BUMC - Onich Trip - Feb 1998
Click the images to go to the various galleries.
On the morning of Saturday the 29th of January 1998, during the inter-semester break following my first set of University exams, and following my first major breakup (at 2am, on the morning of my first exam, bitch) I went on my first trip with The Bath University Mountaineering Club (BUMC, or BUM Club), we stayed in the Alex Macintyre Memorial Hut in Onich. A week later we went home, the end. Ok, so there may be a few stories.
My amazing recollection of these events is not just down to my amazing brain, the severe toothache I suffered all week and my diary, but also because Gary Dickson has kept many of the old trip galleries open from the BUMC.
Travelling and other General Photos
We came up in the Students Union Landrover, with the photo above/ to the left taken in a service station sometime on the way up. As well as (L to R) Andy Williams, Jon Wilson, Me, Kat Adams, Will Moore, Bil Naylor and Dmitri Pocketslevtsev we were joined by Chris Sangwin (who I think took the photo of us by the Landrover) Gary Dickson, Rob Dundas, Andy Connor and Ben Sutton.
Shockingly I am still in touch with all of them, with the exception of Jon W (who I did however see recently at the funeral of a friend), Kat, Will, Dimitri, Chris, Andy and Ben. So not really most of them even....
The last photo is of the state of my room in Eastwood (Bath Uni halls of residence) once I had got back.
South Ballachulish Route - Sunday 1st Feb 1998
This is probably a named route which is called something amazing like Beinn a Bheithir, however I've just called it the South Ballachulish route, because it's south of South Ballachulish. Of course the route started in Ballachulish, so maybe I should call it that....
Anyway I did this route on the 1st of Feb with Chris Sangwin. The route starts in Ballachulish, goes up the ridge to Sgorr Bhan and Sgorr Dhearg, before curving around over Sgorr Dhonuill and a series of un-named peaks and dropping down to South Ballachulish.
During the day Chris, who I had never met before, and I discovered that we were originaly (before Uni) from the same area, and were members of the same Venture Scout Unit (although he had left several years before me, being a postgrad at Bath).
Curved Ridge Buachaille Etive Mor - Monday 2nd Feb 1998
This day saw Jon W, Will M, Chris and I do curved ridge on Buachaille Etive Mor (a ridge of 4 peaks), which is a classic Grade II/III winter route ending on the peak of Stob Dearg. Phenomenal fun, especially as it was my first real taste of a Scotish Winter route. I paired up with Chris, Jon with Will. I felt sorry for Will, Jon had eaten a particularly strong Chilli the night before, and was not only unpleasant company but had to bail early (having completed the route) with a bad gut. Chris and I on the other hand finished off by walking along the top of the ridge, taking in the other peaks (except Stob na Doire) and coming down the north side of the ridge just as the sun set.
Corrour to Kinlochleven - Thursday 5th Feb 1998
After a few doss days (during which I did a short walk with Will, some photo's of which may have snuck in here) Chris, Will and I caught the train to Corrour Station (of Trainspotting fame) from which we walked up Loch Treig and along the Allt na Lairige to the Bothy below Stob Coire. We were going to spend the night there, but having climbed Stob Ban, and discovered very poor conditions (it had been raining for several days by now) we decided to push on to the Meanach bothy by the Abhainn Path. Arriving there, very very wet and miserable we discovered a Belgian couple, who were a little put out at having to share the bothy with us, but didn't let it show as we shared food, and the fire they had so carefully built.
The following morning they left, and so did we, trudging our way back to Kinlochleven where we also arrived cold wet and miserable. At some time either on day 1 or 2 we had to do a river crossing (where we waded up to our thighs in Ice cold water) which didn't do much for our spirits on which ever day it was.
Ben Nevis - Saturday 7th Feb 1998
A bit of a poor end to an otherwise great week. We had hoped to climb Ben Nevis via the CIC hut and up one of the ridges. However a real blizzard blew up, and Jon W discovered he had no gloves. We sat for a bit at the CIC hut with lots of other parties waiting for a break in the weather, but after a very cold while we decided to head down. Of course as soon as we arrived in Fort William we looked up and saw glorious sunshine and a clear summit. Pants.
