The first bus meet of the year set off on a fine February morning to a familiar destination. The Cairngorm ski car park may not be exotic but it is handy when daylight is still in relatively short supply and it does boast almost guaranteed conditions for the all-important winter skills. Luckily, the club was blessed with decent snow cover, good weather and a very skilful and knowledgeable club member in the shape of Ray Harron who kindly offered to take the winter skills session for fellow members.
First off the bus was John Henderson and his group from the Long Distance Walking Association. This symbiotic bus meet relationship works beautifully to provide transport for the LDWA and much-needed bums on seats for the MMC bus. They departed at Aviemore Railway Station and walked to the Cairngorm Hotel. For those with a passing knowledge of Aviemore, yes this does involve merely crossing the road. However, if John and the LDWA are to be believed they enjoyed a fine circular walk through Rothiemurchus Forest, circumnavigating Loch Morlich and finding sufficient time for a café stop in Glenmore and a chippy stop in Aviemore before reaching their final destination.
Next off the bus was Joe, who was torn between reaching heady heights with good company and visiting places as yet untrodden by his feet. The latter won out, mainly due to the fact that that plan involved a certain fetish of his – the Traverse. A traverse can often be quite difficult to organise but can always be achieved on a bus meet. He left the bus in Glenmore and walked past Ryvoan Bothy and up Meall a’ Bhuahaille before following the ridge to Creaggowrie in gorgeous sunshine. As the cloud spilled over the top of the Cairngorm plateau like a gigantic tidal wave he did contemplate at what point a combination of LOFOMO (lack of fear of missing out) and satisfaction at having made a good decision becomes Schadenfreude. Descent was by some bush whacking, the presumably rarely ascended Creag a’ Ghreusaiche and heather moorland to Coylumbridge and then Aviemore.
“So who was under said tidal wave?”, I hear you say… well in mountaineering clubs it is often custom to have a “Presidential Party” but with no visible president there was at least a club secretary, Katie, who along with Gillian, Ray (no, not that one, the other one) and Stewart set off towards Ben Macdui, as Katie wrote in the Book of Climbs “in sunshine, little wind and great visibility. Once on the plateau the clag came in. Despite the lack of views, it was still nice to be out in the hills and a great opportunity to test our navigation and figure out where we were going all together. Once in the clag we decided to cut our walk short and not head to Ben Macdui but back to Cairn Lochan and follow the ridge back to the ski resort, watching climbers and taking in the beautiful views as we went. Got back in time for a cuppa and to watch the kidz wizz down the slopes on their snow boards. Then to the pub for a roast dinner.”
Ray Harron, Winter Skills Part 1
It was a great day for the winter skills day, led by Ray Harron. Last year there was barely enough snow and in some previous years the weather has not been conducive to standing around and talking, teaching and learning. This time however, a group of intrepid Moray Mountaineers followed Ray into Coire Cas where Ice axe skills were duly passed on and practised. Then, crampons were donned and the Fiacaill Coire Cas was followed to Point 1141 (probably the most famous unnamed summit in Scotland) before Cairngorm was climbed. There was enough time for a tea break in the Ptarmigan Restaurant before the descent down the ridge to the bus.
The various parties reconvened at the Cairngorm Hotel bar and swapped stories of their day on the hill. Some tucked into their afore-mentioned roast dinners while others made do with beer and crisps or a cup of coffee. Another enjoyable club meet was rounded off with bus-boss Katie shepherding the last incorrigible drunkards (the guilty shall remain nameless but if you’ve already guessed you’re probably right) back to the bus for the journey home.
Ray and Joe, Winter Skills Part 2