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Saturday, 16th. July, 2016
Another school holiday meant another trip to Scotland with a bunch of aspirant D. of E. expeditioners so, after 13 hours in a minibus from Kent on the Friday, the next morning saw a group of eight lads on the shores of Loch Torridon ready for an acclimatisation day. The weather, of course, was being typically Scottish so we decided to leave the likes of Liathach alone and, heading south east from Annat, climb a hill from a relatively unconventional direction.
The stalkers path, however, was excellent and we gained height rapidly along a rocky shelf past innumerable erratics stranded on rock pavements and over some impressively engineered stepping stones until we were able to head along the base of the western slopes of Maol Chean-dearg, still with its head in the clouds. Swinging south east, we gained the Bealach a'Choire Ghairbh in cloud and very strong winds where, because of the conditions, the party divided - half making a circuit of the mountain before heading back to Annat and the other half heading for the top.
![Day 2b. CMH above the Bealach a'Choire Ghairbh on Maol Chan-dearg - Copy.jpg]()
- A brief clearing from the slopes above the Bealach a'Choire Gairbh
Getting to the top, though, was very hard work in driving rain and wind speeds which constantly threatened to knock everyone off their feet. Indeed, survival times on the summit without extra shelter would have been short - so they triggered a quick return to the valley where we completed a circuit of the mountain before heading back down to Torridon.
With luck, we'd have some better weather in the coming days.
Next Report:
https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=66362.
