Winter in Torridon

After a great deal of last minute organising, it was finally time for the GWC Torridon Project 2010 and my first year in charge of the trip. I hadn't exactly had an ideal amount of preparation time, due to being 'stranded' in South Africa because of the ash cloud. But now none of that mattered because we were off - 6 boys, 6 girls, 4 staff, 12 days.

The kids seemed like a really good bunch and after meeting them all a few times over the past couple of weeks I knew that they were going to be good fun on the trip. I also knew that I had a good team of staff in James, Laurie and Margot. Hopefully the weather would be kind to us - May can be an unpredictable month in Scotland.

After a long drive, and a lunch stop in Dingwall to stock up on fresh supplies for the week, we finally turned off the road at Kinlochewe and along the windy road to Torridon. It had been raining for most of the drive but as we wound our way along the single-track, the clouds lifted and the kids were given their first glimpse of the impressive Torridon Munros.

A rather wintery scene on arrival in Torridon

I had been keeping an eye on the weather and I had noticed that the temperatures were quite low in the last week - but I hadn't expected quite so much snow on the hills! As we arrived at the hostel and unpacked the van, we all looked at Laithach and it really felt like winter. The forecast for tomorrow looked chilly and a little stormy, but it looked like it would improve in the next few days. I knew the weather might effect what we were able to do with the kids but after scouting out Torridon and Gairloch last October, I was confident that I knew the area well enough to keep us occupied.

A rather wintery scene on arrival in Torridon

Matt and Steve gave us all a very warm welcome and we all got settled in to our rooms before I divided the kids into their duty groups before we got the grub on the go. I didn't want to give the itinerary away, because I wanted to keep the kids on their toes, so I just told them all to assume that we would be walking each morning - unless I told them otherwise.

The lads were clearly surprised by the snow in Torridon

I decided to see what the weather was like in the morning, before making a plan for the day - bring it on!

Torridon & Gairloch Climbing

Loch Torridon from the road to Diabaig

We are heading home tomorrow so today is our last full day in Torridon before making the long drive back down to Edinburgh. I was pretty happy with the hills that I wanted to take the group up on Projects but I wanted to check out some of the potential crags to take the group climbing and abseiling. A colleague, James, was part of my staff team for Projects next year and he was SPA qualified, so he would be in charge of those activities. However, he had asked me to check out a couple of crags that he had spotted in the guidebooks.

The first one, that we headed to, was Beginners Slabs. This was very easy to find; we parked at the viewpoint on the road to Diabaig and had a very short walk to the southwest. The massive 35 metre slabs were rather obvious and easy to find. As we geared up at the bottom of Long Thin Slab D, we laughed once again about how glorious the weather was. As I set off up the warm and grippy Lewisian Gneiss, I was struggling to spot were my first piece of gear would be... and the second... and the third... hmm. It didn't really matter, as the climbing was easy and the rock was very dry so the friction was excellent, but it turned into a solo with a heavy harness and dragging a rope attached. The anchors were also a country mile away at the top but luckily there was a massive boulder close by that I used as a single, bombproof anchor to bring Emily up safely. The climbing was excellent and I could see how it would be great for beginners, hence the name of the crag. I then ticked off Pink Slab D and Right Slab D and Emily, once again, followed me to the top of each. From a group point of view; a top rope would work well on Long Thin Slab and Right Slab is well suited for rigging an abseil.

Beginners Slabs, Torridon

Beginners Slabs, Torridon

Beginners Slabs, Torridon

After a lovely morning climbing in the sun, we headed along the road to Kinlochewe. Along the road from Torridon, we spotted a couple of stags rutting near the Beinn Eighe car park. It was an amazing sight so we got out for a closer look and to snap a couple of pictures. We headed on to Gairloch and to Grass Crag. We had climbed at Grass Crag not too long ago and James thought it looked like a very easy place to rig for a group, being a sport crag. As I hadn't been climbing that hard recently and hadn't much experience climbing outdoors, I didn't fancy trying anything to hard so, as before, I lead Third and Final F5+ and then bottom roped Kick Ass Yoga F6a+. It was quite hot in the afternoon sun, so we called it a day there and headed back to Gairloch for an afternoon coffee. It was an ok group venue, but I had my concerns that it might be quite hard for the kids.

