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It was the May weekend and George said he was up for climbing his first Munro. He hadn't climbed a hill before so we decided on Beinn na Lap which combined with the train journey to Corrour gives a short easy climb. Moira and I left Inverness with George and Annette (another first Munroist)) at 6.00 which was perhaps a bit keen and got us to Spean Bridge station far too early!
Looks like George is booking Moira's car
We had a longish wait for the train and got into a debate about which way it was coming. I got it wrong which possibly didn't fill the newbies with too much confidence about my navigational skills on the hill!
Annette practising her pole action
When the train arrived we found we were sharing it with 35 others celebrating someone's last Munro. Ah.
We enjoyed the short journey along the side of Loch Treig and arriving at the tiny station of Corrour in the middle of nowhere gives a great build up to the day. When we stepped out the wind hit us broadside and it was freezing!
But we'd promised ourselves breakfast in the famous station tearoom so made a beeline for it, leaving rucksacks as requested outside. We couldn't quite believe it but we were (quite shirtily) sent packing without as much as a cup of coffee!
It wasn't that she didn't like the look of us or was put off by George's strong Glasgow accent
it was because the 35 had prebooked a full Scottish breakfast and the tearoom wifie was stressed out and wasn't for taking any more! Ah again.
So it was a slightly disconsolate bunch who set off along the track east towards Loch Ossian, taking a left at the fork and left again at the second fork. When the track swung left we were supposed to take to the boggy path up the west side of Beinn na Lap but what we actually did was stay on the track a bit longer and then followed the crest of the ridge which we thought looked drier underfoot.
Having been denied the delights of the tearoom we breakfasted al fresco half way up
George resplendent in that hat
Faint white rectangle an inch to right of left elbow is Corrour Station tearoom which refused us shelter and sustenance!
Loch Ossian
We took our time going up, not wanting to over-exert the first timers, but Annette was champing at the bit and it wasn't long before we spied the summit.
Beinn na Lap summit
I had stupidly not brought gloves (bad mistake in early May) and when George saw me pulling my hands up my sleeves he wanted to give me his. I protested but he insisted. So chivalry is not dead.
The only problem was they were gardening gloves - made of a kind of waterproof material with no insulation or warmth in them at all. I put them on but my hands felt colder than without them so I generously made him take them back although he didn't want to.
George & Annette absolutely freezing at the top of their first Munro
By this time the compleation party had arrived and it was more like Saturday morning on Sauchiehall Street than a summit so we didn't hang around and returned to the lochan near the top and were welcomed by a piper. George was well impressed we had organised this for his first Munro
which he had now decided was also his last.
We sat down to listen to the piper
He wouldn't know we weren't part of the compleation party!
But when that got too busy we headed off
We took shelter for lunch in the stone wind break on the edge of the ridge. That was fine until horizontal snow started
so we beat a hasty retreat, this time taking a more direct line off the hill towards Loch Ossian. We had a couple of hours to fill before our train was due and were delighted that we were now welcome in the almost empty tearoom where we drank coffee and ate very good apple cake beside a roaring fire.
That was bliss after the freezing cold outside.
In this report I have used 4 of Moira's photos and it probably isn't too difficult to identify which ones they are.
