CYHA NEWS

Let Them Eat Cake!

Wow. What an absolutely fantastic Scotland trip. We had success (Tom's last Munro), we had privation (the Great Rum Bread Famine), we had tension (Trudi missing the Rum ferry), we had excitement (Trudi catching the high speed launch with the Glaswegian builders), we were cast adrift in an open boat, sun burnt, rained on and almost blown away. I needed a holiday to get over it!

Congratulations to Tom for completing his last Munro (see his article below). For the uninitiated, Munros are mountains in Scotland which are over 3000ft, there are 284 of them and you have to be very dedicated to climb them all in just 10 years (particularly if you live in Essex). The group had a whip-round and presented Tom with an engraved pewter tankard to mark the occasion.

The headline refers to the Rum General Stores whose poor forward planning let the whole island breadless for two days. They had plenty of oatcakes and pot noodles, but it's just not the same when you want to mop up your baked bean juice.

For more details of the trip see Lorna's article below, and see more photos of the trip.

The Last Eight

Gerry and I had decided to travel up a week early so I could bag the remaining 6 Munros in the Knoydart area, this would leave just the two summits at Loch Ossian. The weather was clearing up and the gloom of foot and mouth lifting. We both carried 25 kg the 12 km into Barrisdale and camped 3 nights. We had two glorious days walking in this beautiful wilderness. Such a peaceful place except for my phone and Gerry's stove. Three fine peaks and triumphal return along the delightful shore of Loch Hourn. That was our rest day and 6 am Thursday we were off to Glendessary for the Sgurr na Ciche group. Three tough Munros in Britain's roughest and (normally) wettest country. A mile of ascent and fifteen on the ground, a hot day and no real walking for 6 months until this trip - no probs! Gerry might not have entirely agreed but it was the most glorious of days. We had to endure the 90 min drive home and the left-overs of Kodak group catering infinitely preferable to the Little Chef at Spean Bridge. The hard work was done and we could chill out and enjoy the last two days of good weather to get views from the ones I didn't the first time. Full details in next month's newsletter but for now I must thank all those who have supported me in my endeavours over the years. This has made it much more than ticking off names in a book. It gave me the warmest satisfaction to see so many of you join me on my last summit and to celebrate afterwards - Drink!

Tom

Scotland 2001: Isle of Rum & Loch Ossian

Saturday was fine and bright and recommended by Debs (formerly of Dunfermline) Dave, Ali, Trudi, Clive, Fergus, Andy B, Lorna, Robert & Debs went to walk in Dollar Glen in the Ochil Hills - fine views to the Lowlands.

On Saturday evening at Loch Lochy YH we were joined by Neil & Lesley with Tim & Colin, Tom & Gerry who had been in Scotland for a week, and George.

Sunday was grey, drizzly and midgy. Shades of things to come, as it turned out. Ho hum!

We went up a Munro overlooking Loch Lochy, walking from the hostel. A classic Munro day. Pleasant walk-in along a good track, slog up through the valley with ever-improving views, 1st lunch near saddle, then final push steeply up in cold wind and mist till the cairn loomed out of the grey. Quick second lunch in the lee of the hill, compasses out for orientation of descent, and scarper down as quick as poss, whereupon it rained, properly, and didn't stop! Classic.

Monday we had to catch the 10.30 ferry at Mallaig for Rum, so we were up and out quite efficiently. In Mallaig I was surprised to run into my cousin at the teashop / B&B!

First impressions of Rum that drizzly afternoon were not good - the shop had run out of bread and the bunkhouse loo didn't work. Some of us caught up on sleep.

Tuesday was a little better - a sailor's pocket handkerchief of blue in the sky. Strong west wind so several of us walked the east coastal path. Below Askival (812m) I broke off and headed upwards and Andy followed. It was a pleasant ascent with broad views up to the last 500ft of steep scrambly ground hidden in mist. "Interesting" is the mountaineer's euphemism for worrying (or anything up to total terror). Bagged the summit and got down out of the mist/cloud safely. Beautiful day.

On Wednesday morning Trudi decided she was going to make the most of the island and set out before 8 to hike to the west coast to see the wildlife some of the others had found there the day before. So when the manager came to say the ferry had broken down and the replacement would be departing at 12.30 not 3pm we sent a runner (me) to the Estate office to try and catch up with Trude. We failed, but the Estate office were very kind in organising a contingency plan (more anon).

The replacement was a sort of landing-craft. And it went via Canna island to pick up the people expecting the ferry there. We were 5 hours on that boat! Fortunately the sun came out so it was quite a pleasant cruise. Wandering about on deck I got chilled and started doing aerobics. Debs came over and we did the Gay Gordons. Then pop music came (poorly) over the tannoy and Colin & I gave a jive demo. At least I got warm! As we disembarked the captain complimented my dancing!

And Trudi appeared, full of glee at her adventures - the Estate office had arranged a lift for her (with the company building a new jetty) on a craft capable of making the crossing in 40 minutes!..

A night out in Fort William - some had curry, some fish & chips! Ian D arrived. Thursday morning a stroll in Glen Nevis before driving to Crianlarich to leave the cars and get the train, with all our luggage and food, for Loch Ossian.

