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With Allison over in Belgium sampling the local brews I invited my boy along for a long weekend's hillwalking, hopefully taking in Polly's Compleation on Sgurr na Banachdich on Saturday. He's had some passing interest in the hills since a family holiday to Skye in April and I was hopeful of enthusing him further. (He'll be titled "Weasel Minor" for the purposes of the blog
) However I knew the weather would play an important part in whether my plans came to fruition or whether he was put off the hilly lifestyle. Unfortunately the forecast was simply pants for the whole weekend. I had swithered about giving the Compleation a miss and taking him east, where there was a suggestion of better weather, but I was set on going west and doing some proper hills, and seeing Polly get her 282. We'd both taken the Friday off work and I picked him up in Glasgow on Thursday tea time, driving up as far as Roy Bridge where we pulled in for the night at the charming Bunroy Campsite, one of my favourites. The rain which had been a constant companion on the drive up, ceased while we put the tent up, which was something. A trip to the Stronlossit Inn then an early night was in order.
Rain and midges next morning. We headed up to Kintail for our first target, Ciste Dhubh. I was mildly concerned by the radio forecast threatening storm force winds, which wouldn't be great on the upper setion of CD. We togged up in waterproofs prior to setting out, just as an Irishman drove up with intentions of Mullach Fraoch Coire, so relieved that we weren't the only crazy ones today
Up onto the grassy slopes of Am Bathach, the clag lifting enough for the summit spine to be visible. Wind was significant but not troublesome. We pressed on over the summit and found some shelter on the descent to have lunch. Then down to the bealach- soggy and boggy - before starting on the climb up Ciste Dhubh. I remembered last time I'd done this hill it had been Allison's 100th and she'd been in agony with her knees or something - I'd left her to get her own way back to the car and headed off over the Brothers myself - not sure I was very popular for that
Anyway, Ally
seemed to be managing fine today. He spoke of his doubts about being able to do 3 consecutive days on the hills and about his worries that he'd be lagging behind all the experienced walkers on Sgurr na Banachdich. I said he'd be fine...
Setting off
P1130442 by
Al, on Flickr
Am Bathach
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
Corbett #2
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Al, on Flickr
Looking back to Am Bathach
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Al, on Flickr
The boggy bealach
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Al, on Flickr
Ciste Dhubh
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Al, on Flickr
Summit views are gonna rock
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Al, on Flickr
Munro #4
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Al, on Flickr
We made the summit, time for a quick snap then back down, into An Caorann Beag and back to the road. Wet but quite happy with the day's achievement. Then the drive to Skye - we'd decided to camp at Glen Brittle as the Polly Party were at the Brittle Memorial Hut. We drove past a soggy looking Sligachan and along the Glen Brittle road - I've never seen as much surface water on it. Arriving just before reception shut, we asked for admission to the World of Water. The woman at reception was urging us just to take 1 night rather than the 2 we'd asked for, warning us that she couldn't issue refunds if the weather got the better of us. I scoffed at her concerns
We pitched in the rain - Ally wanted to try out his own tent, so we pitched alongside each other overlooking the bay. Time for tea - pasta, then a quick visit to the Hut - most of the participants were yet to arrive but we did chat with 2manyYorkies and Arthur's Eat. Back to the tent for an early night.
P1130456 by
Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
Saturday dawned - dryish but claggy. There was some suggestion that the sun might make an appearance in the early afternoon - we hoped so for Polly's sake. Up to the hut for 10.30 where we found more folk had arrived, but Polly didn't turn up til after 11. Such is the prerogative of the Compleater-to-be. After some preparations and japes, we set off en masse up tot raod to the Youth Hostel where we'd start the walk from. Polly waving her St Andrew's Cross - bemused foreign motorists stopping to let us walk along, perhaps assuming this was an arcane Skye tradition. Which it might well be. Up alongside the Allt Coir' an Eich for the standard approach, lots of stopping for pictures chat, snack to be consumed. The weather, which had been dry up til now, started to turn and there was a general donning of waterproofs well before we reached the Coire. Standing around in wet proofs waiting for stragglers was somewhat chilly. The clag meant that it was foolish to split up and Monty did a fine job of rounding up the flock. we regrouped at the beginning of the ridge and began to brave the ever increasing wind and rain towards the summit. A group of us arrived and waited for Polly, who'd elected to come up last. Suddenly an athletic figure dressed in tartan mini-skirt and Scotland top, waving a Saltire appears, running to the cairn. I get up to take a picture and my Kumfie mat flies off like a blue bat. Whoosh! Joined a second or two later by Polly's bunnet and her flag
Probably now adorning a sheep on the slopes of Marsco. There was no way of getting a group summmit photo in the conditions so we wisely descended to a slightly less exposed area for refreshements and celebration.
P1130461 by
Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
Wullie and the Breaking of the Buckfast
P1130464 by
Al, on Flickr
Setting out
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
Waterproof time
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Al, on Flickr
Monty planning the route
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Al, on Flickr
Stragglers
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Al, on Flickr
Summit
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Al, on Flickr
The big moment
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
Even the cork gets blown sideways
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Al, on Flickr
We headed back to the campsite and cooked up some grub. Some of the party had decided to head to the Slig for fish and chips, but we made do with fajitas and rice. We did head off to the Old Inn at Carbost for a drink, being molested by
midges sitting in the beer garden looking out over Loch Harport. A nip back to the Hut for some hilarity followed, but we declined the offer of a dry bunk bed for the luxury of the tents and headed away before the serious drinking began
I'd thought that Bla Bheinn would be a good third hill for the lad - and was hoping for some reasonable waether for him to climb it in. Heavy rain in the early morning didn't suggest this would be the case, but it had stopped by the time we got the tents packed away. Ally checked the forecast when we re-joined phone signal land and we were promised - by the Norweigians - full sunshine by 10am and no precipitation. Super!! Bla Bheinn it is. It didn't look too promising driving down the Elgol road in drizzle, but you need to have faith in this game so we parked up in the midge reserve that doubles as a car park and set off along the Allt na Dunnaiche. The hills were in clag, but there seemed to be some brightening in the sky overhead and at least the rain had stopped. we made good progress up into Coire Uaigneich and started on the scree. Again Ally managed this well - not bad for a newbie doing only his 6th Munro. Some scrambling at the rocky section before the easy walk to the trig point. Partial views over to Marsco and Beinn Dearg then they too disappeared behind a sky of white. We had lunch and waited for a bit to see if the hills would emerge from their clag prison but it was not to be. Ach well. A quick descent then back to the car in 4 hours. We bade farewell to Skye, had a smooth trip down the road. Hopefully after his Initiation into the Hills of Skye the lad will not have been put off completely and may feature in another episode or two of the Weasel Blog
P1130489 by
Al, on Flickr
Will it or won't it clear...
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
Towards Clach Glas
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
A Chip off the Old Weasel
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Al, on Flickr
