After a very successful first day, I asked the kids to pack their expedition packs and be ready to leave first thing.
We woke up to an absolute scorcher of a day without a single cloud in the sky - you don't get many of them in Scotland during the month of May - so I was determined to make the most of it. We loaded up the transit van, piled into the minibus and then headed along the road to Inveralligin. We stopped to take a couple of snaps at the Upper Diabaig viewpoint that looks down on Loch Torridon and I pointed out some of the peaks to the kids - what a glorious day. We then headed along the
crazy road to Lower Diabaig and down to the pier at the shore. My plan was that James and Margot would walk with the kids around the coast, via Craig bothy, to Red Point beach. While Laurie and I would drive all the way round to Red Point with the bus and the van. Then Laurie and I would run in and meet the group from the other side.
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| Loch Torridon from the Upper Diabaig viewpoint |
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| Looking accross to Beginners Slabs from the Upper Diabaig viewpoint |
We left the group and headed back to the hostel to pick up some camping and BBQ supplies. Just as we were turning out of the hostel and onto the main road, we met the GWC Cycling Project who had stopped at the Ranger's Centre to take a breather. It was good to see Lewis, Jane, Pete and all the kids enjoying the cycling in the great weather. Nevertheless, I was secretly glad not to be on the
Cycling Project this year after my shift on it the previous year - hard work indeed!
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| Shipwreck on the shore at Lower Diabaig |
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| Loch Diabaig from Lower Diabaig |
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| Heading around the coast from Lower Diabaig towards Craig Bothy |
Laurie and I parked made the drive to Red Point in the glorious sunshine and parked the minibus at the end of the public road near the entrance to the farm track. Ideally, I wanted the group to camp in the dunes at the other beach at the end of the farm track but I wanted to drive the van down there so all of our kit could be close by. We found the farmer in one of his nearby fields; hard at work. We went over to him, introduced ourselves politely and explained the situation. He was very understanding and accommodating and he allowed us to drive the van down the bumpy track through his land.
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| Looking West to Skye from the coast near Lower Diabaig |
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| Looking West to Skye from the coastal path near Craig Bothy |
After abandoning the van at the top of the dunes, Laurie and I set off at a good pace to meet the others coming from the other direction. I had great fun bounding from rock to rock on the trail; Laurie, on the other hand... not so much! It was a glorious day and we had a great view to the West looking over to Skye above the brilliant blue sea. The others had made good time and I think some of the kids were surprised to see us, as we hadn't told them too much about what was happening.
It wasn't long before we were all back in the dunes looking for a good spot to camp. It was now rather blustery and the main section of the beach was quite exposed. Luckily there was a sheltered spot in a natural dip that was fairly still at it's base so we made camp there. I split the group into tents and gave them their various tasks for the evening: some would put up the tent, some would gather firewood and the remainder would be on BBQ duty (cooking). I have to give the kids credit here and say that they were extremely efficient and helpful - most impressive.
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| The group at Red Point in the dunes around the fire after a great day |
After a successful disposable BBQ session, it was time for some games of touch rugby and ultimate frisbee. After everyone was tired out, we toasted marshmallows around a very impressive campfire on the shore until late - a great day.
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| Staff crew enjoying the fire at Red Point |
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| The group at Red Point in the dunes around the fire after a great day |
I woke everyone early, as I could see the weather wasn't great and I knew it would take us a while to pack up and get on our way. James and I were hoping to head back to Torridon and introduce the kids to some rock climbing at Beginners Slabs, Upper Diabaig. Sure enough, it was after 9am by the time we were in the minibus and on our way back to Torridon.
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| Packing away tents in blustery conditions at Red Point |
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| Back at the Upper Diabaig viewpoint and heading over to Beginners Slabs for some rock climbing |
We parked at the Upper Diabaig viewpoint and loaded the kids up with the climbing kit, ropes and bouldering mats for the short walk to
Beginners Slabs. It was rather chilly compared to yesterday and the view wasn't quite as clear but we all layered up and didn't complain about it. James set up a bottom rope and I took 3 at a time to climb, belay and backup on the first slab - meanwhile James rigged an abseil. After everyone had tried their hand at abseiling, James then set up a top rope and the kids had a chance to climb the slightly harder and longer slab.
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| Bottom-roping at Beginners Slabs, Upper Diabaig |
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| Top-roping at Beginners Slabs, Upper Diabaig |
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| Top-roping at Beginners Slabs, Upper Diabaig |
It was now rather chilly and it looked like it was about to rain so we called it a day and headed back to the hostel with a bunch of shattered kids.
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| Sheltering from the wind at Beginners Slabs, Upper Diabaig |
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| Top-roping at Beginners Slabs, Upper Diabaig |
On reflection, I was really happy with how the Red Point expedition had gone. It worked really well and I would definitely do it again and would even be a possible bad-weather option. Climbing at Beginners Slabs worked really well and it was great as a group venue - something that I will also bear in mind for future trips.
