Digby Harris' Charlie Ramsay Round Account 24th/25th May 2008

We awoke to a beautiful, warm and sunny Scottish day in preparation for the 10.30am start.  Steve Watts set off early up the Ben to "warm up" (with Steve Pyke who was attempting the Tranter round) and we would meet him on the summit.  Mike Nelson, Andy Sutton and I had to negotiate a path stuffed with hikers to forge our way to the top but we still made good time.  The Carn Mor Deag arête was dry, which meant we could run along the top with only a minimal fear of falling off.  Ascending upto Aonach Mor proved hot and thirsty work but once on top the cool breeze kept perspiration in check.  Earlier in the week I was somewhat anxious about the descent from Aonach Beag and the thought that I might have to descend the "nose" directly (which Andy christened Spinks' Ridge after Nicky Spinks who descended it on her successful attempt the week before and afterwards gave me helpful advice on how to find the top of the route down it) but on a reccy the day before Andy had discovered that the snow had receded sufficiently to allow us to descend the middle gully instead - phew!  Annette Morris kindly fed me cake on the descent from Sgurr Choinnich Mor and Phil Cheek provided encouragement when he met us at the col below Stob Coire an Laoigh.

Mahtab, Saam, Polly, Digby Snr, Lawrie, Cath and my Leg 2 support team (Ian Hughes, Dave Kilpatrick, Jack Leech and Jonathan Whitehead) greeted me at Fersit dam.  I was close to bonking having not eaten since the start of the descent up Stob Choire Easain as my food was with Mike and Andy who were a few minutes behind.  I woofed back my porridge and rice pudding and then we were off again.  The ascent up Stob Coire Sgriodain proved a struggle for me, as my heart wasn't in it - something to do with a full stomach and thoughts turning instead to sitting outside a pub enjoying a beer in the evening sunshine.  I snapped out of it once on top and had even made up c. 20 minutes on the scheduled time.  The ground was dry and we made good time reaching the second support point at Loch Elide Mor.  Jack had gone on ahead to rouse the Leg 3 team from their tents, as we were c. 90 minutes up on schedule.

Martin Rands greeted me with a very welcome cup of tea, which I promptly knocked over (sorry Martin). After depriving the Leg 2 team of any remaining fruit and gels I set off into the dark with the Leg 3 team (Mandy Calvert, Catherine Litherland, Ross Litherland, Geoff Petengell, Pete Redhead and Jonathan Whitehead) and up Sgurr Elide Mor.  The moon wasn't up yet but visibility was good and we could see our route silhouetted against the night sky.  Ross accompanied me up Binnean Beag whilst Geoff and Pete reccied the route up Binnean Mor.  Ross, Catherine, Mandy and I followed the torch to the left, which turned out to be Geoff's.  Geoff was attempting the direct ascent up the first steep part of the NE ridge, which turned out to be pathless (well the bit that we were on anyway), very steep and grassy and interspersed by loose rock.  We eventually met Pete waiting patiently on top following his uneventful and straightforward ascent skirting round the northeastern edge!  At this point the moon began to rise in the east and it was red!  We continued scrambling on up the ridge to find the Binnean Mor summit ridge shrouded in cloud and quite a strong, cool breeze blowing in from the east.  As Ross and I began our ascent up Stob Choire a’ Chairn from An Gearanach, the sun had risen sufficiently such that our head torches were no longer required.  We meet the partially frozen others waiting for us on top and continued onwards to Am Bodach. The weather began to improve markedly as Ross, Mandy and I returned to the main ridge from the Sgurr a' Mhaim out and back: Stob Ban and Mullach nan Coirean were now clear and bathed in sunshine.  We stopped for a team photo at the deer fence before the descent into the woods from Mullach nan Coirean.  Upon reaching the forest track Geoff, Ross and I legged it to the Youth Hostel as quickly as we could to be greeted by smiling family and friends in glorious sunshine.