Team Mackenzie: An Tealach

Well that was a good year, another one survived and not that many close shaves either, well not from climbing anyway.

The expert driver in the silver car (between the orange jacket and ambulance) was traveling in the same direction as the ambulance and pulled out into the path of the black fiat punto doing 60 mph.

As the boys and i sat waiting at the juntion less than a meter away. Both cars impacted and lept 5ft into the air, showering our cars windscreen in deisel and bits of plastic. Team mack sprung into action pretty quickly spurred on by the fact that both vehicles were on fire.
Was amasing that they walked away but the boys and me were pretty freaked and stunned as we had spent the weekend risking our necks trying new routes on virgin rock and were now home aparently safe Hmmmmmm.

GRRRrrrr Fekin arsepeice -- Close !

(il buy you a pint if you can tell me where this boudering area is ?)

Anyway like i was saying a good year was had by all thankfully.

As the thoughts of winter climbing are now imminent in my mind, i decided a night nav was in order, i really love a good night walk, usually we are not too bad hill fitness wise but this time, this walk near killed me, afterwards i realised i hadent done that much proper hill walking for ages.

Most mortals with any sense would pick a lesser hill, if youv not been out for a while but oh no not Team Mack.

An tealach is a big day out for most people but to tackle it in the dark at the end of nov, would prove to be a bloody real test of mind and body.

We left the car at the river and set off through the roddys and within five minutes i ended up knee deep in the extremly chilly river.

Raging with my own laziness, not bothering to actually look at the map because iv walked it many times. TWAT i have walked it many times in daylight. After some time searching the roddys i found the tunnel through them and we were now on track for an awesomely wild walk.

The big waterfalls gave their position away long before we could see them and when Dylan and Mhairi and myself turned the headtorches onto the falls -- well lets just say SPIRITUALY UPLIFTING.

The path in daylight is hard enough to follow as in petters out onto a rocky rib affair but in the dark it was impossible to be sure if you were on the path or not, I like the feeling of Hmmmm i think we are still on the path and then a cairn appeared in the blackness just to make me smug.

Many hours of oooooing and aweing at pretty headtorch illuminated waterfalls followed until we stumbled onto the small but perfectly formed beach at Toll An Lochan.

The scene was set by mugs of the best hot chocolate and some food, then i decided to try and address my sore feet and along with Dylan we debooted and skipped towards the water on the black sand beach.

Now im a complete pussy when it comes to cold water anyway but this was something else, i honestly could not stand in the water for more than six seconds before the pain actually made me scream out loud, proper loud. My thoughts turned to the main corrie path round sail leath, if their were early birds on the path, they might have heard my screams at 6am in the dark, meanwhile Dylan paddled about some more up to his knees and mhairi made more chocolate.

We all pilled into the group shelter (the best invention ever) keeping the stove on for a few precious minutes and we slurped our summit bid fuel.

When we prized Mhairi out of the shelter the dark had diffussed to a light of pinkness, Dylan looked up from the loch and asked "are we going up their" "Oh yes" i replied and smiled as could see his "Oh dear" expression. We heaved and plodded directly up from the loch, super fast way onto the ridge but hell it hurts.

From halfway up the gully things were much more winter than i had expected, every rock was covered in verglass and the summits snowey.

The sunrise was stunning but by 8am a bitter wind had picked up. We took in the summit and bined the plans of a ridge breakfast and returned to the loch, after a full feed and a plethora of hot chocolate, id like to say i ran of the hill like a virile young goat, while in reality i limped and hobbled my way back to the car like a man who had been shot. Buckled is the best word to describe us all, by the time we made dundonell and a comfy warm seat in the car.