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Too wet to climb

Date: May/June 11
Submitted by: Keith Monaghan


Sandra and I went to Jock Land in May for planned 3 day trip with the intention of bagging loads of hills. Spent 1st day on a couple of Mungos, NE of Oban, in crap weather, mild start was followed by ferocious winds and rain in what resulted in mad tour of a couple of easy hills and more that a bit of bother crossing streams which were a mere trickle on the way up 3 hrs earlier. Had to cancel rest of trip to Loch Ossian and go home early as forecast was for hurricane force winds preventing any further baggin and resulted in ferry's cancelled! (trees down everywhere)
 
2 weeks later went to Glen Shiel with a few mates to "best" the 5 sisters of Kintail, apparently loads had "been there" before us but no protection was required on nice ridge scramble with views to Skye and Torridon, stayed in Ratagan followed by 2 more hills in the remote Glen Quioch , and a 2.25 hr fell run up and down Ben Lomond on route to airport.
 
" Had to miss Valli's party a fortnight later as work required some "mug" to go to Aberdeen for "a bit of an afternoon", and as I had some unfinished business in the Cairngorms I volunteered.

I dragged along "herself" to the SYHA Breamar plaza. Day 1 was a day tour of "Derry" Cairngorm + 2 others some of which I had done before. Wasn't a DERRY'S, Walls, Gates, Bridge, or Guildhall in site but plenty of bog-side. Lunch taken in the palatial Hutchinson Memorial hut, cycled to Derry Lodge and never saw an apprentice, bandsman,road block, officer of the law (in riot gear) or roadblock anywhere. (used to get lots of overtime to go to Derry).

Day 2 was a tour of "Ben A Vur" and "Ben Ann", (correct pronunciation but spelt by jocks somewhat differently). RAF were out looking for some ezit who forgot his silva expedition 4 or his sarnies.

Have reviewed 214 Munro's so far, have been on 36 trips, with 68 different  "munro assistants" done 82 solo hills, 92 in winter, Sandra now into 120s which means I will have to repeat some, and only got lost 3 times (minor navigational issues) and have "slipped/pushed" just the once. Calculated that I could have bought an apartment in Chamonix or a "Mothership" for less expense than this.
 
Not much rope work recently but weather is crap!

12 Jul 2011
Pete

You never struck me as "wet", Keith.

13 Jul 2011
Iain

Excellent commitment to the task at hand Sir! Alas it cost a major fortune to finish the badboys! :-) Good luck.:-)

14 Jul 2011
Anthony Feeney

Is it cheaper to conquer the sea stacks? Maybe Keith shoulda bought a camper and done those instead. He's not a great swimmer but has plenty of natural buoyancy!


Photo of Route