29 - BEN KLIBRECK
Ben Klibreck. Mark's route wasup from the left. Photo https://big-gorse-bush.blogspot.com/
4.8 miles 830 metres
Start Friday 00.27
Ben Klibreck 01.23
Finish 02.05
Squares: blue - start and finish. Circles summits: green - this leg. Map Colin Matheson
Time: Estimated 1.14 Actual 1.38
Mark writes:
After the shopping had been done in Ullapool, the beer had been bought for the finish and the end was in sight – we were looking for a good evening finish. The weather had not yet finished with us though – tiredness, a flooded burn and navigational error combined to give Ross a nightmare which saw him nearly four hours over schedule on the last long run of the trip.
Worse still, he had been seen almost on schedule by walkers near the end of the leg. We were close to starting up a search and it had been prophetic that earlier, Eddie had noted that now, in the far north , we were at our most vulnerable as we were so far spread out from each other.
This delay put Ben Klibreck into the early night and destroyed my enthusiasm for finishing. Phsychologically it was important to me that we should not have finished in the middle of the night.
Consequently Klibreck was more a sense of duty than another adventure. Once more I got tantalising glimpses of another remote part of Scotland, this time the silvery reflection of the moon from every lochan and pool as the cloud fleetingly parted.
Just approaching the summit cairn a strong scent of salt – presumably a sea breeze – gives a momentary gut feeling of fear that I haven't felt on these other nights out. Something primitive inside me about the sea I suppose.
On arrival at Ben Hope everybody is in position for the relay but I am finished. This wet night is an unfitting end for the determination that this team has put into the challenge. For such an inspiring, relaxing, threatening, frightening and continuous journey I feel we deserve better. By the time the baton nears the final summit I am fast asleep – Sorry Chaps!!
Peaks done 276 Hours elapsed 283 Peaks to do 1
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