By Baptiste P
We spent the first weekend of April (4-6th) at Mill Cottage in Feshiebridge for the LMC Cairngorms meet. The weather was dry and sunny, with a cool breeze at times, making for good climbing and walking conditions. Everyone was keen to make the most of it.
On Saturday, several teams headed off early for big days out. Baptiste, Davide, and Cat went to Binnein Shuas to climb Ardverikie Wall (HS 4b), a classic multi-pitch route on superb rock and runout climbing. They enjoyed the route in bright sunshine, although the wind made it a bit chilly now and then. The wall was popular that day, leading to a bit of a traffic jam at the belays, but everyone remained in good spirits, taking it as part of the experience and enjoying the view on the loch. On the same crag, Henry and Andy climbed Hurricane (HVS 4c), another fine line withgood exposure. They had a smooth day, enjoying the beauty of the surrounding mountains. Steven and Amber headed into Coire an t-Sneachda to climb Pygmy Ridge and Afterthought Arete in Stag rock, both offering great climbing leading to the cairngorm plateau. The snow had cleared, the rock was dry, and the views down the corrie were stunning. Flo and Christabel had one of the biggest days, walking deep into the Cairngorms to climb The Clean Sweep on Hell’s Lum. The route was partly dry, partly wet, and a snow patch was still present at the foot of the climb. It was nearly dark when they returned to the hut around 10 pm, tired but happy. Christine set off from the hut for a long solo hike, ticking off two Munros, Beinn Bhrotain and Monadh Mòr, covering 28 kilometres in total. She was actually the first one back to the hut. Jo, Leslie Anne, and Sonia went up Sgòr Gaoith, a good round with fine views over Glen Feshie and Loch Einich. That evening, we all gathered back at Mill Cottage for food, a few drinks, and nice chatting. Christabel had made a rhubarb crumble which was well received, and Miles and Andy arrived to join the evening.
On Sunday, a big group headed to Creag Dubh near Newtonmore, including Steven, Amber, Christabel, Flo, Baptiste, Miles, and James, who joined for the day. The weather was again kind, and the crag offered a good mix of steep and bold routes. Flo and Baptiste climbed Tree Hee (HS 4a), a fine climb with bold section and some fight with trees. Their 50 metre ropes just reached the ground for the final abseil, adding a little extra spiciness. They spent the rest of the afternoon baking under the sun, reading guidebooks to plan future trips and waiting for the other part of the group to be back. Steven, Christabel, and Amber had more than their share of adventure. After going off-route, they decided to abseil from a tree. Fortunately, the 60m ropes landed by Baptiste reached the ground. Unfortunately, they got stuck while pulling them down. In true heroic style, Christabel climbed back up, tied a clove hitch with one hand and her mouth, and freed the ropes so they could be retrieved. Meanwhile, Davide and Henry enjoyed time on Pippet Slab in the Cairngorms, and Christine and Andy went for a walk to stretch their legs before heading home.
It was a brilliant weekend, full of good climbs, laughs, and shared effort. Everyone went home with tired legs and adventure to share, already looking forward to the next meet.
