Evening Climbing, Midgie's & Beer

Evening Fun

I surfed through the UKC crag data base. Its pretty extensive and includes most of the crags around Glencoe, many which are overlooked by their grander big brothers up the hills. I was quite surprised some were listed, but also a bit disappointed on re visits that most had seen little traffic over the years and were now getting overgrown and neglected. For an area full of climbers the local ones seem reluctant to  climb or maintain these crags. I guess there is just too much choice now, or folk maybe just don't climb as much as we did. I don't think there was a weekend or evening if it was dry that we were not out or away somewhere climbing. Until kids came along and it was reduced but never stopped and then they climbed as well.

Some crags like "Banana Buttress" has first ascents listed on UKC. The folk doing this wouldn't have been aware that there isn't a square foot of that crag that hadn't been climbed many times over by Clachaig bar staff going back to the 1960's some of whom became well known mountaineers. The crag above this had an aid route on it and the Quarry was full of boulder problems (and often poo from campers). One challenge was the complete traverse without stepping onto the boulder (V3).

At the end of the road where it joins the A82 a stream gully come off the Aonach Eagach. A ten minute walk up and there is a crag with a crack line full of pegs and an overhang which was used for aid practise by Glencoe Climbing school in the 60's/70's. I free climbed it at about E2/5c and there is a stiff pull over the overhang. It's a bit of fun although short. I wouldn't trust the pegs.!

Going up the Glen, at the Gorge/meeting of three waters the obvious crack up the crag just across the river is a really good fun at HVS and has very good gear. It had wooden wedges in it at one time which have rotted out. Next to it on the left is an E2 taking a thin crack which is nippy with a move across requiring a bold move right and some heather pulling to join the same route. The HVS is good and a lot better than it looks so well worth it when dry. Behind there is a dry river gorge running all the way down to the stream from the Lost Valley. Out across from this is a band of promising looking crags which are actually not that good but there is a severe on the left "Alans Arete" which is a bit of fun on clean rock in a couple of pitches and has a nice outlook.

The Drey Crag

The Drey Crag above the road with the hut set into it was the Edinburgh "Squirrels" hut now I think used by "the Jacobite MC". The Squirrels are no longer, but luminaries included Dougal Haston. Bugs Mackeith and Jimmy Marshall. There used to be guide to the crag on the inside of the hut door. It's a bit scrappy but there are a few routes, and the best is the obvious rock dyke with a small bulge to get around, no gear and its about severe. There is a harder crack and smooth bulge to the right of this (bold at the top) and to the left of the dyke there was a VS, and on the extreme left a short V Diff chimney.

Above the Drey and to the West there are the red "Sunset Walls" and slabs, with boulder problems that catch the evening sun and are a lot of fun. You can make it easy or hard as the rock is excellent and the landings are ok

Mike Hall and I playing on "The Red Walls" above the Drey sometime early 1980's. Some good easy bouldering up there

Back to the dry gorge. Halfway down on the north side there is a clean crag with a crack exiting from a small overhang with a peg which is a good HVS. Used to be called "The Squirrels Crack" I think as it was Kenny Spence who did it but it may now have another name. Further down still is a short "Leaning Wall" which gets the evening sun and has about six routes by me from E15b to an E2 5c/6a (Crimp) on the right that had very small wires as pro. Also a small crag further up on the South with a crack was about HVS 5b.

Up the gorge leading to Allt na Ruigh cottage coming down from the A82 is "The Bendy" with routes from the E1 5b Jim l' Fix It by me on the lower left, to E4's by Murray Hamilton and Gary Latter. I did "Simmering Psycho" which had a peg runner at the top as the cracks were blind and micro wires wouldn't fit. E3/5c and good natural pro to that point, then finishing up a groove rather more natural than the blanker walls of the harder routes and their exploding crimpy holds and RP pro. These crags were cleaner and well climbed at one time, so its shame folk don't re-clean and climb them now.  I often wondered if this would be a safer and better sport venue. I doubt the FA would mind. I wouldn't.

