Not so early, as one armed Caruthers managed to fall back to sleep! So it was not till 7.30 that Biggles, Caruthers, Ginger and Algernon headed away from the car park at Ogwen cottage.
Algernon had had enough of climbing with one armed Caruthers, as it was holding him back, so to speak!
So while he and Biggles had eyes on the Screen, Ginger went with Caruthers for a bimble up the ramp!
Algernon was a happy man having discovered a helmet, a bike helmet mind, which seemed to fit the bill. Yet he was to be disappointed, not only were there folk already on the screen, (dirty looks aimed at Caruthers), which meant they headed to Stingray, while his helmet fitted it did not allow him to talk, a bonus really as Biggles talks enough for two, more importantly it stopped him breathing. So helmet abandoned, when Biggles said do you fancy leading, Algernon said yes! This was based on the fact that he was less likely to die falling off then from the rubbish that Biggles was likely to drop on him. The only flaw was that he had only ever placed 2 ice screws before and had only ever climbed a couple of grade 3's. So having adjusted his helmet once more (well his woolly hat) he set on up, placing all his screws (well Bigglesis) and even using a peg (another first) and climbed it all in really good style. He also proved his point by dropping copious amount of ice on Biggles who went on and on and on and on and on etc about it, especially one large bit, anyone would have thought it hurt. You can tell he went to Atlantic College rather than Eaton.
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| Algernon on Stingray |
Meanwhile Caruthers and Ginger were on the ramp. Many years ago when Noah was nought but a callow youth Caruthers and the fair Fiona had attempted the ramp, armed with a curver and one Terradactol, one screw and a lot of trepidation. The iron hard ice and blunt tools had made an indelible impression on the young Carruthers and had turned him to the darker side, mixed climbing, where runners could be fashioned and uncertainty banished by the seduction of snowy jugs.
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| Gimger minus his Super Fly on the Ramp |
So it was a somewhat surprised Caruthers who emerged at the top having enjoyed the whole experience! He and Ginger (who was pooped from all the walking and had wanted an easy day, well that's what he said, but Caruthers was no fool and after all his years at Eaton knew when he was being fibbed too,) ate their hamper in the sun, talked to the birds and took the Mikhail out of Algernon and his Helmet. Caruthers was slightly sad as now Algernon would be drawn to the steep ice rather than the remote Munro, that a weeks trip in the new year had promised.
Soon they made there way back down, weaving in and out of the hordes who were heading up after a sensible rising time. Only stopping to talk to Tim Bird who is the training officer for the local Mountain Rescue team, who were having a practice stretcher Tyrolean (well I think that's what he said) but we all knew they were hovering in the vicinity so as to be on hand when the obvious happened.
Soon our band were cleaned, coffied and heading home..................where broken boilers, frozen pipes and collapsed ceilings awaited them, if they only knew.
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