Newtonmore Meet, March 12 - 16

31 members and friends spent 5 nights at the Lodge Hotel in Newtonmore, along with lots of snow! Sunday was poor weather so most walked the Wild Cat Trail around the village. Monday was better but cloudy, and Corbetts and Munros were completed though the quantity of snow in the valley bottoms was hard work. Other members walked at lower levels or cross country skied.
Tuesday was raining most of the day, and many members combined the delights of the cafe just above Feshiebridge with a walk around Loch an Eilein. Wednesday was a superb day, and more Corbetts and Munros were completed, together with skiing on Cairngorm.

Right shows most of the group outside the hotel on the leaving day,

Four members drove up to the Drumochter Pass to attempt the Munro Geal Carn. Below left shows the amount of snow at Balsporran Cottage, and below right shows Hugh, Rod, and Mel on the summit (with Norman behind the camera) in near whiteout conditions.

On previous days, the forecast had said that many parties had attempted the entry into Coire Ardair near Creag Meagaidh, but all had been repulsed by the quantity of snow. On the Wednesday, a group set-off and showed the way.

Right and below left show the group on their way in, and below right the view into Coire Ardair.

The party walking up Cairngorm took the route up the Fiacaill Ridge (right) and stopped for a brew at the subsidiary top - below left shows Norman, Mel, and Rod, with the superb Coire an Sneachda in the background. They then continued through deepish snow onto the summit - below right shows Hugh with Sally, Mel, Rod, and Norman.

After savouring the extensive views, the return route took them past the Ptarmigan restaurant and the top of the ski pistes.
Bottom left shows the view over to Coire an Sneachda with the wind blowing spin drift from its summit into the coire. Of interest in the foreground is a ptarmigan with its normal white plumage turning to grey.
Bottom right shows the marks made by a ptarmigan landing in the snow and walking away: an ice axe is shown to give scale.

Spring working weekend - March 17 & 18

Around 30 members arrived at High House for the biannual working weekend. Many routine jobs were completed, and the 'heavy gang' tackled the continuation of the exit from the ladies washroom fire escape by building steps at the right hand end of the building, and stabilising and capping the back wall of the ruined Cowhouse - see right.

Excavations Part 2 - Five members returned to High House some days later and carried out further excavations. Below left shows the Time Team starting on their excavating, with below right the result.

It was decided to stop any further work on this area until the National Trust have a chance to view the work and cast an opinion (see April).