This team of three, Tim, Ben, and Charlie often scale mountains far taller than this one with the weight of their stretcher plus extra gear shared between just two of them. We, four interlopers, each took a corner. We huffed, we puffed, and we took several breaks. I am not especially unfit, and I stand about a foot taller than Tim, yet I have no doubts that he would destroy me if we ever had a fight. He’d pick me up, dangle me by my belt with one hand, and nonchalantly toss me off the mountain as if he’d found a mouldy apple in his packed lunch.

Eventually, the soft green hill gave way to ancient Torridonian sandstone; we’d ascended to the col, a flat haven flanked by the towering grey walls which ran off east and west, composing the rest of Stac Pollaidh’s ridge.

Here, things got serious. Someone got in the stretcher. I mean, they volunteered, but still. We learned how the rescue team transport a casualty up steep and rocky terrain – we remain still on either side and pass the stretcher forward, hand-over-hand. As it moves along, those passing from the back eventually can’t reach it, so they head around to the front to keep caterpillaring the casualty along. It’s a gradual but safe method, very safe – I eventually became jealous of the volunteer and wished that I could be held in Tim and co.’s strong arms instead.

This rescue training, along with the scrambling that followed, was where I really got to put my gear to the test. Helly Hansen kitted us out, which was vital for the training – that team caterpillar move requires secure footing, and the HellyGrip outsole on my Switchback Trail Airflow hiking boots stuck to the sandstone like glue. The boots also breathed exceptionally well, which was another blessing on the high-temp climb.

Similarly, my jacket – the Odin 1 World Infinity – is ideal for the strenuous work. It’s super lightweight, the seams allowed me a huge range of movement, and the LIFA INFINITY membrane managed to keep me cool during the hot sections while still protecting me from the whipping winds as we ascended higher. I even popped the chest vent open! A great shell for layering over thick thermals or wearing solo for lightweight weather protection.

The MRT boys are wearing custom HH rescue gear; I’m told they’re in the Squad Jacket and Action Pant, two impressive garments despite their names sounding like a superhero/sidekick duo from the early 90s. The construction is based on the Odin Mountain collection but then tailored to the specific needs of mountain rescue teams, including a lot of smart storage space, a nifty hi-vis colour scheme, and purpose-built insulation which was tested and tweaked with the help of MRT volunteers around the world.

Led on by the brave mountain rescue trio, our rag-tag group of outdoor journalists scrambled across Stach Poly’s narrow but forgiving ridge – we even traversed the Bad Step thanks to some efficient ropework from the Assynt team. Just a hundred feet further and we arrived here, this view, the summit. I feel weightless.

My very first mountain, and I got up here easily and safely thanks to Tim, Charlie, and Ben. My arms and legs unbruised, unburnt, unbitten by the midges, and my toes unstubbed thanks to all the HH kit. Now we just need to carry that damn stretcher down to the loch, where I believe a canoe is waiting…