27A - ARDVERIKIE
The ridge down from Geal Charn seen from the Carn Dearg side. Photo tms.nickbramhall.com
18.0 miles 2260 metres
Start Sunday 21.50
Creag Pitridh 22.59
Geal Charn 23.27
Beinn a' Chlachair Monday 00.35
Beinn Eibhinn 02.16
Aonach Beag 02.30
Geal Charn 02.46
Carn Dearg 03.40
Finish 04.05
Squares: green - start, yellow changeover. Circles summits: green - this leg. Map Colin Matheson
Time: Estimated 4 54 Actual 6 15
Mark writes:
I had been brooding around all afternoon unable to share the relaxation of others finishing their runs for the day as I could see the clouds descending for what would be my third night out in a row.
Ifor arrived at Roughburn at 9.49, amazing – only 10 mins after we had moved into position and some 40 mins ahead of his schedule.This time he had a chance to terrify his dad Colin as well on the journey down the road to the dam.
The extra daylight saw me onto the first top Creag Pitridh, 11 mins up in 1hr 10mins, but by now it was near dark and I was in cloud so everything becomes painstakingly slow. Check map and compass every 200 yards and running with torch as low as possible because of the reflections from the mist. Soon I have all my clothing on – big cag, balaclava and gloves – still it isn't too warm.
The descent from Beinn a' Chlachair is awful, far worse than the map suggests but 200 feet above the valley floor I escape the cloud and, after some shouting see Paul's torch. This strange liason, with Paul coming along just for fun, is a huge morale booster and soon we are stomping off back into the mist, 3rd stream crossing, cross the ridge and contour round on 186 degrees. Something wasn't exactly right as we found ourselves high on the shoulder of Aonach Beag.
Contour steeply – drop to col, short pull up Beinn Eibhinn and then we turn into the wind. Hood up and hands are cold – torch fails, fumble to change the bulb. I think that I would be getting worried now if I was on my own. At least the ridge is easy to follow. Just after the penultimate top however, there is a sharp drop to a lower ridge, (see photo.) Easily missed if one takes the arbitrary crag symbols on the O.S. Map too literally.
Off the final top on Carn Dearg, Paul goes the other way as he is going to cycle round to Corrour for a rendezvous with Eddie! Once again, just above the valley I come out of the cloud into daylight and see in the distance a bright orange bivvy. Frantic shouting produces a couple of arms and the bag moves. Graeme pronounces that he has slept well – God knows how as I can wring water out of his sleeping bag.
I trot all the way back to the van as I felt like a run after all that stumbling around in the dark. Having made no bad errors I felt quite satisfied at a job well done and quickly fell sound asleep. Imagine my surprise at waking up in glorious sunshine at 11 a.m. with everyone commenting on what a nice night I must have had.
Peaks done 185 Hours elapsed 189 Peaks to do 92
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