The team awoke this morning to the wonderful smell of pancakes wafting through the Arrochar Cadet Training Centre. Quite a treat that went down really well with the team. However the climbers left the centre with heavy hearts, wishing they still had another hour or so in bed to enjoy the sheer bliss of proper mattresses and duvets. The support team also took full advantage of a large space enclosed by four walls, a roof and a temperature that was significantly warmer and midge free than outside to lay-out and sort out all of Tom, Ceri and Alex’s kit. It is amazing how the elusive ‘kit monster’* can steal items, but everything was relocated and placed in the correct person's box and/or bag.
*The kit monster is the entity responsible for the phenomenon of putting something down, looking away and then looking back to discover that the item, that you swear you have just place it front of you, has gone.
The sheer pleasure of staying in the cadet centre was responsible for a minor miracle on the 22nd. The team left, bang on time at 0700, to meet Alan Harrison and Scott Houltram. Both had brought a number of friends along with them. Alan climbed Ben Narain in memory of his son, John Harrison of the Royal Marines. Scott climbed Beinn Ime in memory of Andrew, his brother, also of the Royal Marines.
Once every one had met, the team set off for a scout hut at the base of the first Munro of the day. It was another short 15 minute cycle, warming the legs on a cool and overcast morning. Jack Lister, Becky Roby and Lucy Taylor met the guys at the transition point and were ordered on a search mission in the surrounding woodland. They were ordered to hunt for the beginning of the footpath that led up to the peak and after several minutes rooting through undergrowth they found it. The path was described as “subtle” most of the way up, but not even waterfalls (quite minor ones, don’t worry!) and fallen trees could halt the Munro Mission. After the steep ascent, the twisting and turning path emerged from woods and became more substantial. However, as the team learnt earlier in the mission, when Mother Nature appears to being kind to you, take it with a pinch of salt and enjoy it while it lasts. After a short time, the lovely path turned into some rather steep crags, leading all the way to the peak of Ben Narain. Once the peak had been reached, the team turned for Ben Ime. The navigation between the first two peaks was fairly simple, but Becky came into her own leading the team across the last two Munros of the day and down some incredibly steep and technically demanding hillsides, made tougher by ever present crags. Once the team had reached a lower altitude, the terrain didn’t let up. Solid and menacing rock crags gave way to knee deep, feet soaking bogs. The going got even worse as the day wore on, with the last Munro of the day, Ben Vorlich (another Ben Vorlich, not the other the team climbed a number of days before hand) offering nothing in the way of a footpath and Alex describing the route they had taken as “only fit for mountain goats!” However, the peak was scaled none the less and the day ended with a short cycle to the Crianlarich Youth Hostel. The team arrived at the comparatively early time of 6.30pm and were treated to a beer and a very delicious chicken pie by Sarah and new support team member Charlotte Elson. Back in the wild on the 23rd though, so the guys made sure to make the most of another night in a proper bed!
All of the Munros climbed on the 22nd August were dedicated to fallen members of the Royal Marines and sponsored by William Tracey Group http://www.williamtraceygroup.com/
Ben Vane was dedicated to the memory of Marine Darren Smith
Ben Ime was dedicated to the memory of Sgt. Andrew Houltram, Royal Marines
Ben Narain was dedicated to the memory of Cpl. John Harrison, Royal Marines
End of Day 22 – 127 Munros climbed
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