Friday 15 August 2008

Still, damp and midgeeeeeeey






Heather and Davey were back for a day's mountaineering today. We started the day in heavy rain and changed our plans to go to the Ben to a trip to the Buachaille. Alarm bells were ringing in the car park when the midges outside were coming close to blocking out the daylight!!

We kitted up in the vehicle and headed for Lagangarbh buttress in a downpour but the swarms followed us as we climbed. I'v been coming to the west of Scotland for 23 years and I've never been midged that bad at over 700m! The midge forecast was spot on at category 5 but I'd hoped that there would be some breeze - a forlorn hope as it turned out. Its hasn't been that bad for culicoides impunctatus this year and i'd taken my midge net out of my sack - a mistake I've rectified tonight. Heather had a midge net but Davey and I were breathing, spitting and blinking the little blighters the whole way up. Nice scramble though - very good rock and didn't feel much above grade 2 even in the wet - but we didnt hang around today, climbing the route and beating a retreat to the Ice Factor to do a little training indoors!

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