Heading north seamed to be a plan for a bit of outdoor stuff and a chance to fly Glencoe once again, unfortunately for some it was midweek, AH" It's a sare fake for a slice a loaf. Steve and some friends had arranged to meet at green welly for 10.20 am, so a early start was the order of the day. Loaded the van with camping gear and off i set 7.30 am did get bogged down at A720 byepass and phoned ahead to Steve the plan was still to fly Glencoe, Grrreat i thought have longed to have another go at it with a new flight path in mind after watching a Dudley video from April last year, stopped off at Callander bakery for twa pies and yin cheese scone which proved a very wise move as latter events unfold.
Arriving at Tyndrum at 10.30 their was quite a large group of pilots standing in the car park you could tell cause they where all looking upwards pulled in and spotted the bold Sean Figgitt who appeared to have lost a bit of weight and wondered what his secret might be ? " and i then seen Steve so with a few nods of the head the introductions and weather chit chat was over and off we set to Glencoe champion was the thought.
The sun was out in patches with valley winds NW tish but still air on top so much hanging round with a few talking on going xc explore,My goal was just to achieve a bit more than the last time and try and get a cross the other side or even the road . Wind picked up a touch a few took off Steve was first to try the air he would be more placed to describe the conditions to be fair it wasn't happening at tall me and Wil had a go with a 10 minute fly down car park area little bit of lift but downed we where i decided not to go back up the chair lift to say it bluntly it was crap tomorrow is another day.
Done some retrieve work picked up Steve and a glesga fellow and back to the cafe, as other pilots turned up his friends from Yorkshire where smiling like Cheshire cats from their experience of Glencoe.And so everyone bar Sean and Wil are down a bit of chit chat shoot the breeze stuff and at this point there was some talk of going to Black Mount. My self was contemplating getting ready to set up camp at Glen Etive but wondered where Sean had got to rang the number and he was just coming back down the chair lift.
Chapter 2 THE ABDUCTION
I was in a bit of a quandary to go with them to black mount but waited for Sean to arrive it was he that suggested going to Isle of Skye, my first thought was to get camped up and see what it was like here in the morning, By this time i am tired and hungry but he can be quite persuasive dilemma do i stay or do i go next thing i was bundle into the boot of a ford KUGA comando style comands where do you yield, I yelled ho yes i do want to go and was released. A route plan was disgust and away to Skye we drove this new motor he has i could hardly keep up i had a pit stop at a Morrison for fuel there is a BP garage on the A 82 after Fort William on the Aonach Mor road , Well many lochs latter past the five sisters heading for Kyle of Lochaish on the A 87 and on to the skye bridge that goes from -2 m to 35 m just thought I would throw that in for those of parentage issues when the kids are shouting in the back seat are we there yet !".
Well that's what i said i was beginning to wilt i thought Sean was in front but could see this gold colored Kuga glinting in the evening sunshine in the rear view mirror zoom zoom says zippy the hare and he was gone.We pulled in to Porttree the first option was not to our lordships liking so we drove some more up through the town and found a area on the outskirts near to the old man of scorr by loch leachan it was getting darkish with orthographic clouds rolling in over the mountains and howling a gail. Well i was beat got a fire going while Sean went looking for the ridge he was away that long that the steak pies where getting to the Sir Alfred stage well fired burnt that he could of had mmm YUM, He did have some pasta boiling thing so watered and fed it was about 11.30 in the evening it has been a full on day, A plan was set for the morning to go in to town for info map etc and see what tomorrow brings and if you don't go to bed now Sean i will put you to bed cause, I'm a black belt at ludo he did retire gracefully i might add, night night from the Isle of Skye, In quietness you find strength.
Once we where up into town for a map 1st in the cue we both assisted with the tourist big cruse ship docked in the bay and off to find Quiraing ridge area we had a look at a few slipways and harbour areas near the shore things was starting to get busy with tourists at all the main spots, on driving up to the view point i remember the area off a u tube vid by Sandor a tall thin chap we met at the wingbeat round at sunhope. However there was a few gliders laid out we went across for a chat Sean new one of them which i managed to insult by thinking Id met him at the coaching course in February i spoke to one of the highland chaps i did meet there, It turns out he is a instructor called Pablo i did apologize well he had them celebrity specs on hoops. And i think Sean filled you in with the rest i was on a bit of a down turn mood by the time we got to the old man of storr cause we could not fly but it was pretty hairy in the conditions that day. Sean had is camera and wanted to go up to the top to take a few pictures of storr, to me at that point i walked so far up and lay down for a nap its only a piece of rock.
Well all good things come to a end we drove south to Armadale Sean is quite a competitive character he suggested last on the ferry buys the fish & chips at Tyndrum well it was good fast road the pope mobeel did really well but the cougar was to fast until the last junction he made a wrong turn and i slipped on to the grid at the harbour. We where lucky to get on with out booking 3pm a latter ferry would have been tourist city and a long drive round the other way worth remembering chaps for £12.50 . On the boat we looked back from the upper deck the land scape was stunning and Sean charmed the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ off these 3 American Lady's with the info of what hills and mountains where what, and with in 2 or 3 minutes he knew they where life long friends born in the fiftys on holiday together and going to climb Ben Nevis in the morning and they where all lawers , However we are at Mallaig and off the ferry and Sean over took me after a while and he was a long gone man thought i might see him at Tyndrum Seansdinarunner does this man ever eat, maybe that's his secret to looking slimmed down or is it Romance ?. well whatever, It was a great trip in good company you have got to go chaps and fly the TROTTERNISH or the QUIRAING range or even them all. Fantastic Massive
AMFAIRTAINON with the Isle o Skye. AMFAIRCHUFFED that a seenitt.
Gerald
