A winter traverse of An Teallach, scrambling over the pinnacles and enjoying the truly awesome views both near and far on a beautiful clear winters day must be one of the best mountaineering days out in Scotland. But of course the weather hasn’t been quite as benign this winter and this weekend was no exception. The club headed to Dundonnell and stayed at the Sail Mhor bunkhouse.
On Saturday morning Alan, Andy, Dan, Jake and Jane decided to head up what is unquestionably the best mountain in the area, as described below by Dan.
“Some time after the authorised departure time Jake, Jane and Alan were finally ready, bags packed… The intrepid explorers drove to the Dundonnell Hotel and headed up the hill.
Snow was reached at about 400m, wind at about 600m and clag at 700m. Crampons were required for the final steep ascent to the Munro, Bidean a’ Ghlas Thuill.
No view from the top but the cornices were impressive.
Initial thoughts of progressing to Sgurr Fiona were quashed by the inclement weather. The wind increased as we descended and the spindrift sneaked into any openings.
Plans were changed again and a rapid bum slide brought us quickly from the Arctic tops to the boggy valley floor. Looking back, Jane’s skid mark was a good 200m!
Weather deteriorated, but nice views of ptarmigan, mountain hare and deer. Got back to the hut, very wet.”
And Jane adds, “Dan walked quickly past some impressive waterfalls, beautiful in their strength, so they didn’t make it into his questionable history of the day.”
Dave and Fiona D enjoyed some beautiful views on Beinn nam Ban. They had a relaxing day with a later start than everyone else and were lucky enough to get back to the car just before the rain started.
Graeme and Maggie wandered into the wilderness of the Fisherfield. They didn’t return until quite late on, leading to the recounting of the infamous tale when Graeme led a party of three up Cioch Direct on a seriously dreich day on a September Glen Brittle meet and didn’t return until 2am. This time, however, they returned at a much more respectable time of 7 or 8 and recorded the following account of their day in the club Book of Climbs “27km Lovely day”.
Evelyne and Ray started a day earlier than most and climbed Bidean a’ Ghlas Thuill on Friday. The weather started overcast and wet but soon cleared to blue sky and sunshine. A fresh breeze was encountered, causing spindrift to be blown off the ridges, a beautiful sight in the sunshine. The last 150m were quite challenging and icey but they were rewarded with stunning views to An Teallach. Andy was also out on Friday for an ascent of Beinn an Eoin in Coigach.
The pair had another lovely day on the Saturday with a low level walk to Shenavall. An Teallach again featured prominently in the views, as did the hills of Fisherfield and the Fannichs.
Joe and Sheila also enjoyed a low level walk, taking the coastal path to Scoraig. On the way out they encountered otters playing in the water and had time to visit the museum in an old lighthouse and have a look around the peninsula. A local man who was working in a boat shed was kind enough to invite them in just as the rain started for some shelter. The return journey was into the easterly wind and driving rain but thankfully not all the way, with a break in the clouds later on providing a glimpse of sunshine and a rainbow.
Fiona C, Bob and Desmond climbed Sail Mhor. A lovely hill just behind the appropriately named bunkhouse. They had a grand day out, reaching the top a couple of minutes before the cloud did, and so became the only people, with perhaps the addition of Fiona D and Dave, who got a view from the top of a hill. Strong winds accompanied the cloud and the trio managed to descend before it became too strong. A grand day out.
The usual good craic was enjoyed on both evenings with fine food and drink a plenty. Hooking up a laptop to the wifi to watch Scotland play England at Murrayfield seemed like a good idea at the time, but those unfortunate enough to watch the game did not come away glowing with pride at Scotland’s rugby prowess.
The MMC band “The Broken Crampon” reformed for the weekend with fluctuating membership and an indeterminate repertoir. A guitar and fiddle appeared and a mandolin replaced the crampon used during the hogmanay meet. While a fine instrument such as a mandolin would sound wonderful in the right hands, in its owners hands it can be described as louder than merely tapping a crampon. It is also a tad strange when a bloke announces that he can only play one song and promptly launches into a drunken rendition of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene”. It is testament to the inclusiveness of the club that such oddballs are allowed into its membership…
Sunday was poorer weather than Saturday and, as has often been the case in the last few months, no hills were climbed. Some low-level walks were enjoyed on the way home to stretch the legs and delay the end of the weekend.
Author: Joe
Photos: Andy, Dan and Alan