Sunday, 20 September 2009
Knyodart Compleation
Willie Corrigan and Stewart Williamson are planning to compleat the munros on Saturday 10th October. They are staying at the Knoydart Foundation Bunkhouse heading up on the Friday and back on the Sunday. If you plan on going contact Willie for more details.
Nudie Pictures!!
Don't ask me how or why but I stumbled across this rather bizarre article about a couple trying to finish the munros naked. Shamefully the interview doesn't even bring up the obvious problems of midges. Would like to see them in Torridon surrounded by millions of the wee blighters. WARNING - There are a couple of nudie pictures in the article HERE
Friday, 4 September 2009
Glas Tulaichen
I was just up Glas Tulaichean for the second time at the weekend, and this time up I went up Glen Lochsie. I was fascinated to find that there was a train track up there until 1978 and it's unbelievable that someone went to all that trouble when we encountered more bugs coming down the old track than I have ever seen in my life. There were millions of them. An excellent article about the track can be found HERE
Thursday, 28 May 2009
Club AGM - Warout Stadium 13/02/08
ATTENDANCE
17 persons attended and apologies were made on behalf of various others.
MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS AGM
The minutes of the previous AGM held on 1st February 2008 were approved.
TREASURERS REPORT
Details of the current finances of the club were circulated by the acting treasurer, Jim Wyllie, showing that we had incurred as substantial loss on meets during 2008.
Everyone agreed that steps should be taken to improve the position through our finances were still reasonably viable. Suggestions to either increase membership fee or the bed night costs were mooted. After considerable discussion the compromise proposal by John Meechan to charge £6 per night for hut and hall fees and £15 for membership was carried by a majority.
MEET REPORT
As Graham Wyllie, the meet secretary, was unable to attend there was no full report. The meets list up until September was circulated to those present. John Kirkham proposed that no further meets (after the Skye meet in May) should be held at the bunkhouses as this might incur looses to the clubs finances. This motion was carried.
ELECTION OF OFFICE BEARERS
Jim Wyllie indicated that he did not wish to stand again as secretary while Joe Seath indicated the same as treasurer. It was also likely that Graham Wyllie would soon hopefully gain entry to the RAF and accordingly would be unable to continue as meet secretary.
Thereafter the following were appointed to the vacant positions:
Secretary Stephen Gilfeather
Meet Secretary Jake Brewster
Treasurer Davie Paterson
3 other committee members – Martin Dand, Allan Duncan, John Blackwood.
FEES
The meet secretary would still receive £50 plus membership for the M.C of S. Stevie Gilfeather indicated that he would get a typist at his work to do the necessary typing without cost to the club.
ANY OTHER BUSINESS
It was unanimously agrees that the secretary should receive an advance of £50 to cover postages and other ancillary costs for the year.
17 persons attended and apologies were made on behalf of various others.
MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS AGM
The minutes of the previous AGM held on 1st February 2008 were approved.
TREASURERS REPORT
Details of the current finances of the club were circulated by the acting treasurer, Jim Wyllie, showing that we had incurred as substantial loss on meets during 2008.
Everyone agreed that steps should be taken to improve the position through our finances were still reasonably viable. Suggestions to either increase membership fee or the bed night costs were mooted. After considerable discussion the compromise proposal by John Meechan to charge £6 per night for hut and hall fees and £15 for membership was carried by a majority.
MEET REPORT
As Graham Wyllie, the meet secretary, was unable to attend there was no full report. The meets list up until September was circulated to those present. John Kirkham proposed that no further meets (after the Skye meet in May) should be held at the bunkhouses as this might incur looses to the clubs finances. This motion was carried.
ELECTION OF OFFICE BEARERS
Jim Wyllie indicated that he did not wish to stand again as secretary while Joe Seath indicated the same as treasurer. It was also likely that Graham Wyllie would soon hopefully gain entry to the RAF and accordingly would be unable to continue as meet secretary.
Thereafter the following were appointed to the vacant positions:
Secretary Stephen Gilfeather
Meet Secretary Jake Brewster
Treasurer Davie Paterson
3 other committee members – Martin Dand, Allan Duncan, John Blackwood.
FEES
The meet secretary would still receive £50 plus membership for the M.C of S. Stevie Gilfeather indicated that he would get a typist at his work to do the necessary typing without cost to the club.
