New Route to Beinn Eunaich & Beinn a'Chochuill

Having completed 195 Munros and aiming for 200, my next target hill is Braeriach, a fine looking hill. This is a fairly big walk--20km and 1300m of ascent from Rothiemurchus, although I had thought of doing it from Glen Feshie, but that is 26.6km and 1600m of ascent--too far! Not having been on the hills until fairly recently, I decided that I needed to get hill-fit. So I looked for a walk near to Oban that would nearly equate to Braeriach. The hills to the east of Oban are familiar to me, so I plumped for Beinn Eunaich and Beinn a'Chochuill, but with a new approach (at least to me).

This invoved parking the car at the entrance to Glen Strae, walking along the estate track to the bridge at the waterfall, leaving the track to go north along the Allt Dhoirrean to the Lairig Dhoirreann, going west on to the ridge at Meall Copagach, over the 880m height and on to Beinn Eunaich. From there it was the usual route west to the col, on to the ridge to Beinn a'Chochuill, down the SE ridge to the Hydro Board road to the B8077, and a final kilometre walk back to the car.

On the day, the forecast was good, so off I set. About ten minutes into the walk, I met a couple of estate workers on the track. They had a couple of dogs with them, but I have two dogs myself so I was not worried. The collie ran up to me and I put my hand out to it to sniff, which it did. I thought "that's fine--he's smelled my dogs". But it then snapped at my hand. The guy called it off and told me that it was a"bad dog"! Fortunately, the only damage was two small punctures and a bruise. But not a good start!

Anyway, I carried on. Going up the Allt Dhoirrean, it was very hot with the sun at my back, but the clouds were drifting across the tops ahead. Easy scrambling took me on to Meall Cogagach, and the clouds cleared, but the sun disappeared too. The views were good, over Glen Kinglass towards Ben Starav, and in the opposite direction to Ben Lui.

The climb up to the Munro summit was steep, and I could see two people on the top ahead of me.When I got there, they had disappeared, so I just headed off down to the col. Looking across to the east ridge of Beinn a'Chochuill I could see a couple of walkers, then a few more, then even more. We crossed paths and it turned out that they were 24 members of the Glasgow Hillwalking Club. There were a few more walkers on the way to the second summit, and then it was down the ridge to the Hydro Board road and a welcome break beside the burn. The descent on the Hydro road was hard on my feet, but the walk along the road back to the car seemed to take forever!

However, it was a successful walk done in reasonable time and good weather, and at 18km and 1390m of ascent a good preparation for Braeriach (I hope!)

John Burton

Mount Keen

I think I made the right decision last weekend, west was going to be wet... Jack and I headed off after lunch on Sunday to Edzell. The camp site was closed so we ate at Edzell hotel and headed up the glen (which took a surprisingly long time). It was dark when we arrived and the stars were magnificent. We played a quick game of scrabble, and pulled out all the bedding we had to try to stay warm. We woke at 7.30am to find frost on the grass.

Just before 9am Douglas and I headed off up Glen Mark toward Queen’s Well where we stopped for an early cup of tea. Then past the last house in the glen and started our ascent. The cloud was still hanging on the summits, but the sun was beginning to break through to the east. It is a very good path all the way, which makes for a very pleasant walk. We stopped at the fork to the summit and had another cup of tea. From here on up the grouse were rising from the heather, a white mountain hare bobbed up the path ahead of us, and, nearer the summit rocks, there were many ptarmigan in their white winter feathers.

Not a patch of snow on the ground though, strange for early March. By the time we reached the summit (just less than 3 hours from the start) the sun had broken through and the clouds had lifted. I sat for some time at the trig point enjoying the warmth and chatting to another walker before strolling back down. Jack and Fern met us at the Queen’s Well and we hunted for toads and frogs on the way back down the glen. A perfect end to a wonderful day.

A Journey in Tibet

Slideshow by Stuart Morallee
Wednesday 1st February
Lochaber College 7.30pm
Members and non-members very welcome
£2 donation at the door

Ten Tips for Hill Walkers and Climbers Now the Clocks Have Turned Back

MCofS News Release 10 November 2011

The Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) is urging hill walkers and climbers to take particular care with preparation when heading out to the hills during the winter months.
Our Ten Point Winter Check List comes as shorter days and adverse weather conditions require preparation for the potential problems that can arise on a winter day or night spent on the Scottish hills.
MCofS Chief Officer, David Gibson, says: "There is a poignant quote that goes: Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement. Having considered a selection of typical winter pitfalls, the MCofS has developed a Winter Check List which we hope will help hill walkers and climbers to enhance their ability to make good judgements and return home safe from enjoyable days in the mountains."
The MCofS ten point winter check list is:

1. Check your head torch and GPS batteries are in good condition, renew them if they’re fading and always carry a spare set of batteries in your rucksack. Always check that everyone you go on the hill with has a head torch.

