Inbhirfhaolin, or Ibuprofen to give it its true Gaelic pronunciation, is renowned for many things. Its staggering beauty, the ferocity and grandeur of its majestic peaks which rise from the sea with such relentless pitch and, in most visits by the MMC, for its phenomenal rainfall. It was with much anticipation then that a bunch of adventurers met on Friday evening and, emboldened by a far from awful weather forecast held their collective breath – it might be a weekend of hills rather than table -traverses and ice-axe games in the kitchen. So, apologies to all that is missed out, but some endeavours went unrecorded.

As with the impending promise of fine weather, it was also with some good fortune that we met at all, given that our great leader was nowhere to be seen. New members Annika and Rob Acheson stumbled upon the party and were welcomed. Their slightly bemused expressions explained by the fact that they had actually been on their way to a Star Trek Convention at the King’s House, but were lured in by the cars parked at the hut and decided to make a weekend of it. Good effort.

Deeds had already been performed by the idle rich on the Friday, unencumbered as they are by the need for honest toil. Alistair Jeffs takes up the tale, and possibly rules out an invite to Dentist Dave’s wedding:

Beinn a Chaorainn and Ben Teallach with David the Dentist. Shortly after we set off up the forest track I heard a voice. “Think there is somebody in the forest camping” I said. “No” says David, it’s just the nagging woman on the phone… (not a very nice way to talk about your fiancée I thought to myself. The nagging woman then piped up very annoyingly about every 10 minutes for the rest of the day. She couldn’t be turned off apparently. May be is he in pre-marriage training? Very heavy going underfoot due to deep snow and heather. Visibility poor especially on higher ground. Large cornices on eastern slopes as SAIS had predicted. A good day out.

Mr Cowie, our very own Buckie loon was also happy to gloat about his hedonistic Friday and he records his bicycling exploits thus:

Started off with a jaunt round Wolftrax at Laggan on Friday enroute. Snowy tracks but managed to cycle up with just a few wee walks on the technical bits going up. Good run down stopped and peered over the edge of the Tingler (renamed by me) they have put a ramp at the bottom for the elderly and infirm or the Feerties so as I fell in to all categories took the chicken route yet again.  Fine tale Colin. I dread to think which bit of you was a tingling (Ed).

Graeme ‘Zippy’ Morrison ran up Ben Lomond in 15 minutes, but then he often does. And round 38 comes ever closer.

Doubtless there were other feats performed, but no record was made. Andy ‘Wednesday’ Lawson had surely conquered some Marilyns enroute, but he was too interested in polishing his van (no, that’s not a euphemism) to let us know.

A convivial evening was spent making next day plans and getting Dentist Dave away from the stove as the hut turned into a sauna.

Saturday was a much better day than expected and everyone got oot n aboot. (I think Andy may have had to go home early, but he gets more good days on the hill than most.  Graeme definitely needed to get off early, but he’s out even more than Wednesday!)

Dan describes the largest of the parties with his usual brevity:  On Saturday, me and Sheena were in the Beinn Fhionnlaidh party (also including Zippy, David Treagus and Alistair Jeffs). I’ll let others tell that story.

Well may you presume Tigger. But due to the Book of Climbs being as apparent as our favourite omnipotent being and a degree of lassitude prevailing amongst the rest of the party, no such story exists. I do recall an exhausted Zippy mumbling something about kicking steps for everyone for most of the ascent, and looking at the calibre of the group, that is to be wholly expected.

Dave ‘The Colonel’ Galloway is a much welcomed returnee to weekend meets. For many years a stalwart of the club he is making a return. It was noted that Dave ‘re-finding’ the club could have been literal, as for many present this weekend, their last sighting of this fearless hill-walker had been on the slopes outside Ibruprofen hut some years previously. Could it be that The Colonel had wandered these lands alone for all those years? The legend continues. But enough supposition. With military precision Dave describes his day:

Walked from Inbhfhaolin hut to the Allchaorunn bothy with Robbie & Annika.Followed the stream south round to Coire Odhar before parting company and making the ascent of Beinn Mhic Chasgaig. The cloud base was just above munro level and the snow had consolidated above 559mts, wet and sugary below that.

