Cairn in the mist

Another glorious sunrise on Carnethy Hill

2012-01-22T21:35:00.000Z

Ok, back to what this blog is about....me in hills. Recently those hills seem to be the Pentlands - with work, weather and other pressures I've not been getting further away but that is OK. I've had some good times. Work has been tough and I am struggling with things at the moment, so these weekly escapes are vital.

I woke early this morning, about 4 am, my mind chewing things over from last week and thinking on the week to come. I dozed on until about 7 and then got up, driving out of town along to the layby jsut short of Silverburn and onto the Kirk Road. Last week all this was frozen solid. This time it was wet, a huge puddle that I had to avoid by a big detour. Then on up the path.

I turned to the right to head up Carnethy, stopping from time to time to snap the sunrise behind me.

As I got higher the wind got stronger and on the summit it was a battle to stand. It was one of those winds that takes your breath away, I had to turn my head away to breathe and did not linger on the tops, coming down the ridge towards the bealach, pausing briefly to greet a group of three guys on their way up.

It was glorious. Scald Law, the kips and East Cairn hill clear ahead of me. The wind battered me as I carried on down. Exhilarated and alive. In my head I was going over a couple of conversations from the week, thinking of how I could have handled them better, how I could have "won" but then I realised that it was all pointless. Winning is silly.

At the bealach I looked at the time and decided that there would be no Scald Law today. Fighting the wind and stopping for photos had taken time, so I turned and started down, heading into the sunshine.

It felt like a proper walk out, descending and then out on the flat for a while, finally getting back to the car and home for a bath. It set me up for the day and the rest of the week.

The book...

2012-01-21T09:11:00.002Z

Well my Facebook friends are probably sick to death of my status updates being all about Hillfit, but it has been an exciting week getting the thing out for sale and watching some sales come through. (All this was going on while I was having one of the worst weeks at work that I can remember)

What has been rewarding and indeed humbling are the good reviews from people that I admire and respect. I've collected these on the review page on the Hillfit site and there are a few others sprinkled through the main page to encourage sales.

Trying to market it has been harder that writing it! Plus it feels weird to be asking people to buy something from me and I keep wondering if it is worth the money. I think it is and it was great to read the review from Outdoors Magic which said:

It could, we think, be the best tenner you'll ever spend on the outdoors.

That was really encouraging.

If any reader has any ideas for marketing or would like to learn more about the book then please get in touch via a comment below or to my email chrishighcock AT gmail.com

Sunrise and sheep in the Pentlands

2012-01-15T16:37:00.001Z

I had a rubbish week at work. It felt like everything was falling apart. I am pretty tired after Christmas to be honest and at the back of my mind all the time are thoughts of my Dad and what we need to do for him. Work was really tough though long hours and messy problems. It wasn't helped to be stuck in on Friday which was a stunning day. At my desk I look West along Waverley Valley and the sunset on Friday was amazing.

I wanted or needed to get out on Saturday. I needed space and green and exercise in the hills. So we headed for the Ochils. Big enough for a challenge, close enough to minimise the drive. Unfortunately the weather had changed. By the time we were at Tillicoutry where we would park to head up Ben Cleuch, the cloud that we'd been watching as we drove over was low and it was drizzling. I was really disappointed that after the Friday and the weatherman's promise of a nice day, it was so rotten. My heart was not in a damp trudge in mist so we headed north, through Stirling to Callender hoping that the weather would lift and we would get views in the Trossachs or further on. It didn't. I was feeling more and more knackered and we gave up. We drove as far as Crainlarich and then back to Callendar for soup in a cafe.

This morning I woke early, thinking about work and feeling rubbish. But I could see a clear sky, so I was up and out and I am so glad that I did. Instead of the usual circuit above Hillend I went further on to park just before Silverburn.

It was beautiful. Quiet and calm but still cold - it was minus 1.5 on the car thermometer. I crossed the road and went through the gate onto the old Kirk Road. Normally this is a muddy mess and it was today too, but it was still well frozen so I got across keeping dry.

Looking behind me the sky was getting exciting!

Then it was the walk up to the gate and higher to the bealach between Scald Law and Carnethy. It was nice to be here. My and my thoughts. Work a long way away for now.

Behind me East Lothian was golden. The sun was on its way.

I turned left and started the climb up Scald Law. It felt easy, the earth below me crucnchy with frost. Looking to me left I saw the sun start to peek above the horizon, slowly at first and then quickly it emerged.

It was just me and the sheep witnessing the magic. The colours were stunning - reds and yellows, all gold and magical.

Perspective again. This is always here. Whatever else is going on there are escapes even for just a snatched hour on a Sunday morning.

I soon got the the summit. The trig here always comes as a surprise as you emerge on the flat summit.

Again I had the views to myself and soaked myself in them and their refreshment. Off to the Borders Culter Fell and the hills there were impressive. Below me around West Linton the fields were covered in morning mist. Crisp and cold.

It was something I needed.

Eventually I turned back. I didn't want to return to the car yet though and at the bealach continued on up Carnethy. At the top there is that sprawling wind break summit shelter. A guy came towards me and I said hello but he ignored me....which annoyed me but whatever.

Then it was back down one of the ridges of Carnethy to get back to the Kirk Road and the car.

Glorious. I am so grateful to have this on my doorstep.

A great walk. Domestic stuff this afternoon - washing and ironing. Then work tomorrow.

I've been glad to get the book finished and up for sale too. A fair bit of interest so far, which is good. If you want to find out more check out Hillfit.com

Hillfit:Strength the missing element in your training

2012-01-14T08:22:00.000Z

Well the booklet is now finished and available for sale. It has its own site at Hillfit.com, where I write more about it and give some testimonials / reviews from people that have read early drafts.

There is also a Table of Contents pasted up on that page. Hillfit.com has some buttons where you can buy the booklet. It downloads as a pdf file and is about 50 pages. I hope you enjoy it!

Alternatively you can just buy it now by clicking here if you like:
Click here to download the booklet.

If you have any questions or comments, either leave a comment or email me

Time for a day out

The ebook

2012-01-12T21:10:00.000Z

What do you think of the cover?

All this talk of a referendum

2012-01-11T21:21:00.000Z

Do you realise that a referendum in autumn 2014 would destroy me? We have the Euro elections in June and then it would be straight into the referendum. I would be working mental hours from February 2014 until late autumn......no holidays

Cheers.

Another Pentland Sunrise

2012-01-08T19:50:00.001Z

A bit of a catch up post I suppose. Christmas was tough. I must have driven about 1500 miles or more: to my parents then to Marian's mum in Wiltshire, then back to Edinburgh for Hogmanay and then back to the Wirral to see my Dad again and look at nursing homes. Family time was typically messed up, sometimes great and often frustrating. Seeing Dad in the hospital is horrible but it is the best place for him at the moment. I could post videos and photos of him here but that would not be appropriate.

I was back in work of Friday, getting a head start on the emails and preparation for this week. I am approaching another work and another election with a mix of excitement and horror. We will do it, we will run a good election for the city but there will be the usual stress, worry and pressures unappreciated by most.

Cloud coming in over Allermuir

So this morning I was up and off to the hills again. I've got to get back to the big mountains soon. This year I need more Munros. Repeats or new ones, it doesn't matter but I want to get some good trips in. Of course who knows what the year will bring. I have no idea what will happen to my parents and what I will be called on to do or see.

I parked at Hillend just after 8am and looking to the east there were hints of a nice sunrise. Although we are past the shortest day, the sunrise is still getting later. Nicely up to the ridge - my legs were sore from the 5K yesterday but didn't slow me. Unfortunately the sunrise was not as nice as it promised to be - the clouds were all wrong. Still it was good to be there. I always write that don't I?

my little rocky path

I went along the tops then back under the cliffs on my little secret path. Back on to the ridge then straight down.

It was a good start to the day. A good start to a week that I am not really relishing.

Loch Skeen

2012-01-02T22:28:00.000Z

The forecast was a bit rubbish today but we still got out for a bit. It was an easy wander up to Loch Skeen in the Borders, above the Grey Mare's Tail. I'd thought about going further and revisiting some of the Donalds above the Loch but it was cold and there was snow coming in, so after a cup of coffee from the stove we headed back down.

I always forget how much I like the hills in this part of Scotland. It is quiet but stunning with deep valleys and rolling tops often easy to navigate by following fences.

A nice day out, with some great light, especially as we were coming back down to the car and down Moffat dale there were some beautiful sunbeams.

I'll have to come back here more, it has been a while

Hillfit: Strength – the missing element in your training Fitness for Hillwalking, Hiking and Backpacking

2012-01-01T20:54:00.000Z

Just a quick one. In a couple of weeks I'll be launching a booklet that I have written on strength training for hillwalking. I'll post more information on it here as it progresses and also explain how you can get a copy.

A new year...the same hills

2012-01-01T19:18:00.002Z

It might be New Year's Day, but it was still a Sunday morning so I was up in the Pentlands, a little later than normal but still getting some of the sunrise.

