THE BRACK. THE ELEPHANT GULLY. BY HAROLD RAEBURN. THIS is the conspicuous black chasm with two pitches (visible) very well seen from above the first rise in Glencroe. It cleaves the main mass of the rocks at the lower right-hand (N.) edge of the corrie, under the summit ridge of the mountain. The easiest way to reach its foot is to cross the River Croe by the bridge at the farm of Creagdhu, and slant up hill into the corrie, bearing always to right. The Croe water can also be crossed, unless in flood, just below the rocky gorge higher up the glen. The gully is built in three pitches, the highest mainly underground. It was first ascended on 30th May 1906 by Messrs A. M'Laren, S. G. and C. P. Shadbolt. Whether from modesty or because these three gentlemen were not then members of the S.M.C., the only notice was four lines in Vol. 9, p. 144, of the Journal. The party which made the climb in 1912 were unaware of this note, and ascended the gully under the impression it was new. They only realised their mistake one by one on emerging from the exit hole of the top pitch and seeing a cairn close by. The gully was attacked by Dr and Mrs Inglis Clark (Dr Clark's paper, "The Motor in Mountaineering-The Brack," S.M.C.J., Vol. 9, pp. 19-24), but conditions were unfavourable and the first pitch was not reached. Another S.M.C. party had also a "look at the gully," but they were unprovided with rope, and again conditions were unfavourable. As Dr Clark remarks in his article, the corrie below the gully is full of huge boulders. These are much higher, both in standard and size, than the well-known practice boulders on the way up to the N. peak of the Cobbler. Four or five were climbed by the 1912 party. On two of them only one possible route could be discovered. The Elephant Gully is remarkable for the enormous size of the chockstones of the two visible pitches. Especially huge is the upper of these. One does not quite realise this till close at hand. In fact, doubts were expressed by someone of the possibility of getting behind the chockstone, whether the aperture, which was evidently there, would prove large enough. Another made the remark," I believe an elephant, were he a rock-climber, would probably be able to get through." As a matter of fact, a 70-foot whale would have no difficulty due to waist measurement, and did it not prefer, with an astonishing absence of good taste from an S.M.C. man's point of view, "sounding" in the sea to 'scending on the rocks. Thus, however, the origin of the proposed name. An alternative poetic title, "The Chimney of the Mountain Gnome," was promptly rejected. There was too much risk of some Cockney guide in the future pointing it out as "The Mount'in 'Ome of the Mountain Gnome." way, the title is surely better than the endless Any style of nomenclature, or worse still, the severely mathematical, as “ A1, B2, C3, D4, S.M.C.Nth power." The day of our visit, 3rd Nov. 1912, was a quite perfect one. Keen frost the previous night, and this morning an absolute dead calm, left the whole visible extent of the surface of Loch Long unruffled by the faintest ripple. The water was of extraordinary clearness, and more extraordinary still, seemed to possess in full the double capacity of perfect reflection and absolute transparency. At once every detail of the boulder-strewn shore, the bracken-clad lower slopes, the snow-tipped peaks, and the deep blue sky were mirrored in its polished surface. At the same time the rocks, the sands, and the seaweed of the loch bottom were visible through the upper pictures of the surface. The effect struck one as though the water was not real. Something airier, lighter, more alive than the somewhat heavy and very inelastic substance which we know results from the marriage of the fiery oxygen to the volatile hydrogen. It had the same quality in stillness as the water at Eaux Vives has in motion— "Where Leman leaps out of Genevan gates The slight suspicion we had had in the cities of the south of the imminent approach of winter were here clear and evident. On Lomond's shapely cone, and on the rugged hills to the north-west, lay more than a mere sprinkling of snow, whilst the black, jutting crags of the Cobbler were finely draped and made a vivid contrast against purest white. Down in the valley, however, on the swift, smooth motion of the rushing car coming to a stop, the heat grew quickly almost oppressive, as the unclouded sun gained power. Leaving the car above the steep rise about half-way up Glencroe, the party ascended straight up into the N.E. corrie of the Brack. C.C., or the Cautious Chauffeur (so called because he has never been known -by the police-to exceed the speed limit), not caring to leave his “animal" standing by the road unwatched, took "her" down again to the farm, and beat the rest of us easily to the gully. Here we all foregathered for lunch. The slabby buttress to left of the gully looks as though it might afford, in good conditions, a possible climb. To-day its summit was fringed with plates of ice, and great icicles hung from the jutting ledges of the upper part. No one, therefore, even thought of trying it. Leaving the three officials (the lady President, the lady Secretary, and the lady Librarian of the L.S.C.C.) to do what “reefing” might be considered necessary, C.C. and the G.C., or Guide-Chef, started off to explore the lowest pitch (the G.C. is so called because, though totally ignorant of the Brack and its topography, he was supposed to "Cook" for the party). The gully is a wide one, the underside of the first chockstone fully 20 feet across-directly, wholly inaccessible. Below, the gully bed slopes back far into the mountain, with very high angled unstable scree and small pitches. How far it was possible to follow this was not fully tested. Both explorers thought, after later evidence, that communication might be made by a trifle of mining, with the bed of the gully, a good bit above the chockstone. About 80 feet from the entrance the way got very narrow, slimy, and also very steep. It had been "pitch" dark for some time, and matches had to be used. A simultaneous thought flashed through both burrowers' brain boxes: "The ladies would not like this." "The luzula and moss drapery on the right wall, even if stiff with frost embroidery, is much superior from a scenic point of view. Let's try it!" Retreat and ropery. The united party-in two sections-now tackled this right wall. It is very steep, and the holds not quite satisfactory owing to their loose, turfy nature. It was, however, soon overcome, and an easy traverse led above the first pitch. A short distance up the gully bed above, here composed of loose rocks, the L.S. discovered a small opening. On dropping a stone down a faint rumbling was heard for a considerable time. The conclusion, therefore, was that this is the exit of the dark chimney below. The second pitch now loomed close overhead. It appeared of a very hopeless character. The chockstone is probably not less than 30 feet across. On climbing up into the great cave behind it, however, a very neat little ledge was discovered. Though steep it was not difficult, and presently all the party were standing at ease on the turf-covered summit of the great chockstone. From here is the crux of the climb. The route adopted seemed the only one. With much ice about this would not be a suitable climb for any but the strongest party to attempt. From the turf-covered top of the chockstone a neat horizontal ledge leads out on the right wall. This is somewhat overhung above, and is just wide enough to stand on without falling over. Towards its outer end a small flat-floored recess in the cliff occurs, about 5 feet above the level of the ledge. This niche is about 18 inches wide. At the back of the niche a sharp-angled crack in |