Lagangarbh Meet – Glencoe (Nov 2017)

17th-19th November

As winter began to make itself known, we headed to Glen Coe for a
weekend among the first dusting of snow. Our accommodation for the
weekend was the Laggangarbh hut – an ideal base, right at the foot of
the Buachaille, and with a roaring fire to warm us back up after our
hikes.

On the Saturday the whole party (except lone ranger, Greg,
who headed up the Aonach Eagach) went to find “the forgotten Munro of
Glen Coe”, Sgor na h-Ulaidh. After debate on how best to ascend the
ridge, we split into three groups, and managed to meet up again on top
before everyone that wanted to headed on to bag the Munro. Berenice,
Andrew H, Paul, Phelim, Joe and Sergey managed to bag the nearby Corbett
Meall Lighiche, too.

Ilze had volunteered to cook the group meal
on Saturday night, which also happened to be the Latvian Independence
Day! She treated us to utterly delicious platefuls of chicken in a
creamy mushroom sauce, with new potatoes and salad. Candles were lit,
and we all learned how to say “Cheers!” in Latvian, before tucking into
watermelon, pineapple, and two kinds of dessert. Full and sleepy, we
retired to the fireside for a few sing-songs and the odd dram or two
before bed.

Sunday saw the group part ways. Berenice ran over the
Devil’s Staircase to Kinlochleven, to meet Ilze, Bruce C and Andy M.
Sergey hiked up the Buachaille by the corrie path, and Phelim, Paul,
Andrew H, Joe and Katrina took on the Curved Ridge – ice made this route
quite tricky in places, but crampons, ice axes, and the occasional
roping-up got them to the summit of Stob Dearg in fine time.

Our
Christmas Meet is just down the road in Bridge of Orchy, so here’s
hoping the snow has stayed for some more winter mountaineering!

Report by Katrina


Curved Ridge

Climbed with 4 others in marginal winter conditions under sunshine and good weather.

water slide rock

‘Slight’ thaw underway with ice falling from Rannock wall and streams flowing well…!

Crampons required, two axes would have been better than one.

First
roped pitch, wished we had a 50m rope rarther than the 30m, managed to
traverse into gully on RHS.. minimal gear options, with minimal gear!

Final crux pitch was a sketchy dry tool lead.  Too cold to get fingers into the cracks.

Happy to summit and brief chat with weegie bloke who had no crampons but had made it up the main path nonetheless.

Descent from col dicey with lots of ice, no snow in gully yet.

My 4 or 5th ascent, first in winter conditions, prior climbs have been without gear… or fear!

Very happy to be back the hut and welcomed by Bruce with a cup of Tea.

Enjoyable outing all in all with everyone managing the climb in crampons.

Joe’s aluminium crampons took a brutal pasting but just about held up to the beating.

Paul

Also on the meet Berenice, Bruce, Andrew H, Andy M, Ilze, Greg, Phelim, Joe, Sergey

More photos of the meet viewable here