Saturday, March 13, 2010

5 of us started plus Natalie from Australia whom we’d met in the pub. George Jaksch had come from Antwerp plus DPKA, DS and ACB.

We came across on the ferry on Firday and stay in a very comfortable bunkhouse belonging to the Knoydart foundation.

Set off 8 am. Made the top of the col on the track to Barrisdale in three hours. Then it got tough. Started with ACB pointing out the wrong ridge. I cut across to it to find that I had to traverse back.

Luckily David A came over too. On the way back missed my footing and slid down 150 ft losing my ice-axe on the way. A bit shaken and bruised but decided to carry on. We went on as a twosome and did not see the others again. 

Followed tracks of the others over extensive ridges in deep snow. Natalie had left to go down before the narrow exposed summit ridge. Very hard on that ridge particularly with no ice-axe. Strong crosswind with stinging sleet/hail. Had to shield our faces which meant only one hand for steadying ourselves in the gusty wind. Slippery conditions on a steep exposed and narrow ridge. 

Delighted to get to the top at 5 pm i.e. had taken 9 hours to get there! Cairn covered in snow.  3 further hours to return the easy way to the pub and thence to the bunkhouse. Everyone had had a long day. I resolved to take Sunday off and did.