I didn't go all the way to Allermuir, just along to Caerketton then back down the muddy path. It was good to be out though to blow away the cobwebs and to get the year started appropriately - on my local hills.

It was a tough year that 2011. Work was mental with the elections and referendum ..... my Dad got worse and ended up in hospital. There were good bits too. It was satisfying that the elections and referendum went well and we had some great mountain days. Blaven and La Maroma stand out in my mind as great days when I look back on the literal high points. Regular trips into the Pentlands kept me sane too and always delivered something - rest, refreshment or just some space. Getting the articles into TGO was great.

I've no idea what 2012 will bring. Some of it will be tough I am sure - my Dad will not be getting any better and there are more elections. I hope there are also good bits: hills, laughter, sunshine.

Happy 2012

2012-01-01T00:26:00.001Z

That is it then. Hope it is a good one for you, with fun, love, hills and happiness.

A wild sea

2011-12-26T20:29:00.001Z

A boxing day walk. It was wild watching the sea stirred up by the wind and coming over the wall.

So this is Christmas

2011-12-25T08:07:00.001Z

Hope you all have a good one.

Winter Sunrise in the Pentlands

2011-12-18T19:16:00.002Z

Yesterday was spent in town, allegedly for a bit of shopping but I didn't do much. I made sure I got to bed fairly early though because I wanted to be out this morning. It was certainly worth it! When I got up it was still just about dark but looking out of the window I caught sight of a clear sky, stars still twinkling out there.

I got dressed quickly and out the door. The car thermometer showed it was just above freezing as I climbed up to Fairmilehead and then turned up an icy road to Hillend, jumped out and started up the hill. It was dawn twilight, a moon still sitting bright above the hills. Cold too until the climb warmed me up.

The moon was still bright above the hills and as I climbed higher I encountered more and more snow. Over my left shoulder to the east the sky was starting to crackle with gold. This was going to be special, the mix of snow and sunrise had me almost aroused as I went higher, anticipating what I would soon see.

It was wonderful snow underfoot - crisp but not sloppy - and I soon got up the the ridge. A runner went past me. I said hello and went back to taking photos of the sunrise, captivating now as the warn rays turned the snow orange.

Stunned by what I was watching I even took a video...forgive my repetitive drivel but I was loving the scene.

Then I continued along the ridge. Today in these conditions it would be all the way to Allermuir. I would stay out here as long as I could soaking in these views. The crescent moon above all this snow was wonderful.

Over Caerketton and then through Windy Gap before climbing up to Allermuir. At the trig point I stopped for a while rattling through more photos. The pictures never do justice to the hills but I kept trying to capture what I was seeing - the clean fresh snow, warm golden sun.

Over the the north the Ochils then the bigger hills of Perthshire, Ben Vorlich and Stuc a Chroin distinctive shapes on the horizon.

A nice final pull up to the top.

On the way up I was passed again by a guy running, with kit that had orientering club writing on it. We greeted each other and agree that the day was glorious.

The viewpoint plaque was crusty with frost.

The main ridge of the Pentlands - Turnhouse, Carnethy, Scald Law were all white with snow. Smooth and perfect with a moon above.

The barbed wire fence was also frosted, beautiful patterns of crystal hanging from it.

Eventually I turned and wanting to keep my height and the views i stayed on the ridge as I retraced my steps along the tops and then down in snow that let me bound, leaping through softness and heather. Wonderful. ALL THE PHOTOS ARE HERE

With La Maroma and Blaven one of my best days this year.

Probably my last trip in these hills this year. Christmas is coming which will be tough this year with my Dad in hospital and his mind who knows where.

Allermuir

2011-12-11T15:10:00.001Z

That was yesterday on Ben A'an

Last weekend I had not had my usual weekly walk in the Pentlands. I was down visiting my parents. My Dad is now in the hospital in a ward specialising in dementia care. It is hard to see him there and my mum just wants him home but it is probably the best place for him to be at the moment. It will make Christmas a bit strange.

It is a horrible disease but perhaps he is suffering less than we are. He is amid his own world, his own realities and our worries and concerns are not featured in them. I hope he is relatively happy in his worlds.

This morning I was awake and feeling pretty fresh, keen to get up and play in the snow on the Pentlands. Yesterday's hills were clear in my mind and I was looking forward to similar fun in the local hills. All the snow had melted though! I saw it was all gone as got to Fairmilehead then up to park at Hillend. Never mind.

I wandered up the hill at an easy pace. Behind me the streetlights were still on across Edinburgh.

streetlights still on in Edinburgh

To the east it was gloomy and dark - no spectacular sunrises today. It was warmer too, while it was windy it was not unpleasant on the tops. The usual guy was walking towards me at the usual spot and he said hello. I like the routine.

I walked the usual route, passing familiar personal landmarks, cairns and fences. I know these hills well and I enjoy that closeness.

Allermuir looking down to Glencorse Reservoir

I went right along the tops all the way to Allermuir, with its views down to the reservoir. I enjoyed being up there. It felt easy today and as ever I was grateful for the time and space at the start of the week to think things through.

What will the next week bring?

I was back in trail shoes today by the way. Yesterday in the snow I had worn boots for the first time in ages and I had forgotten how uncomfortable they are, how they make me so much less agile. It was good to be back in something light and bendy

Snow on Ben A'an

2011-12-10T18:45:00.000Z

I was supposed to be seeing Colin for a massage this morning, but his diary had got confused so we had to rearrange. Instead I had a nice bath and a big breakfast. A good and relaxing morning.

There was a good fall of snow last night though and I was keen to get out and enjoy it. The idea was to head up to the Trossachs for a quick trip up Ben A'an. We were up against the clock though with it going dark so early.

Heading up the motorway we were going through fog and it didn't lift really until we were on the shores of Loch Venachar. The car park for Ben A'an was not accessible - a tree had come down in Thursday's storm so we parked with a couple of other cars on the road and headed up the familiar path.

I know this route well, but in the snow still managed to take a wrong turn, following footprints....Eventually the approaching night caught up with us. We didn't have time to get to the top and back down, so we jsut took a few photos at the flat bit before the final steep steps / waterfall climby up part.

We took a few photos and then it was back down.

Everything was beautiful - snow hanging off the trees. It was a shame not to see Ben Venue through mist, but still just great to be outside. I simply love being outdoors in the hills.

windy

2011-12-08T22:09:00.001Z

It was a bit windy in Scotland today. I am not sure if there was a wee bit of an over-reaction or if it was all justified but the whole country seemed to shut down. We were effectively sent home from work at about 230pm. The police had imposed a warning such that you were not supposed to travel between 2pm and 9pm so I think work felt that they couldn't really encourage people to be out and about.

The roads were really quiet, but it was exhilerating to walk home, fast clouds shooting across an almost full moon, gusts banging me about with frightening force. Exciting stuff.

Interesting too how the storm was quickly christened Huricane Bawbag via Twitter.

Alistair links to some good photos of the storm.

and this made me smile

Further Review of the Paramo Men's Mountain Pull On

2011-12-08T18:10:00.005Z

I mentioned the other day that I had been offered a base layer to test from Go Outdoors and I had chosen the Paramo Men's Mountain Pull On.

The other Sunday morning I put it on for my usual constitutional up around
the Pentlands. I put some photos of that walk up here and here is a favourite:

Anyway, I was wearing the new top and thought I would do a short video to show you the Paramo top:

To summarise:

very well made - this feels like quality kit
it feels great next to the skin
I like pit zips
make sure you get one that is snug in its fitting - this one is probably too big for me.
there is no zip protector so be careful not to catch your chest hair in the zip.

The Paramo Mens Mountain Pull On - I like it!

The full range of Paramo clothes is available at Go Outdoors here.

Home

2011-12-01T20:30:00.001Z

I am away for a couple of days on family stuff, so a couple of photos from last weekend.

Windy on the tops

2011-11-27T10:07:00.001Z

It had been a stormy weekend. The radio this morning said that they had recorded a wind of 97mph in Glen Ogle last night. It continued this morning, but I decided to get up to the hills anyway as much for the exhilaration of the wilds.

I was there in time to watch the sun emerge from a small band of cloud just above the horizon of East Lothian. It was beautiful. I saw the usual characters and he even said hello this morning.

Wild indeed though and I did not continue to Allermuir, just dropping back down after Caerketton where I was having trouble standing up in the wind. No idea how strong it was but it felt as strong a wind as I've felt in these hills

I was again glad to have been up there, just for that hour. It was a long hard week. My Dad was finally taken into respite care. His dementia was such that mum couldn't really cope with him anymore. He was wandering, always wanting to go "home" where ever that was. More and more agitation, verging on aggression. I ended up intervening from a distance getting the social workers and mental health nurses to go round and do something. Heartbreaking though to listen to my mum and here desolation at being without him, even though she was at the end of her tether trying to care for him amid such devastating confusion. I feel guilty at what I've done, but think it was the right thing. She just wants him home, wants him to be well. He may come home again, but he will never be the man she knew. It is all so cruel.

