The first outing of the winter season. The weather forecast was looking good, and excitement rippled through the membership when it was mooted that the Aonach Eagach should be the target for the day, especially among those who hadn’t yet experienced the delights of the scramble along this fabulous ridge.

 

Sunday morning arrived with good weather – some low-lying mist which burnt off by the Bridge of Orchy (damn – no inversions!). No need to discuss our destination, no need to stop at Crianlarich to confirm, just a direct line to Glencoe.

 

Surprisingly easy to park, right at the foot of the route, despite the Glencoe marathon. Bob offered to act as taxi driver, didn’t even have to drive down to the Clachaig to leave a car there. Thanks Bob.

 

So there were twelve heading up the hill, including four ‘AE virgins’: Sue, Mary, Martin and Calum. But wait, there’s thirteen! Michael, a young lad from Belfast, came to support his friends in the marathon, but instead decided to climb a hill. Deciding that going up the AE for the first time by himself wasn’t a good idea, he tagged along with us. Was that really a better idea?!!??

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So off we went. Am Bodach and the ridge laid out in front of us. The ‘bad step’ and then Meall Dearg. We all know that there’s no way down from the ridge… but here’s a couple of guys coming up from the side. ‘Oh, we came up from the Kinlochleven road, the way that the Reverand A.E. Robertson came up: you know, the first Munroist’. Ah, so there is a way down, but not from the ‘notched’ part of the ridge… and don’t say it too loud. And are you going to complete the ridge? ‘No, I’m a bit scared to tell the truth. I heard about a climber – experienced, he was – who fell and injured his back. It was misty, so the helicopter couldn’t come out and they had to wait hours for a stretcher party’. That’s us told, then!

 

Undaunted, we progressed to the Crazy Pinnacles. Lots of good old-fashioned scrambling with lots of exposure: no slips, trips or stumbles, just focus on the job in hand and no freezes. Oh, and superb weather – sunshine, great visibility, and just enough breeze to keep us cool. Just as we started to tire, the final pinnacle and the haul up to Stob Coire Leith and then to the second Munro, Sgorr nam Fiannaidh. Looking back, the ridge snaked away, and we knew that we upped every up and downed every down – there’s no escaping or side-stepping any part of the Aonach Eagach.

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Looking ahead, Ballachulish Bridge in the distance. But there’s still the way down. We opted against the Clachaig Gully and the direct descent to Loch Achtriochtan (both marked with a skull-and-crossbones in my guide book), and went for the ‘easy’ route via the bealach to the Pap: just the best part of two hours down a continuously treacherous rocky path. Still, preferable to a skull-and-crossbones!

 

So, to the Clachaig for a pint and/or a bite to eat, to complete a most satisfactory start to the season. A tough and tiring day, another two in the bag for the newbies, and especially for Calum, who had only climbed three Munros before today!

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If Carlsberg did club Sundays…!!!! – Stuart

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Bob added:

 

Thinking about my/your day out on Sunday.

It must be about 48 to 50 years ago that I first did the ridge, I can remember to this day the excitement before we started and great satisfaction when we finished. At the time I think our small group didn't realise what we had let ourselves in for. Reading climbing articles was the only way to get any idea of our task.

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It was a beautiful day very much like Sunday, but, with very high temperatures. 80 degrees in the glen and no wind through out the day. Totally parched at the end.

I'll just say the Clachaig did well that afternoon.

The reason for writing this is that it gave me great pleasure to see your faces and excitement at the end. Despite the fatigue and sore bits.