Fraoch Bheinn, Sgurr Mhurlagain and the head of Loch Arkaig, from Sgurr Thuilm.
8.30pm, 05/08/95
~ From the shoulder just south of the Thuilm summit, to be precise, and I was in for a disappointment before long. The ridge to Streap had been more laborious than I had reckoned with, each successive bump higher than the last, and the slog up the flank of Thuilm is dispiriting at the best of times, so I was looking forward keenly to putting the Phoxhole up just by the cairn, but to my astonishment - it's never happened before or since - I found the summit occupied. Just two lads in a small tent, and all credit to them, but still. We exchanged greetings through gritted teeth - mine were anyway, and I imagine theirs were too - but etiquette (one tent's company, two's a crowd) demanded that I withdraw to some other top.
It was too late in the evening - no it wasn't, I was too whacked - to make Coireachain the destination, so a flat patch of grass on Beinn Gharbh was gratefully pounced on. Scenically, it may even have been better than Thuilm.
8.30pm, 05/08/95
~ From the shoulder just south of the Thuilm summit, to be precise, and I was in for a disappointment before long. The ridge to Streap had been more laborious than I had reckoned with, each successive bump higher than the last, and the slog up the flank of Thuilm is dispiriting at the best of times, so I was looking forward keenly to putting the Phoxhole up just by the cairn, but to my astonishment - it's never happened before or since - I found the summit occupied. Just two lads in a small tent, and all credit to them, but still. We exchanged greetings through gritted teeth - mine were anyway, and I imagine theirs were too - but etiquette (one tent's company, two's a crowd) demanded that I withdraw to some other top.
It was too late in the evening - no it wasn't, I was too whacked - to make Coireachain the destination, so a flat patch of grass on Beinn Gharbh was gratefully pounced on. Scenically, it may even have been better than Thuilm.
Fraoch Bheinn, Sgurr Mhurlagain and the head of Loch Arkaig, from Sgurr Thuilm.
8.30pm, 05/08/95
~ From the shoulder just south of the Thuilm summit, to be precise, and I was in for a disappointment before long. The ridge to Streap had been more laborious than I had reckoned with, each successive bump higher than the last, and the slog up the flank of Thuilm is dispiriting at the best of times, so I was looking forward keenly to putting the Phoxhole up just by the cairn, but to my astonishment - it's never happened before or since - I found the summit occupied. Just two lads in a small tent, and all credit to them, but still. We exchanged greetings through gritted teeth - mine were anyway, and I imagine theirs were too - but etiquette (one tent's company, two's a crowd) demanded that I withdraw to some other top.
It was too late in the evening - no it wasn't, I was too whacked - to make Coireachain the destination, so a flat patch of grass on Beinn Gharbh was gratefully pounced on. Scenically, it may even have been better than Thuilm.
8.30pm, 05/08/95
~ From the shoulder just south of the Thuilm summit, to be precise, and I was in for a disappointment before long. The ridge to Streap had been more laborious than I had reckoned with, each successive bump higher than the last, and the slog up the flank of Thuilm is dispiriting at the best of times, so I was looking forward keenly to putting the Phoxhole up just by the cairn, but to my astonishment - it's never happened before or since - I found the summit occupied. Just two lads in a small tent, and all credit to them, but still. We exchanged greetings through gritted teeth - mine were anyway, and I imagine theirs were too - but etiquette (one tent's company, two's a crowd) demanded that I withdraw to some other top.
It was too late in the evening - no it wasn't, I was too whacked - to make Coireachain the destination, so a flat patch of grass on Beinn Gharbh was gratefully pounced on. Scenically, it may even have been better than Thuilm.
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