ANY OTHER BUSINESS
It was unanimously agrees that the secretary should receive an advance of £50 to cover postages and other ancillary costs for the year.
Monday, 18 May 2009
The Dom (4545m) - Graham Wyllie
The Dom is the highest peak wholly within Switzerland and if Monte Rosa is counted as one summit, the 3rd highest mountain in the Alps. It is situated on the east side of the Matteral valley and is the highest point of the great Michabel ridge. Only John and I climbed it as my Dad had done it some years earlier and didn't fancy going up again. When we arrived at Randa, after the drive from The Val d' Aosta over the Grand St. Bernard Pass, we checked the weather. Surprisingly, given that it had rained a lot, the day after next it was forecast to be near perfect. Our luck pulled through again when after inquiring at the camp site about vacancies at the hut we were told a party of three had cancelled there booking at the Dom Hut which is full most nights during the peak season.
The following day John and I set off from the camp site at about 11am. From Randa (1400m) it is 1500m of ascent to the hut (2940m) and a further 1600m to the summit (4545m) making it the largest vertical ascent of any of the normal routes to a 4000m summit in the Alps. After we set off we gained an extra hour unappreciated exercise due to a mistake on my part but once we were on the right path it was a long constant slog all the way up to the hut. The excessive heat and heavy loads didn't aid progress nor did the heavy boots we were wearing. About two thirds of the way up we hit the fixed ropes which made the last section up to the hut a basic via ferrata. We eventually reached the hut at about 4pm to enjoy fantastic views of the great Matteral peaks which had been shedding cloud since the early morning showers. We checked in and were told we had dinner at 6, so we sorted out our bunks and our gear for the next day as well as some deserved relaxing. Booking a meal is compulsory at the Dom Hut during the peak season. It consisted of soup, salad, curry and a dessert. I ate it all although didn't enjoy the salad and curry because of my tastes but didn't want to cause offence by not eating it. We also needed lots of body fuel for the next day. The food in the huts is of very good quality. After dinner we enjoyed the sunset then went to our bunks. John was snoring until the guy beside me woke him up to tell him, as well as telling a couple of guys that were speaking to “Shut up”. Thankfully I slept a lot better than I did the night before the Gran Paradiso
At 2:45 a.m. the following morning we got a wake-up call and went downstairs for a continental breakfast. After getting ready we joined the line of head torches going up the moraine behind the hut to the foot of the Festi Glacier. At the start of the glacier we geared up and headed up towards the Festijoch. We were roped at this point as there was crevassed areas that had to be passed . We were in no rush and John wasn't feeling that great so we took our time. All morning we had been hearing what was most likely avalanches thundering down the great North snow face of the Weisshorn. We reached the bottom of the slope up to the Festijoch and removed our crampons as it was mainly loose rock with only scattered snow patches. This section was a bit chaotic and an Austrian guy below us on a snow patch was almost wiped out by a large falling rock that I thought came from John and John thought came from me, although there was also a guy between us.
The Festijoch, at 3723m, is the splitting point of the two normal routes on the mountain. The easier and longer of these is the North Flank route which it appeared only one party was doing, everyone else including us was going up the Festigrat which is a long snow ridge that finishes at a subsidiary summit at 4479m. The sun was starting to rise now and fantastic alpenglow could be seen on the great peaks to west of which the Matterhorn, Weisshorn and Dent Blanche were exceptionally spectacular. We started up the ridge after some food and photos, it was steep and quite slow going. Not far up a great roar could be heard, it was quickly identified as an avalanche on the face to our left. It moved towards the people on the North flank route but stopped long before they were in any real danger. Seeing the power displayed by this relatively small avalanche was quite chilling. Continuing up the ridge was getting increasingly difficult due to the altitude. I had not experienced any difficulties on the Gran Paradiso but we were probably about 100m above GP's height when the ridge started getting hard and we were stopping every minute or two for deep breaths. About halfway up the ridge I heard a crack, it was most likely a serac which probably caused the avalanche, and grew eager and anxious to get this short section behind us despite the constant struggle. John, however, was as calm and unaffected as ever and we continued at the same pace. Nearing the top of the ridge we reached the point where we had to traverse to the col between Pt. 4479 and the summit. At the col the Festigrat route and the North Flank route meet before the final 100m push to the summit. Looking over to the col there was a lot of spindrift flying about and the reactions of climbers caught in it was an indication of how debilitating it was.
