Welcome to the GGC winter newsletter. If you have not been to an indoor meet lately, remember the usual location is now Wellington Church Hall. That makes the ceilidh location unusual…….but it looks good……...check out December 13^th.

Anyone who suffers from aching hips, knees and all the way down to the wee toe during or after hill-walking - that’s most of us then! - would benefit from the advice from Andy Blair who knows more about our feet than is healthy for him. Even if he doesn’t produce a miracle cure he will at least help our understanding of the problems………………and my knees at least don’t ache now!

Mary Cunningham

Required map is OS No. 98 (not 90, as previously advised)

John McPartlin has restructured our website so that the Newsletters and Logbook are now to be found in a Members Only area which is password protected. To access this area you require a user name and a password. Club members who have e-mail will already have received these. Everyone else – please find your user name & password stapled to this newsletter! 

Obviously the above requires to be kept confidential within the current membership. If you have any comments on this system, you are invited by John to post them in the Messageboard area of the website.

The Messageboard is also a good place to look if you want to find out which eating-house to go to for pre-indoor-meet meals.

Friday 13^th December - Annual Ceilidh, Jordanhill College, 7.30pm OS 64 GR 537683

There will be a light buffet - please do not bring food- and a full bar service will be available.

Please encourage all your friends/family to come. In another break with tradition the Committee will be selling tickets (and collecting money) in advance (to get the right numbers for the catering) so stand by for the hard sell.

A post ceilidh saunter in the sun and snow up the Cobbler or caving out of the rain in the Glen Loin caves? Bring head-torches, string, knee-pads and hardhats for the latter! Meet in the ‘Cobbler’ Car Park at Succoth (on left after the ‘beach’) at the usual 9.30 time.

I’ve booked the entire Loch Ness Hostel (54 beds) for the 4-days spanning the New Year but it’s mid-week – the nights booked are Monday, Tuesday (Hogmany), Wednesday and Thursday. There will be the now traditional combo of ceilidh and head-torch disco – bring along your favourite CDs. Contrary to conventional wisdom there are hills nearby (Munros to the west and Corbetts to the south) and the Great Glen Cycle Route and Great Glen Way run past the hostel.

The hostel is on the A82 24 miles SW of Inverness and/or 4 miles NE of Invermoriston. It’s on the roadside on the lochside – look out for a big white building.

I’m planning to organise a communal meal on the 1^st; I’d appreciate volunteers to do either a starter, main course or dessert for 4-6 people – costs refunded.

To ensure we cover the costs and to keep the admin simple we have decided to set a fixed rate of £24 per person (£12 for under 18’s) – irrespective of the actual nights you stay. The meal will be extra. Since we’ve already paid the full whack for the hostel I’d appreciate your money ASAP. Cheques to me will book your bed.

Sun Jan 12th – Crianlarich OS 50 GR 385253

Meet at Rod and Reel car park at 9.30.am

Day meet to climb some familiar hills at close reach from Glasgow.

Aw naw! No them again!

Yes, the intrepid Clan Donohoe are back with stirring tales of their South American adventures, with fuzzy photies and even fuzzier memories - a wee cup of cocoa will never mean quite the same again. Peru and Bolivia, snow, desert, and jungle, camelids and Inka kola, booze, bandidos and bugs and a guarantee that no facts will interrupt the narrative flow. And you might want to find out what the Blanefield Bandoleros did with all the dosh they collected at the notorious Kirkie Ceilidh. Distribute to deserving poor? Aye, right!

Fri Jan 24^th – Sun Jan 26^th - Pitlochry - Burns Supper Meet OS 53 GR 939 581

The Burns night supper is to be held in the Old Bank House, 82 Atholl Rd Pitlochry. This accommodation is a luxury 4 star hostel. A map can be accessed on their web site at www.scottishlodge.com

This hostel is equipped with hot showers, linen, drying room and good kitchen facilities. With the entertainment from our multi-talented Glenmore club, this promises to be a superb weekend. There are 35 places at a cost of £11 per person per night. Payment due in advance.

This is always a fun night when all previously well-hidden gaps in essential knowledge - like which bubbly travels best for compleations - are exposed to the full glare of those who up to now have trusted your intelligence completely. The all-time favourite team game returns……..!

Meet at the railway station car park at 9.30am. Often the best winter conditions are at this time of year, with the snow nicely compacted and the days lengthening. There is a wide variety of walking around here to suit most tastes and weathers. The Dalmally Horseshoe must be a grand tour in crisp snow.

Euan Petrie will talk on his travels in Tibet. Euan has travelled in

Tibet a number of times and has a detailed knowledge of this part of

the globe. Come along and find out about this still mysterious land.

When you’ve been out all day battling the chill-factor, what you want most is somewhere warm and comfortable to rest your weary legs – as well as that beer! – and I’m promised that this place is well pukka. The "luxury" level of this bunkhouse is reflected in the slightly higher charge of £28 for the 2 nights, but for 26 lucky people this will provide a superb base for the abundance of walking or skiing in the area. Ben Nevis and the Aonachs are practically on the doorstep and the centre has equipment hire. This is sure to be very popular but a cheque forwarded to Mary (made out to the club please) will secure your place.

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My thanks to the eight members who wrote, e-mailed or spoke to me in

response to my request for information on peak completions for the

anniversary book. I am hoping to list club completers with names and dates of first and last Munros, Corbetts or whatever. I am aware of some recent completions, have indirect information on some, and details from the SMC list on others, though some of the last may be for the wrong person!

Please send me your details if you want your entry to be complete and

accurate, or even present at all. You can also let me know if you do not

want your achievement to be mentioned.

David Foster

Annual Report for Year Ending 31 March, 2001

The retiring chairman, Colin Scales, reported that no new bothies had been identified, but work on existing bothies had been continued, with more money than ever before being spent on refurbishment, thanks partly to several benefactors. Over the year, there have been 40 work parties, using 245 workers contributing 861 days.

A complete report on the healthy financial state of the MBA was included and notice given of the AGM at Roy Bridge Village Hall on 12 October. (Unfortunately the GGC newsletter timing did not allow advance notice of this.)

September Newsletter

The former chairman has resigned after 8 years in office, preceded by a long period as treasurer. A new chairman was elected from two candidates by ballot as were 6 new trustees - from a total of 19 candidates. At present I have no information on who were elected. (This information will be available in the next GGC newsletter.)

Reports were included in the MBA newsletter from all areas as usual.

Following the last newsletter about E-coli 0157, there were a number of interesting letters on the subject. The consensus was that although medical advice was not to drink water from hill streams, a normal healthy adult would be most unlikely to suffer from doing so.

To those looking for something different this Christmas, MBA sell calendars and Christmas cards (profits to MBA funds – order form available).

As usual all this information – and more – is contained in the above publications available from Gill Cook the club librarian.

Harrold Thomson

Mary Cox ran the BUPA Great North Run on October 6^th in a time of 2hours and 23 minutes. This was Mary’s first half-marathon and she plans to keep on running!

Karrimor. Hot Earth. Super Cool. 40L. TGO Best Buy

3years old. Good condition. Red/Black. £25. Brian 0141 – 357 3126