A welcome return to Ardvullin House in Ardgour, a short distance from the Corran Ferry slip, having last stayed here in August 2018. The house itself is a former ghillie’s cottage, dating from the 18th century. It’s worth a reminder that it is owned by the HopScotch children’s charity, which provides breaks for kids from challenging and stressful home environments, though the house is available for private lets, the funds from which, helping ensure they can continue their great work.

Members Attending:

Adrian Mowat; Ania Borg; George Henderson; Susan Henderson; Jim Aire; Jim Linden; John Calder; Lorn Smith; Louise McCulloch; Paddy Marrs; Raymond Evenden; Duncan MacLeod & Tina MacLeod.

A welcome return to Ardvullin House in Ardgour, a short distance from the Corran Ferry slip, having last stayed here in August 2018. The house itself is a former ghillie’s cottage, dating from the 18th century. It’s worth a reminder that it is owned by the HopScotch children’s charity, which provides breaks for kids from challenging and stressful home environments, though the house is available for private lets, the funds from which, helping ensure they can continue their great work.

The weather was certainly an improvement on our previous visit, if a showery start, and, prior to checking-in on Friday, George and Susan went deep into the heart of Ardnamurchan to Dorlin and Castle Tioram for The Silver Walk.

It’s an excellent wander, including a fair bit of height gain, and rewarded with fabulous views.  George and Susan’s walk also took in the Sub-2000, Beinn Bhreac.  Well worth a visit!

It’s amazing what a photo competition does to a person and beneath that rugged mountaineering exterior there’s a landscape photographer bursting to get out!…and the trees are a wee bit safer.

Raymond meanwhile, stopped by Ardshiel Hill, near Kentallen, on his way up, for a short wander between the showers and onward journey to Ardgour via the Corran Ferry. It’s a small hill, but its coastal position ensures good views, usually manages to stay beneath the cloud.

Lorn was late in setting off so but couldn’t have timed it better for a quick libation as, by the time he was ready to come off the ferry, Raymond and Jim A were just parking their bikes at the Ardgour Inn, having already dropped their gear off at Ardvullin. The majority were already firmly billeted in the house, though Duncan & Tina were to arrive in the wee sma’ hours.

It was a big weekend of football with the FA Cup Final and Play-off matches being followed thanks to Ardvullin’s WiFi and Jim L keeping everyone updated on developments. The house had certainly been spruced-up since the last visit and some of the kids games were enjoyed on Friday evening and the room was alive with fireside chat on the next day’s objectives.

With just light to moderate winds and the odd spot of rain forecast, folk were stirring fairly early, not long after Duncan and Tina had arrived in fact, following an epic journey! Saturday saw Raymond head for the Glengalmadale horseshoe, always a challenging circuit with a steep start on the Graham, Beinn na Cille, and leading to Fuar Beinn & Creach Beinn, both Corbetts, before a long walk out over the broad ridge back to the start. Not content with that, Raymond cycled to and from the start of the walk from Ardvullin so, this involved 20 miles on the bike and the 10 mile hike with a fair bit of ascent sandwiched between the out and back on the bike. In his own words his “legs were burst”!

A larger party, which included George, Susan, Jim A, Louise, John, Adrian and Ania, set off in search of the highest Corbett in the immediate area, Sgurr Dhomnhuill. They tackled this from the Ariundle Oakwoods at Strontian, a fine wee walk in itself and with the hill thrown in, it’s a fairly big day with rewarding views over much of Lochaber. This lot, along with Raymond, were doing their bit to ensure the club’s traditions as a mountaineering club were being maintained!

Meanwhile, Norrie was on a solo mission for the inaugural outing of the coffee & cake branch of the club, taking in Portuairk, Sanna and the Lighthouse along the way. Rumour has it, Norrie needed some quiet contemplation in order to plan the approach for his 3rd round of the Munros!

Unfortunately, Jim L wasn’t feeling his best and decided to head home earlier than intended. Hopefully Jim is on the mend and back at it in no time at all.

Duncan and Tina, after a long drive and late-night arrival, headed back over Fort William way and had a walk into Glen Nevis to the Steall Falls.

Paddy & Lorn, both training for events later in the Summer, went for a bike and ferry tour, more non-mountaineering, which would later be the target for some heckling by the returning mountaineers, from their cars on the road back to Ardgour! They set off fairly early, cycling up and over to Lochaline first of all, took the ferry to Fishnish, then cycled up the East coast of Mull to Tobermory. Arriving at Tobermory earlier than expected, they boarded the earlier ferry to Kilchoan and, back on the mainland, afforded themselves an extended lunch break outside in the sun at the Puffin Café, before the long but stunning cycle all the way through Ardnamurchan, along the length of Loch Sunart and all its delights, back to Ardgour.

It was on this last leg that they encountered the heckling mountaineers, but managed to carry on manfully to the end, undeterred! They arrived back at Ardvullin to see John arranging the goalposts and thought a game of football might be in the offing, but it turned out he was just using them to air his gear!

It was warm and sunny enough to have a barbecue and fire going in the grounds. We stayed out as long as the cool evening air would allow, before retiring to the Aga-heated kitchen to defrost then to the log fire in the lounge. There was lots of chat and some air hockey, but the long day in the fresh air took its toll and it certainly wasn’t the latest 45o night on record!

Sunday dawned a beautiful day…a little earlier for some than anticipated, when the alarm on some numpty’s phone, left on a shelf in the kitchen, played and vibrated loudly, echoing around the house on repeat from 5.45am, ensuring no-one missed the sunrise!

Rain was forecast for the afternoon so, while most headed for home after the clear up, some of the troops tried to restore some mountaineering bias to the weekend.

Raymond stopped off at Beinn Chrulaiste to tackle a long-held desire of the short but enjoyable scramble on the Pink Rib to Chrulaiste’s summit for the legendary views to Buachaille Etive Mor.

George and Susan drove much of their way homeward, before tackling St Fillans Hill, aka Dundurn, a small but steep, isolated and rocky knoll, the site of a Pictish fort as well as the cell of Saint Fillan, at the East end of Loch Earn, also offering fine views.

With the weather too good to be going straight home, John, Paddy and Lorn made a late call to head for Garbh Bheinn, via Pinnacle Ridge. As it was wholly unplanned, the latter pair didn’t have a climbing helmet with them so, donned their aero cycling helmets and, being with lucky charm JC, were delighted not to have bumped into anyone on the hill with these on!

Fraz felt this was somehow apt…

A pleasant walk was had through Coire an Lubhair, passing the Great Ridge and starting up Garbh Choire Mor, before seeking out the start of the scramble by the “overhung niche”! Not convinced we were looking at the right niche, but we did get around and above the various niche’s and on to the route nevertheless. With a spicy exposed crux low down, followed by an airy knife-edged ridge further up, it gave some sustained scrambling. At the top, while John opted for the traditional finish, Lorn and Paddy traversed hard left, avoiding some damp slabs, for the “ice polished to a smooth sheen” slab finish, though finding enough of the rough, knobbly stuff to rendezvous with John at the summit. Aero helmets swiftly removed, the rain had the decency to stay away until after we left the summit, it went off back at the car, allowing us to change into dry gear in comfort for the journey home. Not sure what was going on with the ferry crew on the return trip, but only Paddy got stung for the fare!

Until next time, cheers!