I was in the front and we moved through, past the col and up the final slope. My glasses were constantly steaming up and I was battling through deep, steep, soft snow which is demanding without taking account of our poor acclimatization and the high altitude (4500m) as well as the spindrift. We edged our way up the slope to the summit, there was basically no wind and the view was fantastic, we waited a few minutes for the large group of people that were there to start their descent and we had the summit to ourselves. The vista before us was incredible, Mont Blanc in the East beyond the Dent Blanche, Obergabelhorn, Zinalrothorn and Weisshorn, The Gran Paradiso past the iconic Matterhorn. To the South over the near Taschhorn was the mass of Monte Rosa and the long ridge over Lsykamm all the way to the Briethorn. The view to the West was opened with a near vertical drop of 1000m to the glaciers of the Saas valley and continued over the Weissmies to a sea of peaks. The Bernese giants with their huge Glaciers lay to the north over the peaks of the Nadelgrat. The area on the summit is quite spacious but there is a short extremely exposed ridge out to the Cross. We took turns going out and getting our photos taken before beginning the long descent.
The route down was the same as the ascent from the col, it the took the North Flank route down onto the Hobarg glacier and round to the Festijoch before joining our ascent route again. I had worked out my glasses were getting steamed up due my balaclava being over my mouth and thankfully going down we were pretty much unaffected by the altitude as we weren't bothered with head aches. As the route withered down the north side it proved to be a very scenic snow trek that passed a lot of crevices and gave a fantastic view of the mighty serac wall where the avalanche had came from earlier in the day. It was a struggle to get up to the Festijoch again although it's a snow slope from the north side rather than the rocky chaos on the south. From the Festijoch we had a tedious descent to the Festi glacier. We also caught up with some of the parties that had overtaken us on the ridge. They seemed to be very fit and acclimatized meaning that they could move fast on the snow, but when it came to rock they were very slow. Near the bottom I caused a rock to fall while trying to sort out the rope that hit John's hand, it was bleeding but he was fortunately OK. We descended the glacier past the now more visible crevasses and then the moraine back to the hut. My dad had said he would meet us on the way down either at the hut or below it, so we had a few cokes then continued our descent. At the bottom of the fixed ropes we met my dad who took the rope off me and we headed down the remainder to the welcome camp site. The end of a great climb.
The following day John and I set off from the camp site at about 11am. From Randa (1400m) it is 1500m of ascent to the hut (2940m) and a further 1600m to the summit (4545m) making it the largest vertical ascent of any of the normal routes to a 4000m summit in the Alps. After we set off we gained an extra hour unappreciated exercise due to a mistake on my part but once we were on the right path it was a long constant slog all the way up to the hut. The excessive heat and heavy loads didn't aid progress nor did the heavy boots we were wearing. About two thirds of the way up we hit the fixed ropes which made the last section up to the hut a basic via ferrata. We eventually reached the hut at about 4pm to enjoy fantastic views of the great Matteral peaks which had been shedding cloud since the early morning showers. We checked in and were told we had dinner at 6, so we sorted out our bunks and our gear for the next day as well as some deserved relaxing. Booking a meal is compulsory at the Dom Hut during the peak season. It consisted of soup, salad, curry and a dessert. I ate it all although didn't enjoy the salad and curry because of my tastes but didn't want to cause offence by not eating it. We also needed lots of body fuel for the next day. The food in the huts is of very good quality. After dinner we enjoyed the sunset then went to our bunks. John was snoring until the guy beside me woke him up to tell him, as well as telling a couple of guys that were speaking to “Shut up”. Thankfully I slept a lot better than I did the night before the Gran Paradiso
At 2:45 a.m. the following morning we got a wake-up call and went downstairs for a continental breakfast. After getting ready we joined the line of head torches going up the moraine behind the hut to the foot of the Festi Glacier. At the start of the glacier we geared up and headed up towards the Festijoch. We were roped at this point as there was crevassed areas that had to be passed . We were in no rush and John wasn't feeling that great so we took our time. All morning we had been hearing what was most likely avalanches thundering down the great North snow face of the Weisshorn. We reached the bottom of the slope up to the Festijoch and removed our crampons as it was mainly loose rock with only scattered snow patches. This section was a bit chaotic and an Austrian guy below us on a snow patch was almost wiped out by a large falling rock that I thought came from John and John thought came from me, although there was also a guy between us.
