It was a drab, overcast and showery day. With little prospect of a view from the peaks, around half of us decided to stick to a low-level walk and opted for the Clais Fhearnaig circuit, roughly a 10-mile hike when you include an inadvertent detour to Derry Lodge. The other groups struck off for higher ground, some taking in Carn Crom, the southern top of Derry Cairngorm, with the rest heading further afield to bag some Munros.
Just a few minutes walk from the White Corries ski area, Blackrock Cottage is perfectly placed for access to the Glen Coe mountains. After a lazy lie-in on the Saturday we end up splitting into two groups, with designs on Aonach Eagach and the 'Three Sisters' route, roaming over Stob Coire nan Lochan and Bidean nam Bian before descending via the Lost Valley.
Always one of the more popular destinations, 45 of us made the journey up to Fort William this time. While most opted to head up the Ben Nevis mountain track, others took on longer and more strenuous routes: the CMD Arête, and Aonach Beag and Aonach Mor via Glen Nevis.
The weather was generally mediocre, cloudy and occasionally pretty wet, but the day was enlivened by there being a fair amount of snow high up, a foot or more on the summit of Ben Nevis itself. And we did manage the odd glimpse of blue sky.
Every year around this time we devote a meet to navigation, a training day aimed at giving members a chance to learn and develop essential skills such as map reading and taking bearings.
This year, taking over from Roger Wild, we were grateful to have the assistance of Heather Morning, Mountain Safety Advisor with the MCofS, who provided a morning lecture and then tuition during the day to one group.
Most of the other attendees grouped with an experienced member of the club and set off from Tillicoultry on various routes around the Ochil Hills.
Photos from the ever-popular Autumn Ceilidh, this year held at Chamber East, Dundee.
