by Benson, Tom
Bill looked up from the map. “After about two more miles we ought to see another of our markers, and at that point, we’ll be heading cross-country.”
“Isn’t that where there is another big loch?” Jay-Dee said.
“Yes, mate—Loch Tulla, and you’re quite right, it stands out from a long way off because it’s massive now.”
Helen said, “Is it cross-country the whole way to the next overnight stop?”
“No,” Bill said, “when we reach Loch Tulla we’ll also see parts of the A82. After passing the section where the loch overflows onto the main road, it becomes clear enough for us to climb down the embankment onto the road.”
Victoria said, “Once we hit that road, it’s easy underfoot again.”
They set off, all in good humour and eager to reach their next destination. In no time, Cherry was pointing out Loch Tulla on the right and the A82 up ahead in the distance.
Bill turned to Helen, “You’ll see where Loch Tulla and River Orcha have joined and swamped the forest to the right and the A82 to the left.”
“I remember what you all said about the waterways. It’s not easy to imagine how much of a change has been made to the landscape.”
At the point where they climbed to the road, another rock marker gave them confidence that all was going according to plan.
Bill said, “From here, it’s about five miles to Clifton.”
“We’re indoors to sleep again, Helen,” Jay-Dee said. “This time, the sub-station might not be operational, but we’ve got a forestry storage building which is pretty comfortable—and secure.”
Helen laughed. “Ah, so no sentry shifts?”
“No,” Jay-Dee said, “just a good overnight rest before the final push tomorrow.”
“As I recall,” Cherry said, “we’ll need the overnight rest to deal with the climb.”
“Thanks for the reminder,” Victoria said in a sarcastic tone, giving everybody a laugh, as usual.
On the A82 it was easygoing and once again the pace was relaxed but steady. The team were tired but pleased to arrive at the building where they were free to remove their packs and give their bodies a rest.
A meal and a hot drink were once again a welcome way to settle, and then after sitting around chatting for a while, they agreed it would be good to have an early night.
.
Monday 15th August
Breakfast saw the group eat well, using up most of their remaining rations but saving plenty of water for their final phase.
Helen and Bill climbed up the maintenance ladder onto the roof to get a better view of the landscape.
“From here, looking down to the left,” Bill said, “we have the remnants of the Clifton Service Area. We had a look on the way past, and it appears to have been torn apart by explosions.”
“Would that have been mainly liquid fuel storage?”
“Yes, we think so, and it wouldn’t have been helped by having electrical charging points for vehicles. They would normally be safe, but apparently not when there is a minor earthquake.”
“How much more destruction can we see from here?’
“The expanse of water you can see directly to our front is the northern part of Loch Awe, which we consider to be our loch. It’s much bigger than it was a few years ago. What you can’t see is that underneath it over there to the right and a bit to the left are the villages of Dalmally, Stronmilchen and Lochawe.”
“All three are submerged?”
“Yes, sadly, the only thing we ever find of villages is the occasional cross or weather vane on a church spire.” He pointed into the middle distance. “Those things that look like fallen pylons are the supports for what was the main railway bridge over the top end of the loch. Not far from there is the broken but passable road bridge which is concrete, rather than metal.”
“Am I right in thinking that your mountain is one of those two ahead of us?”
“Yes, the mountain to the right is Rachcarn which contains most of the old disused tunnel. We entered on the far side with the coach. The tunnel leads through to the natural saddle between the two mountains. You won’t be able to see it from here, but there is a glass corridor which then leads to the side entrance of the hydro-electric facility.”
“The power station within Auchcarn, which is now your home,” Helen murmured. She turned to face him and raised an eyebrow. “The final part of our trip is going to be a challenge, isn’t it?”
Bill grinned. “Yes, but we’ll all be fine because we know we’ve made it, plus, of course, we’ve brought back a special guest.”
“I hope the youngsters back at Aviemore are okay.”
“Hey, from what I saw, I don’t think you have to worry about them—they’re a resilient bunch, and they’ve got more in the way of protection now.”
“I am confident in their abilities, Bill, it’s just that I still feel a responsibility for them.”
“I know I’m speaking for the whole team who are with us, Helen—those young people hold you in high regard, and we all saw mutual respect during our stay. When we get to Auchcarn you can prepare a message to send in Morse—they’ll be in touch tomorrow.”
“Will I be called straight to your Control Room—”
“If you’ll feel better you can go straight there after breakfast tomorrow.”
The group walked downhill, past the wrecked refuelling station and retail unit. When they arrived on the roadway and turned towards the bridge, it was still challenging. Constant reminders of death were the top edge of a roof or the tip of a church spire. It made the team feel desperately sorry for those who might have stayed behind those few years previously.
Jay-Dee said, “I don’t know about building a rope bridge for that place up near Loch Ericht, it might be an idea to put some sort of safety line across this old road bridge.”
“Keep that in mind for when the topic comes up,” Cherry said. “This bridge is really only a day away from Auchcarn, and any team which worked on it could shack-up in the place that we used.”
“Yes, I think I’ll mention it at one of our meetings. I’d hate to see us losing this crossing point.”