The Festijoch, at 3723m, is the splitting point of the two normal routes on the mountain. The easier and longer of these is the North Flank route which it appeared only one party was doing, everyone else including us was going up the Festigrat which is a long snow ridge that finishes at a subsidiary summit at 4479m. The sun was starting to rise now and fantastic alpenglow could be seen on the great peaks to west of which the Matterhorn, Weisshorn and Dent Blanche were exceptionally spectacular. We started up the ridge after some food and photos, it was steep and quite slow going. Not far up a great roar could be heard, it was quickly identified as an avalanche on the face to our left. It moved towards the people on the North flank route but stopped long before they were in any real danger. Seeing the power displayed by this relatively small avalanche was quite chilling. Continuing up the ridge was getting increasingly difficult due to the altitude. I had not experienced any difficulties on the Gran Paradiso but we were probably about 100m above GP's height when the ridge started getting hard and we were stopping every minute or two for deep breaths. About halfway up the ridge I heard a crack, it was most likely a serac which probably caused the avalanche, and grew eager and anxious to get this short section behind us despite the constant struggle. John, however, was as calm and unaffected as ever and we continued at the same pace. Nearing the top of the ridge we reached the point where we had to traverse to the col between Pt. 4479 and the summit. At the col the Festigrat route and the North Flank route meet before the final 100m push to the summit. Looking over to the col there was a lot of spindrift flying about and the reactions of climbers caught in it was an indication of how debilitating it was.
I was in the front and we moved through, past the col and up the final slope. My glasses were constantly steaming up and I was battling through deep, steep, soft snow which is demanding without taking account of our poor acclimatization and the high altitude (4500m) as well as the spindrift. We edged our way up the slope to the summit, there was basically no wind and the view was fantastic, we waited a few minutes for the large group of people that were there to start their descent and we had the summit to ourselves. The vista before us was incredible, Mont Blanc in the East beyond the Dent Blanche, Obergabelhorn, Zinalrothorn and Weisshorn, The Gran Paradiso past the iconic Matterhorn. To the South over the near Taschhorn was the mass of Monte Rosa and the long ridge over Lsykamm all the way to the Briethorn. The view to the West was opened with a near vertical drop of 1000m to the glaciers of the Saas valley and continued over the Weissmies to a sea of peaks. The Bernese giants with their huge Glaciers lay to the north over the peaks of the Nadelgrat. The area on the summit is quite spacious but there is a short extremely exposed ridge out to the Cross. We took turns going out and getting our photos taken before beginning the long descent.
The route down was the same as the ascent from the col, it the took the North Flank route down onto the Hobarg glacier and round to the Festijoch before joining our ascent route again. I had worked out my glasses were getting steamed up due my balaclava being over my mouth and thankfully going down we were pretty much unaffected by the altitude as we weren't bothered with head aches. As the route withered down the north side it proved to be a very scenic snow trek that passed a lot of crevices and gave a fantastic view of the mighty serac wall where the avalanche had came from earlier in the day. It was a struggle to get up to the Festijoch again although it's a snow slope from the north side rather than the rocky chaos on the south. From the Festijoch we had a tedious descent to the Festi glacier. We also caught up with some of the parties that had overtaken us on the ridge. They seemed to be very fit and acclimatized meaning that they could move fast on the snow, but when it came to rock they were very slow. Near the bottom I caused a rock to fall while trying to sort out the rope that hit John's hand, it was bleeding but he was fortunately OK. We descended the glacier past the now more visible crevasses and then the moraine back to the hut. My dad had said he would meet us on the way down either at the hut or below it, so we had a few cokes then continued our descent. At the bottom of the fixed ropes we met my dad who took the rope off me and we headed down the remainder to the welcome camp site. The end of a great climb.
Wednesday, 4 February 2009
Monday, 17 November 2008
Survival
I thought everyone might enjoy reading this story. It's a recollection of a guy who fell very badly and was lucky to survive at Bridge of Orchy. This is pinched from the website www.livefortheoutdoors.com .His name is Michael Tunney and here's his story...
t has been almost two years since I so nearly paid the ultimate price for my passion for the mountains and the outdoors in general. While I was very lucky to survive a fall that on another day would have proved fatal, it is still very difficult to comprehend how I did manage to survive. What I do know is that, not only am I fortunate to be alive, but that I am extremely fortunate to be physically able to type this at all.
