Strawberry Cottage Weekend, Glen Affric. 11-13 April 2025
After a couple of cancellations, five of us met at the car park at the west end of the public road in Glen Affric. Robin and Richard, Jeannie and Shona and prospective member Katie. We took the two cars into the cottage. It was a lovely mild spring evening and we settled in easily.
The five of us set off west along the track on a beautiful warm sunny morning and after 2k took the stalkers track north into the Coire Ghaidheil to emerge onto the ridge at the Bealach at approximately 900m. We found shelter from the sharp breeze for lunch. We headed NE with Shona and Katie following the track onto Mam Sodhail while the other three followed the ridge line to spot heights 1068m and 1108m to reach the summit of 1181m.
Shona and Katie went on to climb Carn Eige, 1183, before descending the well trodden path down Coire Leachavie to the main path parallel to Loch Affric. The other three took the south eastern spur to reach Sgurr na Lapaich at 1036m descending by steep ramps to reach the path and meet the other two. After a good hill day it was a bit of a trudge west along the well worn path to the cottage.
On Sunday we awoke to a colder morning with snow on the peaks. Richard Robin and Jeannie had a slightly later start and had a leisurely walk west to Alltbeith youth hostel where we enjoyed lunch. Shona had set off slightly earlier. This from her
"On the Sunday I climbed my first solo Munro. I went up An Socach, up to the east and down the west side to the youth hostel. It was a lovely day, freshly snowy on the tops but warm and not windy. By the time I was down all the snow had melted. I made it back to the hut just in time for us all to head off as it started raining, excellent timing!"
In the meantime, Katie had a restful morning but proved her eligibility to join the club by cleaning out the hut and, having laid the fire for the next occupants, we left it better than we found it. We drove out in our convoy of two cars having had a quieter than usual, but thoroughly enjoyable meet.
Taking part: Robin and Richard, Jeannie and Shona and prospective member Katie
Words: Richard and Shona Photos: Richard
