AAC(UK) Archive/title> <meta name="description" content="Highlands in the Spring"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"> <link rel="stylesheet" href="style.css"> <link rel="stylesheet" href="nl.css"> </head> <body> <br> <div id="container"> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="images/211-header.jpg" width="900px" alt= "Header" ></p> <h3>Highlands in the Spring</h3> <h5>by Paul Marginson & Tish Woulds</h5> <p><b>There are some meets that happen in the Scottish Highlands most years. The first, often after AAC(UK) training in Winter Mountaineering Skills, is the "Easter" or "Early Spring" Meet. We always hope for practice in using ice axe and crampons and usually have conditions that test navigational skills. This year, the snow kept us guessing although cloud higher up meant this was indeed the case for navigation. The week-long Meet was at Kinlochewe, an ideal base to tackle those Torridon Giants. The group did just that, including the Munros Slioch, Beinn Eighe, Liatach and Beinn Alligin and the Corbetts, Ben Dearg, Ben Damph, Beinn an Eoin and Meall a Ghiubhais. The weather was cold, damp and frequently dreich. Winds, however, were mercifully light, unlike conditions encountered by many of us on the hills over the past winter. Whilst plenty of snow still lay on higher slopes, shoulders and gullies it was soft and unstable looking on some slopes. Axes and crampons were carried, but they were rarely put to use.</b></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="images/211-highlandspring-1.jpg" width="300px"><br>Looking west from Beinn Dearg</p> <p>The magnificent rock architecture of Coire Mhic Fhearchair was admired as a destination in itself and, on the only day which promised clearing skies, en route to Beinn Eighe's ridge and summits. Battered by a fierce hail storm on initially gaining the ridge, we were rewarded not long after as the cloud lifted and gave way to blue skies for a few hours. Graham lived up to his name, conquering nearby "Grahams" (hills above 2000 but less than 2500 ft, with re-ascent of at least 500 ft to the next summit). Similar to Corbetts, these are not to be sneezed at as he often returned having had a long cycle in followed by a challenging walk on indistinct paths. One Graham in the area well worth visiting is Beinn a Chearcaill, accessed along Glen Grudie a few miles north of Kinlochewe. A slightly annoying climb with false summits is rewarded by a top with beautiful, exposed rock and grandstand views into the corries of Beinn Eighe and Liathach. Mike took some members geo-caching (the biggest hide and seek game in the world), whereby people use given co-ordinates and clues to find weatherproof containers hidden in a variety of urban, rural and upland locations. Visit <a href="http://www.geocaching.com">www.geocaching.com</a> for details. Walks were also enjoyed by the coast, either side of Gairloch.</p> <p>One group walked in from Poolewe to the bothy at Carnmore at the southern end of Fionn Loch in the Fisherfield forest. The 'comforts' of what are former stables included a bedstead with a couple of mattresses, which saved sleeping on the cobbled floor. From there the ascent of two of the remotest Munros (A Mhaighdean and Ruadh Stac Mor) was navigationally challenging in thick cloud and the approach to the first main summit involved an awkward turning of a rock stack down the top few metres of a snow-filled gully. Back at the bothy, the sun broke through and brightened up the return 11km tramp to Poolewe.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="images/211-highlandspring-2.jpg" width="300px" ><br>Rock table, Beinn an Eoin<br><i>Photos by Tish Woulds</i></p> <p>What a different experience we had in early May at the second regular meet, which is a long weekend alternating between Glen Feshie and Glencoe. The Ladies Scottish Climbing Club hut at Milehouse (near Loch Insh) gives a great opportunity to explore the Cairngorm plateau. After an overcast first day, with a biting north-easterly requiring us to layer up, the weather became superb for the second and third days. The layers came off, and the sun screen on, as the temperature rose. The sun was bright on the tops, the views sweeping and long, with azure skies above. A light easterly breeze prevented over-heating on the ascents. Back at the hut, evenings were spent outside amongst the daffodils. The impact of the contrasting conditions was evident in other ways too: the ptarmigan and mountain hares had shed a part of their winter whiteness, their summer raiment increasingly visible.<p> <p>We found extensive snow on the plateau and, although we carried crampons, we could make good progress on a fairly firm crust. Different parts of the plateau were explored and enjoyed by different groups across the three days. The strikingly pointed Sgurr Goaith, perched above Loch Einich, and the tramp southwards across snow-covered moor to the featureless Munro summit of Mullach Clach a Bhlair offered a stamina-building first outing for some. Others in the group headed further down Glenfeshie to various destinations. The easterly summit of Bynack Mor, initially approached through extensive Caledonian pine woods, with granite tors marking its summit ridge and flanks, was enjoyed on the second day. For some, the third day featured the central plateau running from Cairngorm round the edge of the magnificent northern corries and then onwards to Ben Macdui. The bulk of Braeriach crowns the opposite side of the Lairig Ghru and provided a memorable excursion for others. Approaching the summit under a brilliantly clear sky the source of falling water was a puzzle. In fact, the breeze was picking up drops from the melting cornice and depositing them on us.</p> <p>Leaving the hut at the end of the meet, some reluctantly had to head south. Others were fortunate enough to stay longer in the hills, and enjoy a further week's unbelievably good weather. By which time there was little sign of the winter colours and conditions that had greeted us at Kinlochewe. </p> <p><b>Return to <a href="#">the top of this page</a>, or to <a href="index.html">the complete Index</a>, or to <a href="index.html#UK">this section's Index.</a></b></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="images/footer.jpg" width="900px" alt= "Footer" ></p> </div> <br> </body> </html>