Hanging out with the locals in Torridon

Red Deer, Torridon

Grass Crag, Gairloch

A great day and it felt good to have some idea about possible climbing venues in the area - a very successful scouting trip to Torridon. Very lucky with the weather also.

Kinlochewe to Sconser

Today, there would be no climbing or walking or biking... only driving. Luckily, it was through some of the best scenery there is; so not so bad.

Beinn Eighe, Torridon

We left Kinlochewe shortly after 9am and headed along the single-track road to Torridon. Almost immediately, we were treated to a spectacular view of Beinn Eighe to our right - amazing. When we reached Torridon, we turned of the main road and headed through the village and continued past Beinn Alligin towards Diabeg. If you're not a confident driver and don't really have a head for heights, then this isn't the road for you - you have been warned! I thought it was great fun, however, and there is a viewpoint at the highest point of the road that gives spectacular views down over Loch Torridon. After taking in the views, we headed back to the main road and continued on towards Lochcarron, before turning off onto the tourist route around the Applecross Peninsula - another crazy road in places. Once at the headland, we were treated to great views across Skye and Raasay. Unfortunately the mighty Cuillin were engulfed in thick cloud on this occasion - gutted.

Loch Torridon from Upper Diabeg

Applecross Peninsula

Next was a quick lunch stop at the Applecross Inn for a pint of prawns and some crusty bread; highly recommended. Then it was time to head over the famous Bealach na Bà (once again: not for the fainthearted!). This I was most looking forward to, as I had heard so much about it. It didn't disappoint and the scenery is simply breathtaking - watch out for bikes! On our way down, Emily spotted some climbers on what looked like a huge multi-pitch route right up the nose of one of the buttresses. It looked simply awesome - one for the bucket list indeed.

Bealach na Bà

Bealach na Bà

Bealach na Bà

Bealach na Bà

Climbers at Bealach na Bà

Climbers at Bealach na Bà

The remainder of the drive was fairly uneventful but the scenery was still amazing and the rain had stayed away. Unfortunately, as we crossed over the Skye bridge, the Cuillin were still covered in cloud. We arrived at Sconser Lodge in time for an excellent dinner. Tomorrow evening we would take the Calmac ferry from Uig to Tarbert to explore Harris and Lewis.

Diabeg to Torridon from Chris McMorris on Vimeo.

Grass Crag, Gairloch

After a great start to the summer so far, my folks were due over for a couple of weeks holiday in July. They hadn't been very far north before so they fancied doing a bit of a road trip - with me as tour guide. Naturally, I was more than willing; as I never miss an excuse to go north for some outdoor action.
Our first day was spent driving to Kinlochewe from Glasgow; a lovely scenic drive but not forth mentioning here. We settled into our B+B and then made some plans for the next day. I was keen to show my folks Gairloch, as I knew it would be right up their street, and I was also keen to do some climbing (I had really got the bug after The Lakes, some bouldering and having just purchased some shiny gear). I had borrowed a copy of Scottish Rock - North and had just had a quick skim through the local area. Being new to trading, I didn't really want to try anything too daunting and I wasn't too clued up on anchors at the moment so I was a bit unsure about what we could do. But then I found Grass Crag, very close to Gairloch. A small sports crag with a short approach and some easier graded routes - perfect.

Grass Crag, Gairloch

After exploring Gairloch in the sun and taking in a hot chocolate from the excellent Mountain Coffee Company, Emily and I set off to find this crag. We parked at the tip entrance on the right hand side of the road, as you head out of Gairloch towards Poolewe. We grabbed our gear an set off due northwest over the boggy terrain. After around 15 minutes of bog-slogging, we spotted the shiny bolts glinting in the sunlight - we had arrived!

