Summer Mountain Leader Training part two.

We only had one dry day on the Summer Mountain Leader Training Course we delivered last week. Wednesday was dry and bright so we went to the Ballachulish horseshoe to look at how to use a rope to safeguard people in the event of an emergency. There is no planned use of a rope in the Summer ML so it is just for emergency use and with no slings or karabiners. We chose good anchors and set up various ways of looking after people including the mountain leader. We found brilliant botany again including globe flowers in bloom.

Finally we enjoyed a two day expedition with an over night camp. Thursday and Friday were foprecast to be very wet again and with 40mph winds on the tops so we stayed low and camped next to Essan bothy on the south side of Loch Eilt. On the way there we walked over Beinn Coire nan Gall and did lots of navigation, leadership and environmental awareness. These are brilliant hills with virtually no paths and lots of interesting terrain. If you want to get away from everything and immerse yourself in botany and geology this is the place to go.

Sundew.

Last winter was mild and short, and we have had a warm, sunny and wet spring so the flowers are all doing very well right now. They seem to have come out sooner and in greater numbers than in previous years. Perhaps this is the year we should have done the Ben Nevis North Face Survey!

Bog asphodel.

Orchid.