Toyohashi Alpine Club
Buachaille Etive Mor - Curved Ridge
Scotland, UK
Tue, 26 May 1998
Party: Iain Williams
Report by Iain Williams
My big plans for Scotland got shafted on Friday night. All the flights were full so I lost a day. I managed to get up there eventually on Sat afternoon and reached the mtn I wanted to do on Sun morning.I took the bus from Glasgow and it dropped me off at one of Scotland's pathetic ski fields on Rannoch Moor. From there I walked straight towards the mtn, Buachaille Etive Mor (another mtn that should be renamed so that the rest of the world including 95% of the Scots can pronounce it). It's only 1022m but is very pointy and picturesque and as you approach it across the moor it looks quite intimidating, especially when you're on your own and planning to do a route that is a tough scramble/easy rock climb. The mtn also features in the movie Highlander. There was a battle fought right below it. If any of you make it to the UK we'll definitely do a route on it with a rope. As I got nearer not surprisingly it got bigger and the usual doubts went through my mind about there being a route that I could solo. I crossed a big stream and slowly plodded up the approach slopes. The route then took me onto a rock rib to the left of a steep gully. I ascended steadily but not with a whole lot of confidence. While the climbing wasn't difficult there were plenty of places where a slip or a fall meant lunch with Lucifer rather than the hikers on the summit. I caught up with two blokes who were also from London and we ascended as a three to the top. There were a few hairy spots where the adrenaline couldn't flow fast enough but only one that really had my heart maxed out. One of the other blokes asked his mate to get the rope out. We had to climb off a ledge by pulling up with right arm stepping up with right leg. The move meant moving off to the side of the ledge and trusting that bigger holds were there and waiting. An easy move with a rope but a different kettle of fish without one. Before committing myself I thought back to my epic on the Ben last summer. I pulled up and continued without incident. From there on I continued with a full confidence and thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the route. As we walked onto the summit cloud started to swirl and there was a smidge of drizzle which soon went. It was then time for a Mars and a lot of water. I'm beginning to learn that you get a dry mouth when you're shitting yourself (re Mt Edith, Canada). The descent was fast and easy. All in all a good day. Hopefully I'll get back out onto the rock next weekend but it's more likely I'll end up on a grim climbing wall in a dodgey area of London.
It's now time to go for a run in the rain around Regent's Park. Lucky lucky me.
Iain