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Knoydart Training Weekend      April 17th -19th 2009

Alan, Derek, Laurie, Andy, Donald, Neill, David, Robert, Lucy, Pat, Kenny, Adrian assorted dogs

On the road west the advance party of Alan, Derek, Kenny and Andy stopped for a run up the fine corbett of Rois Bheinn. The route took us up a burn beside some trees before reaching the steep open hill above. In the clear weather the views out to the inner isles of Rum and Eigg were breathtaking. A superb run down a perfect grassy slope took us to an unavoidable few hundred feet of messy cleared forest and a short run back to the cars.  Meanwhile David and Pat had bypassed the chance for some exercise and were tearing into dodgy haggis suppers and guinness in Mallaig. Before long we were all together in the pub mulling over the routes for the weekend.

We had chartered a boat for the trip across to Knoydart and we we surprised to find a sleek powerboat with aircraft style seats waiting. According to Gordon Knoydart has been accorded island status due to it's remoteness and you certainly have that feeling when you're powering out to sea from Mallaig. The small  powerboat was down in the water due to the vast quantity of assorted alcohol that we were transporting across. With hundreds of folk across for the festival we weren't going to risk running dry! Inverie is a short hop in the speedboat but the scenery is fabulous as you enter Loch Nevis and approach the village nestling in the bay with the steep peak rising above. In the melee on arrival Pat managed to break his big bottle of fizzy wine. Luckily for us a kindly local with a land rover took pity when he spied the mound of gear and carried it along to the hostel with Alan riding shotgun.

After grabbing bunks and sorting out gear we packed day bags and were soon off for the hill. We had decided on Ladhar Bheinn being our main objective for the day with the fitter of us having the option for extra bits at the start and end. We parted company at the tree line with the wimps taking the good track towards Mam Barrisdale and the others beasting up the steep ridge of Sgurr Coire Choinneachean. The slow party turned up the hill at the lochan and were enjoying the sun at the Mam Suidheig by the time the fast party bounded down from their hill. "It was great!" they reported. Together we continued along the fine ridge with its many ups and downs until we turned along the stunning headwall of Coire Dhorrcail. The actual summit of Ladhar Bheinn forms a narrow tent like grassy ridge where we enjoyed a relaxed stop for lunch at the trig point.    

David spent the night ruing the haggis but the rest of us slept soundly to wake to blue skies again.  Back up the Barrisdale track again to the Meall Bhuidhe - Luinne Bheinn ridge and an unforgettable day of superb running and views. Back down at the col Andy and Donald still had the energy to run down to Barrisdale for a bag of mussels.

After another night of carousing in Inverie, an easy stroll along the village with a visit to the coffee shop and a brilliant cruise back via Tarbet rounded off an unforgettable weekend.