As I've said before, it gives a lot of perspective to the rest of life and its petty politics and conflicts.

Edinburgh Sparkles

2011-11-26T19:22:00.001Z

They have done the Christmas thing to Edinburgh again. The castle always looks good.

Stormy

2011-11-26T19:18:00.001Z

Just to get out of Embra we pointed the car north to drive down Glen Lyon. It is an annual autumn pilgrimage but this year we were too late for the colours and most of the leaves were on the ground.

It was still pretty though. Wild weather made for an exciting drive.

It was interesting to see the old national trust car park for Ben Lawers totally destroyed.

New Base Layer: Paramo Men's Mountain Pull On

2011-11-22T23:30:00.001Z

Well the nice folks at Go Outdoors (thanks Adam) have sent me a new base layer to try just in time for the colder weather.

With winter on its way, I was offered my choice of fleece or baselayers and was spoiled for choice.....

I have opted for a Paramo one - a brand that I have always coveted but never yet bought. Paramo have a really innovative approach to clothing that is pretty unique.

I will try it out on the hill this weekend but so far I have been impressed by the quality of the thing, with zips at the arm pit for ventilation, a nice deep zip at the neck and overall excellent workmanship.

I am looking forward to trying this out!

Pentlands Sunrise

2011-11-20T14:23:00.002Z

I didn't get on to the hills until after 8am this morning and looking out of the window earlier I thought I had missed the best of the sunrise. I was indeed too late for the broad pink sky that I saw from my window but I still some some amazing displays.

Walking up next to the ski slope there was still some excitement in the sky.

I went striaght up Caerketton (14:18) in a good time then spent a few minutes taking in the views around me:

It was pretty impressive.

I even took a quick video. It was windy as you can hear. I am also looking very tired!

Then it was along the tops all the way to Allermuir.

I saw the same guy that I mentioned last week. I tried to get beyond a kurt "Morning", to a more friendly "Hiya", but there was no conversation.

I was reading another blog the other week where a guy was posting about Allermuir Hill. It is interesting to see how other people view these hills that I know so well.

Anyway, a nice start to the week.

Dumyat

2011-11-19T19:13:00.003Z

On Dumyat

Dumyat - how is this pronounced?

Today we'd meant to go a bit further north for a bigger hill, but I got caught up in telephone conversations with my parents, trying to sort out a crisis from 230 miles away. Chatting to nurses and doctors from that distance is so frustrating. I even considered going south to try to help out, but in the end I think things resolved.

So what to do with the rest of the day? It would be dark by 4pm.

Time was running out and so I suggested Dumyat in the Ochils - a nice little walk with good views over the Forth plain.

By the time we got there, the sunshine of Edinburgh had turned into gloom. The bigger Ochil hills were deep in mist. The views would be limited.

We parked on the Sheriffmuir road already at some height and headed over muddy ground on a well trodden path to the top where a brazier was set up to hold beacon flames.

The trig point looked down on the meandering Forth. The Wallace Monument was there, looking small and insignificant. We were also high above the castle, the Great Hall painted in a strange magnolia colour very visible from this vantage point.

It was a popular afternoon's walk - there were lots of people around and it is always nice to see families taking kids into the hills. I hope they enjoy the movement, the space, the hope that the mountains provide.

Just being out for a couple of hours was good, green exercise. A nice break from the current stresses and worries. With my parents and my job things are getting me down at the moment and I am not sure when something will give out. It is making these weekly escapes to the hills absolutely essential. Green exercise by the way is the topic of the next piece I am writing for TGO, how exercise outdoors has massive positive psychological impacts. I need them at the moment.

The Berghaus Knoydart Jacket a few months on....

2011-11-15T18:48:00.001Z

A few months ago I put up a quick review of a jacket - the Berghaus Knoydart - that I had been sent to review by Go Outdoors.

This was only in the Pentlands, but it was a wild day.

After 3 months or so I thought I'd put up a qucik update on how it has performed in the last few months. I have had it on the hill and also it has seen pretty regular use as my normal day to day
coat that I put on whenever I go out the door.

On the hill it has performed well - waterproof, well fitting and with reasonable breathability. Nothing really breathes but this is as good as I have experienced. The fit is good too, with decent well placed pockets.

My only complaint has been the zip. If you miss the bottom socket of the zip it can get jammed and there is that moment of panic that you have ruined the zip mechanism. I have become very aware of needing to be extra careful each time I do the zip up to make sure that I have it placed correctly.

and at work

More than that though this is perfectly serviceable as an everyday about town jacket. It works well on the hill as a proper mountain shell, but I have used it much more as an everyday outdoor coat to be put on when ever I leave the house. Much of the last few months has been wet so I've had it on each day going to work. For that it works well - it is waterproof, looks smart and has enough pockets and storage for phone and other bits and pieces. The colour is stylish enough - my boss told me it looked good!

I have always been pretty frugal when it comes to buying outdoor gear and I had generally perceived Berghaus as too expensive for me, but for the price this jacket is outstanding value. I'd happy pay for this if I was looking for a new waterproof.

To summarise, a very good jacket for the price.

Go Outdoors have a Berghaus brand page if you want to see other Berghaus products.

Definitely just a cairn in the mist

2011-11-13T09:37:00.001Z

Up in the Pentlands this morning for a quick walk / jog. After yesterday's impressive sunset I was hoping for a good sunrise, but it was not to be. The mist was down when I went up so that all along the ridge it was spooky and wild, the wind blowing the cloud all around me.

I took a photo of the cairn in the mist. (15:30 today)

It was a good blast being up there for a bit. It always is. I saw the guy that I always see marching along the tops, each Sunday morning. He is there every week, in a big anorak and boots at this time on a Sunday morning....I like that familiarity, the regularity of it.

Oh well.

Off to watch the remembrance thing now on the High Street

South Queensferry

2011-11-12T23:19:00.001Z

The Forth Bridge at sunset

Nothing too exotic today, certainly nothing to rival the excitement of project 1111. My intention had been to do the Tinto Hill Race but I found that it had been booked up for the last few weeks. Years ago you could just turn up and do it but it is too popular now.

Anyway it ended up as a day of chores and shopping and then in the late afternoon a drive to South Queensferry for a walk along the shore.

It was nice to be in the autumn colours looking up at the bridges and the gradual sunset.

The colours were amazing as the day ended. I always like to be on a hill, but today with these colours being next to the river was special.

While the bridge is man made, it doesn't feel obtrusive. It is not an intruder on this place. It is so familiar, so natural here that it belongs.

Glen Lochay

2011-11-11T21:27:00.000Z

not me.....but it looks like Steve Fallon had a great day out!

Project 1111 - What and Why

2011-11-11T19:27:00.005Z

Sunrise from Cairngorm Lodge Youth Hostel

What was it?

The idea was to be at 1111m on a mountain at 11:11am on this day - 11/11/11, or if you are American, 11/11/11 ;-) (Or corduroy day if you read the Guardian! ) What a great number!

Beautiful Autumn colours

As the joke says, "There are only 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary, and those who don't!"

Wow, Loch Morlich looking gorgeous

It was a pocket sized challenge, difficult only in terms of timing really and having the motivation to get out the door. Something to add interest to a day on the hill and a singularly unique number. These little challenges, mini adventures, are great motivation!

Why?

Why not? I had read last year how someone had been up a 1010m hill on the 10/10/10 and I thought that it sounded very "neat". This year gave the opportunity to be even neater! (I am not sure what this

Ptarmigans

says about my personality.....) So I put the date in my diary and booked the day off ages ago. I had just about forgotten about it until a couple of weeks ago when I saw it in my diary and so I thought I had better plan something.

Where?

Initially I Googled "1111m munro" to see what came up and the obvious one was a Top in Glen Feshie - Sgoran Dubh Mor - at the magic 1111m. So the idea was set - head up there at be on that summit at 11:11am.

Looking back to Loch Morlich

However like all my adventures it didn't quite work out. Marian needed to be back in Edinburgh for 530pm and I wanted her on this hill too (although the idea of being single on this series of 1's was attractive) so we would need to be away from Glen Feshie by 2:30 Then we looked at the approach. I reckoned on about 2:30 hours to the top, maybe 3 hours. So it would be an early start.....and the weather was looking dodgy anyway....and possibly pushing it to get back to the car in time.....I needed the motivation from the One.

So after a bit of deliberation I said "Stuff it, lets just be AT 1111m, not necessarily on a summit." Given the weather forecast - very windy and cloud on the tops I wanted something easy....so it was Cairngorm. It ticked all the boxes - big and straightforward. It was my challenge....my rules.

How

That was another challenge. If it had been a summit then we wouldn't have had to worry about finding the right height. This was more complex. I do not have an altimeter and even with my great micro-navigation skills (!) I was not going to find 1111m on my map. iPhone app to the rescue and I downloaded Altimeter+ which promised accuracy based on GPS and some other top secret satellite calculation.....hmmm perhaps

We were off at 9am, Ptarmigan restaurant at 10 for a wee and then on up the hill again. I checked the height at about 1030am and we were well past it

what great light

so rather than hang round for 40 minutes we battled up to the top of cairngorm - very very windy - and then got blown back down. Seriously one of the windiest day's I've ever had on the hill. I crouched behind the cairn at the summit and the altimeter said 1245m - spot on - which was reassuring.