The day began early on Saturday the 11th of November 2006 and a drive from Helensburgh to Bridge of Orchy. There were two Munros to tick off, Beinn Achaladair and Beinn a’Chreachain. The weather for the day was going to be typical for mid-November in Central Scotland. A cold North wind and a light snow covering on the ground, but dry and with excellent visibility to enjoy the fine views from the summits.
My sixteen year old son, Michael was joining me today and we set off for the 90 minute drive to Achallader Farm where the farmer has kindly set aside an area for car parking. Having decided to tackle the route anti-clockwise, giving an easier walk-out, we set off through Coire Achaladair to the bealach. The burn was fairly icy, but there were no difficulties in crossing.
Once on the bealach we turned up the long ridge to the summit of Beinn Achaladair. The views were stunning, but we didn’t linger, as the gusts had really picked up and were picking up the light snow covering. We headed down into more sheltered ground and had some food and a hot drink. By this time, we had put on warmer clothing, a decision that later would become lifesaving. Suitably refreshed, we started to head towards Beinn a’Chreachain.
It was at this point, that the day changed course which almost proved fatal. Michael complained of pain in his ankle. He had recently completed the West Highland Way, but with some discomfort. There was still a fair bit to go, but I gave him the option, and at the time, he made the correct decision not to continue. Whether I made the next decision correctly is something that I still think about, even though there is nothing I can do to change anything. Heading back up and over Beinn Achaladair was out of the question and I felt that the most direct route off the mountain, with a shorter distance to the car would be the best for Michael’s ankle.
However, I didn’t plan for such a rapid descent. We headed towards the forest and the Water of Tulla. Although the ground was steep, there wasn’t much descent to cope with to reach easier terrain. We had left much of the strong gusts behind and things should’ve been easier at this point. But in an instant, it was a turn of foot on some ice that almost proved my undoing.
I had stopped and turned to see what Michael was doing when my heel slipped slightly. It was enough to spin me and to instantly lose my bearing. Pack-side ended up over the slope and I lost my balance. I hit the ground hard but couldn’t stop, just continued to pick up speed and bounce down the mountainside. I’ve been asked many times if had lost consciousness at any point. Fortunately I didn’t.
Although this meant that I remember every hard contact with rock, and there were quite a few, I was able to regain some composure once I had stopped. The downside was that I was very aware as soon as my arm broke!! It’s strange what can go through the mind. My first thought was “I’m supposed to be going out for dinner tonight” Weird!! But reality soon kicked in especially when I heard my son shouting. Thankfully I was able to answer him.
I can only imagine the horror in his mind when he saw me fall and the relief when I answered him. To his credit, he phoned 999 straight away. Although he had just seen me take the most horrendous fall and that he wasn’t completely sure of his location, he got things moving with the description that he was able to pass. It was then that some panic set in and he lost his footing coming down to me. He broke a couple of bones in his hand and bumped his head, which caused him to lose consciousness, though thankfully for a short time. One he reached me though, I’m sure I wasn’t a pretty sight. Although my jacket had stayed intact, I knew that my arm was in a bad way. I was also aware of a gash on the top of my head and a sharp pain in my back.
Michael appeared to be in one piece and not fazed by his fall, although I’m sure that he was trying to be brave for me as well. I would think that he realised that I was in the shit!! I had lost my pack in the fall and we had no idea where it was. Later, when I was able to look back at things, I could see a chain of events that were all positive to me staying alive. The first was the decision to take the insulating gear out of the pack and put it on. The second was to carry two mobile phones with different networks (although they both worked) and to keep them in our jackets. It’s something I’ve always done. But getting signals on the phones was to be the most crucial. I was able to phone 999 and speak to the operator. I even got the pronunciations correct, although I failed the Grid Ref test!! The most surreal moment was being asked for a postcode!! I vaguely remember an expletive at that point!! Once the call had been made it was time to take stock of our situation. I knew the weather was expected to worsen later in the evening, when we’d planned to be miles away, and I knew that we’d be glad of the warm gear.
I also had some chocolate in my jacket and we had plenty of battery life on the phones. There was no possibility of self-rescue so we had to sit tight. The pain in my back was excruciating. I believed the pain was due to being wedged against some rocks, so I had told Michael that I needed to move. There was no way that I could have stayed in that position for hours. Michael was set against it. I was wedged slightly onto my left side, so I tried to move with my right leg. When nothing happened, I knew that something was badly wrong with the leg as well as the arm.
