No-one involved with NEMT will need any reminder of the contribution of Irvine Butterfield to Scottish Mountaineering. Any long-term habitués of that lunatic fringe of bagging to which entry is gained through Alan Dawson’s “The Relative Hills of Britain and Ireland” will be familiar with the idea of a memorial walk / weekend when we lose one of our own. Put the two together and you have the Irvine Butterfield Memorial Weekend. This was supposed to happen at the end of March but road conditions stymied that so it’s been rearranged for the three nights beginning Friday 3 December 2010.
The weekend is a one-off event organised on the lines of a “normal” club weekend where sober, upstanding (that will be right!) mountaineers get together at a central venue then fan out all over the surrounding countryside and try not to fall off it. You can get up when you want, go out and come back when you want, eat what, where and when you want, drink if you must and turn in when you want. It’s just this one is by way of a tribute to Irvine.
As a special thank you from Irvine’s sister, Irene, Irvine’s personal collection of BMC and Harveys of Doune waterproof maps are being distributed as a memento and everyone attending will be able to leave with at least two of these desirable items. Also, thanks to hostel manager Mat Webster, everyone attending will be asked to sign a copy of The Call Of The Corbetts which will then be presented to the hostel as a memento of the occasion.
“Why Torridon Youth Hostel?”, you might ask? Well, Irvine’s ashes were scattered by Loch Clair last May and if anyone would like to be shown the exact spot please ask and I’ll be happy to take you.
Accommodation will be on a standard self-catering Youth Hostel Basis with bed-linen provided. There are pubs in the locality and mountains. The cost for one night is £14, two nights are £24 and three nights are a steal at £32. Any surplus will go to MacMillan Cancer Relief in memory of Irvine.
Bookings to me please. Hope to see you there.
Roderick Manson
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