Where has the summer gone? The troops
are all back from the Alps safely and had a great time; these big
mountains always produce a few stories! All the team got some superb
routes done and mixed weather, a massive learning curb for all involved.
Especially the abseiling off where a few vital lessons were learned.
Due to the Alps Expedition involving all the RAF Teams we had a
joint exercise at Morvich near Kintail with Leuchars Mountain Rescue
Team. The weather was very poor with driving rain. Despite this
CT Steve Price and Cpl Al Swadel climbed the North Clunnie, this
included all the five sisters to the Clunnie Inn, 6 Munros in very
poor conditions, not bad for an old Chief Tech. They were attempting
North and South Clunnie in a day, all 19 Munros in 24 hours! They
left at 0430, despite the weather reports, but sense prevailed and
they retired at the Clunnie Lodge Hotel. Two other team members
Sgt ‘Abo’ Alexander and Cpl Shane Roussel climbed all
9 Munros of the South Clunnie Ridge, in awful weather. Leuchars
were very impressed and even the oldest team member managed 4 Munros,
2 more than Leuchars best efforts! That night we were invited to
a Celdidh at Dornie Hall by the local Laird “Don Shanks”
from the ARCC, what a great night, even a pipe band from the USA.
It was late when we got back to the bothy. Most of the team are
now experts at the Highland Stramishe and the Eightsome Reel. The
last thing you need is a callout after a long hill day and this
is exactly what happened, but that’s what Mountain Rescue
is all about.
A solo walker failed to arrive back at his car in a very remote
region near Achnashellach, which is just before Lochcarron on the
West Coast. He was climbing two difficult Munros Lurg Mor and Bidein
a’ Choire Sheagaich and had phoned his family to say due to
the weather and length of the day he would be back at his car at
2300. When he did not arrive his family contacted the Police who
contacted the local Torridon Mountain Rescue team. The Kinloss team
were called out by the ARCC in the morning to the incident. The
local team were already deployed and when we arrived along with
Leuchars MRT, fortunately Leuchars found him as we were deploying
for the hill. He was very tired and due to the heavy rain he could
not cross the river. He bivvied higher on the hill and crossed in
the morning when the rivers were less swollen. There was no phone
reception as he came down from the summit. This is normal in the
mountains and could not tell his family he was okay. He had made
the right decisions, as every year a few people drown in Scotland’s
Mountain Rivers when they are in spate.
The team has been enjoying some
good climbing and several parties had a feast of wonderful climbing
on the famous
Rannoch Wallof Buachaille Etive Mor (The shepherd of Etive)
in Glencoe. Two parties climbed the wonderful line “Agags
Grove” which threads up the steep wall, they also completed
the North Face route on the same day to have a day to remember.
Our friends from Gannet, Sea King Rescue 177 also visited the team
at Crainlarich to fit in a small exercise to familiarise our newer
members with the Navy’s finest. There was also time to visit
the world renowned “Elmas Tea shop” in the village -
a lifetime supporter of the team.
Last weekend on the 19 August was the 50th Anniversary of the death
of a RAF Kinloss Mountain Rescue team member whilst training in
the mountains. Allan Grout was a very young member of the team when
he was killed rock-climbing in Ardgour. Ardgour is accessible by
the Corran Ferry about 8 miles on the Fortwilliam road to Glencoe;
this small ferry takes you across to the Ardgour peninsula. Ardgour
is a place everyone should visit; a single-track road takes you
back in time to a forgotten part of this magnificent country. Allan's
memorial was built near where the accident happened a Corbett
called Garbh Bheinn (Rough Mountain) at the entrance to the magnificent
Coire an Iubhair. From this viewpoint one can see the wonderful
Great Ridge, which is the dominating feature of this mountain
and all the way to Glencoe. The memorial is in an excellent state
and is situated well away from the normal route of access to this
spectacular mountain. Sgt
Jimmy Coats from Lossiemouth and WO 'Heavy' Whalley from the ARCC
paid their respects at the memorial before the weekend training
exercise at Cairndow. Recently there has been a lot of discussion
about whether memorials should be maintained in the high mountains
and many on Ben Nevis have been removed. The team will continue
to visit this memorial but will put up a plaque in the Mountain
Rescue Headquarters at Kinloss to Allan Grout and hopefully plant
a tree in his memory, “lest we forget”
The August Grant was spent at Cairndow down
deep in the Leuchars area near Arrochar, the weather was very
wet. Despite this valuable training was achieved; the Cobbler is
one of the finest venues for rock-climbing in Scotland in the dry.
Unfortunately the rain prevailed and the Classic routes were not
climbed. Shane
Roussel had a great attempt at Recess Route, the rock Mica Schist
is extremely slippy when wet and proved to our recent free transfer
from Leuchars MRT that Kinloss are an all weather team. Anyone can
climb dry rock “ but it takes cunning and craft to climb wet
vegetated mica schist” well done Slippery Shane.
The team has a few new members and room for a few more, what other
chance would you have to achieve so much at weekends, you can even
learn to dance! |
