No plan survives first contact - Eagle Ridge

Approach to Lochnagar

2 years ago, we were dreaming of choosing between the Alps and Dolomites for a 40th birthday climbing trip. 

By this spring it was a week in Scotland. 

With a week to go it was looking like a “wherever the weather is best in the UK”.

And the night before, it was still a toss up between Scotland or Cornwall, the weather forecast changing by the hour for the whole of the UK and the only certainty seemingly that we would be rained on at some point, wherever we chose.

Happy to have seen Eagle Ridge

Should we postpone another couple of days to let the worst of it pass? No, we’d booked time off and I confidently asserted that I’d rather be hillwalking in the rain than sat at home waiting.

With 4 people’s ideas and preferences to consider, a committee of friends wasn’t coming to a consensus, but it was John’s birthday trip and willing to take the blame for a poor call, he declared, “Scotland or bust”. 

A week of weather-avoiding began. It seemed the East would see the better weather initially and then we’d move west, taking in Classic Rock routes along the way. Research led to the production of spreadsheets and printouts to help us make decisions on the road. Google, take me to Ballater please.

What we could see of Eagle Ridge

Waking up in Spittal of Glenmuick, the air thick with midges despite rain lashing the car, I began to regret my “rather be hill walking in the rain” comment. To add blow upon blow, the staff member at the shop, who knew the mountains intimately, pointed out the car park would normally full by now if the weather forecast was decent, and that if you were comfortable on E3, you might consider Eagle Ridge in the rain, if you had good, stiff, big boots. 

Although looking like a hillwalk, we still carried packs full of climbing gear, our emotions a pendulum of optimism and resignation. 

After successfully navigating our way into Lochnagar coire, hope had still not quite been snuffed out. Sure Eagle Ridge looked damp, or at least the bit we could see below the cloud, but we waited as the skies teased us with brighter moments and a favourable breeze. 

Kenny risking life and limb

The question, “what do you reckon then?” was almost perfectly synchronised with the start of harder and more sustained rain. A reluctant but right decision was made, that Eagle Ridge would have to wait for another day and hillwalking in the rain around Lochnagar would suffice as a mountain warmup to the planned week ahead. Would we live to regret being so blinkered by “the book”?

No idea how accurate weather apps really can be but Met office suggests moving to Cairngorm may be a good option for day 2.