The Meeting

A nostalgic trip into the hills to stay in a mountain hut has an intriguing and unbelievable outcome. (inspired by an exercise at my writing group - write a letter to your younger self.)

The Meeting

 

Being retired, finding the time to escape into the wilds and reconnect should in theory be easy, but life (and the wife!) seem to get in the way. Eventually everything clicked into place; I found a few free days and a spell of fine weather. I used my bus pass to get to Aviemore and then set off through the Lairig Ghru, Scotland’s most magnificent mountain pass. With a large pack containing all I needed for several nights it was hard going - although technology had reduced its weight to about half of what I carried forty years before. 

 

First came the delights of the ancient Rothiemurchus forest and then the steady plod up the fine rocky track to the boulder fields lying at the summit of the pass. At nearly three thousand feet the pass dissects the high arctic plateaux of Braeriach and Ben MacDui with steep, rocky crags frowning down on either side. This is really Lord of The Rings territory - Tolkien was actually inspired by this scenery! Ahead, Deeside disappeared into the haze. Memories of adventures going back over forty years dogged every step.  

 

Down the far side of the pass I turned off the main track and found some well placed boulders to cross the burn. I wobbled to the second one, lost my balance and somehow my specs slipped off and got crunched. Cursing, wet and half blind, I started up the boulder strewn slope to my shelter for the night, the small mountain shelter called Garbh Coire bothy. Ahead, towered the magnificent Garbh Coire Mhor (great rough corrie) - a great gouge of almost unbroken granite crags from the great peak of Cairntoul on the left to the cliffs of Braeriach on the right. At the back of the coire I could just make out the, out of focus, falls of Dee tumbling over the great cliffs rising from their almost permanent snow patch.

 

The Garbh Coire bothy soon appeared. A burn tumbles down a few feet from the door. You would presume the water was pure but on one occasion, after drinking the water for some time, I discovered half a dead sheep in the burn a few yards upstream! At over two thousand feet it’s not a place you want to be in a blizzard - you might have to hunker down for a week with the snow piling up against the door. It’s as basic as you can get - a strong A-frame of strong metal mesh, covered with plastic sheeting then overlaid with granite stones. There’s a tiny window and a small door in the stout wooden front. In a word - bombproof! Inside there’s a wooden floor eight feet by eight. That’s it. Oh, and there are the mice! And if you are there on your own you might just be the most remote person in the country.

 

I pushed open the door and was slightly taken aback to find I would have company. He was a bit of a blur but I could just make out a skinny young lad of around twenty with longish hair and the makings of a beard. He was sat cross legged brewing up on an old primus.

‘Hello. You gave me a surprise! I expected to be on my own tonight.’

‘Sorry to disappoint you! Would you like a cuppa?’

‘Thanks, that would be great.’

‘Do you take milk in your tea? Is milk powder OK?

‘No problems!’

We sat for a while, drinking the hot tea, eyeing up each other surreptitiously. I dug out some biscuits and offered them to the young lad.

 

‘That’s a big pack you’ve got. How long are you away for?’

‘Just a few nights. I’ve got a Force 10 tent, paraffin for the primus, a few tins of food as well as spare clothes. It weighs a ton.’

'That's the sort of gear I used to carry forty years ago - museum exhibits!' I laughed.

'Well, I don't have a lot to spend on gear!' My young companion sounded slightly embarrassed.

'Sorry, I remember what it's like when you have to watch your pennies.'

'That's OK!'

‘Have you been up here before?’

‘No, it’s my first time, but I’ll be back. It’s fantastic. I’ve just finished uni’ and I have a week before I start at teacher training. Have you been before?’

‘Yeah, I’ve been here a few times but this is only the third time I’ve stayed the night. It’s one of my favourite mountain places.’

‘What kind of work do you do yourself?’

‘I’m retired. I got early retirement from teaching.’

‘You were lucky!’

‘To tell you the truth I had a serious manic attack at the age of 46 and they diagnosed bipolar disorder. I went back to teaching for about seven years but stress and bipolar don’t go well together. Luckily I keep pretty well now.’

‘That’s good - sorry, I mean about keeping well now!’

‘Don’t worry - there’s no reason not to talk about it!’

‘If you don’t mind me saying so you must be pretty fit for ..’

‘Ha, ha, for an old man. As they say, it’s all in the mind. Well almost all - I feel it in my knees and lots of other places.’

