Red Hawk Rising

Kinloss. We’ve had a call from the ‘office’ to say that others may be trying to get it before we do. Break camp before dawn and move out at first light. That should be at about 07:00 hours. If it’s still foggy you will need to go out by compass and memory. We can’t afford to sit and wait for clear weather on this one. Go the most direct route you can — over the top of Cairn Toul, skirting around Braeriach. We will head down the Lairig Ghru. Take everything with you as we don’t know how long we will need to be there. If you don’t see us before, head for the bothy about mid-day. If you discover the wreck, send up a flare. Over.”
“Understood, sir. We will radio in on departure and again when we reach the summit; then at half-hourly intervals after that. Over.”
“That’s good, Brad, over and out.” The other five men, all corporals, had gathered round him on hearing the radio conversation. The mist of low cloud swirled around them, the orange colour of their two-man alpine tents standing out against the snow and mist. Night had fallen at about 16:45 hours. “Okay, guys, this is no longer a training exercise. We’ve just gone operational.” Then he explained the situation to them. “Go and get yourselves a hot meal now and we will meet in ninety minutes in front of my tent to go through our route.” The pairs moved to their respective tents and prepared a hot meal over a spirit stove. Everything was deliberately done slowly to pass the time, for at that time of year it was a long night. Each pair was equipped as a self-contained unit, including food and all equipment. This was a safety measure for the whole team. If one pair was lost through accident or separation then the other pairs would not be affected operationally.
Over at the Shelter Stone, a four-man team was also studying the map. While they spoke in English it was clear that it was not their mother tongue. Captain Garasov was with the Russian Military Intelligence. He was part of a coordinated team that was tasked with collecting the latest information on British military developments. “All right, men, we’ll have a good night’s sleep and break camp at first light. The RAF won’t be able to send in a rescue team until this weather clears so we should be able to locate and pick up the unit before they can get a team in.”
At 06:00 hours, the team near Loch Einich rose and Sergeant Bradley checked that they were all active. Each pair cooked breakfast over their spirit stove in their tent and then set about breaking camp. At Loch Morlich the team there was also breakfasting and making preparations to move out. First light would be about 07:00. By 06:45, Sergeant Bradley’s team had struck camp and were making final checks on their equipment as they waited for first light. It finally came, revealing a world of white with rocky outcrops sticking out of the snow-covered landscape. The cloud had lifted and they could see their immediate area. To their south lay Loch Einich, looking still and black in that light. Above them towered Braeriach, its upper slopes lost in the cloud that lay above them. Sergeant Bradley was teamed with Corporal ‘Tiny’ Morris and Corporal Jamie Rogerson with Corporal Andy Hill. The other pair were Corporals Tim Hart and Dave Bailey. Lifting their rucksacks onto their backs, each checked that crampons and rope were firmly tied and within easy reach. Then waterproof mittens were pulled on and they moved out, Sergeant Bradley leading. He set an east-south-easterly course which would set them on a slightly angled climb up the slopes of Braeriach to reach the Einich Cairn and then track towards the summit of Cairn Toul. They moved at a steady pace, avoiding the deep patches of snow in favour of more exposed ground. While not being able to walk in a straight line it made for more rapid progress.
At a similar time to their departure, Flying Officer McEwan led his team out of their Loch Morlich base, skirting Loch Morlich and heading south towards the slopes of Ben Macdhui from which they would then be able to drop down into the valley of the Lairig Grhu. Already at a higher elevation, the four-man team led by Captain Garasov moved out from the Shelter Stone and set their course for Lochan Buidhe. From there they would aim to skirt the peak of Ben Macdhui and search for aircraft remains on its southern slopes and then drop down to the Lairig Ghru and look for signs of a crashed aircraft on the slopes of Cairn Toul.
Sergeant Bradley’s team entered the cloud after an hour of steep walking. If they missed their planned route, they would have cliffs to climb. Each pair roped itself so that if one man fell his partner could hold him. After thirty minutes the lead pair would drop back and let the next pair take over the lead. It was slower work with the map almost useless in the heavy mist. Each pair would keep the other in sight, the middle pair watching forward and back. The first pair couldn’t see the third pair. Despite the cold, they were perspiring inside their cold weather clothes. Tim Hart was in the lead when he spotted the cairn. The ground leveled into a plateau and here there was less snow where the wind had swept across. Sergeant Bradley called a halt for a short break. They unroped, dropped their packs and sat leaning on them or just hunkered down, breaking open small packs of raisins or chocolate.
Across the Lairig Ghru, Captain Garasov and his team reached the narrow plateau that would lead up to the slopes of Ben Macdhui. Similarly, they were in thick mist and had to travel by compass. They