Alex Mac Hut

Members: Andy Stratford, Katharine Bagshaw, Sean Kelly, James Williams, Jo Sayers, Mark Furniss.

 

After a couple of weeks of reports of good climbing on the UKC blogs, the forecast was for heavy snow at the back end of the week and weekend immediately preceding our arrival date. Sure enough as Katharine & Andy entered the Glencoe area evidence of very heavy snow was everywhere. Jo & Mark and Sean all arrived at Alex Mac within a few minutes at 5pm and we settled in - not expecting James until much later.

Monday was a claggy day - but potentially good ski-ing on the fresh powder. Mark & Jo headed up to Glencoe ski area for a day on the piste. James had arrived too late the night before for the early start so it was Andy, Katharine & Sean who headed out to Glencoe to attempt a walk up to Stob Corrie nam Beith and traverse across the tops using cars at each end.

Wishful thinking! After slogging for an hour and a half through knee to thigh deep snow with the consistency of wet concrete, which was obliterating the paths and across slopes littered with avalanche debris and only gaining 350m of height a retreat was sounded. A quick trip back to Alex Mac for lunch and to collect James as the bad weather standby of 'The Ice Factor' beckoned. After 1/2 a dozen ice routes Sean & James donned rock boots and tackled the indoor wall whilst Andy & Katharine kept chipping away until every route in the big fridge had been duly completed and the large party of Irish Mountaineers had left.

Getting the MWIS & SAIS forecast that evening by dongle on a laptop from Alex Mac wasn't happening with the poor signal so a quick drive down to Onich hotel with obliging staff who gave us the Wi-Fi key was in order.

A gloomy forecast set Jo & Mark on another ski plan: this time a crossing of Rannoch Moor on cross country skis!

Tuesday was as dismal as it was forecast - Sean & James opted for heading North & West to Kintail to attempt the Forcan ridge. After a 2 hour drive the path to Meallan Odhar(610) was reasonably clear but lying snow elsewhere was very deep and fresh and visibility worsened as the morning wore on. The Forcan and longer return via the valley was clearly out so Sean & James took an early bath (Raining that hard then, Ed.).

Meanwhile Andy & Katharine headed for Aonach Mor to see if a descent into Coire an Lochan from Easy Gully was an option... After a little 'uplift' and a slog through powder to the top in the fug of a near whiteout the ski patrol shack was in sight. Unfamiliar with etiquette (and egged on by Katharine) Andy blagged his way into the hut for a cosy brew with the four somewhat surprised occupants. Emerging into the wintry sunshine the extent of the cornices soon became all too apparent. In fact old cornices piled over older cornices with huge fresh ones piled on top again! One look at the state of the Gully and the East face clearly put it out of the picture for the week.

Mark & Jo completed their Rannoch Moor ski adventure - a circular 10km route that took nearly 6 hours.

After collecting weather forecasts at the Onich Hotel that night we went to bed with the promise of a better day ahead and a group plan!

Wednesday saw the clear skies we had been promised and a plan to climb the Ben via Carn Mor Dearg summit and the CMD Arête. All six of us left North face car park at 08.30 under the mist that pervaded the lower reaches of Lochaber. Climbing through the forest into clear sky we witnessed the first bit of Scottish magic of the day - a temperature inversion over the glens below. Even having to break trail through the snow on the lower slopes of Carn Mor Dearg offered little resistance to the KMC party - a couple of hours later and crampons were donned for the final icy and windy stretch to the summit. After taking spectacular photos of the North face from the top Sean & James headed back down. The other four moved onto the CMD arête in conditions so benign that luncheon was taken on the ridge! The Ben summit was teeming with Irish Mountaineers once again - having just come up via Ledge route - which Andy & Katharine decided would be the next day’s target.

There is a story around the 'Mountain Action' 2011 KMC photo contest winning shot by Sean Kelly - taken this day. All that morning on the way up to CMD summit a helicopter had been buzzing around the Orion Face area of the Ben - sometimes out of sight - sometimes in view and kicking up enormous clouds of spindrift around the summit. Upon reaching the summit of the Ben we chatted to a trio of gnarly looking Frenchmen who had just finished on Orion Direct. They informed us that the helicopter had been rescuing some of their party - caught in an avalanche as they crossed the bottom of one of the gullies on the way to Orion.

As we gained the Red Burn on the way down conditions were right for a sitting glissade losing hundreds of metres in minutes. A final trek to TNF car park gave a round trip of 10 hours and some very happy mountaineers.

Thursday (St Patricks Day - Aahh - that explained all the Irish on holiday!) saw more good weather and a strong ski party of Mark, Jo, Sean & James heading for Nevis Range.

Andy & Katharine stuck to the Ledge route plan - parking at Achintee for a change and to see more of the mountain. After a saunter up the Tourist track to the Red Burn then an easy almost level track to the broad col between Meall an t-Suidhe & Carn Dearg, it was then hard almost trackless going in the lying, thawing snow to gain a position on the lower slopes approaching Ledge Route. Time was passing on (after 2pm) and a sudden squall blew in. We donned gear in silence. Then, as quickly as it had came it was gone. Blue sky. We moved swiftly to the base of the ramp, roped up, then moved together the whole way on the straightforward route. It certainly lived up to its reputation for spectacular situations though, with all the cloud clearing at just the right moments for amazing views. As we reached the top we met the French again - now a quartet. Their two friends were still in hospital each with broken legs and ankles from yesterday’s avalanche. The pay off of the long walk from Achintee was another Red burn bum slide and a quick(ish) trot down the tourist track back to the car at Achintee. A 9 hour round trip but very satisfying. Back at the hut yet more Irish mountaineers had arrived including a rare species - Irish Ice Climbers!

On Friday we cleared the Alex Mac and headed north and east to attempt routes at Craig Meagaidh. The forecast was very gloomy for the middle of the day but the morning was bright, sunny clear and cold. A lovely 2 and a half hour walk in on the easy track - made easier by the 15 strong party of overnight snowholers who we met coming down - in good weather gave us cause for optimism. Almost as soon as we reached the Lochan the wind blew up, the mist rolled in and it began snowing heavily. We debated waiting it out but eventually and unanimously decided to beat a retreat. Arriving back at the cars around 3pm the weather lifted and by the time we had actually left the car park it was glorious again! At this point Katharine headed for home whilst Andy & James (originally booked on the Raeburn meet) were joined by Mark, Jo and Sean - who were all having far too good a time to go home!

All in all, a great meet with great company. Spending a full week up there certainly seemed to make the long haul more worthwhile and cost effective.

Andy Stratford