In the shadow of the Black garrison

[Collaciotach]

There is many choices in life and on Saturday i had a hatful of them ..gu dearbh ,Shinty or Coiseachd na Cnuic .... well i plumped for the shinty .

I like to think it was the fear of facing Colla, with caman in hand that put the buiseach on it and caused its postponement

Air Dis aithrne bha mi anns a' Ghearasdan comhla ris mo nighean ......... I also had my lassies to drop off in the Fort at midday to catch the Mallaig train, they were off to the island and Grannies for a week.

Its an ugly town "An Gearasdan Dhubh" and named after an ugly fella .........it has always been ugly and tis no wonder the MacIleathain and Camsron attempted to burnt it out so often

Uill Uill ..what to do in the Garrison on a Saturday afternoon eh ? .... Well i was on Beinn Neibhis on the weekend of the battenburg women's "celebration" and it was a fearful experience the tourist path with Mrs Colla and "an cu" on a lead ....hundreds fighting their way to the top in all manners of attire

So Allt a Mhuillin it was via Tórr Lunaidh to bag Carn Mor Dearg and the Arete without the Beinn

An Gearrasdan Dubh / Fort William

Bha an latha sgothach suas ard .. the day was dry with mist and cloud drifting about the summits and intermittent clear periods

Allt a Mhuillin

We made our way up the slighe until almost parallel with the spur path from the tourist route then we picked a route up a burn which took us up the side of CMD

An "arete"

Bha robh e fada ...... not long till she was in sight the big red one

Carn Mor Dearg

Agus a ribhist le ceo

Agus bha sinn air a mhullach ann da uairean .... we were summited in 2.5hours

Air a mhullach

As is the Gaidhealtachd want the mist and cloud was drifting in and around before long .. is tuil leam i
and we set off over the arete ... bha e boidheach

Ceo air an arete

Ceoach is clach

An Bheinn

It is a nice airy place but not quite as scary as i thought it would be for the adrenalin rush i'll need to be back in Winter conditions

Air cuil

We had a grand scramble the length of the arete however you ve probably guessed im no the most conventional ,there was no way i was going back on yonder Beinn in the Summer to mingle with the hordes from the Black Garrison path ..chan eil idir !

So we just returned to CMD lovely and quiet with no one around

Dubh is Geal air an arete

Dubh is Geal

As i said at the start she is an ugly place An Gearasdan Dubh but in "an duthaich shen" or the old country surrounding her there is a timeless quality if you avoid the mongol hordes

Cheerie a nis

An Cu

[Bruno]

Another cracker, Colla. Your reports and photos are brilliant - love the phots of an Cu!
I love the Gaelic in the text - adds so much to the report
Cheers
Iain

[mrssanta]

he looks like a wild fella in that last picture!

[monty]

Excellent atmospheric photos C. Lovely dog.

[simon-b]

Excellent atmospheric photos C. Lovely dog.

Yes, I agree with Monty.

An entertaining report, Collaciotach.

It's interesting to hear your opinion of An Gearasdan. Perhaps it's a blessing in disguise that most of the b and b's were full there last June, and I had to stay at Drochaid Aonachain instead.

[pollyh33]

Fantastic report C !!! And very timely too!!

I'm planning on CMD in 10 days time and like you I don't fancy heading back down the tourist track.

Smashing photos of the arete but as usual the photo of your wild dog is the best!!!

[Collaciotach]

Excellent atmospheric photos C. Lovely dog.

Yes, I agree with Monty.

An entertaining report, Collaciotach.

It's interesting to hear your opinion of An Gearasdan. Perhaps it's a blessing in disguise that most of the b and b's were full there last June, and I had to stay at Drochaid Aonachain instead.

Moran Taing Simon ... Drochaid Aonachain is grand i have always found the Garrison an ugly place altho im biased as a History man ;D

[Collaciotach]

Fantastic report C !!! And very timely too!!

I'm planning on CMD in 10 days time and like you I don't fancy heading back down the tourist track.

Smashing photos of the arete but as usual the photo of your wild dog is the best!!!

I ll order you some good weather P ...

[Collaciotach]

Another cracker, Colla. Your reports and photos are brilliant - love the phots of an Cu!
I love the Gaelic in the text - adds so much to the report
Cheers
Iain

Taing Iain .... Suas leis a Ghaidhlig

[Collaciotach]

Excellent atmospheric photos C. Lovely dog.

Cheers Monty

[Collaciotach]

he looks like a wild fella in that last picture!

hes no half a wild bhoy Mrs but good company

[147cjl]

nice report Collaciotach, can't wait to do the arete too but have to admit my expression on some of it will be the same as the cu in the last picture!