METHS

MULANJE EXPATRIATES THREEPEAKS SOCIETY

HOME | NEWS | MEETS | REPORTS | MEMBERSHIP | CONTACT


23rd ANNUAL REUNION:  Kirkmichael, Perth and Kinross, Scotland.  Wed. 1st to Sat. 4th September, 2010

 

Participants:  Eric (Polevault) Scott, Valerie Scott, Peter (Up the Down) Tolhurst, Antonia Tolhurst, David (Shooting Stick) Leishman,  Stewart (Lightning) Halliday, George (Munro) Wallace, Valerie Wallace, Verena (Muesli) Petzold, Mike (Mad) Petzold, Steve (Ballcrusher) Ward, Pauline Ward, Jack (Midnight) Bannister, Stuart (Socks) Leslie, Rhoda Leslie, Gordon (RSB) Craig, Chris (Pinocchio) Read, Rupert (West Face) Roschnik.  Organised by Rhoda Leslie and Gordon Craig

 

Wednesday 1st September: Nineteen members duly pitched up in Kirkmichael.  Most stayed at the recommended Log Cabin Hotel, other preferred camping or rooms at the Kirkmichael Hotel or the Strathardle Inn.  For 6 p.m., Rhoda had organised for Martin Robinson, a local ecologist/botanist, to give us a talk on the countryside, flora and fauna of the area.  Beautiful photos (on his computer) were unfortunately distorted by the projector linked to it, so that all the red colours were suppressed and came out green.  This did not deter from the quality of the talk.  A final shot of a green-breasted robin was most memorable.

 

Thursday 2nd September: At 9.30 am, we all assembled outside the Log cabin.  Three walking groups were constituted, according to the various ambitions:  8 in the "High" group, about 8 in the "Medium" group and 2-3 for walks in the valley bottom.  The weather was pretty good, merely a bit windy on the exposed ridges. 

 

Friday 3rd September:  Same as the day before.

The AGM was held in the Log Cabin Hotel, conducted by the Chairman, who kept the meeting to under an hour.  Of note that three new office bearers were elected:  Mike (Mad) Petzold as President (replacing the late Ian Mason), Stuart (Socks) Leslie as Treasurer (replacing Brian Sayers who wished to hand over the responsibility to somebody else) and Gordon Benbow as Malawi Liaison Officer (replacing Martin Horrocks).  This was followed by a dinner at the Log Cabin Hotel, after which the other residents were treated to a rendering of all three verses of the Malawi national anthem.

 

Saturday 4th September: Members dispersed.

 

 

Walking programmes

 

"High" group:  Peter, David, Stewart, Mike, Steve, Chris, Gordon, Rupert

This group was ably led by Gordon, without even a map on the first day!  On the Thursday, we drove first to the Glenshee Ski Centre, from where we climbed four summits, including 3 Munros:  Càrn Aosda (917 m, 3008 ft), crossing 2-3 skilift tracks on the way; then The Cairnwell (or An Càrn Bhailg, 933 m, 3061 ft), to which a chairlift – in operation! – took other walkers and mountain bikers nearly to the top:  From here down and round a deep corrie to an overlook, Càrn nan Sac (920 m) and on to our third Munro, Càrn a' Gheòidh (975 m, 3199 ft), where we sheltered from the wind behind a circular wall to have our picnic lunches.

 

 

 

Gordon then suggested we go on to a small knoll even further from the cars, Càrn a' Chlarsaich, 871 m.  Here we split into two groups:  Gordon and the other chauffeur, Steve, went back to the cars, seeing many mountain hares on the way, while the others were sent down steeply to the south to the Gleann Taitneach valley, where a track led them to a bridge 6 km further on, near the main road at Spittal of Glenshee, where the cars were already waiting for them.  No incidents, except for two of the party on this last descent, when one of their legs suddenly disappeared into a deep hole in the peat, hidden by long grass.  No twisted ankles, however.  17 km (10 ½ m) total, 645 m up, 960 m down).

