Kate's Munro bash, Kinlochleven 8th August 2008

Climbed by year and month

Climbed by year and month

Kate hadn't climbed a Munro and various acquaintances decided something must be done, so they organised a get together and set a date. Initially I wasn't going to go but as time marched on and the thought of being left out grew too much. So I hatched a plot to join a couple of the guys on a wildcamp high in the Mamores. Friday I met up with Gordon and Sandy and we headed off into the hills.

Looking back down to Loch Leven was stunning:

It was a cracking afternoon, sun shining, blue sky with just a wee bit of cloud to provide a bit of interest. And mountains of course.

We camped at around 750metres and watched the sun set over Ben Nevis.

Saturday dawned cloudy, wet and windy. A decision was made to head back to Kinlochleven as there was little possibility that Kate and the others would make the climb today. We'd phone one of them when we got a signal. It turned out to be a sensible plan. Sandy wasn't feeling too well after his wee dram the night before, and my lungs were shutting down rapidly. Unusually Ventolin didn't seem to work its magic and just to add to the fun I felt absolutely shattered before we'd gone far at all. Not good.

Sandy recovered okay. And over some time I managed to sort out my wheeze but still felt dog tired and as if my lungs weren't actually doing much with the air I was getting in. Once we dropped lower the wind died in the glen and the midges were grim. Really grim. I kept going as every stop we made the midges found us in microseconds. Down on the Land Rover track to Mamore Lodge they were swarming. I couldn't wipe them off my face fast enough. Out came the head net and we walked as fast as we could for the truck.

We met the others in the Ice Factor Cafe. As we walked in AT put a mug of tea under my nose and said "Here drink this". What a star! I spent much of the afternoon feeling very weird and 'out of it', undoubtedly due to having enough Ventolin to float a tank.

The original plan was to spend the saturday night high in the mountains as well, but it would not have been sensible. Not sure it was sensible driving home that evening either. However, camping down in the glen at the Blackwater with all the midges just didn't compute.

Kate made it up her first Munro the next day.