Some advice on when to climb these routes, if you want to try them. The Bendy is a morning crag as it gets the sun early. The leaning wall at the bottom of the dry gorge is a spring crag or early evening summer as it catches the late afternoon sun and as its got a really nice outlook and grassy bottom so its a lovely spot with a cracking pool for a swim on the way back.

It would be nice to see folk enjoying these routes and although the main loose rock work was done years ago, they will require a brush up to clean them.

The "Bendy" just above the meeting of three waters, named after the now burnt out doss hut above it

The Leaning Wall. Below the Bendy in the dry gorge with several well protected short routes to 5b FA by DG 1998

Slate Esoteric

Like everything slate in this slate quarry, the rock is questionable and not without some risk. However, there are some slabs of firm hard rock with nice quartzy pockets. Its all now mossed up as no one uses it anymore but at one time a few folk played in here on occasion, or when desperate. 

There are quite a few other routes, even a severe by Mike Hall up a slab on the big back wall 2^nd terrace. It's esoteric and some areas high risk of rockfall on approach. Plenty of scope if someone wanted to make sport routes on some big slabs of harder rock that is pocketed. 

Carnoch Slab:

Just inside the quarry. Stakes at the top and a large block.  Was popular with an outdoor centre and some military groups.

A The left Rib. Climbed by many over the years at least since the 1970’s Hard Severe’ ish

B The wrinkled quartz slab with pockets. DG 1978 5a/b

C The wrinkled quartz slab further right. DG 1978 5a/b

D The polished central line. A top rope favorite used by local outdoor centers from 1976. Severe’ ish

E Further right still the slightly harder polished line used by outdoor centers Severe’ ish

F A boulder heave on questionable rock. DG 1978 5a/b

Orange Wall:

Above here hidden now behind some trees is the orange wall.  This has two routes. One on the left side (5) by Paul Farrel and one up the middle (6) by DG. Both about 5b. Bear in mind these were done 35+ years ago so the grades a bit out but this was from memory quite a good bit of rock.

The Boozers Bay:

Further into the quarry is a bay now overgrown and fenced off, although still possible to easily squeeze past into it.

The lower of the prominent crack lines (1) is about 5a/b and the one above (2) harder and a bit sketchy and was done on a top rope. The two lines straight up (3) crossing these are good fun on small quartz holds and good footwork helps, both soloed at about 5a/b. (4) is the best and was good fun. A route was done in the corner of the slab by a visiting Welsh climber and had a peg in place and was about E3 6a. It has never been repeated as far as I know. Can't think why!

"Stac an Eich" or Alan Breck as we know it from the hotel that used to be below, is a granite crag reached via the road to the memorial cairn a mile or so past the golf course. It had a few easier routes on its west end facing the evening sun. Slabs such as Appin groove, or the rib to its left were soloed by me (not Ed as in the guide) and are good fun at about VS. Right of Appin groove there were a couple of stiff boulder problem slab routes soloed by Ed, and to the right of what we used as a descent gully a steep well protected wall route of HVS with lower from a tree. Kevin Woods did a great job of cleaning up this area a couple of years ago.

The main crag routes are all in the outcrops guide and a bit like grit routes being quite pumpy. Shuttlecock is a great route worth *** on the east (far left). Up the obvious corner is a cracker with good pro, and the original finish (pitch 2) went up a leaning block and had a step across and then up. Great situation and views from that first belay above the trees. The top block of pitch 2 was pretty hollow but if its still there since 1983 could be ok but the top out needs a clean. Shuttlecock would get 3 or 4 ascents a week for years until this crag fell out of favor. Probably because the Ferry bar wasn't as good a pub anymore! An alternative is to belay at the top of the corner and then move right and up to where the central corner exits where there was some fixed gear now rotten that I left 35 years ago. There is also a direct start to Shuttlecock by me leading into the lower corner from the left which is about 5b/c. We tended to ab off the top which was a free abseil and part of the fun. Have an auto block as back up!

