Sat 3rd – Mon 5th May 2008 O.S.Map(s): 32 Accommodation: The Sligachan campsite Cost: £5 pppn Facilities: Showers, toilets, shop. Pub and restaurant across the road. Yippee, its May and we’re going to Skye again! Not, however, to Coruisk as originally advertised in the syllabus, as the hut had been booked to another club, but to the Sligachan campsite instead. For anyone who has never been or is unfamiliar with Skye, the big draw here is the Black Cuillins, the magnificent range you can see behind the campsite. These offer some of the best scrambling, climbing and hillwalking anywhere in Scotland… no scratch that, the world. If the weather is…

8-9 March 2008 Friday night’s trip to Glen Etive and the Grampian Club’s Inbhirfhaolain hut was full of trepidation, with some seriously bad weather forecast. However after locating the hut and filling the water containers from the stream, we lit the log fire and allowed alcohol to convert pessimism to optimism. Seventeen people turned out, including two guests, creating the atmosphere for a good weekend. On Saturday morning Simon Willats, guest Richard Collins and Chrissy McKay amended their planned route, to do Ben Starav and Bheinn Glas Mhor in an anti-clockwise direction to beat the wind. With only one minutes sunshine all day, there was no risk of sunburn or…

Sat 5th – Sun 6th April 2008 O.S.Map(s): 33, 40 Accommodation: The Whitehouse (max 12 places) + Bothy/campsite for overflow Cost: Whitehouse: £10 pppn, Bothy (not MBA): £3 pppn , Campsite: £1 pppn Facilities: Whitehouse: Shower, kitchen, utensils supplied, bunks with mattresses, but bring sleeping bag; Bothy/Campsite: toilets, electricity, but bring stove, utensils, mat and sleeping bag (and tent) Travel: Walk in or Ferry from Arnisdale (see below)   Situated in a mountainous and largely undisturbed wilderness, Barisdale provides an excellent base for climbing munros in the area as well as having an abundance of wildlife and precious examples of rare flora and fauna for vigilant visitors to see.Barisdale lies…

8-9 March (OS 41/50) Accommodation: Grampian Club hut, Inbhirfhaolain. Situated 7 miles from junction of Glen Etive Road with Tyndrum/ Glencoe Road (A82) and 5 miles from Loch Etive Pier. A basic but comfortable climbing hut, sleeping 13 upstairs on a double sleeping platform, supplied with mattresses. Cost: £4 pppn Facilities: Electric lighting, heating, cooking and refrigeration; utensils provided; multifuel stove; water from burn (100 yards); Clivus composting toilet. Ideally situated for both the Glen Etive hills and Glen Coe, this is likely to be a popular venue for walkers and winter climbers alike. Space in the hut is limited at (13), although there is pretty much unlimited camping for…

2-3 February 2008 One of the attractions of using this venue (apart from a few biggish hills nearby!) was the on-site Bar & Restaurant at the Ben Nevis Inn. Unfortunately the facilities were closed for refurbishment but we were treated to some fine entertainment by Andy on guitar (nice rendering of “I wish I was in Carrickfergus!) and Fiona on her home made Stradivarius. Strong drink had to be taken to ward off the bitter cold. Despite the grim weather forecast, 11 out of the 19 members who had booked, managed to make it to Fort William on the Friday night. On Saturday the weather was still snowy and windy…

2-3 February 2008 (OS 40/41) Accommodation: Ben Nevis Inn. Cost: £13 pppn. (Website) Facilities: Bunkhouse, linen supplied. Full facility kitchen, or superb pub just upstairs! NB: In Dave Galloway’s absence, email bookings to John Henderson please (or see syllabus card for John’s phone numbers) Carn Mor Dearg on last year’s Glen Nevis weekend! (Photo: Natacha Mihajlovic) With the Ben, the Mammores, Aonachs and Grey Corries on its doorstep, Glen Nevis has to be one of the most spectacular destinations on the syllabus. The accommodation at the Ben Nevis Inn is on the steep side (geddit?), but worth every penny, for the convenience and atmosphere alone. This meet is likely to…

8-9 December 2007 Killin village hall provided the warmth and shelter for a typical December weekend, not to mention an obvious car park for Jake Lee and Janice Taylor’s campervan. Come Saturday morning and the 0700 reveille, all personnel readied for the somewhat dreich day ahead. This was, however, day two for Ali Erginsoy and Graeme Bartlett, who had set off early on Friday morning, arriving at the Schiehallion car park for 10am, enduring wintry blasts up to the summit. Ali took the opportunity to remove a metal plaque scarring the summit rock with his ice axe before they descended the western slopes to a small, unnamed bothy for shelter.…

8-9 December 2007 Accommodation: Killin Village Hall. Cost: £5 pppn Facilities: Kitchen, but bring your own cooking utensils, crockery and cutlery. No showers, bring you own sleeping bag and thermarest It’s been some time since the Club has visited the Ben Lawers area, but this is hillwalkers’ paradise: Ben Lawers (1210 m), Bein Ghlas and the Tarmachan Ridge are on the doorstep, and there are numerous Munros within a 20 mile radius. The hills of Glen Dochart, Glen Lochay and Glen Lyon are all within striking distance. Dare we hope for snow? For some excellent suggestions on routes see: http://www.incallander.co.uk/walks/lawers.htm and http://www.incallander.co.uk/walks/an-stuc.htm