Torridon

It really does snow in Scotland in case you ever pondered this fact. Finally in the mountains of Torridon this Easter the MMC got a taste of real mountain weather; 70mph winds, spin-drift and wind chill of -40C. With the addition of luxury accommodation at the Ling Hut we all survived to tell the tale.

A hardy threesome- Tony, Anna and Simon arrived three days early. Their tales remain a closely guarded secret to the meet organiser so please refer to photos. After Rick had kindly elaborated on the benefits of climbing in Scotland he and Nicki were never to be seen.. Another mystery!
So Steve stepped in and whisked Catherine away form the pleasure of arriving in Oscars sports car to spend 12 hours in a cosy threesome in the old peugot- I gather it was along haul. Still more room for the old trolly dolly- always useful for trudging 20 minutes in the dark over snow and gorse to reach your hotel.. It is good to see someone is maintaining the style in our club these days Catherine.
Meanwhile the newbies Mathilde and Mervyn opted for a coach and car combo after realising the nearest train station was not very near.

Day 1 Saturday- Who put that plane there? First day at hut Steve took Cath and Oscar up to the super classic corrie - Triple Buttresses on Beinn Eighe - one of the best winter climbing areas in Scotland. Quite an arduous walk in for 2-3 hours and wintry conditions of wind and snow showers. Cath was feeling the strain by the time we reached the lake, and with still another 1hours walk to the base of the routes they opted to go for the grade 1 - Fuselage Gully - an easy but steep walk in the snow on the westernmost edge of the corrie. High up in the gully another smaller buttress offers a selection of harder technical mixed climbs on steep rock. Steve was hoping to get on one of these, but sadly this wasn't to be, as both Oscar and Cath were feeling the effects of the cold from an icy wind and spindrift. There remained a short pitch to get over a steep step in the gully where the wreckage of a 1950s Lancaster bomber still lies (hence Fuselage gully). The trio dispatched the pitch swifly despite having to wait a long time for the party in front. The descent back to the hut was probably the hardest task of the day! It involved very steep snow covered scree slopes littered with unevenly sized boulders, hmmmm ... perfect ankle and leg breaking terrain! Fortunately the trio dispatched this without incident.

Evening - Wot no shower Jane, Wendy and Sarah arrived after a leisurely plane and car drive to be kindly escorted with their shopping by torchlight to the hut. The hut etiquette included regular hand pumping of the water supply reading 100s of little messages of how to and how not to, and lighting the gas lights. Another tip was the drying room plus wet wipes provided a useful alternative to the outdoor shower at the local campsite. The atmosphere and company however more than made up for the rural features.

Day 2 Sunday- Our resident Canadian learns Scotland is really f… ing cold and climbing = walking +++ Oscar and Steve set off at 4.45 trying to impress us all except the kit seems to be still in the room so we all get to hear them.. 3 hours later they arrive at base but the gale force winds and long walk in discourages Oscar and they opt for another look at the bomber and then head back for tea at the Torridon Hotel.

Anna Tony and Simon opt for a similar mission but head out rather late to tackle the gully. Jane and Cath opt for a local peak.

Sarah meanwhile ends up on the tourist route to Diabeg with Mervyyn and Mathilde. This followed a rogue saucepan which nearly put paid to the whole trip after losing consciousness when it fell on her foot… who needs mountains when the biggest danger is in the kitchen. Unfortunately no Scottish kilted fellow arrived to save the day so Steve's pillow had tot suffice- luckily the foot did not fall off either..A pleasant day admiring the views around the coast and plodding through snow covered roads on the way back.

Back at base the crew arrived for the last supper awaiting the arrival of Anna and Tony and Simon a little anxiously. They arrive somewhat worse for wear but Anna found crème eggs made great survival food if there was no time for lunch.. A heroic effort by all accounts in harsh conditions.

So that concludes the official meet report. Still snowing the MMC crawled home smellier but fitter. As for the peugot it nearly died in one inch of snow apparently- I'd go for the sports car next time Cath.

Jane Sarah and Wendy made the most of the holiday exploring the far north for the next 5 days.

Monday- "Nature trial" Whilst Wendy was still getting some R&R Jane and S tackled the aptly named trial which was any thing but. Meall a Ghubhias was a 900m climb starting gently by the beautifull Loch Marree- snow covered pines and stepped path which meandered through. However soon your were fully exposed to severe gales blizzards and thigh deep snow. After almost succeeding to the top we baled and decided to return to the safety of the path. Fortunately for a poorly equipped threesome as it turned out. Sarah told them in no uncertain terms that it was stupid to continue particularly since they were dressed in jeans trainers and thin jackets with no hats or gloves- a nature trial in summer maybe!

Tuesday- Navigation After a poor attempt to navigate the previous day it was felt we should hone our skills so all three set off with a plan to conquer the flower dale miniature- a range of hills on the Kinolchewe to Gairloch road- all three equalled 2,200 feet so a decent day nonetheless.
Conditions had finally eased clear skies and no wind. So the first peak was conquered with ease and great views enabled a the pair to enjoy a leisurely lunch in the sun. Navigatnion proved successful and we followed our planned route. However a late start and a missed route up the next ridge meant we did not make the three peaks- another lesson learnt- Scottish terein is a different beast and routes take longer even in good conditions. However we were rewarded with sunset views as we finally left the ling hut to seek better accommodation at Almevich on the northern coast.

Wednesday - Contemplation by the Sea, chocolate to die for according to us and Yoko Ono! So the accommodation wasnt quite up to much but he setting was amazing - crystal clear sea and the weirdly shaped snow capped Sulliven in the distance. A welcome change form mountains we spend a day exploring the coastal path and then headed off tot Tongue on north West coast. A chance encounter at a tea shop serving mellow birds coffee lead us to the best coffee for a week and fantastic home made truffles in Durness- a weird outpost in the middle of nowhere that had somehow got a business selling truffles to the famous including Yoko Ono who regularly ordered her fill.

After more remote beaches we finally arrived to the best Hostel ever and contemplated our final peak of the week- Ben Loyal.

Thursday- Which one is Sgor Cannistan? The best day so far the sun was warm and there was no wind. So we made it to the lesser Sgor Bhatin admired the views only to realise that we hadn't reached the peak Ann Canistal. Our efforts were paled as a family and dog yomped down off the peak with ease. The view was more than consolation, Praps Wendy's bedsocks were to blame still she claims they were excellent alternative since someone had taken her walking socks and left her with no choice.

We never found the elusive spa and failed to make any summit but the views and driving was out of this world and the company. was great ….a trip to be recommend for all.
Torridon is fantastic for variety challenge and scenery to die for.. More please…