George Reid gets off the ground on Shuttlecock 1982

Left of Shuttlecock there were another two routes including "Autan" which took the big area of granite above. All re-covered in veg now. A team with bow saws could really open up what was a great evening crag that often had a sea breeze in the evening sun, and was a popular often noisy venue as folk cursed up the routes which although a bit fierce are well protected if you can hang on. A pint in the Ferry bar often followed!

Davy Gunn finishing Shuttlecock 2nd ascent about to step left from the block pitch 2 original finish. pic Fiona Gunn
 

Across the the Loch at Onich the obvious white wall above the A82 to Fort William has three routes. The faint crack on the left side by Kenny Spence/Fyffe is about E1/5b and I put a direct 5b finish on if you continue straight up and over the top bulge. The three star route is the obvious crack system on the right which is as good a crag route as anything in Lochaber. Well protected by nuts and cams it's a steady E2/5b worthy of more ascents. With the hardest bit just as you get established and get some gear in, and then just before the top as it gets thuggy. This start is where most folk back off as it can seem damp but as this bit of crag overhangs the drips are in space and the damp bit only short. It's pumpy but on good holds to the top of what feels like a long pitch. I think this was also Spence/Fyffe route and had an aid peg originally (although we never found one) and we free climbed it many times over the years before a beer. There is an eliminate 6a between the two crack lines but its a bit contrived and would be a better sport route. The "Right Hand" route as mentioned is three star and don't be put off by the start up through the trees and bushes and stepping off the ledge. The gear comes and the climbing is good. Deserves more ascents as its good. The top might have grown back but the top had plenty of trees to abseil off.

Further down towards Oban and above Kentallen bay is a Limestone crag. Best reached from an easy walk across the hill from Duror hall or a straight bushwhack up the sheep tracks from the parking at the old pier or cycle track. All the routes have steep boulder starts and then nice slabs and grooves with gear to finish. Belays were a bit scarce at the top but maybe the birch trees have grown and will be stronger. "Prawn" and its neighbours was a nice VS all cleaned and led by me. Ed Grindly did "up periscope" 6a. I think Gary Latter did a route and rumor had it Dave MacLeod did a route here. On the left edge there is a rock recess and there were was good route by Bob Hamilton up the corner at HVS and I did two HVS's on the right of this and an E4/6a on the left which was never topped out due to water but had a lower off peg. The evening views from this crag are stunning and due to sea breeze its usually midge free. The West (right) edge also had some boulder problems.

Kentallen Bay Crag

Lettershuna Sport. Four really nice routes put up by Steve Kennedy and good tea and scones along the road

Charnuis Boulders N. Ballachulish. A new boulder venue offering some fun in the sun

Slate Esoteric

 Like everything slate in this quarry, the rock is questionable and not without some risk. However, there are some slabs of firm hard rock with nice quartzy pockets. Its all now mossing up as no one uses it anymore but at one time a few folk played in here on occasion. 

There are quite a few other routes even a severe by Mike Hall up a slab on the big back wall 2^nd terrace. Its esoteric and some areas high risk of rockfall on approach. Plenty of scope if someone wanted to make sport routes on some big slabs of harder rock that is pocketed. 

Carnoch Slab:

Just inside the quarry. Stakes at the top and a large block.  Was popular with an outdoor centre and some military groups.

A The left Rib. Climbed by many over the years at least since the 1970’s Hard Severe’ ish

B The wrinkled quartz slab with pockets. Solo DG 1978 5a/b

C The wrinkled quartz slab further right. Solo DG 1978 5a/b

D The polished central line. A top rope favourite used by local outdoor centres from 1976. Severe’ ish

E Further right still the slightly harder polished line used by outdoor centres Severe’ ish

F A boulder heave on questionable rock. Solo DG 1978 5a/b

Orange Wall:

Above here hidden now behind some trees is the orange wall.  This has two routes. One on the left side (5) by Paul Farrel and one up the middle (6) by DG. Both solo and about 5b. Bear in mind these were done 35+ years ago and the top outs might be sketchy.