I decided to sit tight!! Over the next few hours, the police phoned back and Michael replied to a text from his mum. I’m in trouble I told him!! Darkness was closing in and the wind had picked up. The cold stopped the bleeding from my head and I was in less pain and discomfort, but I was also acutely aware what else it was doing to me. I kept talking and wiggling things!! We talked about anything and everything. Self-determination and the will to survive is an amazingly powerful emotion, although I would rather not have to experience it again.
I knew that I was fading but, foremost because of Michael, I knew that I had to keep going. We could see cars on the A82 Fort William road. It was so surreal to see how close they were. After what seemed like an eternity, we could see the head torches of the Mountain Rescue Team approaching from the road. While this was a very heartening sight, the sound of a helicopter approaching was a sound and emotional experience that I will never forget. By this time, the wind was as bad as it had been on the summit and it had started to rain. We were so close to being rescued and I was really struggling. Michael was doing so well, but he was beginning to feel the strain and probably the effect of his injury as well. The Police were phoning back and I had to tell Michael not to get too upset with them. It became obvious that the helicopter hadn’t picked us out. Even worse the M.R.T. were heading away from us!! To hear Michael when the helicopter flew off was heartbreaking and he was very difficult to reassure.
What we learned some time after, was that the helicopter didn’t have infra-red (it does now) and had gone to pick up the Arrochar M.R.T. They were dropped off higher up and came down in the direction that we had taken. The Oban M.R.T. had been sent to wrong location and it was only by some foresight from the helicopter crew that saved the day. The M.R.T. turned off their head torches and Michael was told to light up the phones. On the helicopter’s return, they immediately picked us out. The M.R.T.s were with us soon after that. I remember the rustling of a survival tent and swearing as I was moved.
The last thing I remember is one of the guys speaking to Michael, then, I don’t remember anything for five days. I’ve been told that once I knew that he was safe, my mind and body just relaxed. I was flown to the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow and was critical throughout the night. My family were told to prepare for the worst. My rescuers didn’t think I’d make it either!! At some point, over the next couple of days, I stabilised and was then able to undergo surgery.
I woke up on the following Thursday. Although there were times in A&E I had been conscious and communicating with my family, that whole period is a complete blank. However, it was on the Thursday that I learned the full extent of my injuries. I knew about the broken arm and the gash on the head. I had also broken 7 ribs on the left side (the pain in the back), my right hip (why I couldn’t move my leg) and had also broken my neck. Particularly fortunate that I couldn’t move at all!! I was transferred to the Queen Elizabeth Spinal Injuries Unit within the hospital. The unit is staffed by a highly professional and dedicated team of nurses, doctors and consultants, which is an understatement.
Despite my injuries, I made rapid progress, and amazed everyone, myself included, by walking (very aided!!) out of the hospital, two and a half weeks later. My recovery has been within the 2 year diagnosed timescale but there have been setbacks and further operations, which, in the scheme of things, are minor glitches. I have also been fortunate to have attended the Northern Police Treatment Centre in Perthshire on several occasions and have received first class physiotherapy. There have been many snippets of information that I’ve picked up since the accident. The 9 inch gash in the side of the helicopter due to gusts, the time added on to to the rescue by miscommunication, the most incredible flying that the MRTs have ever seen, stopping breathing in the helicopter, my core temperature being measured as being pretty close to not making it, to name but a few.
One episode does stick out though. I remember lying in bed in the Spinal Unit and watching the search for two young lads who were missing while ice-climbing in the Cairngorms, only to succumb to the conditions a short distance from safety. I knew then that I would go back to climbing, but that I would never grumble or give up during my recovery and would always realise how lucky I am. Briefly, in May 2009, I am going to complete a route called the Scottish 4,000ers. Nine peaks over 4,000 feet and fourteen peaks over 3,000 feet. The trek will last 9 days, all wild camps or bothies and over 30,000 feet ascent. I would like to raise as much money as I possibly can on behalf of the Oban and Arrochar Mountain Rescue Teams. There is a separate fund for the Northern Police Treatment Centre. I hope that all of you who read this can see how just the slightest slip, while enjoying our passion, can have such an impact. I hope that you will support me.
t has been almost two years since I so nearly paid the ultimate price for my passion for the mountains and the outdoors in general. While I was very lucky to survive a fall that on another day would have proved fatal, it is still very difficult to comprehend how I did manage to survive. What I do know is that, not only am I fortunate to be alive, but that I am extremely fortunate to be physically able to type this at all.
