Graeme Morrison
Dave Whitelock
Andy Lawson
Dave Mclean
Fiona Duncan
Alan Duncan
Susan Jacyna
Simon Jacyna
Dan Moysey
Andy Brooks
Kath Taylor
Joe Glennie
Graeme Henderson
Fiona Cunninghame
Illona Morrice
Katie Griffiths
Sheena Forsyth
Jake Lee

The clocks have just gone back – normally sane parents are sending their children out begging and Graeme Henderson is looking for the matches. It can only mean the by now traditional November trip to Inchnadamph.

We have previously been blessed by fine weather on this particular weekend, and so it proved again, with two great days.

Dave W, maintained his reputation as the foremost inspector of ablutions in the Highlands, with an evening that is best left to the imagination. Suffice to say, the toileting facilities held up, whilst Dave sadly did not. Another early bath for the guitar maestro and another inquest into the catering.

Assynt is always majestic and the clear skies of Saturday beckoned all to get out there.

Katie and Sheena struck out for Conival, with the possible option of Ben More Assynt. The wonderful weather not only afforded magnificent views, but also sightings of around 40 deer and 4 ptarmigan. The surprising amount of snow made going a little slower than anticipated and so they wisely saved the next hill for another day and returned by the same route. More wildlife was encountered lower down with the Greater-Spectacled Brooks appearing suddenly. A fortunate meeting as this knowledgeable old bird was able to act as a guide to some of the caves that litter the place.

‘Wednesday’ Lawson, Graeme M and Penny TWD enjoyed the ascent of Ben Dreavie, its summit (if a hill of 510m can be said to actually have a summit) of Torridonian sandstone conglomerate being a fantastic place to view many of the glorious hills of Assynt.

View during ascent of Ben Dreavie (Photo by Andy Lawson)

Penny TWD then decided to make a day of it and so a bog trot to An Socach, via an ancient Chrysler car, completed a fine day out.

Penny TWD at the summit of An Socach (Photo by Andy Lawson)

Dave M, Andy B and Jake on the advice of their physio, vet, and psychiatrist respectively, strayed no higher than the snow-line, but in such magnificent surroundings it’s not always vital to go far and who needs an excuse to wobble about? Many fine photographs were taken and sonnets composed.

Alan, Fionas D and C and Susan joined in the sunny fun with a round of Cranstackie and Beinn Spionnaidh. A well-planned route, which cunningly included a visit to the Scourie Hotel.

Illona and Kath felt that the wonderful situation of the hostel negated the need to drive anywhere, striking out the back door for Beinn an Fhurain. There was more snow than anticipated, but luckily these two experienced mountaineers had packed extra Kendal mint cake and all was well.

Another regular, though slightly more dubious tradition of the November meet is for some members to go grovelling about in dirty sub-terranean chambers. Given that we were blessed with such fine weather, it was an even odder decision to go underground, but minds were made up and in any case, Dan wanted to test his home-made rope ladder. More of which later. Caving is a curious art, practised by curious people, so what went on is best described by one of the descenders. As Tigger has put it: the ‘Great Northern Time Machine’ is one of the longest underground caverns in Scotland. The route via Rana Hole was only discovered a few years ago. Two previous MMC expeditions had explored the initial stages of the route. This time the determined team made it all the way (despite a long crawl down ‘legless passage’ to ‘dead end’). The return to the surface seemed somewhat more arduous than the descent – the difference between abseiling and climbing! Everyone made it to the surface, but the final stages almost proved too much… there was much cursing about the spacing between the rungs in the ladder, which being made of dynamic rope stretched just a bit with every step!

The Great Northern Time Machine (Photo by Dan Moysey)

Indeed, it may have stretched somewhat more for some of the party than others. Simon returning to the Lodge in a state of deep exhaustion and with eyes that would have looked more at home on a fishmonger’s slab than in that normally animated face. Bob has made a 12 hour DVD of the whole adventure with his trusty ‘Go-Pro’ should anyone be interested. Yes. It is as dull as it sounds.

Bob with his ‘Go-Pro’ (Photo by Dan Moysey)

With generous sponsorship from the Acme, Henderson and Lee Firework Company there was a magnificent (well, sort of rubbish) firework display that pleased the pyromaniacs. Thankfully, both Graeme H and Joe work for SEPA and so health and safety standards were rigorously adhered to.

Fireworks (Photo by Andy Lawson)

As ever, and with a sense of grateful relief from the editorial team, and even though I know full well that much was achieved on a fine and clear Sunday, no-one has bothered to let me know. So all those acts of heroic ascents and hard won coffees and cakes will have to stay where they probably belong, in the memories of those steadfast souls who enjoyed another great day.

A notable exception from the overwhelming apathy come from the unlikely source of Mr Joseph Glennie. Who describes his Sunday thus:

On Sunday two of the troglodyte team from Saturday decided to have a wander up Ben Mor Assynt. It was a glorious day, and the views were stunning. It certainly made a change from torchlight, mud and dust as Graeme and Joe staggered blinking into the open air. Keen mountaineers as this pair are, they managed to leave the hut before midday and started wandering up the valley. Upon reaching peak of a lovely snow-capped Conival a conversation ensued regarding the final push to the intended summit. Various notions were uttered to one another, along the lines of “With hardly any wind it’s nice to sit awhile and linger” and “The ridge to the east of Ben Mor Assynt looks lovely, if we didn’t climb the hill today we could return via that ridge” and “The view from here’s good enough…” and so the pair justified their laziness to one another and happily plodded down to the hut and a fish supper in Ullapool.

Some traditions, like child slavery and Bruce Forsyth, are probably best moving on from. An MMC visit to Inchnadamph in early November however may yet have legs. Although dear reader, that, is up to you!

See you next year?

 

Author: Jake