I checked the height and found a point where depending on how I stood the elevation wobbled between 1109 and 1113. It would have to do. Then wondrously it hit 1111m! at 11:08!

The Ptarmigan Restaurant

cloud and wind

It was then all about waiting for THE time ..... and I even got a photo of the height of 1111m at 11:11 on the phone. Of course it was not that accurate but all this is a bit arbitrary and random anyway! We enjoyed it and were very impressed by the neat numbers!!! Very tidy

What did I learn?

Erm....it was wonderfully pointless! There was no mystical oneness. We impose meaning on all our experiences. This gave a short mountain walk even more meaning. It was nothing special in terms of athleticism or endurance......but it is something that I will always remember, something unique. I love being in the hills and this was just another excuse to be on a big mountain, getting blown about, away from my desk and the worries of work. It was a modest achievement, unique really. Of course all these

1111m at 11:11 on 11/11/11

numbers are quite random, chance classifications that only happen to be consistent....to give the corduroy number of 1111.....but it was all very tidy, very neat......and I liked that!

The rest of the photos are on Picasa if you are interested.

Project 1111m

2011-11-11T18:07:00.001Z

Just to prove we did it....

The altimeter on my iPhone - Ok, I know it wasn't that accurate - showing 1111m at exactly 11:11am today, 11 November, 2011 or 11/11/11

I'll write it up later.

Perspective

2011-11-08T07:40:00.001Z

I have another blog which is a fair bit more popular than this one. Usually I keep the two worlds apart and it is pretty easy to decide where to post particular things. This one gets my reports of days in the hills, holidays and introspection. The other one has various fitness bits and pieces, some of which are background to the TGO pieces I am doing.

This last week I was down south with my parents - a tough and emotionally draining week - and ended up posting a couple of the introspective style posts on the other blog.

For completeness and neatness I will link to them below:

It does not matter.....but it matters a lot

I've got things to do and life to live

It is hard being back here at work, but I am taking to heart some of the things written there. I want to keep perspective, to be aware of what really matters.

Merseyside sunsets

2011-10-31T16:35:00.001Z

Between visits to the doctors and visits from the nurses I managed to get Dad out for a walk along the sea wall.

His gait is slow and awkward but it was good to be outside, looking at the sea and birds swooping across a dramatic sky.

Just a couple of hundred yards, holding his arm as we went along was a fine use of 15 minutes.

A few photos.

Dementia

2011-10-30T16:43:00.001Z

I mentioned in the last post that I was with my folks this week. Dad has dementia and a few other problems. It is cruel what the disease does. Frustrating to watch my mum deny it.

Let's enjoy those hills while we can. The clock is ticking.

No hills

2011-10-29T23:57:00.001+01:00

No hills this weekend. Instead it is other challenges. I am spending some time with my dad which in itself is tough, a mountain to climb.

Ventas de Zafarraya - the album

2011-10-26T23:02:00.000+01:00

I might as well put up all the photos of that day.

The Gates of Zafarraya

2011-10-26T22:57:00.000+01:00

The day after our trip along the Rio Verde we were up again, this time heading back West, towards Velez Malaga and then climbing back on the road we had taken to get to Alhama de Granada. Again we climbed the twisting bends to get to this high pass, the twin mountains marking a distinct gateway from the coastal lands to the higher fertile plains.

We had another day of walking with John and we told him that we were happy to go whereever he liked, even to try out new walks he had not done before. So here we were, testing out a new route.

Popping out over the rin of the pass we parked on the very edge of the dusty village of Ventas de Zafarraya and started along the old railway line that has been converted to be part of the GR7. Just at the start of this track, we spotted a newly constucted trail off up the hill, the Sendero tajo de la "U".

This led in some big sweeping climbs to a couple of viewpoints high on the hill. The view north was stunning - a big agricultural plain, surrounded by a mountains, capturing the fields as a bowl.

On the way up we watched some vultures swarming the heights and then were amazed to watch an eagle swooping around us.

Soon we were up at 1015m, the Mirador El Pradillo. We had a good scramble around the rocks. Just before the top there was this weird feature - a big hole in the side of the hill.

It was a bit scary to look through it and down to the valley below.

Beyond the mirador there was a tempting ridge which climbed off to the top of the hill. Both Marian and I were keen to scramble along that ridge to get the top, but John was more interested in exploring a route back down across the side of the hill to hit the track. He is planning walks that are more accessible to a broader set of people and was concerned that the scramble might have been off putting.

We cut back down across the rocky hillside, every now and again intercepting goat tracks, then stopped at some more strange rocks for lunch.

Back on the track we fllowed it to the car. On the way we passed a dead snake and a dead goat. The goat was stinking.

From the track we could look up into that big hole in the hill.

It was some place.

It was a good walk, relatively gentle but with some great views, especially in the first climb up to the viewpoint with the fertile fields ahead and the huge birds swarming around us.

It was a shame that La Maroma was covered in cloud all day. It would have been good to see that huge brute from a different angle.

On the way back we headed up the side of Maroma, curling through the village of Alcancin to the Area Recreativa El Alcazar, to park at a small picnic area and look back to the pass

There was a big ibex statue here so we took the photos:

More from the Rio Verde

2011-10-23T18:06:00.000+01:00

John (from Pure High) has sent me a few more photos of our walk on the Rio Verde. These are better than the ones I took.

Sunrise

2011-10-23T10:51:00.001+01:00

I was awake early enough this morning with a few things going through my mind that I might write up here later to get them off my chest. I decided that I might as well do the usual and head for the hills.

I was just about in time to catch a bit of sunrise as I headed up to the top (15:18 but with stops for photos)

It was good to have this 45 minutes up there before the day begins, before the week kicks off and kicks in.

Autumn, Dunkeld

2011-10-23T10:17:00.002+01:00

Yesterday we were far from the sunshine of Spain. We did not get moving until late, but by mid-afternoon we were at Dunkeld for a walk in the Hermitage, taking in some awesome autumn colours. Marian's sister and her family were visiting and it was a good place to take them to show off the season's impact.

Last time we were here we watched salmon leaping up those rocks but there were none today, just a few kayakers messing about in the floods.

The colours of the leaves were stunning.

Rio Verde - the whole way

2011-10-21T21:59:00.004+01:00

Coming back had been an aim of returning to Andalucia with John.

We met John at his apartment in Nerja and then headed along the motorway to Almunecar, before turning left. We were in two cars, us following him, the idea being to leave one car lower down the river and walk back to it from the other.

We went north, up the fertile valley watered by the Rio Verde, always climbing past Jete and then Otivar, before we twisted on serious hairpins higher and higher, as the stunning views opened up.

We left his car in a layby and he jumped in with us as we carried on up the hills to find the parking place. We got out and got ready, soaking in the scenery. It is an amazing place. I cannot understand how this place is so under appreciated. For some reason it doesn't feature in many guidebooks. After briefly looking at the information board we took off down the path.

It was a year since I had been here last, but I had thought of this place often. It had sustained me, through some long hard days. So it felt familiar, as if I had been here much more recently.

This first stretch of path is wonderful you suddenly enter a different world, ridges appearing and deep valleys falling below you. It is special.

There is a point where a bit of rock juts out into the air, a small path cutting off up it. We hopped out up there and looked over the world below us. What a place.

Then it was back on the path as it cut down into the valley of the Rio Verde and the too perfect pool of water which falls over the petrified trees. We revisited the cave behind the waterfall, taking doomed photos of the geology.

We chilled here for a while taking it all in. John took some video for his website. Marian explored the cave. I was just stunned by it all - all of it. Even the amazing little lizard hiding under my bag.

We carried on, this was where it was different from last year. We were not returning to the road in a big loop, but going along the whole length of this river. After the waterfalls which had cut through the limestone cliffs, we climbed high above the river, looking over the steep cliffs opposite, sometimes spotting ibex in the greenery.

Then it was down on a fine path to the river below, where we had lunch. I took my shoes off and paddled in the water. It was a paradise.

After eating we carried on along the river. Crossing it back and forth. Sometimes struggling up mossy paths through undergrowth. Sometimes, crossing the river on adventurous bridges.

Again we climbed high above the river. Looking down it was obvious that there was no way along it down there. We found constructed platforms high on the hill looking out over the surrounding landscape. John checked the position on the crap Spanish map.

And we were off down again to find the river, finally meeting a spot where John had been before on a trip from the other end of this walk and we headed off through a majestic gorge back out towards the road.

The fun was not over as we had to climb up a hillside which had become overgrown with thorns and scrub since John's last reconnaissance visit.

Marian picked up a good few scratches on the trip back to the road, but she was OK with that.

Coming up through an olive grove we found the car.