 

‘I guess it must have been quite tough on your family!’

‘Sure - it was very difficult for them. My kids were all primary age and it was hard for them to know what was going on! Later on, I told my kids if you have bipolar in the family, do your best to reduce stress in your life and avoid risky behaviour like binge drinking and smoking cannabis. I’ve warned our kids not to worry, that it’s not inevitable if you have a healthy life style.’

‘I’ve never even heard of bipolar!’

‘They used to call it manic depression.’

‘Oh yeah - I’ve heard of that - bipolar sounds like something to do with the antarctic!’

‘I’ve told them that there was no sign that my mum or dad had it but my dad’s mother was a very strange woman. Sorry to go on about ... how about yourself? Why did you decide on teaching?’

 

‘I don’t really know. Well, to be honest, physics was my best subject at school. I was in the top class and it was just expected that we went to uni’. I did well for three years and got merits but then I struggled the last year - I felt a bit low. I suppose the work was hard. There was an interview with a firm that I flopped and then I saw adverts for teaching and I thought another year at college would put off the evil hour. I do think that I would be good at explaining physics though.’

 

As the young lad recounted all this I started to feel a bit of weird déjà vu.

‘What you have just told me is incredible - it’s all so like my own experience at university. Now I know that I was probably suffering from depression during my last year.’

My young companion looked a bit thoughtful as I said this.

‘I never thought I was depressed but everything did seem to be hard going. Anyway, I suppose it’s not unusual to find the last year hard.’ 

 

‘Good luck with your teaching - it’s a tough job but it can be very rewarding. It might sound a bit obvious but I discovered that teaching is not much to do with teaching physics and everything to do with teaching kids. When I started I took the kids away hillwalking and found that doing extra curricular stuff is very worthwhile. It might not sound very encouraging but I would say that if your teaching is going well it’s a worthwhile and rewarding job but if you don’t feel that you’ve found your niche after a couple of years look for something else.’

‘That sounds good advice!’

 

‘You mentioned kids - what do they do?’

‘We have three, we still call them kids but they are all grown up and doing well. Our elder son, Ally is very enterprising. He left school early and has made his own way in life. He’s managed to acquire three flats and he’s never out of work. At the moment he’s working on a French campsite with his girl friend. Our daughter Eilidh lives with her partner in Glasgow and usually has around six jobs on the go, usually connected with crafts, cycling and the environment. She will never walk past someone in need - homeless in Glasgow, refugees in Calais or orphans in Sri Lanka. She learned that from her mum, my wife Mandy! The best thing I ever did, getting married. I keep on telling her how lucky she was - ha ha!  Our youngest Donnie had been in Melbourne for three years with his Aussie soon to be wife. He works in IT and he’s coming back to Scotland for good soon.’

 

‘I think you are being too modest. I’m sure that you’ve had a lot to do with how they have turned out.’

‘I suppose so. If you have kids yourself they have to be nurtured. I’ve always tried to spend time with them and try to interest them in different things. I took Ally camping in the hills from when he was wee and then later it was a proud moment when he ran the Ben Nevis race with me. I use to do some cycling with my daughter and it has turned out to be her passion. The youngest one and I used to go rock climbing.’

 

‘You’ve done the Ben Nevis race! Wow!’

'I'm slightly embarrassed to say that I’ve actually done 27. My best time is 1 hour 49.’

‘What! Our dad took us up when I was twelve and we took 6 hours.’

‘That’s amazing - our dad also took my brother and I up when we were wee!’

I looked at my young friend with growing puzzlement - the coincidences between our experiences were starting to verge on the unlikely.

‘How long have you been running?’

‘I started when I was 30 with marathons and then build up till I was doing 24 hours ultras. One piece of advice though - you just have to watch that hobbies like running don’t become compulsive. It can get so you can’t think about anything else! Luckily I always put family first. ’

 

 ‘I can’t imagine being married - not to mention having children.’

‘You can’t plan these things, they just happen. I would say from experience that you have to work hard in a relationship and there has to be a lot of give and take.

‘Anyway it’s getting late. How would you fancy a wee dram - I don’t even know your name.’

‘Sorry, I’m Alan.’

‘Wow, I’m an Alan too.’ There was a definite shiver at this revelation and it wasn’t the cold.

