meets to come for those who were not there.

Base Camp Notes

The Cabin is a relatively new venue for the club, lying just above the tiny hamlet of Balgowan between Laggan and Newtonmore, so it is a short walk up hill from the car parking area. As the pictures show it is well appointed and comfortable with fantastic views over the Spey Valley from the lounge with its very effective wood burning stove and climbing memorabilia decor. Facilities included two microwaves and two fridges in a modern kitchen area at one end of the lounge. There was even a hi-fi system and a television which were never used.

Sleeping accommodation comprised one room with a double bunk (which was rapidly snaffled by John Kirkham) and a dormitory with a sleeping platform giving space for another ten to twelve more sociable persons.

There are two shower/toilet rooms, but one was out of action leaving just the one combined wet-room-shower-come-toilet nearest the lounge. Given the extended washing habits of some club members and the repetitive bowel movements of others, the limited meet attendance was probably a fortunate occurrence.

Weather Notes

Saturday’s weather was cool and cloudy but generally fine. Sunday was very warm, sunny, still and virtually cloudless, the day probably constituting the Scottish summer. As seems to have been the case with Club Meets of late, the weather on the Sunday was much better than the Saturday.

Special Note

The construction of the new highlands main electricity distributor network was everywhere to be seen in the Spey Valley and down the Eastern side of Drumochter. The civil engineering work is massive, and all to support the eventual distribution of energy from northern wind farms to the populous south. Let’s hope it does not turn out to be just so much hot air! What happens when the wind doesn’t blow? As on the Good Ship Venus, do they send for Carter the Farter to start her? Anyway contractors’ signage is everywhere to be seen with a broad access road being bulldozed over hill and dale and up parallel to the Corryarrick Pass, presumably to construct and maintain the pylons. Sometimes it is even possible to find an old estate bridge submerged under the new heavy duty works erected by the contractors (see photograph). This area will never be the same again.

Hill Notes – Saturday

Jake Brewster:

Carn More in Glen Dessarry, one of his few outstanding Corbetts still to be ticked off the diminishing list.

John Meechan & John Kirkham:

A longish walk around Glen Dessarry after delivering Jake to Carn More in John Kirkham’s car (why didn’t they go walking with Jake?). In the process Kirkham discovered that whilst BMW Five-Series might be a good symbol of his undoubted virility, the length of the bonnet is a definite hazard in this longest of cul-de-sac roads in the UK: he frequently had to approach many of the hill crests completely blind.

Andre Hawryliw

Gairbeinn and Corrieyairack Hill with good views to Ben Tee and the Glen Garry Hills to the West (photograph below).

Hill Notes – Sunday

Messrs Brewster & Kirkham

The north face of Wetherspoons in Gen Kirkcaldy!!!

John Meechan

A scramble around Coire Ardair on Creag Meagaidh. John was probably desperate for something more “entertaining”.

Andre Hawryliw

Meall na h-Aisre with a lot of time dozing and accumulating rays next to the Allt Coire well above Garve Bridge on the descent.

Concluding Note

This was the first meet in memory when no Munros were even attempted, the total ‘bag’ being just three Corbetts. Is the club getting soft, or is it the ageing membership, or are the ‘Corbetteers’ winning the argument?

Meet Report Courtesy of Andre

Strawberry Cottage 14th – 15th April 2012

Attending

Davie Paterson

Lindsay Wyllie

Drew Jackson 

Mike Paterson

Graham Wyllie

Stevie Gilfeather 

Apologies 

Andre Hawryliw (it became Nick’s ’official’ 30th Birthday Weekend in Glasgow) 

Base Camp Notes 

Given the popularity of this superb remote location it was perhaps surprising that only six members of the club decided to go ‘cottaging’. Perhaps some members were afraid that other pastimes were involved in cottaging! Perhaps it was because the car parks in Glen Affric were going to charge that scared off the more tight-fisted members (the payment machines were certainly installed but not yet functional).  Perhaps it was one of those weekends when all sorts of other activities coalesce, and excuses included a splinter group going off to climb “Wee Hills” on Jura, plus a number of family events, not to mention football and the Hearts. Despite the lack of washing facilities, Strawberry Cottage is comfortable, well appointed and highly recommended, and at this time of year the dreaded midges have yet to appear (cottaging midges were a problem here in the past when only the truly desperate would venture to the out-house toilet and only when dressed like Darth Vader).     

Weather Notes 

The pictures prove that the weather was excellent: very cold and clear with just the occasional “blattering” by heavy snow showers, which added greatly to the scenic early spring beauty once they had blown past.   

Special Note One 

The use of foreign words and phrases is permissible in Scrabble (Saturday night) provided that they are in reasonably common usage in the host language. For those still wondering, “Quo Vadis” is Latin for “Who goes there”, something like a sentry’s challenge, and also a famous American film from the 1950s. In turn this degenerated into a more complex discussion/argument on the merits of progressive rock: Foreigner versus Status Quo (do you follow the dubious ‘logic’ of the conversation?). 

Special Note Two 

Two cars were taken in on the land rover track to Strawberry Cottage and parked just short of the bridge over River Affric. This was a sensible choice as it enabled the cottagers to enjoy a healthier diet by not having to carry in supplies: that is, beer and wine rather than whisky and vodka. (What was that bump in the (Saturday) night when a nameless person fell off the couch?) 

Special Note Three 

Mike Paterson is turning into a second ‘Bald Eagle’. Stomp, stomp, stomp around the cottage in the wee (get the meaning) small hours of the morning. 

Hill Notes – Friday 

Drew Jackson & Stevie Gilfeather – Carn nan Gobhar from the dam at Cannich via a boggy path, following an early(ish) departure from Fife and brunch at the recently re-opened café by the station in Dalwhinnie. Reaching the summit about 4pm they were treated to excellent views in clear air, especially of Sgurr na Lapaich, a temptation that they had to resist (with much lamentation from Drew) as they were committed to rendezvousing in the pub at Cannich at 7pm with  the other cottagers, who were driving up in the afternoon. Even more temptation was resisted by the collected cottagers who amazingly only spent half an hour in the pub before moving on to Glen Affric itself. 

Hill Notes – Saturday 

Messrs Jackson, Gilfeather and the two Patersons – Mullach Fraoch-choire using a boggy trail up a ridge from Glen Affric, crossing several deer fences along the way. The views of Ceathreamhnan, Mam Sodhail and the Conbhairean Group were outstanding. En route a memorial cairn was found to Michael Matthews, the youngest Briton to ascend Everest (age 22), but unfortunately killed on its descent in 1999. The continuation to A’Chralaig looked fantastic but had to be abandoned 150 metres from the summit because of jagged pinnacles, unpredictable snow, and clear evidence of avalanches (more complaints and much lamentation from Drew). Four somewhat disappointed climbers returned to Strawberry Cottage, although that journey was enlivened by the amusing sight of ‘The Captain’ (maritime, aka Davie Paterson) attempting a river crossing with some difficulty (it’s the attraction of water).   

Lindsay Wyllie – Sgurr Gaorsaic, a Corbett at the top of Glen Affric, approaching the Bealach an Sgaime which leads into Kintail. A walk up the attractive glen, followed by a steep ascent/descent under snow to get there and back again. 

Graham Wyllie – A mammoth expedition of almost nine hours which involved skirting round from the Bealach Coire Ghaidheil to Beinn Fhionnlaidh then over to Mullach na Dheiragain before cutting over to the col below Stob Coire na Cloiche and returning via the Alltbeithe path.  

Hill Notes – Sunday 

No hills climbed, just the longish drive back to Fife, ready for work on Monday (ugh!).