Red Squirrel Meet this Winter

[MikeBongo]

Too cold for me! Going to save the pennies for a new sleeping bag and a trip to Aberdeen next week! What a wimp ....
Have fun.
Mike

[Driver+Passengers]

Too many fair weather campers - pah!!

Good luck, Tony.

I should be there before dark - I'll try and get the fire going. Not that there's going to be much point with this wind, but still - gotta try.

[Bongopoet]

Sorry Matt, but just having got rid of a stinker of a cold I daren't risk aggravating it again

[Muzorewa]

Just heard on the news about a big avalanche incident in the Lost Valley area with casualties, I've left a message on Tony's phone but don't have the numbers for anyone else up there. Anyone with Matt's number etc can you try to make contact so we know all the Bongo peeps are safe etc.

Many thanks and good luck all.

Team Muz

[mulshy]

Avalanche was in the next coire while Matt was giving us some winter skills training,thought the helicopter was maybe on a training exercise,sad news

[MountainGoat]

History repeating itself. When we had a wild camp outside the Kingshouse Hotel in January 2009 two climbers died in an avalanche on Buachaille Etive Mor. All the same when I first heard it you had me praying that you two idiots had not changed your route.

What next roasting your bums over a roaring fire on Red Squirrel Campsite or steadying your nerves over a few pints at the Clachairg Inn, the later I bet.

Tony

[mountainmummy]

Very sad news. Glad you're all ok.

Sara and donald

[MountainGoat]

Having climbed this mountain in similar conditions and climbed this avalanche prone slope I must say that the choice of it for the return decent was not a good one. It is much safer to continue west along the ridge from Bidean Nam Bain to just west of Stob Coire Nam Bein from where it is much safer to decend. That was the route which I and my companions used.

SAD

Tony

[Driver+Passengers]

[brorabongo]

Just seen it on Sky News.

Was there someone there in a White Bongo? I thought I saw one in the background as they were interviewing climbers today.

[mulshy]

Having climbed this mountain in similar conditions and climbed this avalanche prone slope I must say that the choice of it for the return decent was not a good one.
Tony

I'm sure we've all made bad decisions,taken wrong turns and lived to tell the tale,there but for the grace of God.

Was there someone there in a White Bongo? I thought I saw one in the background as they were interviewing climbers today.

We did drive up the glen,seen the reporter from Scottish Television news crossing the road,can't remember seeing a news crew at the top car park
but I was probably driving too fast

[Bongopoet]

You can also make a right decision and then a freak of nature kills you. Fate is waht it is. When your time is up it is up and there is nothing anyone can do about it

[MountainGoat]

True but it is also doing your research, being able to read the signs ie experience that helps you to stay alive. Years ago I was out walking with my dog on Lochnagar and spent most of the afternoon being entertained by climbers who were climbing up up Black Spout using ice climbing equipment. Nice sunny day which made for a great climb for those who tackled it early, no such luck for the last team as the route avalanched on them. Fortunately they had a soft landing and were relatively unhurt.

Did they take a chance or did they read the climbing conditions wrong or just follow the others, who knows. Conditions change all the time.

Tony