Slioch; and Climbing at An Teanga
Slioch
A fairly grim forecast faced those that set off to walk Slioch on Sunday’s day meet. With the group converging from various locations at walk starting point, we set off on a gentle start along the path, meandering along the Kinlochewe river before meeting Loch Maree. At this point the path took a more serious turn, as did the weather, and as we ascended, the wind was picking up with the first serious rain of the day prompting a stop to batten down the hatches, i.e. get the waterproofs on!
Climbing further up the hill we were met with a vicious, gusting wind straight in our faces, with questions being asked as to the conditions on the summit. Once reaching the plateau like area below Sgurr Dubh, a brief respite from the wind was gifted by the relatively sheltered side of the hill. The steep ascent to find the first of the small lochans of Slioch saw us find the gusting wind once again before dipping behind some of the rocky crags to take shelter and have some lunch. Once rested and refuelled we turned back into the climb, this time with driving rain and the odd hail stone!
With determined enthusiasm we pushed on and reached the false summit, enjoying a brief glimpse through the cloud and across Loch Maree and the West, before continuing on to the true summit.
Not wanting to hang around with limited visibility, we about turned and started tracing our steps back down, opting not to visit Sgurr an Tuill Bhann. With the wind on our backs and the hard part done, the pace down was a good bit faster and the conditions marginally improved.
Making it back to the carpark, a brief reflection on the day and raiding some blackberry bushes saw us load up and set of back home.
Thanks to Jill, Arthur, Richard and prospective member Euan for a challenging but enjoyable day out, as well as Moss and Orla, the canine companions.
Taking Part: Craig, Richard, Arthur and prospective members Jill and Euan.
Words: Craig Photos: Arthur
Bridge over the Abhainn an Fhasaigh
The summit still looks clear!
No views at the summit
Where did the views go?
Coming below the cloud again. Head of Loch Maree just visible.
Orla. A bit bedraggled but still perky.
Slioch looking moody from An Teanga
An Teanga
Four adventurous souls (Martyn, Michael, Stella and Martin) set off for the sport climbing of An Teanga on a damp morning, despite the poor forecast. While warned of heathery ground, it was the saturated path and boggy ground that made the walk less than straight forward. The sky didn’t look promising but a glimpse of the rainbow gave us a hope of good weather later. The climbing is tucked away in a hidden glen on a series of outcrops that takes some finding. The midges were biting but the occasional wind swept them away. An awkward scramble up to the Upper Levels was overcome. An early lunch was taken to give the Torridon sandstone a chance to dry off in the breeze. Routes were then chosen. Three bolts up the rain restarted, seeing the unusual sight of climbers in full waterproofs enjoying the reduced friction and water running down the rock. Swiftly finishing the routes, the rain stopped again soon afterwards and Martyn's rope guided water towards his belay plate and sleeves as Stella followed on the route. Martin delicately ticked a second route, expecting drizzle any minute, while Martyn was whooping with excitement when his route spat him off; Stella held the fall. Michael belayed and took photographs, but decided wet easy-graded routes were not desirable enough to don his shoes.
And that was that. The rain suddenly restarted, forcing the group to shelter in a bothy bag for half an hour as the wind gusted and the rain drummed on the shelter. We shared few stories to pass the time. Water, now pouring down the rock face marked the end of the day, with a walk out along the path come burn and new lochans appearing on the saturated ground. Arriving at the carpark the sun came out and Slioch was shrouded in mist like something from Middle Earth. An adventure was had and knowledge gained of the climbs at An Teanga.
Taking part: Martyn, Michael, Stella and Martin
Words: Martin, Stella and Martyn
Photos: Michael and Martyn
Before the rain.
Starting out on a climb.
Topping out.