Wednesday

Ben Vane

4th March 1984

Happy Ramblers

Alan, Elizabeth, Sheila, Pat, Drew, Bruce and myself

Having chickened out of the Glenshee trip on Saturday (see previous article!) bad weather, road closed, I was prevailed upon to accompany the above group to Ben Vane next day. Alan solemnly informed me that tradition dictated I should write a few lines on the day since I had weaseled out of Glenshee!!

We set off up the Loch Sloy road from Loch Lomondside at about 11am, enjoying the fine weather and views. Once we were actually on the hill, about 1000ft, the inevitable mist had closed in around us making visibility about 60ft.



Fortunately we had Alan “bleep bleep – it’s 4am in San Francisco everybody” Waugh along with us to keep us going in the right direction. “It must be up,” says he consulting “my” map and his direction finder every two minutes.

Ice axes, or picks as Drew described them (sorry Drew, but I must be honest!), were soon in use and everyone seemed to be enjoying the experience.

Talking about experiences, we did run into a rather strange character who had been dogging our footsteps for a while; an Inspector Clouseau type individual, wearing dark glasses through which he claimed he “couldn’t see a thing”, a map flapping about on a piece of string tied to his jacket and crampons he had on and off more time’s than Linda Lovelace’s…….. well, you know what I mean!!!

He asked us where we thought we were, then, in which direction the top lay. When asked if he belonged to an association he mumbled something about an alcoholics and cripples club; I was inclined to believe him as I could have sworn I spotted two men in white coats chasing him down the hill with nets shortly after!!

Once our pieces were eaten and drink drunk, we made for the top and a rendering of “the hills are alive with loonies” from Drew together with his even worse jokes about Tommy Cooker and Henry Cooker.

As there was no view and the cabaret was terrible, we started down, pausing for a moment to take an action shot of Sheila, leaping the rapids, reminding us that spring is just around the corner and the March Hare was really quite a sensible fellow after all.


Nicky McGranahan

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