The week that was... busy week, OMC meet, bag-packing & Snow Patrolling

What a busy week it was last week! Everything seemed a bit last minute towards the end of the week but it was good all the same.

Monday was the usual, slowly got into work on Monday morning and finally got around to ordering my trekking poles (after too much deliberation). I really am a hesitator!

Tuesday I had a half day at work as I was off to see Snow Patrol at the SECC. First of all though in the morning it was a trip to the Doc's to get some jabs for the trek. Only got 2 which was fine but i was left with 2 bits of gauze roughly slapped on both arms with a bit of medi-tape wrapped around to hold the gauze in place. It all looked very child-like but he was a young Doctor! Luckily I had no bad reactions to the jabs but they were a bit sore when Brian kept nudging me all night at the gig!! Ouch! The gig was good band were on top form but i think i preferred them when I saw them in October at The Assembly Room in Edinburgh. It was a more intimate gig and they played just about the same songs. I took my cousin Brian along as we hadn't been out for ages. What a laugh we had trying to dodge someone i didn't want to talk to - rid troosers anyone! Anyway we bumped into our other cousin Claire and her friend. After spending 25 minutes trying to get out of the car park, we had a good old laugh in the car on the way home and my jaws were aching by the time I got home. Claire was asking why the heck I was walking up a mountain that was so far away and kept saying she was scared for me! Thanks for the concern but it'll be fine.

Wednesday was... well just a normal Wednesday really. The middle of the week and you wish it was Thursday. Plus there was the DASS support staff meeting in the morning and DASS departmental meeting in the afternoon......zzzzzzzzz!!

Thursday was a wee trip into Stirling at lunch time to collect my new trousers from Tiso. Toby had left a message on my phone to say they were in. That was quick! I only ordered them on Sunday. And yes I did order them on the net and get them delivered to the shop, 1) because the shop didn't have my size and 2) I saved a £4.50 delivery charge! While we were in town we popped into M&S for a few bits for lunch. I got a pack of chocolate covered peanuts that I'd taken out in the hills before. They are pretty nice and i think a couple of packs may be going with me to Nepal.

Late on Thursday afternoon i got a call from Jackie at the OMC asking if I was still going to the Kinlochleven meet on Friday night. I hadn't really thought about it and wasn't sure if places were still available. Just around the same time I got an email from the OMC to say i had finally!!!!!!!! been given my log in details for the website. Did this mean I was finally a member of the OMC??? I'm still not sure. ha ha - what a saga... Anyway after a few exchanged emails I decided to go as I need to get as many hills in as possible and what better way than with a good bunch of folk with lots of experience.

I was surprised that I managed to get my bag packed in an hour! Normally takes me longer to decide on bits and pieces. Heaven knows what it'll be like when I'm off for 2 weeks never mind 2 days!!!

Friday Dad gave me a run to work - he is a man of leisure these days. Ryan was strapped in his seat in the back and was busy yabbering away about 'Angie going up hills' and 'Ryan go up hills wi Angie?', 'Angie climb the big mountains?' It's cute. I said my good-byes and dragged the kit bag into the office. It was too heavy to sling over my shoulders... well I did have everything and the kitchen sink in it! Nah really, I had clothes and the usual but also food and bottled water too so that added to the weight. I think I need lessons in packing 'light' for the outdoors - you think?

Anyway I left work at 3pm with Jackie and we headed on up to the Blackwater Hostel in Kinlochleven at about 3.45pm after a stop at Sainsbury's. The road was pretty quiet so we got to the Clachaig Inn at Glencoe at about 5.45pm. It was raining and there wasn't really much snow on the hills. We made it to the hostel at about 6.30 to find 3 older members already onto bottle number 3 of the red wine!! We settled in and soon others started to arrive. There were a few familiar faces and some new people i hadn't net yet. What a nice bunch though and again it was good listening to the stories of walking and climbing in all sorts of places. Soon everyone had the boos out deciding what each would be doing the next day. The weather reports weren't that great but a group of us decided Stob Ban in the Grey Corries. So after much laughter and a good wee night we headed off to bed about midnight and set the alarm for 8am....

Ok I'm aware that this entry is turning into another epic so i think i'll continue the story of my 8th munro at a later date!! get ready for it.....

take care,
Ange xx

Song of the week: Wild mountainside - Eddi Reader sings Burns