In spite of knowing the weather forecast, 17 members and four guests set out for Glenfinnan. The forecast said it would rain all day – it rained all day! Nevertheless “fun” was had. The wider world must wonder at claim’s such as Bill’s to have done two Munros “in atrocious weather” while still managing to have “a good day out”.

First off the bus was George Herraghty who went Graham hunting in the mist. (They were on Gulvain, George!) Heading off from Fassfern he happened across Meall Onfhaidh and Aodann Chleireig – it is probably stretching a point to suggest that he appreciated the opportunity that the weather gave him to hone up his compass skills. At the end of the day a rather damp George managed to hitch a lift back to the bus.

 

Dan Moysey, Graham Morrison, Graeme Bartlett and Donnie Maclennan headed for Gulvain. With the “moist” conditions and lack of visibility, they didn’t hang about on the top so found themselves early back at the roadside pick-up point only to be attacked by the first midges of the season! It says something about the day’s conditions that Graeme Bartlett decided to abandon his original plan of continuing on from Gulvain to Braigh nan Uamhachan coming straight down with the others.

 

Braigh nan Uamhachan was visited, though, by Bob MacDonald, Alan Duncan, Fiona Duncan, Ella Grant, Drummond Beattie and Andy Brooks. They went up from Gleann Fionnlighe and descended into Gleann Dubh Lighe. Over lunch, sheltering from the wind behind the boundary wall that runs part way along the ridge, the group managed to persuade themselves that they were having a good day. Alas, they were unable to convince Andy of this and he decided to head off down from the col.

 

The biggest and most ambitious group of the day – Claire Proctor, Rachel Higgins, Jenny Smith, Sophie Took (guest), Louise Jones (guest), Jenny Graham (guest), Bill Lindsay, Malcolm Campbell, Andy Taylor (welcome back), Bob Weeks and David Brown Douglas – took on the horseshoe of Sgurr nan Coireachan and Sgurr Thuilm. No loitering for them, but as the group pointed out there was very little reason to loiter given the “persistent rain and blanket of cloud”. The day finished with a bit of a speedy “march” down off the second summit. The overall conclusion, however, was that it “was a good day out none-the-less”. Well done to the guests who accompanied this party – it doesn’t always rain on bus meets, honest!

 

Ella