Skye June 2024

Our Skye summer meet this month may have had unexpectedly wintery conditions, but that didn’t put off our adventurous group of 25 women!

As usual we’d travelled from far and wide, from Amsterdam to Inverness, arriving by train, plane and van. Some of the keenest even snuck in a quick traverse of the Aonach Eagach on the way to Glenbrittle. Most of us stayed the week in the well-equipped and perfectly situated Glen Brittle Memorial Hut, of which the Trustees were kind enough to let us stay in, despite not being an affiliated club. Thanks to one proactive participant, we all enjoyed shared evening meals, whilst recounting our days’ adventures and tackling a particularly troublesome jigsaw!

Whilst some women took part in courses – climbing, scrambling and Munros – run by a very enthusiastic and skilled bunch of mountaineering instructors from across the UK, others teamed up to climb, scramble and adventure together. The week saw a mass ascent of the impressive Pinnacle Ridge at the North end of the Cuillins, numerous climbs up a very misty Inaccessible Pinnacle, and a good number of other climbs and scrambles along the ridge. We ventured beyond the Cuillins too (perhaps mostly because of the strong winds and snow, but also to explore what else Skye has to offer) – abseiling down to sea caves, exploring small islands, sea cliff climbing at Neist, swimming in clear waterfalls and, of course, trying out all the cafes!

The best way to sum it up is through the words of some of those on the meet. Laura told us the best part of the meet was “learning from the guides who have so much knowledge and expertise. And coming back to the hut and hearing about everyone’s adventures at the end of the day!” Lizzie was apprehensive about coming to her first WAAC meet, concerned that she may not be fit enough and would be the odd one out as a 60-year-old. However, she realised that she needn’t have worried. She said, “I love the philosophy of inclusivity and positive reinforcement that drives WAAC. This is really important to me and fits in with my own humble attempts of encouraging, introducing and supporting women to the outdoors.” Joanna, another first-time participant, echoed her enthusiasm for the week - “It was wonderful to meet like-minded people, the guides were superb and we all learned so much; very empowering. Thank you, everyone!”