Another of our ex-military members, Adrian Marsay is as concise in his language as he is expansive in the repertoire of his adventuring: I played Splitboarded around the Glencoe ski area, then recce’d the devil’s staircase case for mountain bike. Lunatic. Must be all that marching about and shouting.

Jan and Andy took a very wise tourist option and skied on the piste at Glen Coe on Saturday in perfect snow conditions once above the access chairlift. Lovely.

Colin was in ambling mode: Saturday had everything going for it except motivation by me so had a wee walk through Lairig Gartain to Glencoe then past Laghangarbh hut following the path up to Curved ridge area then dropped in to Glen Etive .Walked a few mile on the road eventually some one stopped it was  Jan and Andy  who gave me a lift up the road.

Alan and Fiona, thinking they were last off, had a cracker of a day. Alan wrote it; as the tone might indicate:

Despite waking up to a better than expected forecast Fiona was feeling a bit under the weather and no idea what to do. By 9 o’clock everyone had gone leaving her and Alan as billy no mates. Alan made a few suggestions but Fiona just said I’m not sure. He persuaded her to get in the car and they drove down to the Ben Starav parking spaces to have a look at Stob Dubh. Arriving Alan immediately put on his boots but realised that Fiona was still sitting in the car. When asked why, she replied that she was having a look. Some faffing time later they set off for the 2km walk to the base of the unforgiving relentless steep slope of Stob Dubh. The crux was the snow covered crags at 600 metres. Despite a few protests along the way they finally reached a small snow gully which gave access through the crags. After another slog they reached the top an hour more than the book time. Fiona funnily enough was overjoyed and chuffed that she had got one of her remaining Corbett bagged. It was fortunate in the snowy conditions that we could follow our footsteps down through the crags, although it was near vertical and required good use of the ice axes. As Fiona said afterwards that was a real adrenaline buzz. On reaching the bottom we met a landowner from Dalness Estates who showed us around a holiday cottage. He seemed impressed with the climb. What a stunning location. Our drive up the glen was slow due to hundreds of deer feeding all along the roadside.

 Alan and Fiona’s ‘late start’ was positively Alpine by the standards of those two laggards, Joe and Jake who bimbled away from base camp sometime after 10. An ambitious and highly improbable route was sketched out and then immediately abandoned as the buffoons set off in a vaguely uphill direction. Further deviations from the sensible involved an aborted climb up a melting and crumbling gulley, another retreat and a final ascent of a hill somewhere. Their keen eye on detail and planning an example to no-one. But what a fantastic day! That evening’s debrief made more interesting by the discovery of an ancient map on the hut wall which described the clown’s ascent as an area of ‘winter climbing’

Another night in the sauna saw many early to their scratchers, as the day’s effort took its toll. Just as well, as Sunday was an absolute topper!

Dan, not reliant on the record of others described his a day as this:  On Sunday, Sheena and I ascended Meal nan Eun and Stob Coir an Albannaich.  We walked up Glen Ceittlein and then the snowy shoulder of Meall Tarsuinn, where we had first lunch.  Next we ambled along the broad ridge to Meall nan Eun, following the footsteps of the only other person we saw all day.  In Glen Etive, everything is pretty steep, even the normally benign “Mealls” (heap or mound).  So you know that a Stob is going to be pretty sharp.  Stob Coir an Albannich does not disappoint.  From a distance, the ascent from the bealach looked a bit intimidating, but fortunately a lovely snowy ramp materialised, with only a little steepening at the cornice.  It was now mid-afternoon and the sun was beating down, which made the slog up the final summit slopes a rather sweaty affair. The views from the top were stunning.  A small patch of mist even drifted into the corrie below and provided a brocken spectre.  We arrived back at the van and put a brew on, just in time for Jan and Andy as they returned from Ben Starav.

Alistair, having offended all his walking companions set off alone:  Sgor nah-Ulaih Solo.  Glorious day and set off early whilst many remained in their slumbers still enjoying the night before. Lower bog frozen. Did a full loop via Beinn Fhionnlaidh Pass.  Descent on other side proved very tricky and very difficult to find safe way down due to dead terrain and snow. Had climbed down a tricky step but then had to re-ascend as route further looked quite risky. Found easier route round end of slab. Much evidence of mini-avalanches and some cornicing.

