Abort! Abort! Abort!

Best laid plans and all that....................

Typical, we'd planned the weekend for months, a first porper Scottish hills outing for Andy & Janet coming up from the flatlands of the East Riding and a birthday celebration for Sandy and the weather decides to revert to type.

We parked at Mamore Lodge which is closed at the moment with an uncertain future. Pity as the location is absolutely top notch. Let's hope someone has a vison for the place. Even before we left the car park we'd been hit by a few showers. This was going to be a test of the waterproofs. Louise was wearing her Velez Adventure Light for the first time on the hill, Andy had his Rab Demand Pullover out for its first outing and Janet borrowed my Haglofs Oz.. The rest of us were in our usual stuff.

Looking down Loch Leven

We sort of had a plan for a route, head along the West Highland Way and go up to the beallach between Stob Ban & Am Bodach and decided from there where to go next. As we walked along Sandy spotted a patch of snow and just couldn't help himself.

Upwards we headed but the weather didn't get any better. By the time we hit the first patch of snow that we had to cross visibility was deteriorating and the wind picking up.

Heading up onto the snow

Shivering at the beallach

We got to the beallach and things deteriorated further. The gusts were hitting the 65mph as predicted by MWIS, visibilty was about 100m and for the first time this winter I felt the need to put the goggles on. Group descision was to turn back. Sandy's manflu had now inflicted Louise so no point in making it worse by carrying on it attrocious conditions. As ever Steve and I made the most of the available snow patches to slide down while the other looked on. Ach well coffee and chocolate cake soothed the pain in the Glencoe Cafe.

Just to report back, all waterproofs did what they said on the tin much to everyones pleasure.

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