Junior Mountaineering Club of Scotland Glasgow Section April – June 2002 Newsletter

Dear Member,

Spring greetings to you all! 

Future Meets

There are a few changes to the Meets list that I would like you to notice!

The Meet Convenor for Strawberry Cottage, Glen Affric is now Jeremy Morris and Ann MacDonald is the Meet Convenor for The Smiddy, Dundonnell.  Further details in the Meets list.

A new meet has been added,  Friday 31^st May – Monday 3rd June, camping in Arran for which an invite has gone out to the Whole Club.  We hope some members from the other Sections will come along.

There will still be a meet during the Glasgow Fair, 19-22^nd July, camping/bothying, suggestions welcome for destination.

October has completely changed!   So…discard the previous meets list, do not refer to it!  And you won’t go wrong!  Nor miss out!!

Slide Show

Andy Sommerville is hosting a slide show of his latest Himalayan trip on Wednesday 10^th April, Stronvay, Station Rd, Langbank

Subscription News

£12 subs are due, if you haven’t already paid please send your cheque to Andy at the above address….except for Coll Findlay, Peter Cairns and David MacDonald!

Congratulations on becoming Life Members this year!!!

Good Luck!

Good luck to David Lawson who is moving to London for a couple of years where he will be working in a new Tiso shop.  Ironically we’ll be seeing more of him as he has weekends free now!  I will be taking over as Meets Secretary, any ideas of destinations let me or any committee member know – always on the lookout for new and different places to go!

Apologies

Em, sorry for the cost incurred upon receiving the last newsletter!  It was thought that a second class stamp would be sufficient…but obviously not!   A newsletter will be weighed everytime in future to make sure it doesn’t happen again!   Thank you for your understanding!  (Well, it had to happen once so that’s it over with now!)

Many thanks to the contributors for their meet reports!   Always appreciated!

Vicky Stewart

Secretary

March 2002

Past Meets

25^th-27^th January:  Naismith Hut, Elphin

Members Present:  John Fenemore, Paul Hammond, Jeremy Morris, John Porter, Iain Sneddon

John F and Ian sensibly started their weekend early, enjoying a crisp day on Thursday for the drive up, and walking near Lochinver on Friday during the big dump of snow.  The others left on Friday night, undeterred by reports of 10 inches of snow and the A9 closed at Drumochter.  Our faith in the snowploughs turned out to be correct, with the A9 opening 30 minutes before we reached the blockage (helped by the torrential rain) - we reached Ullapool in time for last orders, the rain stopped, and we were treated to a view of Suilven in the moonlight.

Ian and John F returned to Glasgow during Saturday’s thaw.   Over-optimism caused John P, Jeremy and Paul to make the trek up to Beinn Dearg, where most of the snowfall had already melted away.  Inverlael gully still looked complete, so we trudged up this, dodging the falling icicles and occasionally falling through the soft snow into the stream below.  The compensation was superb views down the glen to Ullapool and the summer isles glinting in the sun.

Sunday continued mild and windless  - an ascent of Ben More Assynt gave us fine views of a snow-speckled landscape.  Luckily the floods had made the caves inaccessible, so we were spared having to accompany Paul “having a quick look” inside.  Our sadness at leaving for the drive south was tempered by the start of the rain – we left Ullapool as we had arrived, in the dark and the rain.

Written by Jeremy Morris

2/3^rd February:  Jocks Spot, Newtonmore

Members Present:  John Porter, Jeremy Morris, Vicky Stewart, Johanna Thurlow, Richard Jewell, Simon Gay

Guests: Simon Gay, Tina Gay, Matt Dent, Katy

Jock Spot - a nice hut, a perfect location for the Gorms and Meagaidh - great! Another chance to get out the axes and enjoy some winter climbing But lets face it, the winter so far has been crap. The cold snap in November turned out to be a temperature inversion, the cold snap at Christmas was good, but short-lived, and since then snow has been about as rare as gold.

