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Homer has hepatitis in Glenfinnan

PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 10:57 am
by kevsbald
My titles get worse. I'm such an imagination-tart. I was due to leave work early on the Friday for an overnight expedition with Graeme D and before I left I received an email from a friend who, shall we say, has led a colourful life. He had sent me a chart of a recent blood test precipitated by his friends including me suggesting that he looked more and more like Homer everyday. His liver enzymes were off the range of normal and all this after he had cut back to about 100 units a week. He finished by saying he was off the booze but who was up for a weekend trip to Amsterdam in August? Ye widnae credit it. I picked up Graeme and Lucy-lab at Tyndrum and we shot up to Glenfinnan for 1700. A pleasant walk in was marred by the ugly work of the hydro and silica gleam of JCB. It was a bloody eyesore. As we walked past Corryhully bothy, we couldn't help but notice the big hoose on the hill - it was like something out of the Shining - very alluring too though. Now the hard work began as we took to the stalker's path - the ascent up on to the subsidiary peak for Sgurr nan Coireachean was tough going but we made good ascent and it was just lovely to have a view for a change with no thunder-drizzle to contend with. At 2005, we decided to set up camp beside a convenient lochan for Lucy to paddle and cool down, as well as have some grub. At 2100, considerably lighter, we headed across to bag Sgurr nan Coireachean and take in the sunset. I acted like a right plank at the summit and we decided to head back to camp and open our cache of Kronenbourg and Highland Park. We sat and gabbed about life, lochans and libido (Homer's in particular) as well as trying to decide what it was about the hills we loved. I spoke more sh*te than usual but Graeme did his best to nod as I ventured towards insobriety and decerebration. Time for bed. Well, without word of a lie I had a fantastic night's sleep and only woke after a dream where someone was interrupting my presentation on Cryptosporidium and they wouldn't let me speak. Infection follows me everywhere. We packed up next morning and skirted SnC before the nice amble over to Sgurr Thuilm. From here, our idea to add Streap into this walk seemed optmistic and if Graeme had said to head back at this point, I would have torn his hand off. As it was, he didn't and we began the steep descent down to the glen, which was at times quite precarious. Having reached the burn and having lost 650m, we knew the hike back up to Streap would be both arduous and tough especially as the temperature had cranked up ten degrees or so. If Graeme had said to head..cut and paste. The initial climb was steep and hard-going - poor Lucy was whimpering or was that me? After what seemed an age, we eventually arrived just below Streap's summit and bagged it before setting off along the tasty wee arete. We found a 'curious diagonal slope' and headed off, which eventually took us back to the glen and the long, long, walk back to the car. I wish my mind would shut up sometimes, after having said my boots were great and I had no foot pain, the pain was more or less imminent and pounding. The car was a welcome vista and we shook hands on what had been a great 24 hours. As for Homer, I think he may be 'tatties'.

our_route.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

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Sgurr nan Coireachean
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A bothy wi 'juice'
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Power of nature - to Sgurr Thuilm
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To Glenfinnan and beyond
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Where would you rather be on an evening?
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Munro in the bag at 2100
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School's out for summer....
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Couldn't resist being a plank - marks out of 10?
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You beautiful evening..
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View over to the Rhum Cuillin
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Contemplation of the cerveza or sop
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Lucy enjoys an early morning bath nr Thuilm
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Blankety plank
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Pig-cloud
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If Graeme says he wants to go back....
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The beautiful Streap..

Re: Homer has hepatitis in Glenfinnan

PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 11:16 am
by ianaird
I think i met you coming of Sgurr Thuilm, the descent and reascent onto Streap was looking eye watering and in the heat i was thinking it would be a struggle.....so very well done.

It's a right mess in there now right enough, a real eye sore.

Re: Homer has hepatitis in Glenfinnan

PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 11:20 am
by kevsbald
Well, whaddya know! I think anytime this should happen, Paul should have some kind of insignia which flashes up on screen as a meeting of WH minds - aye, you were away back to Skye if I recall? Hope you had a good trip round yerself.

Re: Homer has hepatitis in Glenfinnan

PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 11:23 am
by pollyh33
Loved your report Kev, sounds like a lot of hard work though! Did you ask Graeme ( at the end of the walk) if he had heard the same voices in his head as you did??? Or was he actually enjoying the arduous climb???

Smashing photos too :D :D

The only downside was you mentioning Homer's liver enzymes! Here's me ready to start 2 weeks annual leave and I'm thinking about how high his GGT, AST, ALT and bilirubin results were and whether or not they would have to be manually diluted or analysed neat!!! :( :(

Re: Homer has hepatitis in Glenfinnan

PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 12:47 pm
by kev_russ
Stunning pics and great report :)

Re: Homer has hepatitis in Glenfinnan

PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 1:57 pm
by ianaird
kevsbald wrote:Well, whaddya know! I think anytime this should happen, Paul should have some kind of insignia which flashes up on screen as a meeting of WH minds - aye, you were away back to Skye if I recall? Hope you had a good trip round yerself.


Great trip round thx, that walk in is a killer though. Was on the 3.10pm boat from Mallaig, JUST though, ferry was full and i had not booked, but they squeezed me in. Had visions of sitting in Mallaig for an hour and a half...Argh
Good to meet the pair of you anyway....

Re: Homer has hepatitis in Glenfinnan

PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 4:29 pm
by Stretch
Very nice pics guys! I seriously need to get myself up to this area soon.

Re: Homer has hepatitis in Glenfinnan

PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 7:08 pm
by morag1
kevsbald wrote:he had cut back to about 100 units a week


A colourful life indeed, words fail me :roll:

Re: Homer has hepatitis in Glenfinnan

PostPosted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 11:02 pm
by Graeme D
pollyh33 wrote: Did you ask Graeme ( at the end of the walk) if he had heard the same voices in his head as you did??? Or was he actually enjoying the arduous climb???


Yeah, I heard them too Polly .... but I foolishly ignored them. I say foolishly, but it was worth it to stand at the summit of Streap on a glorious day. Quite brutal ascent though! :shock:

Good to meet you as well Ian and glad to hear you made it home safely and on schedule. 8)

You've done a fine job of capturing both the ecstasy and the agony there Mr P! I'll get my version of events up during the week.

Re: Homer has hepatitis in Glenfinnan

PostPosted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 6:18 am
by kinley
Looks a great trip....except that route up and down Streap :shock:

Must have parked up next to your car on saturday morning - we were in the neighbourhood too.

Was a nice weekend - about time too! :lol:

Re: Homer has hepatitis in Glenfinnan

PostPosted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 8:21 am
by Paul Webster
Stunning sunset - and a tremendous (but crazy) effort to go up and down Streap from there.

Re: Homer has hepatitis in Glenfinnan

PostPosted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 10:16 am
by monty
Just add Streap to the round :lol: :lol: :lol: Masochist. I'll have some of what your on :D

Second last photo is a gem :D

Re: Homer has hepatitis in Glenfinnan

PostPosted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 11:54 am
by Alastair S
A most entertaining report :D

Re: Homer has hepatitis in Glenfinnan

PostPosted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 12:04 pm
by malky_c
Amazing sunset, great walk 8)

I'll be disappointed if I don't get up Streap in the near future.

Re: Homer has hepatitis in Glenfinnan

PostPosted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 1:06 pm
by kevsbald
Cheers for all the lovely comments chaps and chapesses.
A near meeting with the leg-end that is Kinley! Oochaboy.