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The by now traditional
Saturday Car Meet this summer (2006) was to
Ben a’Ghlo (hill of the veil or mist), a
fine Cairngorm range not attacked by bus for
some time despite the attraction of its
three Munros. Leaving the (relative) bustle
of Aberdeen at 7 am, three vehicles spun
down the road to Blair Atholl in about 2
hours via Coupar Angus and Dunkeld, on a
beautiful morning despite high cloud in the
west. At Blair A., Albert Krawwinkel was
picked up from ScotRail, while Julie Bruce
awaited Ian (a non-member). Parking at Loch
Moraig, we were underway by 9.40, first
along a landrover track, then straight up
Carn Liath (grey or hoary hill; 975m,
3197ft) – a little boggy at first, then a
braiding but zigzagged path on the upper
ground. The cloud obligingly lifted before
us, giving long-distance views up north to
the main Cairngorms, and a pleasant breeze
provided ideal conditions. Then it was on
down the Beinn Mhaol ridge to the col before
ascending Braigh Coire Chruinn-bhalgain
(1070m, 3505ft; variously translated as the
upland of the corrie of round blisters, the
brae of the round bag-shaped corrie, or,
more dubiously, Turkey Peak. Here, we were
caught up by Ian and Julie, Ken the Elder
remaining on Carn Liath.
During
this period, e-text contact was established
between the main party and the overnighters
Eilidh and Judy, who had slept(?) somewhere
short of their goal of Loch Loch, and were
due to return over the Ben a’Ghlo ridge from
the north during the day. However,
handicapped by a general ignoring (if not
ignorance) of English grammar, not to
mention a lack of mobile capability
(topographical and digital), these exchanges
were not always straightforward, as
illustrated by the following verbatim
extract from the MI5 transcript:
E: Deliteful b’fast at 7. On ridge at 10.
K: Peching up carn liath
E: U should try with a ful pack. We glow. U
sweat
K: Now on CL … Where r u cloud
E: Clear Good views 2 n. 898 meall a
mhuirich.
K: Twn [two] m of at or from
E: Got 2 trig point. Almost cloud fre.
K: Peching up B na wotsit
E: What is pluperfect of whatsit?
K: It’s a noun not a verb
E: J. asks what she was doing?
K: R U on AB [Airgiod Bheinn]
E: Yes 2 being on ab. Now Of hill. On road 2
car
K: In pub
A rest
at the Braigh cairn, which offered shelter
from a freshening wind, was occupied by
reading everyone “Handy Hints on
Mountaineering: How to Open Sardine Tin with
an Ice-Axe” (Dan McGraff, SMCJ vol. XVIII,
1929). Then along and down a very pleasant
ridge to the Bealach an Fhioda (pass of the
timber; none visible), and a start up the
final part of the ridge. Intercepting the
overnighters on Airgoid Bheinn (silver
mountain; see above transcript) provided a
short but welcome respite to both sides, and
then we were up the Carn nan Gabhar (1129m,
3677ft; hill of the goats) cairns, all the
way to the most northerly, just in case …,
at around 1.30 pm. The view being obscured
by cloud at this point, another SMCJ paper,
“Ben-y-Gloe on Christmas Day” (vol. II,
1893), was read in celebration, and then the
party divided, Jean leading three others
down into Glen Tilt, while the rest returned
to the Bealach, emerging below a little
light drizzle. From here, a generally good
but unmapped path, over-peered by deer, led
down through grass, bog, heather and peat to
the Allt Coire Lagain, eventually to pick up
the landrover track. The car park (and Ken
the Elder) was reached at about 4.15, and a
speedy, final and vehicular descent made to
the pub at Blair Atholl, for a welcome few
litres of assorted (but not all combined)
liquids. Eventually, the overnighters rolled
in, and then, after what was described as “a
long walk”, the Tilters at around 6.30 pm,
allowing everyone a quick meal and a return
to Aberdeen soon after 10 pm.
A total
of 11 people therefore had A Good Day, at
low cost except for some skin somewhat
roughened by sun and wind, a few
well-exercised muscles, and several hours of
very pleasant company.
Author: Ken Thomson |