Fortunately the weather stayed dry as we scrambled loaded onto the train and stumbled overloaded along the mile of track to the YH. Thanks to the likes of Robert, Dave P, Neil, Ian D, Tom & Gerry, Clive, Tim, & Fergus stuffing bottles into rucksacks and carrying a coolbox besides, we got everything there in one go. At the YH we met the warden Thomas - a young (to me!) German environmentalist. He's sociable and George remarked that unusually he has a sense of humour! Thomas explained that we had booked the whole place to ourselves, and that the water supply was off due to a problem with the pipe and we had to boil all our water, and about the chemi-loos (in 2 little sheds just outside the back door of each dorm). We got a cuppa going and settled ourselves in. Everyone was charmed with Loch Ossian YH. The bottle-green painted corrugated iron building nestles between a few pines on the shores of the loch with (on a good day) a view the length of the loch to the Ben Alder mountains beyond. However as usual it was grey, and drizzling on and off so the afternoon was spent reading, drinking tea, and (for some) going for walks. Tom & Gerry tackled Tom's penultimate Munro, and got back wet, tired, and successful.

After Colin's couscous and curry with hardboiled eggs (which went down remarkably innocuously) Debs gave us her quiz. We had to place each of 50 years from '46 to '95 from headline clues. Can you remember when was the first man in space? Churchill's funeral? Watergate? Each team (of 2) found themselves with 2 years leftover not fitting the remaining gaps. It was good fun and Clive & I were pipped at the finish by Tom & George who got 42 allocated to the correct year!

Friday. The Last Munro. Its drizzling - no change there. Despite mutterings over breakfast "horrible day" "bad knees" etc when I counted heads outside the hostel there were all 16 of us booted up to go!

This immediately brought problems as the slowest were a long way behind the fastest and some of the faster ones (like me) get pretty damn cold either waiting or going slowly. Colin's Big Thing (orange 10-man group shelter) came to the rescue. Despite persistent drizzle and mist we managed to just about keep the tail in touch with the vanguard. Tom dropped back so's to arrive at the top with George and those of us in the Big Orange heard a champagne cork go off! There are some classic pictures of 14 hooded figures and a cairn surrounded by grey. It was like midnight on Mam Tor with daylight!

We didn't hang about and Tom, George, Gerry & Fergus decided to continue on to the next minor summit on the ridge, while the rest of us headed for the quickest way down!

We got to the top at 1pm and by 3pm most of us were back at the hostel warming up and drying out. We soon developed an atmosphere to rival the Eden tropical biome. In the 100% humidity nothing dried!

Dinner was a traditional cock-a-leekie soup (tinned) and haggis and neaps and tatties (a heavy load to carry together with champagne, beers and malt whisky!) and the peeling and chopping teams got working.

With copious food and alcohol we became quite merry and after several calls of "speech" Tom rose to his feet although his voice had nearly packed up from a throat infection developed over the last few days. Debs presented his tankard and card and he gave a warming speech. A merry evening though most of us subsided into bed by midnight.

A howling wind rattled the hostel all night and in the morning it was raining again, but this time it was showers, short, sharp ones with SUNSHINE in between.

Traditional shit-or-bust on the last day! Andy & I made a circuit of the loch in the morning, with waterproofs on and off and on and... Then lunch at the hostel, abandon the luggage at the station (after all, where's it going to go if someone lifts it?) and run up the 906m hill nearby. Not quite literally running but with 1500ft of ascent and about 3.5km along to the top, and only 3 hours before the train, it was a gallop. Fantastic views - swathes of Rannoch Moor and miles of Munros in every direction. Bright sun with cloud-shadows sweeping across the landscape. Oh to be in Scotland.

We even had time for tea at the tearoom before the train and got back to Crianlarich as George was serving up!

Traditional booze-up in the pub next door and then the long drive home on Sunday.

Lorna

Five Go Cycling In Essex

On 3rd June, five of us who weren't in Scotland cycled a loop from Chelmsford to Little Baddow, Terling and Great Waltham. Despite me being on antibiotics which were like "bottled essence of hangover", we covered 30 miles at a leisurely pace, including a tea room stop in Danbury, and pubs in Terling and Great Waltham.

For me it was good practice for the London to Brighton; 58 miles raising money for the British Heart Foundation. Retrospective sponsorship will be gratefully received.

Jim

Wet Walk in Walton

Not put off by having driven through an awful storm just north of Chelmsford, 8 intrepid walkers met up in the car park at Walton for a walk on the Naze, an area of heath land to the north of the town, bounded by sea walls.

The first part of the walk was lovely - in sunshine with swallows darting around, but then the rain caught up with us. Lynn discovered she had brought 2 pairs of waterproof trousers but no jacket. Solution: wear one pair on her head. Not effective, but it looked jolly silly!

The rain eased off and we enjoyed sweeping river views as we ate our sandwiches. Then we walked into Walton for an exceedingly good value (40p) cup of tea and ice creams, and we sat and discussed the painful business of leg waxing! This was followed by some beachcombing and a stroll on the pier. Those brave enough rounded off the day with a ride on the Twister!

Having dodged small rain showers during the afternoon we encountered another heavy downpour on the road home, but it didn't dampen our enthusiasm for the day just spent at Walton-on-the Naze. Well done Trudi for suggesting it!

Marion

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