It had been a full day. Challenging but with such a variety of views and terrain.

I love this place.

I have not expressed myself well in this post. This was a long and varied day in amazing landscape which does't come across well in these photos. Words are not well capturing this one.

After cleaning ourselves up we got in John's car and then climbed the hill back to our car. It took a good 15 minutes or so to get there and we passed some paragliders, launching themselves off into this magical sky and swooping around.

A good day.

Rio Verde Slideshow

2011-10-21T21:59:00.003+01:00

I thought I might as well put up all the photos of that day on the Rio Verde.

Relaxing with more sunsets

2011-10-17T20:44:00.000+01:00

I am getting a reputation from this blog about all the wine that was consumed on this trip. Apologies there is a bottle in this photo too.

The afternoon, was spent reading and then I had a wander around the village. From the square behind the apartments there is a great view of La Puerta:

I carried on up into town and was stunned watching another sunset. The descent of the sun behind the palm tree was magical.

We had tea at a tapas place. The next day was another walk. Returning to a favourite from last year, the Rio Verde. But this time we were goign to do a longer walk and explore some paths that John had not yet been on. Exciting.

A Spanish Sunset

2011-10-17T20:10:00.001+01:00

After Maroma, that evening all we had to do was watch the sunset from the balcony. Wonderful. As ever, click on the photos for the high resolution versions.

Ah. Memories. I wish I was back there now.

Much nicer in the Pentlands this morning

2011-10-16T10:03:00.001+01:00

A nice sunrise. Last week's gloom and wind well and truly away. (15:13)

La Maroma slideshow

2011-10-12T21:19:00.001+01:00

La Maroma

2011-10-12T21:17:00.009+01:00

So to Sunday. This is what I had really been looking forward to, a big hill, a challenge.

Last year when driving back to the airport in Malaga I had looked to my right and seen the grey slopes of this brute and it had lodged in my memory. Later I read of how John had climbed it and looking at his photos I was really jealous; I wanted to be where he had been, it looked superb. Writing to John to plan the holiday, I mentioned this mountain and he was happy to put it on our agenda, if the weather was clear. Marian was a bit worried about whether she was fit enough but John reassured her that it was straightforward and we would take as long as we took.

We were up at 6am and picked John up by 7am. It was still dark as we drove along the quiet motorway to Velez Malaga and then off up the smaller road that we had been on the previous day going to Alhama de Granada. My head was clearer today! We turned off before the road began to twist for the Zaffaraya pass and toiled up another hill towards the village of Canillas de Aceituno, navigating the narrow streets to park in a small square.

At 7:45 am we were off on probably the steepest bit of the day, climbing the insane streets to reach the edge of the village and the start of the path. It was a weird twilight time before dawn and all was still. It was a good temperature also - cool but with a promise of warmth.

At the start of the path up the hill there was an information board explaining the history of this path. It was the Camino de la Nieve, the way of the snow. In years past this is where they would climb to reach the snow and carry it back down to the valleys to be used in refrigerating foods.

We started a nice easy climb through the idyllic pines and looking back the sky was already turning pink as the sun started its journey across the sky.

After about 20 minutes we stopped for breakfast. John had made bacon rolls and sitting on some rocks in what would be a great bivvy site we continued to witness the dawn.

John gathered the rubbish together and hid it behind some rocks for us to collect on the way down and we continued up the path.

Starting at the village was helpful. It sits on the slopes at 645m, so the climb to 2069m at the summit ends up being something like walking up Ben Nevis - a big walk but not an unusual day's ascent for a big day.

The path was well made and well trodden. I think it was for mules in the days when this was about moving snow and that made it very much like a stalkers' path - easy gradients so that the beasts can cope make for easy walking.

As we climbed following clear way marks, we came to a pine grove at a spring - the Fuente de la Rabita. There was another information board here that let us know we were now at 1050m. Nice - we were getting height quickly. Another 1000m to go - just a Munro!

As we went on the sun continued to rise. Looking behind us, wonderous views were opening up and the hills in the valley were lighting up behind Lake Vinuela. It was awesome. Sitting at my desk stunned by the politics and intrigue I keep remembering that I have seen things like this....that places like this are still there, part of the same world that I am living in.

On and on as the sun rose, continuing through little pine woods. Passing barrancos and cutting across the slopes of this great hill until we turned a corner and got a good view of her, a big dome summit with canyons cut out of her northern face.

Glorious. Marian kept spotting ibex. I saw lizards running into the grass. All the time cicadas were buzzing around, their blue wings disappearing when they froze on the ground.

The path carried on over ridges, climbing always with its simple gradient. Then we were zig zagging across the side of the hill, the sun well up now and the village far below. Looking down we were amused to see the football pitch, the only flat ground for miles. We walked by juniper bushes. I took one of the berries and squeezed it, the smell of gin oozing out.

Then my eye was caught and I pointed out the eagles swooping around, high over our heads, majestically. We were in his territory now.

Can you see the eagle? It is there

Marian and John stopped and tried to get photos of the bird but the camera couldn't catch it. Nothing could. I love this photo though - the two of them trying to get the eagle, both in the same pose, the mountain ridges behind them and that pure sky.

We popped out from the zig zag path at cliffs and it felt like we were almost there, but there was still a way to go. Again we saw ibex and continued on up.

Can you see the ibex?

The path wound its way across the hill and then it was the final pull to the summit. There were false summits on the way, but there always are. That is life I suppose.

And then there we were. A trig point, elevated a good 20 feet up just to make sure that you could see it! We sheltered in a little windbreak made of stones and had lunch. It had taken 5 hours to get up there which was OK. Marian was pleased with herself - she had made it. I was pleased with her too!

We had taken our time and enjoyed the walk, but that was fine. We took turns at climbing up to touch the trig point before we started down.

The route was the same way as we had climbed, but it all felt new. The sun was high now and it was hot - we were walking south into its strength. It was game of finding some shade, enjoying it and carrying on.

John was looking for new paths where he could take groups in the future, different ways down, fresh and innovative circuits. It would be good to be here more and explore these slopes with him. There is a lot to discover.

It was satisfying to look back at the hill and think "I've been up there". It is always good doing that.

Almost too soon were were back to the Fuente and then down through the woods again to the start of the walk. Then again the steep descent to the village, down the streets this time taking a slightly different route until we were in the town square. There was a sign pointing to the mountain.

That was where we had been. But surely it was more than 5k?

We were hot and sweaty. Tired but satisfied. It had been a fantastic day. Thinking back on this year two hills stand out: this and Blaven. however, I would easily put this down as one of my all time best day's walking. It was higher than I had ever been. There were animals and birds. I saw for miles - looking out over ridge after ridge of dramatic hills. It was warm. I was happy to be there. I was with people that I liked and trusted.

A great day the memory of which sustains me, as do the memories of many mountains. They carry me through and let me know that there is more than what I normally live through.

Some random hill pron

2011-10-11T21:10:00.000+01:00

Just a few photos that John sent me of our recent walks in the Sierras of Anadalucia. Beautiful.

From La Maroma looking down at Lake Vinuela

The summit of La Maroma

Looking over the sierras from La Maroma

Looking up at La Puerta

Alhama de Granada

2011-10-10T22:07:00.002+01:00

The next day I woke with a sore head. One glass of wine too many the night before I think. Still this was to be an easy day. Sunday we would be climbing La Maroma which would mean an early start, up at 6am so we could pick John up at 7.

Saturday then would be a restful day. We had decided to head north to the town of Alhama de Granada, which the guidebooks said had a number of interesting features. The drive itself was exciting and beautiful along the motorway to Velez Malaga and then on up through the startling Zaffaraya Pass. We would be returning here for more exploration.

The road zig zags to to 900 metres and then through this mountain gateway to a strange flat plain, agriculture everywhere. A total contrast to the rugged sierras from which we came.

The town of Alhama de Granada is dramatically situated on the lip of a deep ravine. It has an ancient history and was really developed by the Moors who used its warm springs for baths, much like the Romans did in Bath.

We parked in the centre and then reported to the Tourist Office, which the guide books said did free tours. It wasn't free but 2 Euros was a bargain. The young guide took us around the town to various churches and interesting sites, explaining it all in English and Spanish. The history, particularly around the civil was was amazing.

We had lunch of tapas in a bar, served by a busy dutch guy and then went out of town to the hot springs themselves. It was bizarre. They are now beneath a posh spar hotel. For 2 Euro we we led to a cellar where the Moorish baths remained. A girl talked at us in Spanish for a minute....we took some photos and walked out rather bemused.

It was a strange situation for these ancient baths.

Driving back we got to the reservoir at Embalse de los Bermejales. It was stunning and we parked and spent a while taking photos of mountains and the many fish swimming happily just by the dam wall.

Then it was the road which led to the end of the high plain and the dramatic descent down some of my favourite scenery past the route to the Rio Verde and down to Otivar.

Stunning.

Back to the apartment, food and an early night.