Well it all sounds very exciting, but of course Alistair was alone and we can only take his word for it. This report would never wish to cast any aspersions, but a man fitting Alistair’s description was seen tucking into the belly-buster breakfast at the Clachaig that morning. Just saying…….

Another newcomer was amongst us. If Adele had ventured out on Saturday, that journey has been forgotten, but I feel her outing on Sunday will definitely be remembered, glorious as it was. Adele’s description of her first encounter with the MMC is beautifully non-committal, but it is hers and shall duly be recorded:  Thanks everyone for welcoming me this weekend. I appreciated your general warmth and welcome around the blazing sauna fire :), and even managed a pretty good night’s sleep in my tent among the trees with the owls! Special thanks go to Fiona, Alan and Jake for guiding me on my first real snowy winter hill walk. I found the snow quite a strange thing to deal with while hillwalking, and you were very supportive. What an absolutely cracking day we were blessed with too!

The hill that Adele climbed with Fiona, Alan and Jake was Fiona’s final Corbett of this area, Beinn Maol Chaluim. Such a cracking hill, that on realising it was the same peak that he had ascended with Joe the day before, Jake was happy to climb it again. (Idiot). Truly spectacular day, with a moment of high drama near the top. Having been told that it was just a walk, the rather inexperienced Adele found herself on steep mixed ground and gripping her ice axe as if she meant it. A faultless climb saw her conquer fears and the summit with aplomb. Alan and Fiona of course sprinted up like a couple of chamois. At the top, the party split and Jake took another route down, as the trio walked toward a glorious setting sun.

Adrian, neither wanting to waste words or do anything remotely sensible:  went up beinn bheag on mountain bike then launched myself off down the devil’s staircase case. Such fun. Certifiable.

Joe went to the pub. But this is Joe, so there’s more to it than that:  Kindly deposited at Invercharnan by Alan (which only a fool would confuse with Inbhirfhaolain, but enough of that) I wandered up Gleann Charnan to the south ridge of Sgurr nah-Ulaidh. A wee bit scrambly in places with crampons required, I reached the summit in glorious weather, T shirt and crampons, and not a breath of wind. I descended the short but steep NE slope and over Stob an Fhuarain before walking the length of Aonach Dubh a’ Ghlinne.

 It is sensible to descend sooner rather than later from this ridge. However,

1. a) It was glorious weather and I had no wish to say goodbye to the sunshine before I had to
2. b) I’ve always thought that this ridge looked lovely, I remember it from when I was a child on family holidays and I still had never been on it
3. c) I’m not sensible

 The descent was distinctly NFJL (not for Jake Lee) for some of the upper portion but allowed a reasonably quick descent with not too much retracing of steps.  A mercifully short walk along the A82 led to the Glen Coe visitor centre from where I could cross the bridge to the Clachaig, have a seat, a beer and read the book that I’d carried over the hills for this very purpose.

Yes, Joe sat in the pub and waited for someone to pick him up and take him home.

Dave G was able to navigate out of the Glen and: Sunday saw me drive to Laganarbh before enjoying crystal clear views all the way to Beinn a Chrulaiste and back. Classic winter’s day.

Meanwhile Jan and Alan spent a great day on the mighty Starav: we walked up the north ridge from Glen Etive to Ben Starav in absolutely stunning conditions, returning by the same route. Crampons and axes only being needed on the top section below the summit.

 The Buckie loon – always wanting to be different (there’s no doubting success there!) took to the water:  Sunday dawned beautiful I had arranged a paddle with Karl Bungay from Otter Adventures in Stontian. Left from the head of Loch Etive and went as far as Camas na Cuirte stopped for tea and returned on the other shoreline. Glass conditions all the way reflections amazing took loads of photos a fourteen mile round trip brilliant day. Still a few club member cars parked going out the Glen all making the most  of an awesome sunny day.

Could not put it better Colin. An awesome sunny day!

CMF

Words by Jake.  Photos by J Glennie, A Marsey, C Cowie and D Moysey