For newcomers

At the bottom of each post there is the word "comments". If you click on it you will see comments made by followers, and if you follow the instructions you may also comment and I always welcome that. I have found many people overlook this part of the blog which is often more interesting than the original post!

My blog nick-name is SIR HUGH. I'm not from the aristocracy - my middle name is Hugh which relates to the list of 282 hills in Scotland compiled by Sir Hugh Munro in 1891. I climbed my last one (Sgurr Mor) on 28th June 2009

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Friday 16 October 2009

39 My life and cameras (to be contd.)

In Glen Etive, last year, I was crossing a mountain stream raging steeply down a mountain side. It was in spate. I slipped and shot off at speed down a polished rock slab water slide for about fifty feet. I was heading for a thirty foot vertical thunderous waterfall I had seen on my way up. The waterfall terminated in a heaving pulsating pool of wild yellow foam with steep rock walls all the way round and the outlet leading to rapids and further minor waterfalls.

The only thought I can remember was saying to myself “well, I suppose this is it”. The force of water had created a deep rock bowl just before the waterfall and I found myself looking over the rim of this bowl and straight down the waterfall. This would have made a good photo from an angle not many people could have achieved, but unfortunately my camera had not taken kindly to this adventure.

The photo was taken as I set off for this Munro by a fellow Munroist who then went off into the hills. It seems somewhat prescient that
I elected to make this pose next to the mountain rescue vehicle. It was the last photo taken by the inundated camera; furtunately the memory card survived.

I have posted this story because there is a sequel to the bit about the camera so watch this space.

5 comments:

  1. Good Grief! So how did you get out of the river? did you go down the waterfall? You don't say! I assume you didn't due to the fact you are alive, but I've heard of bigger escapes. Never mind the camera, how did you get out of the water??

    xx

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  2. Redhead – There was no great difficulty in climbing out of the river. I was obviously wet through and had lost one of my walking poles. I was on my way to climb three Munros: Ben Starav, Glas Bheinn Mhor and Beinn nan Aighenan. The incident happened only about thirty minutes after the blog photo was taken. Although wet I was not cold and it was quite a mild day for October and I decided to carry on. By the time I reached the first summit I had more or less dried out.

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  3. Red Head - Sorry, I misspelled your blog name.

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  4. Red Head - Just read your comment more carefully and in answer to your question - no I didn't go down the waterfall. The deep pool before the lip stopped me.

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  5. What an adventure! Thank goodness you landed in the bowl.

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