The day began early on Saturday the 11th of November 2006 and a drive from Helensburgh to Bridge of Orchy. There were two Munros to tick off, Beinn Achaladair and Beinn a’Chreachain. The weather for the day was going to be typical for mid-November in Central Scotland. A cold North wind and a light snow covering on the ground, but dry and with excellent visibility to enjoy the fine views from the summits.
My sixteen year old son, Michael was joining me today and we set off for the 90 minute drive to Achallader Farm where the farmer has kindly set aside an area for car parking. Having decided to tackle the route anti-clockwise, giving an easier walk-out, we set off through Coire Achaladair to the bealach. The burn was fairly icy, but there were no difficulties in crossing.
Once on the bealach we turned up the long ridge to the summit of Beinn Achaladair. The views were stunning, but we didn’t linger, as the gusts had really picked up and were picking up the light snow covering. We headed down into more sheltered ground and had some food and a hot drink. By this time, we had put on warmer clothing, a decision that later would become lifesaving. Suitably refreshed, we started to head towards Beinn a’Chreachain.
It was at this point, that the day changed course which almost proved fatal. Michael complained of pain in his ankle. He had recently completed the West Highland Way, but with some discomfort. There was still a fair bit to go, but I gave him the option, and at the time, he made the correct decision not to continue. Whether I made the next decision correctly is something that I still think about, even though there is nothing I can do to change anything. Heading back up and over Beinn Achaladair was out of the question and I felt that the most direct route off the mountain, with a shorter distance to the car would be the best for Michael’s ankle.
However, I didn’t plan for such a rapid descent. We headed towards the forest and the Water of Tulla. Although the ground was steep, there wasn’t much descent to cope with to reach easier terrain. We had left much of the strong gusts behind and things should’ve been easier at this point. But in an instant, it was a turn of foot on some ice that almost proved my undoing.
I had stopped and turned to see what Michael was doing when my heel slipped slightly. It was enough to spin me and to instantly lose my bearing. Pack-side ended up over the slope and I lost my balance. I hit the ground hard but couldn’t stop, just continued to pick up speed and bounce down the mountainside. I’ve been asked many times if had lost consciousness at any point. Fortunately I didn’t.
Although this meant that I remember every hard contact with rock, and there were quite a few, I was able to regain some composure once I had stopped. The downside was that I was very aware as soon as my arm broke!! It’s strange what can go through the mind. My first thought was “I’m supposed to be going out for dinner tonight” Weird!! But reality soon kicked in especially when I heard my son shouting. Thankfully I was able to answer him.
I can only imagine the horror in his mind when he saw me fall and the relief when I answered him. To his credit, he phoned 999 straight away. Although he had just seen me take the most horrendous fall and that he wasn’t completely sure of his location, he got things moving with the description that he was able to pass. It was then that some panic set in and he lost his footing coming down to me. He broke a couple of bones in his hand and bumped his head, which caused him to lose consciousness, though thankfully for a short time. One he reached me though, I’m sure I wasn’t a pretty sight. Although my jacket had stayed intact, I knew that my arm was in a bad way. I was also aware of a gash on the top of my head and a sharp pain in my back.
Michael appeared to be in one piece and not fazed by his fall, although I’m sure that he was trying to be brave for me as well. I would think that he realised that I was in the shit!! I had lost my pack in the fall and we had no idea where it was. Later, when I was able to look back at things, I could see a chain of events that were all positive to me staying alive. The first was the decision to take the insulating gear out of the pack and put it on. The second was to carry two mobile phones with different networks (although they both worked) and to keep them in our jackets. It’s something I’ve always done. But getting signals on the phones was to be the most crucial. I was able to phone 999 and speak to the operator. I even got the pronunciations correct, although I failed the Grid Ref test!! The most surreal moment was being asked for a postcode!! I vaguely remember an expletive at that point!! Once the call had been made it was time to take stock of our situation. I knew the weather was expected to worsen later in the evening, when we’d planned to be miles away, and I knew that we’d be glad of the warm gear.
I also had some chocolate in my jacket and we had plenty of battery life on the phones. There was no possibility of self-rescue so we had to sit tight. The pain in my back was excruciating. I believed the pain was due to being wedged against some rocks, so I had told Michael that I needed to move. There was no way that I could have stayed in that position for hours. Michael was set against it. I was wedged slightly onto my left side, so I tried to move with my right leg. When nothing happened, I knew that something was badly wrong with the leg as well as the arm.