Back in the Pentlands

2011-10-09T10:52:00.002+01:00

sheep not goats

Well I was up early this morning and up to the Pentlands. It was a bit wild. Up on the ridge the wind was really strong.

There were no ibex but the sheep were out in force today.

I got up on to Caerketton (15:21) and then along to Allermuir where I sheltered for a minute behind the pillar with the viewfinder on it. The wind was strong and the tops further along the ridge - Carnethy etc - were nudging into cloud. I did not envy the runners who would be up there later in the Pentland Skyline race

I returned via the path under the Caerketton rocks getting a bit of shelter and then jogged down alongside the ski run. Back home after that for breakfast and a bath. A nice return to these hills.

Strange Political Comment

2011-10-09T09:57:00.000+01:00

I saw this stuck to a phone box on the Royal Mile this week. I have no idea what prompted it.

Coastal Walk - Cerro Gordo to Rio Miele

2011-10-08T19:14:00.003+01:00

CeThis is another post going over some walks from our recent holiday walking in the hills of Andalucia with Pure High Walking Holidays Spain. The holiday was a mix of various walks in the mountains with days chilling out in the village or touring the region a bit more visiting the sights of the Alhambra, Alhama de Granada and elsewhere.

Friday was time for another walk. This would be along the coast, a good change from the hills. Variety and contrast. Heather dropped us off at the Cerro Gordo one of the many look out towers along this coast that were used to watch for pirates and others, coming to attack the coast.

By the way, the weather this day was humid and hazy so the clarity of these photos is not always great. Later in the day the weather broke and it rained for a while.

We walked out behind the restaurant to the tower itself, looking down to the resort of La Herradura and out to sea. Coming back toward the restaurant we chatted briefly to an artist who was painting the coast, a dog excitedly running around her feet. Glancing at the canvas John quipped that he thought the dog could have done a better job at the picture!

We followed the road round the cliff for a bit then dropped down the the beach below via some interesting country where we saw more ibex and another tower. Marian kept spotting ibex which would then bound out of sight deep into camouflage. It was magic to see them tough. It was a sport over this holiday, spotting these creatures.

So it was over headlands and across beaches. One of these was a nudist beach which was funny. None of them were stunners and walking past fat, naked 60 year olds was not really pleasant! Amusing though. To be fair there were one or two ladies on the beach that might have raised something more than a smile from me!

Spot the ibex?

So it was a nice walk, very different from the hills but it was fun in its way.

We finally climbed back up to the road up the Rio Miele - Honey River. It was again interesting to be here. I'd been reading how this was a haunt of the anti-Franco guerrillas in the 1940s and a site of a landing when the US were still supporting the rebels.

Walking back up we passed olive groves and some fig trees. I plucked an olive squeezing it until I could smell the oil.

It was a good day, the views - towers and tits - different from the hills but exciting too. Back at the flat we relaxed again on the balcony. Wine and food finishing off another day.

Mountain Safety Day

2011-10-08T18:31:00.001+01:00

The weather was awful today - rain all the way, the nasty mizzly stuff. I was knackered from a first week back to work too so the local hills were not pulling me too strongly. Phil tweeted about an event in Stirling which looked interesting, so we drove up to MountainAid's Mountain Safety Day. It was a combination of a freshers' fair and a conference.

We wandered around the stalls entering the values prize draws and chatting to people. It was great to bump into Emily, the editor of TGO. After corresponding by email it is always good to meet in person.

We went to a fascianting lecture by Geoff Monk of the Mountan Weather Information Service. He was a bundle of energy, like Johnny Ball and his explanation of how he does what he does and why was really good. I asked a question at the lecture, but my main point was to thank him for the great service that he provides for free. His forecasts are superb and overwhelmingly accurate.

Rest Day and a glimpse of Maroma

2011-10-07T21:00:00.003+01:00

The next day - Thursday - was a rest day. Taking it easy around the village, we looked into the church and swam in the pool a bit. This was the holiday part - walk then rest, walk then rest. But always sunshine.

In the afternoon we took a drive over the road from Figiliana to Torrox and then round to Comepta and along windy mountain roads to the main road above Velez Malaga, dropping back to the motorway and then it was John and Heather's for dinner. Somewhere in the afternoon at another small village we pulled over to take photos of La Maroma, the 2069m monster of the Sierra de Tejeda. It was stunning. I wanted to be up there. I would be.

A circuit from the Nerja Caves up to the Fuente del Esparto

2011-10-07T20:48:00.002+01:00

Wednesday we were walking again. Marian drove the car down into Nerja where we picked John up and then headed on to Maro, parking under shady trees at the entrance to the Nerja Caves. Rather that heading up the somewhat familiar track to the El Pinarillo campsite / barbecue area we went down towards the coast and through Maro, parallel to the road before cutting under the motorway and following a dry barranco up into the hills.

It was warm and the walk was good and relaxing as we climbed slowly amid trees which generously gave us cool shadows to pass through. After 40 minutes or so we struck off to the right following a steeper path up onto the ridge above us, following in rough to an old ruined cortijo.

We stopped for lunch, taking in the view down to the sea and back over a greener ocean of trees below us. Magical. Why do I spend my life at a desk, stressed out by people and their expectations, my own expectations when there are hills all around me. Sometimes at work when all is chaos and deadlines I think of the peace of wilderness: that every day whether in these sierras or in the wilds of Knoydart there is peace.

Carrying on the 1500m height of Cielo leered over us. I was still hoping to climb this hill.

We dropped down to the track which climbed from El Pinarillo and zig zagged up the mountain's side, meeting it at a concrete garage, then continued on tracing out the shape of another ridge. Ahead were superb views of La Puerta. I was stunned looking at where we had been a year ago, wondering how we had managed to traverse those slopes.

It was beautiful and even now writing this and thinking of those hills I am lit up inside, almost aching to see mountains again. What has a week at work done to me? Off to the west ridge after sharp ridge of hills paraded before me.

Too soon we descended a steep path towards the Fuente del Esparto, a rather disappointing little spring, flowing through a grubby rubber pipe into a concrete trough. We played there for bit cooling off in the water.

Coming back round to the picnic site at the Pinarillo we dropped off to the right and entered another old dry barranco, this one deep and shaded almost like the Chillar gorge but dry. This took us on down towards the caves and we climbed out of the barranco to follow the vehicle track for the last kilometre back to the car.

Another great day. Warm and pleasant amid hills and in sight of mountains. This time they also had the tang of familiarity. It was good that we had been here before.

The Village Streets

2011-10-06T22:33:00.000+01:00

A few photos of the streets of Frigiliana. A beautiful village.

To the Alpujarras

2011-10-06T22:16:00.001+01:00

This is another post going over some walks from our recent holiday walking in the hills of Andalucia with Pure High Walking Holidays Spain. The holiday was a mix of various walks in the mountains with days chilling out in the village or touring the region a bit more visiting the sights of the Alhambra, Alhama de Granada and elsewhere.

Tuesday we went for a drive. Off along the motorway and then north towards Granada, turning off to head for Orgiva and then up to the villages of the Alpujarras: Capileira, Bubión, Pampaneira and Trevélez which at over 1600m was higher than Ben Nevis. We looked up at 3000m peaks and saw a small patch of snow somewhere up there.

Lunch in Capileira at a quiet place having the menu del dia with lovely gazpachio soup. On the way to the restaurant we passed houses with peppers hung outside, drying in the sun. Exotic, foreign and magical.

It was a wonderful drive. Superb views, space and light. Then back to Frigiliana to watch another sunset. It is hard being back at work!

Frigiliana to Acebuchal via El Fuerte

2011-10-03T21:39:00.002+01:00

John called for us and we set of straight from the apartment, passing through the pretty streets of Frigiliana climbing high to the old castle with its view deep into the cleft of the Higueron river as it cut beneath the village, scene of some bloody history:

During the Alpujarran rebellion of 1568 which extended throughout a large part of southern Andalucía, a fierce battle was fought in Frigiliana and ended with the complete explusion of the Arab population. Nearly 4,000 Moriscos (Arabs who had been baptised Christians) unsuccessfully defended the castle against the Spanish. Some of the Moors reputedly threw themselves rather than be killed or captured by the Spanish.

There is a sign here - graffiti on a wall in Spanish and English that amuses me, warning of wild donkeys that could bite.....

From El Fuerte to Acebuchal Sept 2011

We carried on through cool pine trees. Sunshine poured through the forest, while clouds covered some of the higher local hills. We looked down on the village and out south to the Mediterranean. It was good. Dropping down slightly to a small reservoir, we started to climb again up onto the ridge which led up to the local peak of El Fuerte - the tough one.

Feral dogs were barking as we continued on the mule track. I was thinking of the history of this place, not only the moors and moriscos but more recently of the guerillas who had fought a doomed battle against Franco into the 1950s. This rough and dramatic country had been the location for much violence and bloodshed.

El Fuerte stands at 976m but with Frigliana being over 400m the ascent was only around 550m and we soon approached the top, to sit and rest with amazing views all around. We could see deep into the sierras - sharp ridges topped today by humid clouds. In the corner of the eye movement occasionally revealed an ibex swiftly jumping away.