Grass Crag, Gairloch

We geared up and were soon ready to climb. We were focussed on the far right end of the crag - where the easy routes were. I set off leading Third and Final F5+ and it looked ok from the bottom. The rock was warm but rather harsh on the skin; fingertips especially. It was quite easy climbing and it didn't feel daunting in the slightest, considering it was my first sport lead in the outdoors. I was soon at the top and clipped into the lower-off... not to attempt the thread.

Grass Crag, Gairloch

I recently invested in a copy of Libby Peter's excellent book: Rock Climbing - Essential Skills and Techniques and I had read up on what to do at the top of a sport climb with a lower-off. It was fairly straightforward but I just had to concentrate to make sure that I did everything in the right order. But it was nae bother and I was soon securely attached to my figure-of-eight on a bite of the rope and being lowered safely to the ground with a huge grin on my face :-D
Next it was Emily's turn. She had never climbed outside before but was super-keen to give it a try and she flew up it in no time at all - I was most impressed. With the rope still up, I thought it would be rude not to give something harder a shot on a bottom rope so I had a bash at Kick Ass Yoga F6a+. This felt a lot harder than what we had just done and I struggled up to the top but ticked it nonetheless - happy with that.

Grass Crag, Gairloch

We packed up and headed back to the car and then met up with my folks at The Old Inn for some excellent grub. I was nice to share and reflect on our afternoon at the crag over good food and with good company. When we headed outside later on, we saw that the sun was heading towards the horizon and that it was going to be a spectacular sunset that evening. We headed back to Kinlochewe and I remembered from the Cycling Project last year, that there was a fantastic viewpoint just a wee bit up the road from Kinlochewe.
We made it there just in time to snap a few amazing pictures of the sunset - what an end to a great day.

Sunset over Loch Maree

Kinlochewe to Laide

Day 3 of GWC S3 Projects 2009

After a disturbed nights sleep (thanks to JD's snoring!), I was actually quite glad to be up and back in the saddle again. It was another hot one - and no breeze again. Suncream time kids!

I set the pace from the off and we were speeding out of Kinlochewe at a fine rate of knots. However, we were soon stationary again as we spotted the GWC Torridon Project group at the side of the road opposite the Beinn Eighe nature reserve. Obviously we had to stop for a wee reunion! The group were in great spirits and were gearing up to tackle the giant hill of Beinn Eighe. As we set off again, I have to say that is was quite jealous that I wasn't going with them! However, I had a sneaky suspicion that I would be back next year leading the Torridon Project, as I knew that Ian was leaving at the end of the year and there was growing pressure on me to get more involved with things.

On our way again

The mighty Slioch

Head now back in the game and setting a good pace again as we made the long and gradual climb towards the single track road to Gairloch. We had great views across Loch Maree and Slioch standing tall in the sun. As we passed Slattadale, we turned into a rather nasty headwind. The climb was harder than I had imagined and the strong wind really took it out of us and as we reached the narrow road, we paused for a breather at a parking bay next to Loch Bad an Sgalaig. We chatted to the group about the next tricky downhill section that we had to negotiate safely. After taking a moment to enjoy the views across to Beinn Alligin, we continued on in the sweltering heat.

Taking a breather

Thankfully there wasn't too much traffic on the road and we got a lovely run down into Gairloch. We took a left at the Spar and along the front by Strath Bay and came to rest at The Mountain Coffee Company cafe. Time for a spot of lunch and one of their famous 'mountainous' scones! It was a great spot sitting out in the sun and taking in the view across the bay and out to sea. What a spot...

The view from Gairloch

Arty shot

Now the fun was about to begin. I had looked at the route profile of the day's route earlier and I was quite aware that we were now faced with a bit of a climb out of Gairloch towards Poolewe. It came a bit without warning and just after lunch! I found it quite tough and it certainly stretched the group out in a long line. As we climbed higher, I spotted a couple of crags on the left hand side of the road that I recognised from the guide books. Aztec Tower and Grass Crag were the most obvious to me and I made a mental note for a future climbing trip up here.

