2022 J. Alister Sword Mountain Photography Competition

This year’s J. Alister Sword Mountain Photography Competition is underway! There are two separate competitions – Scottish and Non-Scottish. The competition is open to members of the Moray Mountaineering Club. Members may submit up to two photos to each category. If a photo contains people please ask their permission before submitting it. Photos submitted to the Scottish competition will be automatically considered for the 2023 MMC calendar. Winners of each competition receive a beautiful trophy made by local sculptor and former MMC President Illona Morrice to keep for the year and engraved with their name. To enter the competition please submit photos, with a caption to moraymountaineeringclub@gmail.com by Wednesday 21st September.  Photos will…

Upcoming Weekend Meets

David’s been doing a great job of getting the weekend meets sorted. Here’s the latest update. To book on to any of the meets, please email David. We’ve included some write ups of previous meets for inspiration. Weekend meets are open to guests too, please feel free to email for more information. 30th-2nd October Elphin caving hut, Elphin £10pppn. Currently full, but not many on the reserve. If you book now there’s a good chance you’ll be on the meet! Fabulous location for the Asynt hills. For ideas a previous meet report can be found here: 4th – 6th November Gairloch Sands Youth Hostel, Gairloch £25pppn. The fancy dress has…

Weekend Meet at Inbhirfhaolain, Glen Etive, Thursday 15th – Sunday 18th September.

Weekend Meet at Inbhirfhaolain, Glen Etive, Thursday 15th – Sunday 18th September.  The Thursday night is an optional extra, added by popular demand. The cost is £7.50 per person per night, or £4.50 per person per night for those in tents or vans. Accommodation is quite basic, with water fetched from the burn and an Alpine style sleeping platform.  Sleeping bags required but not mats.  The meet has been slotted in to fit in with a Munro compleation that had to be postponed due to Covid.  All welcome to join said compleater on Beinn Fhionnlaidh on the Saturday but no compulsion to do so! See https://www.grampianclub.org.uk/property/the-club-hut/ for details. Reports from previous meets:…

CIC Hut Weekend Meet – August 2022

Keeping up tradition, the Moray Mountaineers headed to the Charles Inglis Clark hut on the north face of the Ben with the promise of poor weather but great craic. Whilst the rest of the UK basked in glorious sunshine, the thirteen intrepid mountaineers faced the rain and wind, but at least it was better than our last trip in 2016. Having both had busy weeks, Alistair and David decided to convene over coffee and cake at Costa in Fort William on the Friday. They agreed a leisurely day of climbing on the Poll Dubh crags was in order. Given David’s hectic work schedule (working in 6 locations!!) he appreciated the…

Lagangarbh Weekend Meet Report – July 2022

A wonderful weekend was had by all at the most photographed house in Glencoe. Unfortunately, it was not quite the munro completion weekend as had been promised – COVID put a stop to that. Yet those lucky enough to turn up without illness had a great time on Joe’s behalf. Munros, Corbetts and Grahams were climbed, copious amounts of lasagne was consumed and Graeme ate trifle from a big bowl. Friday started for Alistair and David with a quick dram of Glenmorangie in Glen Etive at the foot of Chasgaig. After speaking to a friendly hydro worker they shortcutted over to the nose of the hill. A couple of attempts…

Knoydart Weekend Meet, June 2022

Well what a weekend. Leading up to Knoydart, the long range forecast was looking good, but I don’t think anyone could have predicted the need for constant reapplying of Factor 50 all weekend, the impromptu ceilidh and David and Becka having to pull Colin back from trying to join the Edinburgh University Mountaineering Club skinny dipping. Brent, Dianne and Babs’ weekend started early on Thursday sharing a cycle until they parted ways with Brent and Dianne heading up Gulvain and Babs with Braigh nan Uamhachan in her sights. Bob and Fiona were spotted near the top of Gulvain on their way off the hill. They all had a fantastically sunny…

MMC Weekend Meet – CIC Hut Ben Nevis 5th – 7th August

MMC Weekend Meet at the CIC Hut. £16 pppn. Located in the northern corrie of Ben Nevis, this hut provides unparalleled access to the North face of the Ben. There is a 5km walk up 700m to access the hut and you must carry all your gear in. More information is available at https://www.smc.org.uk/huts/cic. Here’s a previous MMC post for inspiration and stories: This meet is currently full but please email David to be put on waiting list.

The Living Mountain, Nan Shepherd

(Outdoor) Book Club, The Living Mountain, Nan Shepherd. 25th June.

It’s now less than 3 weeks to go until the The Living Mountain Book Club, so here’s some more information.  – Meet outside the lower station of the funicular railway for 4pm. – Walk up to the plateau and head to the water source, Feith Buithe.  – Hopefully we’ll have lovely views over Loch Aan. Bring your tea / picnic / stove with you for an open air book club.  – Either bivvy out on plateau, continue for another adventure or return back to the car park (ETA back at car park would be 10pm). – All of this is weather dependent and the route below may vary slightly.  For…