The Boozers Bay:

Further into the quarry is a bay now overgrown and fenced off, although still possible to easily squeeze past into it.

Five routes in there. The lower of the prominent crack lines (1) is about 5a/b soloed by me and the one above (2) harder and a bit sketchy and was done on a top rope. The two lines straight up (3) crossing these are good fun on small quartz holds and good footwork helps, both soloed by me and about 5a/b. (4) is the best and was good fun. A route was done in the corner of the slab by a visiting Welsh climber and had a peg in place and was about E3 6a and has never been repeated. Can't think why!

Bouldering

Charnuis Boulders North Ballachulish

Park at the forest road entrance at the top of Mausoleum Hill NN 07235 59884. Follow the forest road up to a junction then go left (west) until another forwarder track goes up. Go up this then bear left up to the bouldering keeping a whaleback boulder on your right, to the obvious blocks at NN 07029 60123. You can take another track if you go too far down the other side crossing a big fallen oak. The first block is “Two Stump Block”

These rocks are a bit unique being a pumice like Leven Schist with similarities to Limestone having pockets. Good rough rock and excellent friction, the area faces South and is a sun trap so all year round is good and many routes stay dry even when raining. Also catches a breeze which makes it relatively midge free which in summer Lochaber is a bonus.  Plenty scope above the boulders for the adventurous as the crags up above are a good bit bigger than they look. Duncan, Fiona and Davy Gunn 2020

Whaleback Boulder. Climb the front face up to a big jug 5 (V0+) A bit of approach fun if climbed direct.

 

The crucial letter box hold visible next to Duncans' backside on "Two Stump Wall" and you also get an idea of the pocketed nature of the Leven Schist and that the boulder is quite big. Bouldering mats recommended.

Two Stump Slab. Above the two obvious standing stumps

Two Stump Wall. Take the steep wall nearer its left side moving up and out to the left edge and an obvious slot. Continue more easily up the edge 6a+ (V3) ***

Stumped. From the wall center go up to a good edge, move up and back left to join the above route 6a (V3) ***

Pocket Rocket. Step off the pointed rock left of the undercut crack onto the steep slab and move directly up 6a+ (V3) **

Right edge crack. Use the obvious under cling and careful feet to the obvious niche avoiding the temptation to cheat SS 6a (V2)

 

Two Stump Block

The Block. Above and Right

Short Haul. On the right facing East is an obvious big ledge. A stiff pull up and rock over to top 5 (V1)

Short Haul

Pocket Wall. Just above the Block is an obvious and attractive pocketed slab

Take the center of the steep wall on good crimpy holds up the steep slab above 6a+ (V3) the best route here ***

SS variation. Start low on the left moving across to a down facing nose then up and onto the slab above 6b (V4) **

 

Pocket Wall

The Bow. Just across and up is an obvious prow with a distinctive profile

Keelhaul. The obvious edge of the Bow with a bad landing, even with a mat. 6C (V5)

The Strath of Glencoe

It's been quite some time since my last blog post.  It's been reasonably busy with bike hire and repairs despite the awful weather and late spring.  We have also had family commitments not least of which was attending my sons graduation from Aberdeen University.

I am having a year off the bike racing as I need to re balance my time and health.  I am however re kindling my lifelong affair with fishing.  I have fished since I was maybe about six years old and remember my mother having to put a worm on a hook for me as I didn't like them, and epic frustrations from my dad with tangled line at the tidal pool. Those who knew his patience level can imagine the expletives!

