The Dubh Slabs Clusterfuck

As predicted we awoke to find that it was absolutely lashing down, but the mission was still on; The Dubh Slabs, Scotlands longest climb/scramble.

So off went up Loch Coruisk to the foot of the slabs; there was a bit of humming an' hawing as to what was the start, but we ended up climbing up the grippy rock slabs as the water ran down it. Progress was a bit on the slow side as rock that you would be really fast on in warm, dry weather just didn't inspire the same confidence. Ropes were used on a few occasions as to protect a few of the pitches. Having eight of us made it slow going but we eventually got to the abseil. 45 minutes were were all down and on our way ever upwards. At least the rain had stopped....

Eventually we got to a bit of an impasse; not being able to find the easy way up the climbers attempted to get up this manky crack (oo-eer missis....), I wasn't convinced and wandered back down 20 metres and found the wee path we were looking for. I got to the top to see Cabey swear his way over the lip, I think I took my hands oot ma pockets to point the way up to the others. Still the climbers were in the mood and forty minutes later the four of them were up to find the rest of us. A couple of dodgy down climbs and low grade solo's and we were at the summit. That's half the job done though.....

The next thing was to find a route off Sgurr Dubh Mhor into An  Garbh-Choire. The route down the gullies looked absolutely desperate. Still it seemed the only choice down and we were losing light. We carefully made our way down but bombs were going off everywhere and eventually Ken managed to catch a boulder with his chest, seemed all right right enough. I had had enough of this shit and moved right on to the ridge at the edge of the gully and found an easy but intricate route down, soon found myself 100m below the rest. Eventually they caught up and we headed down the corrie. By this time it was getting dark. Eventually we got to the waterfall where the Mad Burn goes into Loch na Cuilce. there was no way we thought we could pick our way down that; ironically if we had crossed the burn we would have found a grassy ramp to the shore line, a short (if dodgy in bits) line across the shore to the hut. Instead we doubled back and headed to Loch Coruisk over the moor. Unfortunately this involved picking our way through the slabs to the loch shore, a long and tiring process in the dark. We eventually got to the shore and trudged back the other hut. Having left at 08:30 we ended up back at the hut at 01:30 the next day. Food , beer, chocolate, whisky, bed. It was the sleep of the dead.

Twas an epic but we were in control. This tale has far more twists in it, but sometimes what happens in the hill says in the hill ;)

What a fabulous day....