THE BUACHAILLES
Stob Dearg from along the ridge. Photo Colin Matheson
5.5 miles 1125 metres
Start Friday 03.45
Stob Dubh 04.18
Stob Dearg 05.58
Finish 06.34
Squares: yellow changeover, red - finish. Circles summits: green - this leg, blue - now a Munro but not in 1990. Map Colin Matheson
Time: Estimated 2.30 Actual 2.49
Tony writes:
The wriggling snake. “Tony... Tony... Tony.” Wriggle wriggle. “Where's the bloody zip?” All night, as I awaited Alwyn's arrival I had practised this move – how to get out of Ian's bivvy sack. In the end I failed dismally and lost a few minutes liberating myself – Alwyn's call simply panicking me.
Earlier, in the Clachaig I was feeling tired as I watched Ian, John and Ed do the fund raising bit. I was not interested in my pint and less interested in walking to the col between Bidean and Buachaille E. Beag. I hoped a good sleep was on the cards – I needed it. It wasn't to be – I'd forgotten that Ian's bivvy sac groundsheet was useless, I hadn't taken a Karrimat, my sleeping bag was too thin and the col exposed. I managed the odd bits of kip but woke up every 30 minutes from the slumber – was it Alwyn's call? No, just a false alarm. I continued to stare at the steep descent Alwyn had to reach me from Bidean. I did not envy him. (In the end he chose a more interesting line and came a totally different direction).
I did not move well up B. E. Beag. This was followed by a rare tactical error – choosing a rock/scree descent direct to the col between the two Bs instead of jogging along to the col and descending a grass slope and then ascending the big B.. I think my error cost me the 30 minutes I was over schedule, (a good line up big B. and rapid progress to the summit couldn't recover it).
A poor display, the highlight of which was the early morning rays of sun on the crags of B. E. Beag, turning them rusty red.
Peaks done 120 time taken 6 days 4 hours peaks to go 157
Tony then drove John in the van down Glen Etive for John to walk in to his changeover, and await Ian's return.
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