‘You know I wouldn’t even recognise you if we met again - I dropped my glasses in the burn.’

‘Don’t worry, I’ll make sure I say hello.’

‘Give me your mug Alan. There’s a dram for you.’

‘Cheers!’

'Slainte!'

‘Here’s to a long and happy life, Alan!’

‘I’ll drink to that!’

‘Sleep well.’

‘Goodnight. Hope the mice behave tonight!’

 

The floor was hard, the mice were busy, my dreams were vivid.

I woke early as always and the young lad was dead to the world. I suspect my snores had kept him awake. Since the morning was fine I dressed quietly and sat outside on the doorstep as I ate breakfast. I left a slip of paper for him, with my email address -

 

 [email protected].  - please email me!  

 

I packed quietly and set off down towards Corrour bothy. 

I was within sight of the hut, having covered about two miles of rough trackless ground when I stopped dead. I have always found it strange how things can work away in your mind and suddenly surface.

‘OH FU**!’

Without thinking, as I had left the bothy, I had pulled the door shut and closed the latch on the outside to stop it swinging in the wind. I shuddered as I thought what might have happened if I hadn’t remembered - that bothy can go for a week at this time of year without a visitor. Poor Alan was locked inside - he might never get out alive!

 

The walk back took nearly an hour. I opened the latch, ready with my abject apologies. Of course he might still be sleeping - oblivious to his possible fate! As I pulled the door open and looked in I was struck dumb.  The bothy was empty! My brain felt like it had seized up - I went through all the possibilities but nothing could explain this incredible outcome. Looking around, I noticed the slip of paper I had left lying on the floor. I picked it up - a question mark had been added to the email address and a few words added ...

 

Is this a joke old man? My name is Alan W Graham - and what on earth is this @aol.com? By the way, thanks for the advice but I'll just do it my way!

(The final part of this tale is based on an true incident that actually happened when a friend and I left two girls locked inside the bothy by mistake. When we returned they were still asleep!)

 

 

 

 

Reviews

[Colin Guest]

A very interesting story, and even more so if one knows the area described. However, it sounds my kind of place. with a lot of details that made me feel, I was there. Although I think it well written and enjoyed reading it, some sentences are in my opinion, too long and would be better broken up. I suggest the use of more punctuation be used. The word usually is used twice in the space of ten words, one of them should be changed, suggest the second be changed to most. I will for sure read more of Alan's writing as I found it a good read.

[alanwgraham]

Thanks Colin. Your suggestions are very helpful and I will go back and check them out. It was funny, as I was writing this it is meant to be about giving advice to my younger self but I kept on thinking I was talking to my son.
Thanks again,
Regards,
Alan

[Duncan Brown]

Drove drove drove drove drove..................

[alanwgraham]

Thanks Duncan,
You certainly have a way with words! I may may have to use 'other means' to extract more meaningful information. You have been warned!

[Ted Kniffen]

Great story, Alan. Since I too can't see very far without my specs I could well understand the inability to connect older and younger Alans, after all who would expect to meet themselves. A good rendering of that concept. I could feel the cold and the landscape quite well. Kept expecting to see the Grey Man. Very good write.
Ted

[alanwgraham]

Thanks Ted. The situation with a friend and I locking someone (two girls) inside the bothy by mistake did actually happen as described. The only grey man man around was me! It sounds like you know all about theCairngorms.
Regards, Alan

[Ted Kniffen]

Just the legends Alan, they make good writing. My heritage is Scots for the most part.

[Lenny Hart]

I was there walking with you . My own vision of how it all looked. Very nice to read . A nice idea to share the same space with a younger self .
I'll read some more of your writings. I'm new to writing and I want to express what's inside me, before I read other folks stuff for fear of their ideas entering my head , if you car hire you drift . Thank you though I really did enjoy .

[alanwgraham]

Thanks Lenny. I appreciate your comments. I wondered if there might be too much personal stuff in it but you just have to put it out.
Cheers,
Alan

[Lenny Hart]

No way I'm all for letting out the personal stuff . If I've learned anything we all have the same anxieties , however different the cause .the same pain etc . I'm finding it better to share however personal. I'm not ashamed to admit things can be challenging. Us sharing may just be an answer to help 1 person . That's good enough for me to share however awkward. A bit deep haha . I certainly felt involved in your short tale because it was personal .

[alanwgraham]

Thanks for that! Alan