It had always been a bit of a mystery to me why so many of the Brenin Instructors referred to Buchaille Etive Beg as the people mountain. However over the past few days I have come to realise that just like Crimpau or the Flanks of Moel Siabod back home this hill is great for basic winter skills but also popular, especially if you run it out to the true summit. As group after group file past each other like passing ships, it becomes extremely social.
Anyway today we were up there again, this next three days Stu MacAleese one of the instructors from the Brenin, and my mentor back when I did the Instructor Scheme at Plas Y Brenin, has allowed me to observe his Scottish Winter Mountaineering Skills Course. Again great to see not so much a different way of teaching winter skills, but a different form of delivery. It was also good to see him talk about snow and avalanches on the hill.
It was a little surreal up there today, as about five or six group from Cotswolds/Mountain Equipment course seems to take over the mountain in a sea of ME gore-tex, soft shell and various other garments. Interestingly no one got cold, but it was +1 on the summits. Tomorrow promises to be colder.
