| Alasdair and I persuaded Isdale not to bother with the nearby Top given the conditions, and after some wandering we found a path which we hoped led to the summit but in fact seemed to be veering round the other side of the ridge towards the Top. We met two walkers on it - our first sight of anyone else on the hills in two days. Having abandoned this path we picked up another and reached the trig point. There we had our celebratory chocolate cake and Mars Bars, and Isdale took a threesome piccie. It was at this point, when I prepared to do the same, that I realised disaster had struck. I had left my camera on, or it had got pushed on in my belt bag, and the battery was completely run down. I hadn’t brought the recharger with me thinking that there would be no electric sockets available at the hostel, so no more photos of Glen Affric! For the record, there are sockets at the hostel and I could easily have recharged the battery there.
From the trig point we continued on bearings down the ridge, getting very confused at one point. We did OK though and finally struck off the ridge steeply in the interest of joining the track from Gleann Lichd as soon as possible. It was a relief to come out of the mist and see first the river then the track, and get down to it. There we allowed ourselves a brief halt, but it was now 9.30 and Isdale had rashly put 8pm as our ETA on the form we’d filled in at the hostel before leaving. So we hoofed it along the track to the hostel as fast as possible, hoping Ramone wouldn’t be too quick to call out the Mountain Rescue! We arrived at 10.15, exhausted, footsore and wet. Dinner was soup, pasta with chili con carne, apple pie and custard. Then BED about 20 to 12... |