1st climb of the day complete

Next, we had a steep run down into Poolewe, where we had a stop by the river to take in a bit of sun. The kids were doing really well, as this was their first 'proper' test - but they were glad of another break. We then had another steady climb up to the viewpoint overlooking Loch Ewe and the Isle of Ewe. We knew that the run down into Aultbea was steep and because it was such a nice day, we thought it would make a great photo opportunity so we decided to stop at the viewpoint too. I also took the opportunity to tell the kids about Gruinard Bay and Gruinard (Anthrax) Island. I think they were quite shocked and surprised at this story but because of their age they also loved it. We set them off in a staggered start and got some good pictures of them heading down the zig-zags.

Taking in the sun at Poolewe

Viewpoint

Lewis and JD

The descent

All that was left was a fairly straightforward run along to the campsite by the beach at Laide. Obviously the kids were more tired after a much harder day in the saddle ans were a bit reluctant to get the van unpacked and the tents up. We put the grub on asap to try and lift spirits; it worked a treat! A few of the machines were showing a few 'niggles', so Lewis and I set about on some repairs as the sun faded. Later, we sat in the back of the van and shared a wee dram with JD. Another great day.

The beach at Laide

Some repairs!

Distance for the day: 34 miles
Total Distance so far: 84 miles
Route for the day:

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Contin to Kinlochewe

Day 2 of GWC S3 Projects 2009

The Team Kit

Today would be our first real test on our cycling tour of the highlands. Our destination today was 32 miles away: Kinlochewe. We would be cycling on the main road today but it's not exactly the busiest road in the world!

It was another fine day and there was hardly any wind - great for cycling. It had been a rather chilly night in the tents and when I woke there was a heavy frost on the ground. The kids were super efficient at getting up and putting the porridge and brews on. We soon had the tents down and the van packed up and were on the road by 9am. Only a few minutes down the road and we stopped to take in the sights of Rogie Falls. We led the kids down the forestry tracks to the suspension bridge to take in the view of the falls. It was well worth the short stop and I'd recommend it to anyone who is passing through the area.

Rogie Falls

Onward now, and we turned left onto the A832 just after Garve. There was a bit of a climb up to the up along the shores of Lochluichart, before a sweeping downhill section through Grudie. A few of the kids had their chains come loose on the first climb - most probably due to making the schoolboy error of changing gear with the chain under pressure. Nothing serious though and all was soon well. The road surface was of very high quality and I was informed that it was a relatively new road and that the previous incarnation was described as quite horrendous by both Lewis and Pete. We had great views of the hills as we pounded along the approach to Achnasheen in a good rhythm.
John got on his bike and joined us for the run into Achnasheen and Pete took up the driving seat of the van, as he was suffering a bit with his hip. We paused for lunch at the train station and tried to find some shelter from the relentless heat. It was clear that some of the kids were suffering in the sun so Jane whipped out the suncream again.
Heading off, we had a nice downhill run next to Loch a' Chroisg before a long climb up to the top of Glen Docherty. We all took a breather at the top of the climb and for a bit of a briefing about what was to come next.

Me and Lewis having a natter at the road-side

JD Setting off

Great Setting

We were faced with a rather steep run down into Kinlochewe and we were a little concerned that some of the kids wouldn't treat it with the safety and respect that it deserved! So we set them off one at a time in a staggered start in the hope that they would be sensible!
We needn't have worried though, and we all made it to Kinlochewe Bunkhouse in plenty of time for tea. I have to say that I hadn't slept in a three-tiered bunk bed before, but it was perfectly comfortable... apart from JD snoring!

One of many views

Parked up for the night

Distance for the day: 32 miles

Total Distance so far: 50 miles
Route for the day:

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