Sunburnt on Spartan, great granite, friction and food

Yesterday I took Chris Sleight, one of the folk responsible for the excellent BBC Radio Scotland Out of Doors program, to Glen Etive. The sun scorched the sky and the slabs were like a granite mirror baking us with its heat. We followed another team up the classic Spartan Slab helping them out as they learnt a few lessons about single ropes, running 2 pitches together without enough rope and going off route because they didn't thought the normal route looked a little thin. It made for a slow, relaxed day sunbathing with the shoes off at each stance.

P1 of the excellent Spartan Slab

The path was really overgrown with long grass and head high bracken and there were a surprisingly large number of tufts of grass and flowers (long and tall stuff, not wee tufts) in the cracks on the route that weren't critical for gear or holds.

The verdant green approach

Its been such a good 'growing season' for wildflowers, fruit (the kids have been gorging on raspberries, gooseberries and cherries in Corpach) and all types of plant life.

Kaye foraging near home

Chris was heading south and I was getting the train home from Bridge of Orchy so we popped into the hotel for something to eat and drink. Its been a few years since I've been into the Bridge of Orchy Hotel and I can thoroughly recommend their menu and beer. I had an excellent black pudding and chorizo salad with a deep fried poached egg and the deconstructed cranachan was divine. The beer was good too!

Deconstructed cranachan at the Bridge of Orchy Hotel