2. Carry a mobile phone whenever possible, but be aware that you won’t always get reception in remote places. Register with the SMS Emergency Text Service by visiting www.emergencysms.org.uk.

3. Carry an emergency survival bag or bivvy shelter with you in winter.

4. Check that your crampons fit your boots before using them, and get into the habit of putting them on before you reach icy ground.

5. Carry your ice axe and know how to use it. Why not attend a MCofS Winter Skills Course?

6. Carry a big enough rucksack in winter. Using the same rucksack that you carry in summer is a recipe for an uncomfortable day when you are carrying extra winter kit.

7. Carry sufficient extra layers of clothing in winter. The temperature drops quickly as darkness falls and you should plan for unexpected delays and the possibility that you could be out on the hill for an extended period in the event of an incident.

8. Always check the mountain weather forecast before going out and be prepared to change your plans.

9. Always check the sportscotland Avalanche Information Service avalanche forecast and modify your route when the forecast indicates avalanche conditions on your planned route.

10. Know when to turn back: the summit is only the half-way point of your journey.

MCofS Mountain Safety Adviser, Heather Morning, said: "Now that the clocks have turned back it is time for anyone who goes out onto the Scottish hills in winter to give serious thought to preparing themselves and their kit for the season ahead. If there are one or two points in this list of ten that you hadn’t previously thought about then do something about it before your next trip to the hills."

For further information contact Mike Dales on mike@mcofs.org.uk or go to the MCofS website at: http://www.mcofs.org.uk/mountain-safety.asp

Two days in Glen Carron

With a good weather forecast for earlier in the week I drove up to Achnasheen and stayed at the bunkhouse for two nights. First night on my own and second night two guys from Shrewsbury staying.
Day 1. I walked up Sgorr Ruadh commencing from Achnashellach Station through the woods then up onto a flatter area about 370m and took the left path up to the bealach, then steep climb up slope to the ridge then west to the summit. Great views in all directions and weather forecast spot on.
Day 2.Maol Chean-dearg. Commenced from Coulags taking the path sign posted for Glen Torridon. Followed the path past the bothy for about 1km and picked up path heading west to the bealach with great view of the Corbett, An Ruadh-stac. From the bealach headed north up quartzite scree to plateau then final ascent up sandstone rocks to the summit. Again weather excellent and had similar views from previous day.

Craigallian Fire

I’m writing to you in the hope that your Club would be willing to help us preserve a very important piece of Scottish history and outdoor heritage - the Craigallian Fire.

If you already know something of the Fire, forgive the following history lesson but there seem to be few people, even in mountaineering circles, who know anything of it ! During the Great Depression of the 1930s, the Fire was a beacon for young, poor people from Glasgow and Clydebank who, through it, explored wider afield and were introduced to Scotland’s wilderness. It’s location and significance has been forgotten by all but a very few and soon will be lost completely unless the site is commemorated. Those who daily pass by the Fire site in their hundreds on the West Highland Way by Craigallian Loch are unaware of the debt they owe to the original young pioneers who opened up Scotland’s countryside to us all. Some Fire-sitters became prominent figures in the protection of our wild places.

There is a gathering view that a permanent memorial should be erected on the site of the Fire. It is the aim of my brother Bill and I, sons of an original Firesitter and Weekender – Professor Sir Robert (Bob) Grieve - to commemorate all those who sat by its flames gaining warmth, companionship and an awareness of wider horizons - and the potential of the human spirit. The attached electronic version of our hard-copy double-sided A5 information leaflet will give you some more information on the Fire and our project. Please do see our website: http://www.craigallianfire.org.uk/ for further information.

Would your Club be willing to publicise this project amongst your members and help us to raise the funds to erect this memorial and preserve this small but important part of Scotland’s history, which is about to fade into obscurity ? We need to raise about £5,000 to build and maintain the memorial which is designed by the well-known Scottish sculptor Tim Chalk. Any donation will be gratefully received.

Members could make individual donations by cheque or BACS (Acc No 10006869 Sort Code: 80-02-77). If you would prefer to collect monies for a Club donation, this also could be done by cheque or BACS. Cheques should be made payable to ‘Friends of the Craigallian Fire’ and sent to me at my address below. Please let me know which method (Club or individual) you would prefer. If you do make a donation, we would like to list your name on the website as a 'Friend of the Fire' – please let me know if you would prefer this not to be done.

Thank you for your help,
Iain Grieve

Hello, Nevis Hillwalkers--is anybody out there??

Over the last four weeks, there has been an average of less than four members on each walk, with six being the most and one the least. Where is everyone? I know that we all have other responsibilities--work, family, etc., but numbers on walks seem to be falling away. As I have produced the last and current programmes, it occurred to me that maybe I have not given our members, you, what they want. If that is the case, then please let me know. If there are other reasons, then I, for one, would like to know them as well.

As a walking club, we need people to be walking, otherwise the club, your club, will slowly fade away.

Or could it just be the bad weather?--surely not, not Nevis hillwalkers?!

John Burton