Blackbirds nest next to a place I fish.  We meet every day. She flew back in and was obviously not bothered

Pink Hawthorn or "Mayflower" which is where the saying "nere cast a cloot till may is oot" comes from.  Only this year your cloot shouldnt have been cast even in June!

Early trips up to Loch Ba with Jock MacDonald and his boat, and many future boys own expeditions wandering over Rannoch moor, losing wellies in bottomless bogs and using the sound of the train at Rannoch so we knew we had walked 180deg in the wrong direction and would miss Andrew the local bus driver waiting for us on the A82 if we didnt run were all character forming, especially when still only 10 years old. My mother was worried sick. 

Later trips to Bealach and even out to exotic locations like over the hill to Lundavra and a shot of the good boat if it wasn't out.  My early rod was a split cane 9ft with a level taper line and small flies bought from rare trips on the bus over the ferry to the excellent Rod and Gun shop next to the bus station in Fort William.  There was always good advice and help form the two older gents who ran the shop, and later when I had a few quid saved from working the "Grotto" petrol pumps they set me up with a nice hollow glass 9'6 fly rod and reel which I still have.  It was a very soft action rod and later nearly broke at the lower brass ferrule with a small grilse from the "Doctors Pool" on the Duror. There wasn't a puddle with fish in it that I didn't explore, and some rock climbing was required on occasion to reach hidden pools  I revisited one last year and the pool which would have given me a half dozen big sea trout  up to 3lbs and maybe a grilse, was absent of fish including the many small brownies that would come to the fly.  Banks of Sitka spruce have probably made the water too acidic.

Lower Coe falls and its water worn rocks.  There are intials from the ealy 19th century chipped into the rock from when Strathcona removed the arch that spanned the river to improve Salmon access.  You need to know where to look .....

It's fair to say in some ways that these explorations were among and a part of the mountains. As a teen when introduced to the heady mix of mountaineering, climbing, alcohol, women, and exotic places (but not many exotic women sadly) to pursue the mountain addiction. I suppose I became quite good at climbing, and climbed many of the classic hard routes and test pieces.  I was also lucky to be a very young member of the local rescue team at only 16, having already been going on rescues with a neighbour since I was younger.  These were the days of shepherds, stalkers and forestry workers with only a few climbers.  Money was scarce, politics of rescue non existent, and only the needs of the victims was at the forefront.  The reward was good craic, a plate of soup and a few free drams and maybe a "lock in" at Clachaig or Kingshouse.  A once a year issue of socks and thermal underwear was a bonus, but no one was without a good "Cag" and boots, the essentials.  There was no parading about like a shops dummy with overpriced Arcterxc.

Lucky for me I met Fiona who was to be my wife and climbing partner and who kicked me from manual labour as a wood cutter (my excuse - it kept me strong for climbing) to using a brain neglected from being kicked out of school.  She liked the bad boy rebel bit in me which was really nothing more than being pissed at a crap secondary school with dysfunctional teachers.Without her I would never have achieved professional level medical and mountain qualifications.

The Hump Bridge and still waters below

The thread throughout all my life in one way or another has been fishing and in particular the River Coe, who's flow has served as a metaphor for much of my life. Steady, placid, reflective, angry, raging, unclear.  I always liked Neil Gunn's book "Highland River" but only in later life when reading it again did I truly understand it as a "Quest" and how much it resembled my own life.  

Looking up "The Strath"

I had a truly lovely walk up the river today following a salmon which has a very distinguishing mark on it's nebb (nose).  Having watched it from the sea pool weeks ago, it was good to see it again having moved upriver again to another pool.  It was sitting quietly in a spot where an old local poacher "Willie the Bridge" would show me fish.  Willie is gone and so is his Rabbit snare and the need to take a fish, so it was safe lying there just waiting.  It will wait until the next fish comes to that spot then will move upriver again to another lay up. Up river there are places where a fish might lay for two months conserving its precious fat and red carotenoid energy supply until the next and final urge to reach home kicks in.  Marvellous resilient creatures that we should respect and take from only with care.