Bill nudged Helen. “That brief conversation we just overheard is an example of how the Auchcarn community live and work. We learned a long time ago not to keep ideas to ourselves.”
“Actually, it’s how we managed on the farm, even when those folks back there were only teens—they all wanted to help when they realised how deep we were in trouble.”
“You see,” Bill said, “you’re quietly confident that they’re okay.” He winked.
“The railway bridge is in a bit of a state,” Helen said.
“Yes, it looks like the central section in the loch fell first, and then the stress on the two supports on the banks was too much and everything sunk inwards.”
“Of course, this bridge has partly collapsed, but the slabs of concrete seem to be supporting each other. The slabs have all broken and slid into a holding position.”
“We can only hope it stays this way until we build a back-up from one side to the other.”
“The A85,” Cherry announced as they arrived on what had once been a busy tourist route. “Is it about three hours from here?”
“I’ll check,” Bill said, consulting the notes on the side of his map. “It was two and a half hours coming from Auchcarn, so I think it would be safe to add an hour since we’ll be climbing this time and not descending.”
Victoria said, “Shall we stop for a longer break at the foothills before the ascent?”
“Good plan,” Jay-Dee said. “I could do with a nice hot brew before the big push.”
And so it was that they strolled casually along the tarmac road until they arrived at their next marker near a grassy verge. The group stopped and fixed up a campfire to make a brew and then with bergens removed, they relaxed for a while before the most demanding phase of their long journey.
When they set off, as they had been doing, they agreed
to make regular brief stops and also to change who was on point. The pace would be much slower, and they had the massive forest on the left as a guide. They worked slowly up the side of the mountain towards the ridge.
Bill turned to Helen. “The view from the ridge will allow us to see towards the south and the magnificence of Loch Awe below.”
Two hours from their slightly longer rest period, the weary travellers arrived at that magical point where the climbing was over, and the most challenging work was behind them. They had followed the edge of the forest for over an hour, and it felt as if the ground was levelling out below them as they continued forward.
Bill said, “From here, I reckon we’re looking at about ninety minutes to journey’s end.” He paused and looked around. “If you’d like to appreciate what we’ve accomplished, just take a look at the view behind us.”
Water bottles were brought out while everybody in the group stared back at the mountains and hills they’d circumnavigated or climbed on their trek from Aviemore.
“It really has been quite a journey,” Victoria said.
“It has,” Bill said, “and I think we should all be proud of ourselves on the achievement. As we go forward now, we’re getting ever closer to a proper, and well-deserved rest.”
Twenty minutes later, they reached a point where they had a view of the grey and white landscape and mountains to the south. More importantly and a real morale booster was the majesty of Loch Awe so far below stretching from beyond the forest on the left out to the right where it disappeared into the distance.
“This is amazing.” Helen was awestruck as they started to descend and simultaneously go west, or ‘to the right’ as Cherry laughingly referred to it at one point.
Jay-Dee said, “We might not see much of our pathway from this angle up here, but we ought to see the bottom end where it reaches the lochside.”
Helen said, “Is that a log cabin about halfway down the mountain?”
“It is,” Victoria said, “and I’m sure if they hadn’t used grass roofs, you’d be able to see more buildings.”
“Grass roofs?”
“Yes, we’ve got a couple of people with great ideas, and they’re always eager to try new things.”
They continued to descend and traverse the mountain, and soon they saw people lower on the slope working on the smaller buildings. Instead of walking across the heather, they walked as far as one of the extreme ends of the winding pathway.
“And now,” Bill said, “we can step onto the path, and it will make the final half-hour much more pleasant than sliding as we walk sideways.”
“This is amazing,” Helen said as she appreciated how easy it was to walk on the pathway. “This will take us to the front door?”
“It will unless they’ve re-routed it since we left,” Cherry said.
Several individuals who were lower down the gradient shouted and waved. It was early evening and work ended for the day as the people started walking up the path in a line.
When the expedition group arrived at the patio near the front door, they were greeted by Sandy. He had been sitting patiently watching their progress up the pathway.
“Welcome back, guys,” Sandy said cheerfully and stared wide-eyed at Bill’s new look. He stroked his own short beard.
There was a collective greeting from the hikers.
“I see that although you were scalped, you’ve taken a prisoner on the way back.” Sandy nodded and smiled at Helen.
Bill laughed as he got closer, “This is Helen … Helen, this fine specimen is Sandy.”
“I’m pleased to meet you,” Helen said and offered her hand. “You’re one of the two soldiers, is that right?’
“I am, and I’m delighted to meet you, Helen. I’ll take that bergen off your back.”
“Thank you. I think I’ve got grooves in my shoulders.”
Sandy slung the heavy backpack over one of his own shoulders as if it were empty. “Welcome to Auchcarn. You’ll feel better when you’re sitting with a fresh brew.” He led the way inside.
Cherry and Victoria both smiled and raised their eyebrows when they caught Bill’s gaze.
“What?” Bill said and grinned, “the man is just being hospitable.”