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the Friday, Gordon again took us to near the ski centre.  We started from a car left on the main road about a mile south of the "Snow Gate" pass.  Steeply up some 300 m to our first objective, Meall Gorm (759 m).  Two of our number bypassed this summit – Lightning was suffering from an excess of ethylic substances the night before, whereas Mad Mike decided the first slope was too steep.  We all met up on the path up a peak at 943 m, not yet a Munro, and continued to the main summit of Creag Leacach (987 m, 3238 ft).  A long stony ridge took us to gentle slopes leading up to Glas Maol (1068 m, 3504 ft), our highest summit.  Again, we sheltered behind a convenient horseshoe-shaped wall to have our picnics.

 

 

The group split again shortly after this.  Mad Mike decided not to do the next 3 hours and found his way back to the main road north of the ski centre by more or less following a ski run.  Gordon, Up the Down and Shooting Stick veered left along a ridge to Sròn na Gaoithe (814 m), a nice overlook, from where a steep descent took them to the main road.  On the way, they saw a large herd of red deer.  The other four, following a fast pace set by West Face, soon reached their third and fourth Munros, Cairn of Claise (1064 m, 3491 ft) and Càrn an Tuirc (1019 m, 3343 ft) and reached the main road an hour quicker than Gordon had indicated.  Their total was 15 ½ km (9 ½ m), 930 m up, 870 m down.  Finally, the cars picked everybody up and we were able to get back to pints, showers, baths, etc and prepare for the AGM.

 

"Middle" group:  Polevault, Mrs Polevault, Verena Petzold, Pauline Ward, Antonia Tolhurst, George and Val Wallace, Jack Bannister, Socks Leslie.

(The alternative walk)

Day 1

While the Tigers of the club were burning up the Glenshee hills Polevault led the lesser mortals on a climb of the Corbett Ben Vrackie (841 m, 2759 ft).

As we were booting up in the car park a car-load of ladies arrived.  At first we thought they were the advanced guard of the Auchenbogle Ladies Rugby Team, a fearsome bunch of haggis-fed women who like nothing better than a good scrum with the lads, but fortunately they were just lady ramblers from Blairgowrie.

The climb up the Ben was straightforward with a good path to Loch a' Choire, then a slog up of 341 metres to the summit.  On the way up an elderly gentleman observed Midnight Jack climbing with his heavily bandaged right knee and thought that Jack had an artificial leg ("if only" was Jack’s comment!)  On reaching the summit we had views of the surrounding hills and could see as far as Ben Nevis.  As we were having a leisurely lunch an apparition appeared on the summit;  our first thoughts were that it was the legendary Old Man of Vrackie - but it turned out to be only Socks who had decided to join us.  After a slow descent we all traipsed back to Kirkmichael to prepare for the evening's festivities.

Day 2

This day Polevault led a low level walk on the Cateran Trail.  This was from Enochdhu on the track which goes over to Glenshee.  Half way up the track we turned southeast to climb a small hill called Uchd na h-Anaile;  then a gradual downhill walk back to Enochdhu where we crossed the River Ardle and walked the two miles back to Kirkmichael.  The total distance walked was 10 miles with 350 metres of a climb.

George Wallace forsook us and toddled off to bag another Corbett ‘Monamenach’ in Glen Isla

Both days were very enjoyable with good company.

 

"Low level" group:  Rhoda, Maureen

Rhoda relates:  "On the Thursday Maureen Wilson and I decided to do part of the Cateran Trail which was one of the walks I had identified.  It was Kirkmichael to Bridge of Cally.  Easy walk of 7 - 8 miles over moorland with many stiles over deer fences and good views of the surrounding countryside.  We saw five red deer, three with lovely antlers, crossing below us.  I thought they were unusually low down but they obviously knew where they were going.  We ended up at the Bridge of Cally Hotel for a cup of tea and a friend from Kirkmichael kindly met us and gave us a lift back.

Friday another friend from Kirkmichael took Maureen and me on a walk starting off with part of the Cataran Trail from Kirkmichael to Enochdhu (where the others started).  Again about 7 miles across moors and forest tracks.  Superb views and ending up at the back of the Log Cabin Hotel in time to get ready for the AGM."

 


© WDYFO, 2010