So it wasn't a surprise that the weather forecast for this weekend was any different to normal, and however many forecasts you looked at they all said the same - crap. With this in mind we loaded the car on Friday prepared for all eventualities - biking, walking, climbing, shopping, tea drinking. A quick stop at Newtonmore on Friday evening and we headed off for the cosy warmth of Jocks Spot. The hut is definitely two star accommodation, but lets face it, who thought of putting the bunks right in the porch, and please, get some mattresses (even cheap karrimats). As Jeremy and Matt will tell you - them wooden slats ain't comfy!

Saturday dawned as expected - warm and wet - so after some discussions we headed off up a sodden Glen Malkie, heading for Geal Charn. For those of you with an eye for an unexplored cliff, this one is fairly disappointing so keep looking! Our saviour on this day was definitely a new bridge crossing the very swollen burn. There was snow around higher up, but mostly soft. The men took the direttissama up the central gully onto the wind-blasted summit plateau, where as the ladies took a more indirect route to the top. Nevertheless we met up safely and stumbled back down to tea and cake.

Jeremy and Vicky had to leave us on Saturday night - maybe it was the company, or could it have been a pressing engagement with Pop Idol? However, we were fortified by Simon and Tina, and two of our friends from Inverness - Matt and Katy. Although we felt a bit miffed that we could not be one of the several million people sitting at home watching very low quality Saturday night television, we still had a good time.

Sunday was actually looking OK, and I was getting increasingly excited throughout the evening that ice was going to be uncovered. So Matt, Jo and I headed off to the Klondike Valley in search of gold, returning with a fine ascent of Fingers Ridge in an exceedingly plastered state. As always with these things, you return with a thirst and a hunger to die for, so it was only to our horror, that we discovered our tea-bags had been swiped by some greedy penny-pinchers. A frantic search of the premises uncovered two old tea bags, which were shared out inadequately amongst the thirsty tribe.

I cannot reveal the true identity of the tea-bag criminals, but suffice to say, whilst we had a good day in the Northern Corries, John, Simon and Tina were battered off the "Sgorans" above Glen Feshie by strong wind and blizzards. Divine retribution - I like to think so!

Written by Richard Jewell

Another voice from the weekend…

Tina and I, along with Scotty the dog, arrived at the hut on Saturday afternoon, having climbed the Carn Liath summit of Beinn a’Ghlo on the way, in interestingly high winds.  We were just in time to say hello and goodbye to Vicky and Jeremy, who seemed to be attending the opposite half of the meet from ourselves.  In addition to the usual cooking and drinking, entertainment was provided by the hut library, which includes not only an impressive collection of SMC Journals and seemingly a complete set of the Scots magazine, but a comprehensive sample of women’s publications such as Elle, Vogue, Eve, She, Her etc.  There was also a copy of GQ which (it was explained to the non-lads present) stands for ‘Gentleman’s Quarterly’ and is published monthly.  I’m sure it makes sense to someone.  A wide-ranging discussion touched on genetics, genetic predispositions towards explaining everything in terms of genetics, genetic predispositions towards being unconvinced by explanations of everything in terms of genetics, and the genetic basis of Europeans’ tolerance for alcohol.

On Sunday morning the young tigers (Richard, Jo, Matt) left early to have a look at Coire an-t’Sneachda, while those of us inclining towards Munros (Simon, Tina, John) or teashops (Katy) arose more slowly.  John was surprised to find some of his boots half full of Scotty’s biscuits; the most rational explanation involved mice discovering the food in Scotty’s bowl and stashing it in a safer (as they thought) place, but it could have been a practical joke, or perhaps genetics.  So John, Tina, Scotty and I attempted Sgor Gaoith, but turned back near the top of Carn Mor Ban when the dog’s tolerance for wind, snow and generally claggy weather was exhausted (that was our excuse, anyway!).  Which left plenty of time for a late lunch at the Chef’s Grill, Newtonmore (highly recommended) on the way home.

Written by Simon Gay

23/24 February: Lagangarbh, Glencoe

Members Present:  Jo Thurlow, Richard Jewell, Jeremy Morris, Paul Hammond

Guest:  Matt Dent

Maybe it was the threat of blizzards and cold weather that kept people away this weekend, or maybe the views of tenements are preferred to the mighty Buchaille. But for the few who diced with the weather and could stomach the oh-so-distant trek to the Coe, were rewarded with a fantastic wintery weekend.

