Monday 26 March
Quite a few of us felt a gentle day up Stac Pollaidh would suit us. Andrew needed socks, and I needed medicine, etc, so we thought that would take some time. In the event, Boots sorted me out in ten minutes, and Andrew's socks were easily acquired. so six of us - Andrew, Dave, Barry, Pam, Paul and me - set off up Stac Pollaidh with various other unknowns at 11:10.
It was a lovely day, the car park was full, the rocks were warm, and the scrambling was easy. We reached the col by 12:20, then we lazed for a while, chatting to others on the hill, before strolling to the eastern summit.
Dave and Barry were then more purist than the rest of us in progressing to the western, higher, summit - they took the high route that I find difficult. The other four of us went by a lower path but still over a good part of the ridge.
All except Andrew made the last little section to the main summit - an exposed scramble, or a sloping gully that I prefer, but at least he got over the sloping rock that we always find a bit unnerving, and we enjoyed a long lunch before retracing to a place where we could leave the ridge - at 14:25 - and return by the path around the mountain - really well built and bedded in. Back at the cars by 15:50, still in bright sunshine.
Plenty of time then to return to prepare a roast chicken dinner as our part of the progressive meal for all nine of us. Pam and Paul produced an excellent mushroom and cheese tartlet starter, and Sue and Phil provided a crumble and a cheesecake pudding. It was an excellent and most sociable evening.
Julie, Sue and Phil went up Sail Mhor, an outlier of An Teallach, on this superb day.
Our route - 5 km with 600 metres ascent, taking 4.7 hours
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