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Photos: © Neil Pugh
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| The most exciting part of the weekend was before we got
into the hills. Half the party had gone to the Grog & Gruel for a pint
and the rest of us had gone shopping for breakfast supplies. When we got
back to the Transit and opened the door one of the dogs (which hadn't been
away with us before and didn't recognise anyone) jumped out of the door
and did a runner. The dog then proceeded to play in the night-time traffic
of Fort William for about half an hour. It was finally cornered by Nigel
and rescued. Its owner was meanwhile having a pleasant pint in the pub.
I still have nightmares about that night. It is also the closest I've ever come to decking a woman. After doing about half a mile along the loch side (at speed, in boots) a German girl intimated that the dog had been seen going back the other way, and that I should hurry if I wished to catch it. She didn't put it quite like that, and was lucky not to be heaved into Loch Linnhe. Fortunately for her I had no breath or strength left. The poor dog was killed when it was hit by a lorry a couple of years later, perhaps its Fate was Written (© Lawrence of Arabia). It was a relief to get into the hills. We left a car at the top of Glen Nevis and drove around to the car park for the ski gondola at the other side of the massif (that's yer actual French). From there we climbed up past the ski tows to the summit of Aonach Mor. On the way up Whiz disappeared into some rocks, and reappeared in hot pursuit of a hare. Result - First: Hare (last seen going strongly into the mist); Second: Whiz (yapping). We carried on in the clouds to Aonach Beag with just a few tantalising glimpses of the hills as the clouds parted for a few moments, but as we dropped off the summit of Aonach Beag the clouds cleared and the sun came out. At the col before Sgurr a' Bhuic we split into two groups, some followed the stream to Steall and the rest of us carried on over Sgurr a'Bhuic and then straight down into Glen Nevis. Approximately 16 km (10 miles) - 1500 metres (5000 feet) ascent. On Sunday we drove to Loch Ness, via the Letterfinlay Hotel (fine smoked salmon sandwiches), and had a walk around Urquhart Castle.
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