Baino......milestone man
It was a bright clear morning as I dragged myself out of bed at 0415, wiped the sleep from my eyes, thought about why I was awake and up at such an ungodly time of day (after only a few hrs sleep), then remembered Baino was coming to pick me up at 0500. Fighting the temptation to return to the warmth of my bed I quietly showered dressed and remembered to take my packed lunch out of the fridge before heading out to await Baino's arrival....if he was late I would happily return to bed!!
I need not have worried, he was on time and looking even sleepier than me, but with the glint of a man on a mission about him.
We headed off into the warming morning air, hoping that it would follow us down to our destination, and set the course required for Glen Etive.
The weather changed frequently as we drove down the quiet roads (who else would be mad enough to be up at this time) towards Perth then Crianlarich....a short stop at Tyndrum for some breakfast then on to our target. The Buachaille reared high above us as we turned off the A82 down the slip road to access Glen Etive. A suitable spot was chosen to park up and we surveyed the meandering path leading up the broad shoulder of Ben Starav, through drizzle at this time.
We set off at about 0945 down towards Coilletar house, picking our way through some soggy marshy underfoot conditions, out towards the access bridge across the Alt Mheuran, then followed the winding boggy route up along the river as it thundered through the various narrowing chasms in the rock.
We turned left as the path forked off towards Alt nam Meirleach, instead following the height towards Coire da Choimhid, undertaking a gruelling climb with few stops and fewer level areas to break the relentless ascent.
Onwards and continuing upwards through Coire an Fhir Leith, the views back into Glen Etive quite spectacular already, pushed on by a mix of rain wind and hail at our backs, but with outbreaks of sunny spells throughout we struggled on.
A short break was taken at the foot of Starav's main ridge climb, waterproof trousers were finally adorned, gloves were looked out (but never worn) and pics were taken of tired souls drinking in the beauty all around.....
The main ridge climbs steeply through large boulders, not easy in the wet, and peaks out at 1078m, meaning that we had ascended 1060m in height from the car....perhaps I should have told Baino that little fact prior to departure!!
About 5 mins from the summit cairn the weather decided to really close around us and engulfed us in thick mist and heavier rain, turning to snow as we summitted. None of this was enough to dampen the joy of Baino reaching his milestone.....50 not out....a great feat by any stretch of the imagination. It is suggested that the list of people to have climbed as many mountains in this country is still below 10,000.....which out of a population of over 5m in Scotland alone still makes us a minority group....a group I am proud to be a part of.
We stopped briefly at the summit for the obligatory pose then headed round the ridge to find some shelter where we could take lunch. We managed to pick our way through the rocks strewn around the summit path and round to the second peak on Starav...Stob Coire Dheirg...before a steep descent towards the bealach, where we stopped about halfway down for lunch.
I would like to thank Meghan at this point for the lovely rock cakes she supplied for the occasion, hard outer shell, soft on the inside, brilliant. We prayed to whatever deity we believed in for a break in the weather and got it....from the misty/snowy/hail covered top we had on Starav suddenly lifted and our trail became clear all around us.....beautiful views all around to the hills of Cruachan, Glencoe, Ballachuilish, Dalrigh....big country indeed.
We could see the path leading to the summit of Beinn nan Aighenan from the bealach at Glas Bheinn Chaol and decided that was the best route to take. It was going to be at least an hour out there, then another hour back to the bealach, so we had better push on. The path widened safely as we headed down...stopping briefly to wonder at the craggy magnificance of Starav's huge corrie walls, shards of razor rock reaching to the heavens, cut through its heart by a line of white quartzite which we were both fascinated by.
The path out to Beinn nan Aigenan was pretty straight forward, although in misty conditions the path would have appeared non existant as it disappeared a number of times through the rocks. When we arrived at the foot of the climb we decided to leave our rucksacks at the bottom, sensible when you think we had to pass back this way on the return, so we set off with some fluids and (after running back down to get him) Jelly McBaby.
The climb was long and steep and not helped by the wind that appeared intent on blowing us off our feet at times.
Thankfully the summit cairn is located on the edge of the climb at 957m and is a welcome sight. A few pics of Jelly McBaby and we decided to move on, just in case the weather we could see all over Cruachan turned towards us.
Baino decided at this point that he was not going to manage to continue onto Glas Bheinn Mhor, instead opting to return to the car via the Alt nam Meirleach....I sometimes need reminded that there is a difference between being fit and being hill fit....This has been my 19th new summit this year already, not everyone has that much good fortune. One thing about munro's....they have been there for a hell of a lot longer than any one of us and will remain for long after we have departed. Setting targets is all well and good, but knowing when you wont reach them and returning safe and well to try again is paramount.
It took us a couple of hours to traverse down the Alt nam Meirleach and reach the car, a lot of it through boggy ground, some pathless, and it is easier to slip and stumble when your legs are tired, more prone to accidents is not good at height. A walk of such magnitude should not really be attempted after an early start and long drive....no wonder fatigue kicked in.
But we made it safely back to the car and headed back along Glen Etive to the Kings House Hotel. The best thing to say about the Kings House is that you will be tired after a punishing day and appreciate the cuisine on offer. The lounge was full of walkers/cyclists/climbers and unfortunately a few arseholes!! In particular were the two at the end of the bar that decided to steal beer everytime the barman turned his back, leaning across to fill their glass from the unattended pump...until we spoiled their plan. Then the hugely pretentious bloke from Edinburgh that managed to annoy us within minutes of opening his mouth, engaging in conversations about walking that just didnt ring true, a weather chaser my arse!!! But even they could not spoil what was a fantastic day trip for us.....they only reaffirmed that first impressions can be so importantly accurate.
We skipped breakfast the following day and headed instead to the green welly stop at Tyndrum for a fry up of gargantuan proportion....then Baino picked up some brownie points by heading back in time for Meghan's school sports day....some things are more important than Munro bagging.
I thank the stars for having a few trusted and brilliant friends to share such moments with, and think of those not able to join us each and everytime we do it, knowing that their time will come.
Until the next time......
I really didn't appreciate the magnitude of the length of time we would be spending, not just getting there but the initial climb. I was so caught up in being outside and the scenery, I just didn't care. Its taken me longer than I would have liked, but the magical fifty that we all spoke of some years ago has been obtained...Muriel Gray watch out for the book.
ReplyDeleteI too wish we could share these experiences with many more of our friends it would be a riot...So for all you potential baggers out there come along and join us and we will share some laughs mostly at each other's expense and some nice malt....Mark you're driving again,he dislikes whisky,which means all the more for us.
John I really appreciated the time you took to listen to me on Thursday. I believe Ben Starav was the hardest climb so far for me, but the most exhilarating.
What can I say about the Kings Hotel built in around 1742 and not much has changed since. The barmen being your average student type trusting so many when they really should have been on thier gaurd with some rather unscrupulous individuals, we should have offered our skills to the Kings Hotel for free board and lodgings over the coming months we probably would save them a fortune.
As always it was my pleasure, I have always been there to listen, all you have to do is talk. I forgot just how extreme the climb was initially, 1060m straight up is challenging for anyone. I also forgot that there is a difference between strong legs and hill legs....sorry you had to be the one to find out with me. It doesnt matter how long it takes to reach a goal, the joy is on the journey. I can understand why folk dont want to come along...not when they hear the challenges we set ourselves.
ReplyDeleteThe hotel would have benefitted from our worldly wisdom in these matters...and we would have had the pleasure of confronting those theiving barstewards!! Mark cant drive...dont forget the overtaking trick he tried in Aboyne the last time.....