I decided to sit tight!! Over the next few hours, the police phoned back and Michael replied to a text from his mum. I’m in trouble I told him!! Darkness was closing in and the wind had picked up. The cold stopped the bleeding from my head and I was in less pain and discomfort, but I was also acutely aware what else it was doing to me. I kept talking and wiggling things!! We talked about anything and everything. Self-determination and the will to survive is an amazingly powerful emotion, although I would rather not have to experience it again.
I knew that I was fading but, foremost because of Michael, I knew that I had to keep going. We could see cars on the A82 Fort William road. It was so surreal to see how close they were. After what seemed like an eternity, we could see the head torches of the Mountain Rescue Team approaching from the road. While this was a very heartening sight, the sound of a helicopter approaching was a sound and emotional experience that I will never forget. By this time, the wind was as bad as it had been on the summit and it had started to rain. We were so close to being rescued and I was really struggling. Michael was doing so well, but he was beginning to feel the strain and probably the effect of his injury as well. The Police were phoning back and I had to tell Michael not to get too upset with them. It became obvious that the helicopter hadn’t picked us out. Even worse the M.R.T. were heading away from us!! To hear Michael when the helicopter flew off was heartbreaking and he was very difficult to reassure.
What we learned some time after, was that the helicopter didn’t have infra-red (it does now) and had gone to pick up the Arrochar M.R.T. They were dropped off higher up and came down in the direction that we had taken. The Oban M.R.T. had been sent to wrong location and it was only by some foresight from the helicopter crew that saved the day. The M.R.T. turned off their head torches and Michael was told to light up the phones. On the helicopter’s return, they immediately picked us out. The M.R.T.s were with us soon after that. I remember the rustling of a survival tent and swearing as I was moved.
The last thing I remember is one of the guys speaking to Michael, then, I don’t remember anything for five days. I’ve been told that once I knew that he was safe, my mind and body just relaxed. I was flown to the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow and was critical throughout the night. My family were told to prepare for the worst. My rescuers didn’t think I’d make it either!! At some point, over the next couple of days, I stabilised and was then able to undergo surgery.
I woke up on the following Thursday. Although there were times in A&E I had been conscious and communicating with my family, that whole period is a complete blank. However, it was on the Thursday that I learned the full extent of my injuries. I knew about the broken arm and the gash on the head. I had also broken 7 ribs on the left side (the pain in the back), my right hip (why I couldn’t move my leg) and had also broken my neck. Particularly fortunate that I couldn’t move at all!! I was transferred to the Queen Elizabeth Spinal Injuries Unit within the hospital. The unit is staffed by a highly professional and dedicated team of nurses, doctors and consultants, which is an understatement.
Despite my injuries, I made rapid progress, and amazed everyone, myself included, by walking (very aided!!) out of the hospital, two and a half weeks later. My recovery has been within the 2 year diagnosed timescale but there have been setbacks and further operations, which, in the scheme of things, are minor glitches. I have also been fortunate to have attended the Northern Police Treatment Centre in Perthshire on several occasions and have received first class physiotherapy. There have been many snippets of information that I’ve picked up since the accident. The 9 inch gash in the side of the helicopter due to gusts, the time added on to to the rescue by miscommunication, the most incredible flying that the MRTs have ever seen, stopping breathing in the helicopter, my core temperature being measured as being pretty close to not making it, to name but a few.
One episode does stick out though. I remember lying in bed in the Spinal Unit and watching the search for two young lads who were missing while ice-climbing in the Cairngorms, only to succumb to the conditions a short distance from safety. I knew then that I would go back to climbing, but that I would never grumble or give up during my recovery and would always realise how lucky I am. Briefly, in May 2009, I am going to complete a route called the Scottish 4,000ers. Nine peaks over 4,000 feet and fourteen peaks over 3,000 feet. The trek will last 9 days, all wild camps or bothies and over 30,000 feet ascent. I would like to raise as much money as I possibly can on behalf of the Oban and Arrochar Mountain Rescue Teams. There is a separate fund for the Northern Police Treatment Centre. I hope that all of you who read this can see how just the slightest slip, while enjoying our passion, can have such an impact. I hope that you will support me.
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