9. Reporting Success
Tuesday 16th August
Tina, the vet, being the spokesperson for August, stood before the gathering. She grinned at the expressions of the people in front of her. “Good morning, everybody, and believe me, I’m as eager to hear the news as you are. Our intrepid explorers did not only achieve their objectives, reaching Aviemore and returning safely—they brought back a guest.” She paused and smiled at Helen who was sitting off to one side with the Operation Long Haul team. “Our tasks today will all get underway a little bit later than usual because after the general briefing we’ll be staying here in the cafeteria to mingle for an hour.”
Tina nodded to Bill and then sat beside Craig and Ramona, her fellow committee members.
“It’s great to be back,” Bill said as he stood and looked around, “but I have to tell you, it was a worthwhile expedition in so many ways. I hope you didn’t mind us taking yesterday evening to relax, and make some notes.”
There was a ripple of laughter.
“Our trip was a massive success—not least for having met a wonderful, if younger group of people like ourselves, and for getting a long-awaited haircut.”
Laughter filled the room.
“There are only a handful of survivors at Aviemore, but their undisputed saviour and leader is here with us today—Helen.” He nodded to her before facing the main assembly again. “Helen will be our guest speaker this morning during our briefing. Before I hand over to the other team members, I’d like to say how proud we should be of each of them for what was achieved, and that includes Helen.” He stepped aside and sat down.
Victoria took the floor. “I went along on the mission to offer what I could, suggesting what to eat and what not to eat.” She paused. “I expected to be pushed to my physical limits, but I was confident in the team. I can tell you, guys, when it came to food, I did not expect to be having freshly-baked wholemeal bread when I got to Aviemore. I also didn’t expect to have my hair done.” She half-turned and shook her head to show the new short style.
Gasps came from various people in the audience.
“I’ll leave those things for Helen to explain.” Victoria grinned. “We learned a lot about our new environment on our trip, but the most important thing was related to seismic activity. At the beginning of our survival journey, the earth shook, the tunnel closed behind our coach, and we were all afraid for our lives.” She looked around. “I know that Sandy and Flint recently performed a reconnaissance to check out a part of Loch Awe. We now know that the Scottish Highland region has been reconfigured by the displacement of waterways.”
A hand was raised.
“Yes, Alan?”
“When you say, reconfigured—to what extent?”
“Previously, we thought that the re-mapping of Loch Awe might be a big project. We can confirm that between here and Aviemore, the River Spey to the north and the River Orchy nearer to us have both become part of a massive waterway. It includes the expansion of at least seven lochs if we include our own, Loch Awe.”
Another hand was raised.
“Yes, Anne?”
“Might we be able to travel between here and Aviemore using the waterways?”
“That is actually one of our future projects, Anne. We’ll have to organise a suitable craft and then crew it to explore a possible route.” She smiled. “We have a head start, but that is an area I’ll let Helen tell you about.”
The handsome chef raised her hand.
“Go ahead, Ramona?”
“How well did your rations work out and did you have to do much foraging for food during the expedition?”
“Good questions. Our rations worked well for us, and the protein bars that you and Alan made were amazing. We supplemented our rations
with a few wild herbs and mushrooms, and thanks to Jay-Dee, we had fish more than once. Apart from the superb food at Aviemore, we also had an amazing selection of fresh food at Dalwhinnie. Suffice to say that the village has a lot of wildlife which was domestic. There were plenty of gardening enthusiasts living there before the place was evacuated.”
The team had agreed not to mention the detail of those Dalwhinnie residents who had remained. It was more important to paint a positive picture in the initial briefing, and the more macabre topics could be dealt with later.
“Jay-Dee is next up to talk to you.” Victoria grinned. “Before he stands up, I know he won’t mention it, but on our outward journey, I had an accident which left me lame. He provided me with first-class treatment to get me back on my feet.” She nodded to the grinning nurse.
“Don’t listen to her,” Jay-Dee said, “she hurt her ankle, I rubbed it with my magical fingers, and she was running around in no time.”
Laughter sounded around the large room.
“Where do I start?” Jay-Dee said and smiled. “I’m pleased to have the chance to tell you about the wildlife side of our outing. Our first evening stop, which was at Clifton reminded us about a lone wolf which we were aware of already thanks to Sandy and Flint. Lest I forget, on our return journey we heard two distinct wolf howls very close together, so perhaps he’s not such a lone wolf these days.”
Another ripple of laughter came from the audience.
“It was our third day when I got the opportunity to try spear-fishing at Loch Ericht, and though I’m not one to boast, we ate well that night.” He grinned. “If I’m honest, it would have been difficult to miss—the loch, like many of them I suppose is now well-stocked with a wide variety of species.”
“Jay-Dee!” Paul, a fellow fisherman, was waving his hand.
“Yes, mate?”
“Are we confident that the fish stocks are generally toxin-free?”
“Yes, I know we discussed this before, and one of the key signs of any radiation in a surviving fish would be abnormalities in the eyes, fins or scales. During our two trips, I caught perch, rainbow trout and salmon. All of them were healthy.”