The Celtic symbol of knowledge and inheritor of Solomons wisdom lays waiting

If I might borrow again from Neil Gunn, who by the way is no relation, just imagine a nice day ambling up the river with a camera thinking of "The Atom of Delight".

House Martins? or Swifts?  have made burrows for nesting in the fallen river bank

The ever changing river course

Click the images for a larger size

Top to Bottom on Central Grooves

Mid 1980’s in Glencoe Scotland. As a young rescuer under the wing of “the old fox” mountain and rescue legend Hamish MacInnes, sometime all we learned as his apprentices were put to good use. This is just such as tale.

Fiona my wife and I had recently moved back into Glencoe village from Duror, a small village 7 miles down the road. A summer day and Fiona is away and most of the climbing stars of Glencoe Mountain Rescue are away in the Swiss alps with the local rescue team leader and legend “The Fox” Hamish MacInnes, working safety cover on a big film project called “5 Days One Summer” starring Sean Connery.  Many of the same folk from the Glen who worked with him on “The Eiger Sanction”. Ian Nicholson and Dave Bathgate two Scottish climbing legends had recently bought the Kingshouse Hotel a famous mountaineering base. Lochaber Mountain Rescue stalwart Willie Anderson is painting walls for beer at the hotel. The hotel is old and needs a bit of work.

The house phone rings at about 2pm on a nice sunny August day.  "Its Doris here Davy, there is a rescue call out on Stob Coire nan Lochan for a fallen climber". I can’t get many folk as a lot are away”. I ask her to keep trying to get together enough for a rescue party while I get some technical and medical gear together.  A Police 4x4 pulls up outside my house and toots its siren and Stewart Obree one of the local constables is there to offer me a lift to the pipers lay bye a place where helicopters can land and a guy with bagpipes busks for cash. Stewart has already asked for a helicopter and Search and Rescue 134 - a Wessex from RAF Leuchars is on its way.

We arrive at the pipers lay bye and I get information from a witness that someone is hanging free, half way up the cliff and a woman holding the rope is screaming.  I get news that the main rescue vehicle has been picked up and Richard Greive and Hughie MacNicoll who owned Mountain Technology are on the way. Ian Nicholson isn’t at the Kingshouse as he’s away with Hamish, but Willie Anderson is coming down to help. So, we have enough to do the job, but only just.  150 metre rope’s and technical kit is sorted out and a recently landed helicopter crew agree to take 3 of us up the mountain to fly over the scene.

We lift off, and slowly gaining height over Aonach Dubh, circle and see the climber is hanging via a single rope from a running belay 20 metres above him two pitches up in “Central Grooves” (very severe 4c or 5.9). He is hanging upside down just below his belayer and about 2 metres out, free hanging in space. So its at least a 40-metre lead fall and judging by the roll of the harness down off his pelvis and that he’s upside down and not moving it doesn’t look good for him, or easy for us. A fall factor of about 0.75 and hitting the cliff with no helmet the consequences are pretty devastating. The woman belaying appears to be held by a single nut anchor behind a very big single block of rock which looks loose and precarious, even from the air.

The aircrew and I talk over the radio and we hatch a plan. Drop Richard, Willie and I on the top of the buttress and I will get lowered down the route, make the belayer safe and get her out of the rope system for the SAR crew to winch up. We will get the climber lowered to the bottom. While we are doing rope tricks they will pick up any extra rescuers and bring them up so they can hike to the foot of the climb with a stretcher and take the fallen climber down to a good helicopter landing pick up point.

