free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
Glen Coe – WH Meet : 30/10/10The independent hostel at Glencoe was a very busy place as those WH members started to arrive from Friday night and by Saturday morning there was a considerable buzz with welcomes all around. Once assembles the next task was to consider the various walks that we wanted to do. After a lot of suggestions the majority decide that it was a good day to
do Beinn a Bleathir. So with that decided we made our way down to Ballachulish and parked at the Information Centre. Time for a team photograph and then we set off for the walk, which was looking a bit bleak when we seemed to have trouble getting out of the housing estate! However we soon got to the farm road just after the school and met up with the other lads who had gotten parked close by.
- team photograph of the lads who parked at the Information centre
- Setting off up the farm road. Mountainstar in charge of recording the event
We walked up the path and went through two gates, the second of which was a bit obstinate to open before being carefully (?) lifted of the gatepost by the Lazy Hungarian! We then headed directly up the hill till we joined the path. It was boggy in places, but we kept up a steady pace, leaving Ballachulish below. As we climbed higher the surrounding
area started to appear and soon we were marvelling at the views.
- looking down on Ballachulish
It was time for a photo and at that moment realised that I didn’t have my camera. I can’t tell you what I said or thought at that moment other than *********. !!!!!!!!!!
So I decided to retrace my steps down the hill and eventually when I got back down to the bottom there was my camera (in its hard case) lying on the farm road by the second gate.
So now it was back up hill and catch up with the other guys.
As I could see them far in the distance I could judge where the route was and also at times they seemed to be close but would then go on again, which I then worked out that they were doing quite a bit of scrambling. The only way was forward and I kept heading for the start of the ridge. As I got up to that point the Pap of Glencoe became very prominent and also across loch leven.
- The Pap of Glencoe
A little bit further on and I could see Nathan and Mark waiting for me, and now the three of us set of heading for the ridge to the top of Sgurr Dhearg.
- Nathan and Mark waiting for me at the start of the the ridge: Top blokes!
We still had agood bit of scrambling to do and showed no signs of catching the main group. It was exciting stuff with myself having never done anything like this....Eeeekkkk!.
- eeekkk!!! What a great feeling once you get to the top!!!
Onto the ridge and the weather had started to close in and before long the rain was pretty heavy, then turned to hailstones and then to snow…all blown in with a strongwind….only in Scotland!
- Onward and Upward !
With no shelter we had to climb on so made it to the cairn and the first Munroe was done.
- Sgorr Dhearg done !
Time for a quick photo before heading down the bealach and up towards the second Munroe.
- The Three Amigos !
At that point the others appeared having climbed Sgurr Dhonuill, and we exchanged stories of what had happened. This raised my spirits and headed of with Nathan and Mark along the ridge. This was fairly steady going and we had one more scramble and also we had to get over a boulder field and then a small climb to the second summit. There was a very nice elderly couple at the cairn and looked at us bedraggled lads and must have wondered what we were doing. We explained we had done Sgorr Dhearg and then told them how to get down the valley towards the forest but not before taking a picture of the three of us at the cairn.
- 3 Amigos at Sgorr Dhonuill
So again it was a quick photo and then head back down the bealach and then down towards the forest using the fence as a guide before we came across the path that headed into the forest.
- The way down towards Ballachulish
This was joined up by several other paths that come of the ‘car’ roads and that eventually follows the old railway track heading towards Glen Coe village. This is about 3 miles walk and in the pouring rain, helped by passing motor cars soaking the three of us, seemed to take an eternity. However, we got to our cars, and although thoroughly soaked jumped in and headed back to the hostel.
I would say that this was an eventful walk and lots of memories, especially of walking with all these characters from WH, but however, I was glad that Nathan and Mark waited for me and I think that they are both ‘proper’ blokes. Cheers guys and thanks!