HWUMC

So again: what's to do in the valley? Obviously there're mountains, but who plans on doing which, so I can decide on whose tail I stick? And what facilities does the hut have? Showers, toilets...?

There's no showers but there is a toilet and a reasonable drying room.
The hut has gas cookers and a log burning fire, fuel for both is provided. There is electricity but last year the battery cells died so we had to run the genny - you might want to organise a billy can of unleaded just in case the same is true. Water should be boiled if the electricity is off (uv filter).

Sleeping is on mattresses on beds but you will need sleeping bags (and pillow if you like one/have space in your bag - the hut is only 150m from where we park the bus).

As for activity, it's pretty much just walking, up hills or along the valley and back (some people walk round the loch).
In recent years we've been earlier in the term so have had to check where the local ghillie (sp?) is working to avoid him but don't know if he'll still be working now. Normally just means sticking to one side of the valley though.

A quick check: this is the hut run by the An Teallach MC, grid ref. NH132207, isn't it? Just making sure I don't turn up with a load of routes planned for the wrong hut.
Anyone want genuine butcher's haggis, neeps, and tatties for tea on Saturday? Let me know on here by Thursday evening, so I can get enough on Friday.

The An Teallach MC's page on Strawberry Cottage is here:
http://www.atmc.org.uk/strawberry.cfm

the hut is here:

http://www.multimap.com/maps/?qs=nh1322 ... 7|nh132207

and here's a load of info and walks around Glen Affric:

http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/lochness ... fric.shtml

The forecast is looking quite harsh, lots of snow falling, high winds, fairly cold. I was hoping to do something like Carn Eige and Mam Sodhail, but if the weather's as bad as the forecast, I might be changing my mind!

Oooh, this looks nice! Ok, J, let's plan for something that will keep us busy all day: how about making either Tom a' Choinich and Toll Creagach or Glen Strathfarrar Munros circuits? We can start early in the morning and be back to the hut before it's dark on Saturday. Suggestions?

Ricardo,

Both those routes are 7+ hours. There are only 6.5 hours of daylight up there at this time of year.

Also, check the route descriptions with the area map, available from the Edinburgh central library.

I'm pretty sure the Strathfarrer route will not be accessible from Strawbery cottage!

I'll bring a long a map to the pub & curry tonight, fo ranyone going this weekend.

As well as Craig's point, the Tom a' Choinich route starts six miles back down the glen from the car park so we'd be depending on a lift which is unfair on the driver.

Also, the Glen Strathfarrar circuit isn't in Glen Affric, it's in Glen Strathfarrar, two glens further north! In addition, access up the glen by car is restricted and must be arranged in advance with the MCofS. So that's completely impossible too.

I think a route of Mam Sodhail (and possibly Carn Eige as well) from the hut might be possible to do in the daylight available, it just depends on the weather. I don't mind finishing in the dark, I'd just prefer not to plan to!

Damn, forgot that sunrise is at 8 AM (I was planning on it being at 6). Ok, then I'll just ask everyone what are the plans at the spot and the crazier, toughest one gets me. And by the way, I've been to the Central Library several times and they don't have any of the OS maps below number 70 or something. Am I right, or haven´t looked properly?

I'm probably being overly ambitious again, but does anyone else think we might have a chance of tagging Beinn Fhionnlaidh on that as well? The route I've found quotes 10 hours for the round, but that's from/to a car park which sounds a fair way to the East of the hut. I've yet to have a look at how we'd go about modifying it for starting at the hut, so I'll report back when I've done so.
Lack of early light need not be a problem. At last year's trip to the Dundonnell Smiddy hut, one group left at something like 4am to get to the start of their gully climb and ridge traverse (in the snow) by the time there was light to do it. Probably wouldn't need to be so drastic this time since we're right below the hill, but we could probably get use out of all of the daylight by being ready to start with the sun.

Offer of haggis, neeps, and tatties still stands for Saturday night, by the way. Let me know by tomorrow night so I've got a chance to get it.

I think it might be OK to add on Beinn Fhionlaidh, but we can easily decide that whilst on the hill. The route you're thinking of might be on the page I linked to, which does start from the car park, which is roughly 6 miles back down the glen, so you might be right.

I'll have to cancel that offer of haggis etc for Saturday, since nobody's given me any indication of how many I'd be buying for. Pasta it is then.

Ricardo, sleeping bag is now sat in the gear shed!

Thanks twice, Andy! The bag was very warm and comfortable and the little ad useful: I'll go there as soon as possible.