We sat by the crumbling trig point and had lunch then ignored the Fin de Sendero (end of the path) sign and headed on, following a ridge onwards and down towards the ghost village, Acebuchal. This was where there was more sombre history.

I had been reading a book the night before which John had lent me - Between Two Fires - which told the story of the guerilla war of the 1940s and 50s and its consequence for the villagers trapped between the rebels and the Civil Guard. Acebuchal was caught in the middle of pressure for help from local guerillas and the observations of the Civil Guard who eventually decided to order the local out to cut off supplies to the men of the hills. The village was effectively cleared and lay abandoned for 50 years.

We picked our way down on an intermittent path round trees that generously provided shade in the heat of the afternoon, landing on a rough track which wound down to the houses curling around the hillside.

The village is now reborn with a bar and some of the houses renovated as holiday lets, but when we eventually dropped down to it the bar was closed and all was quiet. Its history way heavily present. Scary.

Heather arrived in the car to meet us and take us back over the rough mountain road, back to the village and a night of food relaxation and thoughts of bandits in the hills, old mule tracks and doomed warfare.

Andalucia 2011 - getting there

2011-10-03T20:43:00.000+01:00

This is the first of some posts going over some walks from our recent holiday walking in the hills of Andalucia with Pure High Walking Holidays Spain. The holiday was a mix of various walks in the mountains with days chilling out in the village or touring the region a bit more visiting the sights of the Alhambra, Alhama de Granada and elsewhere.

We had flown from Leeds to Malaga, that airport having the cheapest flights and also those that arrived in Spain at the best time so that we could pick up the car and get to Frigliana where we were to be based for a couple of weeks. The drive south to Leeds has been wild - very wet and windy - the trip through the Yorkshire Dales via Skipton and Otley marked by a memory of cows rushing downhill to hide under trees sheltering from the downpour.

Friday night was a good time of catching up with Brett as he and Tre discussed Hee Haw sessions business. Saturday we were up and off to Leeds Bradford airport nice and small letting us get underway with ease. There was a hold up for a while on the runway as they cleared up some problem with the runway, but then we were off.

Then Malaga, picking up a great and cheap car from Malagacar.com and it was off to Frigiliana, the beautiful village where we had spent a week last year and to which we were returning. The motorway was superb giving me a good chance to get used to driving ont he wrong side of the road. John and Heather of Pure High met us at the apartment and got us settled then we were out for a meal.

Sunday was spent relaxing in the village - wandering around and swimming in the pool - then another drive down the coast to get used to the car.

It had been a tough year. Work was very stressful and we had both had hard family issues with parents ill or dying. Being in this warm and calm village so far from all of that felt good. Some of that stress started to lift. Looking up to familiar mountains was exciting and I was thrilled to think of the days to come.

Sunrises, Sunsets..... back in Edinburgh

2011-10-03T07:20:00.000+01:00

So I am back to Edinburgh and back to work today. At least there was a great sunset a few minutes ago!

We had a great couple of weeks walking in the hills of Andalucia and touring round a bit to visit places like the Alhambra and Alhama de Granada. We put together a tailor made programme with Pure High Walking Holidays Spain, revisiting some of the country we were in last year and also exploring new hills. The 2060m la Maroma was a high point physically and in terms of enjoyment. I'll write up the walks and add some photos over the coming weeks.

For now here is a photo from the balcony last week as the sun went down.

So it is back to work today too. Not really looking forward to it!

An easy day

2011-09-30T15:47:00.001+01:00

Relaxing at the end of the holiday. So it is a flight back tomorrow then a drive north. It has been good to be here and the return to normality is not attractive.

Holidays

2011-09-30T07:15:00.001+01:00

This has been a good couple of weeks in these great mountains. Varied in terms of the hills we've done from the peaks of Maroma and El Fuerte to the Coastal route and the amazing Rio Verde. But also varied culturally - Alhama de Granada was stunning and later the Alhambra itself alternately bored and blew my mind.

I've not totally relaxed though. Work worries seem to be peering at me from behind things. Concern about my parents and my Dads unravelling mind popped in and out of my thoughts all the time. My sleep was often disturbed - bad dreams driven by both those areas.

Still it has been good to have some sunshine, warmth and space.

I do like these hills. They are manageable for such big and rough beasts.

The Zafarraya Pass

2011-09-28T17:53:00.001+01:00

High above the coastal clutter of Torre del Mar a road winds in a series of hairpins towards a pass. Two great hills stare at each other across a gap, a chunk torn from their shared bulk.

Parking at the top of the climb before the road heads into strange flat agriculture, we headed off up the western hill - Tujo de cueva ? - stunned by the views and rock architecture.

Above us vultures swooped. Later a mighty eagle soared gracefully over out heads each time climbing higher.

Maroma, the brute of Sunday, was shrouded in cloud so we could not appreciate its size.

A great day.

Rio Verde

2011-09-27T18:21:00.001+01:00

Some of the things I saw today blew my mind. Petrified trees lodged in ancient waterfalls; brilliant blue pools of mountain water; ridge after ridge of sharp mountain ranges; deep gorges carved out by centuries of river flow; ibex leaping down hillsides; lizards playing round my pack.

What a walk. Still in Spain by the way with http://www.purehighwalkingholidaysspain.com/

La Maroma

2011-09-26T16:42:00.001+01:00

I will write more about this later, but yesterday was one of my best ever day's walking. We ascended the 2069 m mountain, La Maroma which looms over Velez Malaga on the Andalucian coast. Away from the tacky tourist spots there are quiet and rugged hills.

At over 2000m she us a beast, but a start from about 645 m makes the ascent something similar to Ben Nevis. The heat and the wildlife- plenty of ibex- make it far different from Lochaber.

Wonderful

El Fuerte 976 metres

2011-09-19T16:44:00.001+01:00

A first day in these hills saw a fairly short day going from the village up to the local peak of el Fuerte.

While there was cloud on the higher hills the views were special but all the senses were involved not least due to the smell of rosemary.

Nice to be here in the warm.

Carrick a Rede Rope Bridge

2011-09-13T22:59:00.004+01:00

I'd already mentioned our visit to the rope bridge at Carrick a Rede. Here are a few more photos that give a better impression of the rock scenery and the bridge with the sea below.

It is an interesting place with some real history - apparently originally used for salmon fishing off the coast.

Again it was somewhere for tourists, but - as Leonard Cohen sings - " that don't make it junk". The tourists come because it is a good place, dramatic and exciting to walk over the bridge to an isolated island to stare out to wild seas.

Scotland is so close. You can see Islay and the Kintyre peninsula pointing towards you. There is a sense of the sea connecting these places rather than separating them.

The Giant's Causeway

2011-09-13T22:38:00.001+01:00

Last Monday we were on the Antrim Coast - the Carrick a Rede Rope Bridge and then the strange landscape of the Giant's Causeway.

The rock formations are fascinating - long columns with regualr geometric shapes. The information boards explain it all in terms of the cooling of prehistoric mud. I am more convinced by the explanation which involves giants from Scotland.

It was a busy place, hordes of tourists from all over the world - american, german and japanese accents mingling together as people took photos of the famous scenery. I'd been warned that it would look smaller than we would expect. Perhaps it was. I am not sure what I expected. It was a special place though and I understand why the government is developing it so much with a big new car park and visitor facilities.

We had a walk along the coast, following a path under the cliffs past huge columns which looked like an abandoned pipe organ. Then a climb to the cliff top and a path to the car.

We headed back to Bushmills for a cup of tea then the long drive back to Newtownards in heavy rain. No big walks but it was a nice day and a nice trip

West Kirby

2011-09-11T07:22:00.001+01:00

A weekend visiting my folks, helping with domestic chores-like fitting a new bathroom carpet- and just spending tome with them. Sometimes it is so frustrating, dealing with dementia.

In the afternoon we ended up briefly at West Kirby. For a time it was sunny, but a great rain shower had just passed and more was to come.

Hilbre island was clear and close, a string of walkers making their way back across the sands.

It kicked off memories of going out there as a child racing the tide on the return, my dad having to carry me as we cut our feet on barnacles. Fine times.

More exotic hills to come soon by the way.

Dementia

2011-09-10T10:45:00.001+01:00

It is a cruel condition. He is confused we say but that doesn't cover the puzzlement and dislocation, time slips. He is who he always was, but so much has gone. Layers of self, experience and memory peeling away.

It is so sad and unfair.

Northern Ireland 1

2011-09-07T22:47:00.003+01:00

No real walking to report - we were over in Northern Ireland at the weekend for a friend's wedding on Saturday. We did some touring though - after the wedding we went to stay with my cousin for a couple of days and explored the province a bit. On Monday we went up the Antrim Coast and visited the famous rope bridge at Carrick a Rede. It appears on those television adverts telling you to visit ireland.

The coast is dramatic - big cliffs dropping down into rough seas, breaking onto clean beaches. Off in the distance, closer than it should be, is Scotland. Islay and the Kintyre peninsula are so near.

