Reports

Knoydart April 2008

Ben Nevis Hotel 2008

Milehouse

Grasmere

Canada

Invergarry

Puerto Pollensa - May

Hebridean Cycle Tour

Reports

Archive Reports

Mountaineering Club Run
Click to enlarge

 

 

Diane: Reporter of Ascent of Ben Nevis

Linda and Diane on summit plateau

 

CLUB REPORTS

Hotel Weekend February 2008 - The Ben Nevis Hotel

Ascent of Stob Coire Easain and Stob A'Choire Mheadhoin

After a late breakfast (we had arranged to convene in the dining room at 7.30 but to no avail), David and Janet and our new tiger Alison decided on Stob Coire Easain and Stob A' Choire Mheadhoin. We drove to Fersit and set off from the car at the crack of 10.30. The path was easily followed in bright sunshine and we soon made height to reach the first steepening on the north ridge. This was also where the snowline started so we thought to put on our crampons as it looked icy. The snow was solid and you had to stamp to get the crampons to bite! (well the little people did, I had no problem!).

A steep climb through some scrambly sections got us above the difficulty on to the next section of ridge with good weather and views above the clouds the summit was achieved. We made the descent and re-ascent to the 2nd Munro in good time but with mist and low cloud for company. We then descended an icy headwall leading down to Lairig Leacach where we walked along an all terrain vehicle track to pick up one of the old Tramway tracks (I assume this was part of the hydro works) back to Fersit and the car.

Report and photographs
- David and Janet Jamieson

Ascent of Ben Nevis

Linda Mackie very kindly agreed to climb Ben Nevis again so that I could say I'd done it.

It was a really nice day when merrily we set off and, although it was a long hard slog, we were progressing well until we hit the freezing fog about two thirds of the way up. We stumbled on for a while, ice now forming on our hair and clothes but soon decided that as we could no longer see the path and there were no footprints in the hard packed snow that we best go back.

However, our knight in shining armour appeared in the form of a young chap with 2 young girls in tow who agreed to let us tag on as he was fairly confident he knew the mountain well enough.

We were well rewarded for our perseverance when all of a sudden we walked out of the cloud and into bright blue skies giving us a beautiful view of the summit.

A quick bite to eat then down we went.

Our trusty guide did take us back to where he found us but decided that he was going to take a 'shortcut' off the mountain (and we all know about men and their shortcuts! ). It was a pretty hairy route down and there was a lot of falling down and struggling to keep our feet. But we eventually made it down safe and I have extensive bruising to show for it.

Tired beyond words, filthy but completed exhilarated by the spectacular views we got at the summit!

Report and photographs - Diane Izatt