The Clubs 1st official meeting took place on 13th/14th February at the Ladies Scottish Climbing Hut at Kincraig, near Aviemore. Nine members attended:

Jim Aire, Raymond Evenden, James Duncan Fraser, Blair Fraser, Logan Fraser, George Henderson, Susan Henderson, Neil Morrison and Norrie Shand.

A great weekend was enjoyed in an excellent club hut.

George and Susan enjoyed a scoot up The Fara heading north on Friday (while Norrie ambled alongside Loch Ericht). No one else had time for any climbing on the Friday.

The hut is very well placed for the Feshie Hills and on Saturday three separate groups tackled Sgor Gaoith and a few of its Tops.

Raymond and Jim chose an interesting route from Glen Eanaich, the Fraser clan set off through the forest in Glen Feshie while the rest headed up from Auchlean further up the glen.

Conditions were excellent – dry, bright skies and little wind – up to around 950 metres but unfortunately the final ascent was marred by thick cloud and careful navigation was required taking into account the notorious winter cornices near the summit and the absence of a prominent summit cairn.

An early start meant there was plenty time to meander over some of the lesser tops on the descent – or on the ascent in some cases.

A splendid “apres” was had around a fine fire in the hut with tasty suppers all round and the usual bit of wine and song – although the whisky was conspicuous by its absence until later in the evening with everyone keen to avoid the inaugural McGrandles Cup awarded to the first person to fall asleep in their chair on the Saturday evening.

The Cup was eventually “won” by Jim Aire in fairly controversial circumstances – in “Fergie time” just after midnight.

The Wooden Compass for navigational ineptitude was awarded to Norrie Shand who somehow missed the “motorway” path leading back to the car park from the Top of Gael-charn  and suffered the ignominy and physical pain of having to clamber back up from the burn through the steep thick undergrowth.

Sunday was a fairly gloomy day and everyone headed home to begin carbing up for the next trip.

NS