Page 18 - 1992 Mountaineering Club Review

their shoulders so that I could reach the next boulder. 1returned the compliment by offering my ankles as an anchor. When we finally stuck our heads over the top. w e w ere met by a ferocious wind which nearly dumped us back at the start of the route. A fine craw 1on hands and knees across the broad and featureless summit plateau (hail stones like golf balls!) followed. It seemed like a good place to get lost in a white-out but Phil's navigation took us to within five paces to the right of the caim. Impressive or what?
After BEINN BHAN we all felt as if we had been whirled round in a washing machine. We should have retired for the week. Had a rest day. But why waste time? Besides, Clive WAGHORN had arrived for the weekend with the promise of a slide show of BRABANT ISLAND (where he didn't fall into a crevasse) the follow ing evening and we didn’t want to look like wimps. What to do? A quick stab at the SOUTH CLUAN1E ridge, whatever the weather. Such good ideas are bom in the warmth of the bar.
Saturday morning weather was horrendous. If Clive hadn't said, “I'm glad to see that the club is still safely in the hands o f lunatics" as we pretended to look keenly at the driving rain, we could have got a few more Zs. But he did. so we had to bet up and SOUTH CLUANIE it was. Some hours later with just over half the ridge behind us, the lure of the twinkling lights of the Cluanie Inn was too much. We made a speedy descent.
We did see the latest Waghom Slide Show that evening, and excellent it was too. We were grateful to Clive for having made the effort to bring projector and screen with him and round off a good meet.
On Saturday night snow fell heavily and the following morning a very slow convoy left BALMACARA in second gear, trying to follow the tracks of a snowplough. Apparently it froze that night and the report of best hill conditions for several seasons was heard by all our car radios heading south.
Finally, my sincere thanks must go to Pete BAKER who was unfortunately unable to attend the meet due to surgical intervention, but who co-ordinated the provision of ropes and maps from NEPTUNE exped store so that I didn't have to pay excess baggage on the shuttle.
See you all next Winter Meet, if not before!
Jane GRIMLEV
Date Names
Route
Several, unrecorded!
FORCAN RIDGE
Snow bollards and ice axe arrests etc
Half a sister ridge!
5 Sisters ridge
A CHRALAIG -> MULLACH FRAOCH CHOIRE
BEINN EIGHE
The Saddle, FORCAN RIDGE Chocolate Cake, SKYE!
BEINN BHAN
MAOL CHEAN DEARG
Good intention on SKYE (Chocolate cake) BEINN DAMPH
SOUTH CLUANIE RIDGE (Half of it!)
SOUTH CLUANIE RIDGE (Quarter of it!)
AONACH’AIR CHRITH MAOL CHINN-DEARG
CISTE DHUBH & AM BATHACH
Sat 8 Sun 9 Tue 11
Wed 12
Barn STONHAM
& HMS MARLBOROUGH team
Stuart MacKENZIE Tam McNEISH
Jumper COLLINS
Phil REEDL1ATHACH Dave WARD
John BURNIPP
Andy BAVERSTOCK
Chris TERRELL Jane GR1MLEY Reuben WELCH Ben WELCH
John BURNIPP Steve TAYLOR Dave WARD Chris TERRELL The WELCHES
Stuart MacKENZIE Tam McNEISH Jumper COLLINS
Jane GRIMLEY Richard STOKES
Phil REED
Andy BAVERSTOCK
John BURNIPP Dave WARD Steve TAYLOR
Stuart MacKENZIE Tam McNEISH
Chris TERRELL
Andy BAVERSTOCK The WELCHES
Phil REED Richard STOKES Tom McAUSLIN Jane GRIMLEY
Tam McNEISH Everybody else
Phil CLARK Tam McNEISH Ian AISTON
Richard STOKES Jane GRIMLEY Phil REED
Tom McAUSLIN
Clive WAGHORN Martin WRIGHT
Dave WARD John BURNIPP Steve TAYLOR
Phil CLARK Ian AISTON
Thu 13
Fri 14
Sat 15
Sun 16
ANNUAL REVIEW
THE ROYAL NAVY & ROYAL MARINES MOUNTAINEERING CLUB
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