The first obstacle of the evening (after getting past the Kingshouse) was the track down to the hut. Jeremy and Paul charged down without a thought of how they would get out the next day. Seemingly a lot of pushing was required to escape!

Saturday almost didn’t dawn for Jeremy and Paul, who romped up Lagangarbh Chimney and returned to the hut in time for morning coffee. An urgent rendez-vous in the big smoke meant this was a very short visit. How Jeremy manages to persuade is faithful companion into such schemes is beyond me!

In the meantime Matt and I waded up to Stob Coire nan Lochan and did Crest Route. There was powder everywhere, but luckily the route is sufficiently steep that we didn’t suffer too much. We were even rewarded with magnificant views out to the NW and a fantastic decent to the valley floor in fresh soft powder.

On Sunday, Jo decided to leave the warmth of Lagangarbh lounge and accompanied Matt and I on an ascent of the classic Naismith’s Route up Crowberry Tower. Again, fresh powder was a problem lower down, but the chimney’s were quite icy and the top pitches up to the top of the tower were climbed on fantastic neve. We couldn’t complain about the weather or the summit vista either.

As always, the worst part of the weekend was leaving, knowing too well that it would be another week before the chance of further adventures. And as is typical with the Scottish winter, all the snow will have probably melted by then.

Written by Richard Jewell

1/3^rd March:  Muir of Inverey

Members Present: Donald Ballance, Richard Jewell, Jeremy Morris, John Porter, Jo Thurlow.

Guests:  Matt Dent, Katy, Emma Fardon, Tom Fardon, Dee McCarthy

It was late by the time I arrived at the cottage on Friday night and most folk had already retired to bed in anticipation of an early start the next morning.

Jeremy (ridiculously keen and enthusiastic as ever) and Dee had decided on Lochnagar as their objective for the day with the prospect of a winter route in the coire somewhere, and set off from the hut before anyone else was up.  The remainder of the group took a more leisurely approach and Richard, Jo, John and I eventually decided on the Carn an Tuirc/Cairn of Claise group of hills.  Matt, recovering from a damaged leg, and Katy decided on a walk up to Derry Lodge.  Just as we were about to set off Dee arrived back at the hut by bicycle with tales of an early morning encounter with a suicidal deer.

While driving between Braemar and Ballater a deer had jumped out of the woods and come off marginally second best in the competition with the front end of Jeremy’s car.  Damage sustained to the deer appeared to be at least broken leg, however when Jeremy approached the inert body lying in the road behind the car it jumped up and disappeared into the wood where even the local game keeper could not track it down, despite there being a few inches of fresh snow and a bleeding deer to follow.  Of more concern to Jeremy, however, was the state of his car — a broken headlight unit, much shattered plastic and a radiator with two holes in it.  Jeremy, surprisingly, declined the invitation to join us on our walk/ski up Carn and Tuirc and on to cairn of Claise.  From here Jo and Richard embarked on the long, tedious trek out to two of what must be the least deserving Munros in the country: Tolmount and Tom Buidhe, while John walked and I skied out to the insignificant and obscure top of Druim Mór.

After recovering in the hut for a couple of hours, and arranging a lift back to the central belt by inviting friends to come skiing the following day, Jeremy and Dee finally got some exercise walking up Carn Mór, just south of Inverey village.  The meet later gathered in the Fife Arms Hotel for a much needed drink before the usual culinary delights of a JMCS meet were served.

Sunday dawned dull and warm but this did not deter Dee, Emma, Jeremy and Tom making an early start for the ski slopes where throughout the day they watched the runs get narrower and less complete before finally giving in at about 3.00 p.m.  Richard and Jo, purged of any enthusiasm for the hills by the previous day’s activity, headed home, while John and I walked up Carn na Drochaide in the fast disappearing snow to what is supposedly an excellent viewpoint over the Strathdee and Braemar.

Written by Donald Ballance