11th December 2015 – 13th December 2015
This years Christmas meet was once again in Braemar Youth Hostel. Friday evening saw people slowly arriving and a rather large game of questionable taste being played. This gave way to the usual planning for the next day and many different plans were made.
Me, Ilona and Titch won the first to leave prize leaving the hostel slightly later than planned but not much after 7am. After a icy but not too long drive to lynn of Dee we split up. Titch going off on a rather long run starting up Beinn Bhrotain and having many potential plans for extensions. Me and Ilona having decided that was too long decided to walk up Derry Cairngorm. As it slowly got lighter it became apparent the sunshine promised was not appearing but the cloud was high and above our hills so all was good. After encoutering some awkward snow drifts we reached the summit in reasonable time. After some indeicison we decided to push on the ben MacDui. Slow progress on soft snow in boulder field changed our minds and we returned a rather long way down glen Derry.
On return to the hostel we found the party up Lochnagar had been less lucky with weather and has spent most of the day under cloud. Other groups walking, skiing and biking seemed to have encoutered similar conditions.
The evening saw lots of eating form food prepared under supervision of wonderful master chef Bernice. Then more questionable games played. A varient on pace the parcel that seemed to fairly heavily feature a certain Andy.
The Sunday saw many people less keen but Ilona was once munro short of 100 so me, Ilona and Miguel decided to climb Glas Tulaichean. Cloud was again high with some sun that day. The assent was fairly easy along a path and track the entire way. Fantastic views and a very cold slight breeze greated us at the summit. Celebrations were made and some food quickly eaten before we decended by a different route. A small amount of sliding down occured but snow was unfavourable for makeshift sledging. We returned to the car tired, happy and with large amounts of ice attached to our gaiters.
— Meet report by Dominic