Good belays are sorted and with the difficult task of managing the unwieldy static rope Willie and Richard lower me down the shitty loose broken ground to the top of the corner and then lower me down the 60 or so meters to the incident. Loose rock, pinnacles of blocks stacked like dinner plates and lots of debris fly past me.  A few climbs up and down to get the rope directional and stop pulling rocks onto me are needed, so it’s not a quick job or safe. Some of the rocks are paving slab sized. On the way down the route I see a watch caught by its strap in a small bucket hold in the vertical corner which the climbers hand must have slid from. I see that the single running belay is an old rock peg and pretty rotten, but it held. The climbers rope is a single 9mm stretched so tight it looks like boot cord. I arrive at the belay and a very upset woman with a belay rope at its end in a Stich plate. She’s held by a single large wire nut which she is holding in place by pushing the block back as its loose. I have to spend a lot of time searching out and clearing cracks for rock pegs to hold her at a single releasable point to cut loose to  get her into the helicopter winch strop safely. Separately I have to isolate the active rope going to the fallen climber and anchor it.

Top to Bottom Lower

As it turns out I know the fallen climber who runs a climbing instruction and guiding business. She’s a client on a rock climbing course it seems. He’s dead, its messy but that can be revisited later. I get her safe and rigged for easy release. I have his rope isolated and anchored so move down to him and make another belay for me to clip into with an adjustable sling. I come off the lowering rope, lean out and hook his rope with my hammer spike and pull him in, put a sling on him at the chest and to the harness to level him out and attach the long static lowering rope I was lowered down on, onto him. Then holding his rope against the rock face I bash it with my peg hammer. One hard blow is all it takes. He gets lowered about 60 metres to the foot of the corner where rescuers and a couple of co-opted climbers have come to help. They get him off the rope and the body bagged, and I get the rope pulled back up to me and I get lowered down to the bottom and clear of the corner. Sounds easy. None of it was. Rockfall, an upset belayer who is at risk, the victims trauma and the hard physical work takes its toll.

The helicopter comes in at a hover and ever so slowly gets closer to the corner dropping the winch-man slowly down and inching into the cliff. They get to her, put her in the winch strop, knife cut my big sling that's anchored to some pegs and take her up. Very impressive close mountain flying and crag rescue by the winch-man. She gets flown down to the base and they come back up and take us all down to our base at the Pipers Lay bye in a couple of lifts. Its surreal as there are cars and tourists blocking the valley road and hundreds of folks, some with binoculars have been watching the whole rescue. Meanwhile the piper skirls away his plaintive notes and takes his coin.

Police statements are taken later. He’s being paid so an accident inquiry (FAI) is likely. Chats and a brew then down to Hamish’s barn to sort out kit and then home for the usual ponder at another person you know killed in the mountains, thinking over many “what the fuck moments” of the rescue and what you might do different another time. And many others were to come for me in the years that followed.  It takes days to come down and get rescues like that out of your head. Often the best thing is to go climbing next day. So that’s what I did. With a hangover though.

As post script. Dennis Barclay the Glencoe rescue team’s treasurer gave me a roasting for buying seven new rock pegs and half a dozen slings from the recently opened “Glencoe Guides and Gear” shop run by Paul and Ros Moore’s and charging it to the mountain rescue account. This was to replace what I had used on the rescue. As the team didn’t have much cash he wasn’t sure if there was enough money to cover it. How things have changed in Scottish mountain rescue. I often ponder that rescue was about climbers helping climbers and even had these items not been replaced (and sometimes they couldn’t be) the job would get done regardless. There was an inquiry, and someone put me up for a bravery award which I respectfully declined. The local constable being quick off the mark, good rope handling from the team above and the skill level of the aircrew (never bettered IMHO) and also climbers abandoning their days climbing to lend assistance made it all work. Climbing is about the community of the mountains and mountain rescue is just another part of looking after your own. Even with Covid 19 that shouldn't change. Am I my brothers keeper? as a human and mountaineer the answer is always yes.

Dennis the treasurer on right. Hughie kneeling by the woman. The pair either side of Hamish were lost skiers on Sron a Creise and Wull (arms akimbo) and I saw them get Avalanched into Cam Glen. Picture circa 1980