By Susan M
Five lassies and one laddie head up the A9 on Friday night for a weekend of skiing, hot-tubbing and eating put together by Pam. There were forecasts of snow and we were hopeful of skiing. The next day there was indeed a lot of precipitation - but of the wrong kind! We headed for Carn Dearg in the Monadhliaths - a long day in the rain but broken by shelter provided by a couple of bothies - one with sofas and flowers no less!
In our bedraggled company we had Sylvia from Italy - and it was her first munro. She had no difficulties other than cold feet and we had to do things involving plastic sandwich bags and sock swapping near top of mountain to keep her feet intact. Cathie was up to her thighs in water more than once - the most dramatic was a hole in a peat bog where Sam and I had to pull her out. Sylvia seemed to enjoy it all and calls us "extreme hikers" but really, it was such a shame that the weather was so bad. We do hope it hasn't put her off.
Nick arrived on Saturday night by bike to increase the laddie number, and we have a fine dinner - so good and voluminous that Pam had to lie down afterwards.
On Sunday morning, after the tea fairy cajoled us up by filling our bladders, there is a frisson of excitement as we see snow on the hills. However we soon realise that there was insufficient to warrant skiing so, after driving around retrieving gear (Peter and myself to blame for that) and sitting in a lay-by near Dalwhinnie looking at rain and wind, we end up in the Blair Atholl hotel for coffees and bacon rolls.
We then go for a stomp up Glen Tilt where the river was gushing rather spectacularly, and we finish the day by seeing a red squirrel. So, no skiing, unfortunately no hot-tubbing because bunkhouse owner was away, but plenty of walking and, of course, eating. A good weekend had by all.