We parked up and wandered along the path with all the other tourists and then across the bridge to explore round the island beyond. It reminded me a lot of Fast Castle where we had been on a windy day in 2009.

All these photos are off the phone. I'll put up some more later when I download them from the camera.

Next stop, the Giant's Causeway.

New TGO - October issue

2011-08-28T18:32:00.000+01:00

The new TGO - for October 2011 - is out now. I have a piece in on gait, trying to get some ideas over about efficient walking. We can develop strength and conditioning, but we also need to think about the skill of walking.

There is lots of other good stuff in there too with the trademark superb photographs.

Stob Binnein then Ben More - the back way

2011-08-28T14:35:00.003+01:00

The Summit of Ben More

During the week there were some pretty ominous warnings for this weekend – gales and rain were on the agenda apparently. This was to be a chance to get on to the hills with David – our first big walk together this year – and whatever the conditions, we would be going out. However I didn’t really put much thought into where we would be going until the night before and even then it was just to get a few quick ideas. The west was looking a bit better, so we would be somewhere there: maybe a Corbett down Glen Etive or something closer.

I was up pretty early Saturday and while sitting on the toilet in the bathroom I could hear the rain hammering down outside. Nice. I picked David up at 8am, still in heavy rain, and we headed north. It was good to chat and catch up a bit and while we passed through some heavy showers, as we got further up there were hints of brightness in the sky.

After a bit of debate we decided to turn off at Balquhidder to the end of the road at Inverlochlarig and to go up Stob Binnein then Ben More, from the South. These hills are usually attached from the north and that was how Marian and I did them a few years ago: a long unrelenting slog up the front of Ben More. Just before Crainlarich you usually see a load of cars parked by the farm as baggers head up the standard route. But there is another way, driving towards Strathyre there is a nice view to the West and you see Stob Binnein’s elegant south ridge sweeping up to the summit. It was a route that I had fancied for a while.

There is a handy parking place provided at the road end and a sign points over a stile towards Stob Binnein. The rain had stopped but big cotton wool clouds were hanging in the glens unmoved by any breeze. The predicted gales were not here today. The path took us up steadily to about 700m through gangs of cows and calves who were eyeing up suspiciously. A quick bearing took us onto the ridge and a little cain at 880m.

The weather was clearing now and before us we could see the long sweep of ridge off up to the top. Cloud was blowing through, light and fluffy, up over the ridge. Surrounding hills were covered but we had picked a good one here. We carried on a long the ridge, the path well trodden, but no other souls in sight. There were lots of sights to pick out, Loch Tay, Ben Vorlich, Lui and others. Killin and Crainlarich in fertile straths.

Just before the final rise to the top David shouted over and called my attention to three ptarmigans scuttling along from rock to rock, hard to see against the stones.

We stopped briefly at the top, the narrow summit so distinctive from distance feeling rather large. It was all just about clear now as we descended to the bealach in front of Ben More, meeting one or two parties who had come over the “usual” route. You lose about 300 metres and then climb back up to where you started for Ben More which really is a Big Hill at 1174m.

We hung about on the top for a while soaking up the views.

The hills were superbly rough, like Kintail according to David. There was some dirty weather coming though and we started down, back to the bealach and then down again, skirting round the base of the Stob to reach the boggy valley between it and the pair of Cruach Ardrain and Beinn Tulaichean, following a steadily growing burn all the way back to the farm.

We called in to buy some local venison and the farmer told us there were no eggs since a fox had just had his chickens, despite the shepherd shooting 70 foxes in the year. He told us of the dangers of wild animals and enthusiastically was in favour of shooting the lot of them by the sound of it. Nice guy though and friendly. He made sure that knew how to cook the venison I bought or else it would be like chewing shoe leather.

Back to the car and a drive home via the coffee shop at Balquhidder station. A great day, tiring but worth it. Again no need to go to the more exotic hills, there is so much in these hidden glens.

Backdoor Man

2011-08-27T19:41:00.001+01:00

Stob Binnein and Ben More by the backdoor.

I'll write this up properly later, but it was a great day. (Sorry for the stylised photo - I've been messing with Lightbox)

Walking / Trekking Poles

2011-08-23T23:28:00.002+01:00

I just thought I'd link to a post on my other blog about walking poles, that some who read this might find interesting.

Back in the Pentlands

2011-08-21T18:24:00.001+01:00

I felt like an adulterer two-timing these hills yesterday for the delights of the Campsies. So this morning I wanted to get back up where I was supposed to be. Just for a quick walk onto the tops above Hillend.

There was a guy behind me "running" up the hill but it was weird because he was going a lot slower than I was walking.

I am feeling pretty fit just now. Walking all the way I was up from the car to the first cairn on Caerketton in 15 minutes 40 seconds. As fast as I've ever done without running. Then it was along the ridge to Caerketton proper, crawling spiderman like up the last bit to have a bit of fun.

Then a nice jog down and some planks exercises at the bottom of the hill.

Dumgoyne again

2011-08-21T17:44:00.005+01:00

A few more photos from yesterday, although I'd forgotten my camera so these were just taken with my phone and sometimes the quality is a bit poor. You will get the idea though......

As I said, it had been a long and tough week and I slept well and long on Friday night, waking too late for the bigger hills and in any case, nothing had been planned. It was still too nice a day to spend it all in Edinburgh and so I thumbed through some books for inspiration, thinking of hills that I wanted to do but hadn't yet climbed. Dumgoyne it was then.

We parked in Blanefield and headed along the private road from the War Memorial. After a short while this became a good track that we followed for a couple of kilometres, before we cut off parallel with some forestry on an increasingly muddy path. Over a stream and then contouring round hte lower slopes of Dumfoyne, the smaller partner of the more famous Dumgoyne.

The path went under Dumgoyne itself and then struck straight for the top where we joined a couple who were happily sitting with a couple of cans of larger. The view over towards Loch Lomond was spectacular, with the Highland Faultline really obvious. It was all fresh fertile fields up until that point and then the mountains abruptly rise up studding the skyline.

We played the usual game of "Name that Peak". We were also trying to name that city, but with the sprawl of Glasgow it was not a hard game.

We dropped off the back of the hill and then climbed up Dumfoyne to get some nice photos of the volcanic plug of Dumgoyne. There is a lot of similarity with Arthur's Seat from certain angles.

On the way between the two hills a pair of mountain rescue helicopters flew over, separated by perhaps 3 or 4 minutes. I wonder what had happened, who they were carrying? Then in was down a fairly steep grassy slope to join the muddy path to take us back to the car.

It was a good day out. A new part of the country but with great views north to the familiar and dramatic Munros.

Work should be a bit quieter now for a while, although we are already turning to think about next year's elections. Still I should be able to get some holidays in now and a few more hills before winter rolls around. I don't know if I'll get any more of my remaining Munros, but it would be good if I could. No pressure though. We may get back to spain for some walking and sunshine in September too. Of course a lot of this is dependent on other things - my Dad is not doing well and I need to see him regularly as well, which takes up time.

I'd also like to get a long walk in, maybe finish the West Highland Way, I need to get from Crainlarich down to Milngavie - a couple of days walk.

Dumgoyne

2011-08-20T20:56:00.005+01:00

After a busy week - I had a by-election to run in Edinburgh this week - I woke up late and tired this morning. Thursday had been a long day at work from 6:15 am until after midnight and then on Friday it was the stress of the count. It all went well, but it left me drained.

This was a nice day though. I had coffee this morning with my pal Coli n Gordon who runs Edinburgh Deep Tissue Massage. We chatted about training and about the bits I am writing for TGO - it is great to have him to bounce ideas off and to keep me right ont eh more technical bits.

This afternoon we drove west and had a wander on the Campsies, not an area I know well. They are familiar Glasgow hills but I have been an Edinburgh boy for almost 20 years.

Dumgoyne was a nice little hill, with superb views north to Loch Lomond and the hills beyond. The Highland fault lone is so obvious up there.

I will post a few more photos tomorrow.

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Another product review - Invisible Shoes

2011-08-14T19:18:00.000+01:00

I've had more stuff to review. This time it is some Invisble Shoes. The review is on my other blog, but here is the video.

Testing the Invisible Shoes from Chris Highcock on Vimeo.

On your bike

2011-08-14T09:20:00.001+01:00

Last week weatherwise was a bit of a wash out - floods around the country and a few days of persistent rain in Edinburgh. While it was a little better on Saturday it didn't look good for big days up north so it was a more gentle day.

I was up relatively early to visit the butcher - with work I can't get there in the week, so if I want decent meat and eggs I need to go on a Saturday every now and again to stock up. And I do like decent meat and eggs.

A breakfast of kidneys, black pudding, mushrooms, edoes and duck eggs followed, fried in coconut fat. Excellent fuel.

We'd been invited to the 1st birthday party of a friends' little girl in the afternoon and rather than have a totally lazy day I decided (suggested anyway) that we should cycle out to their house. They live just outside Linlithgow which is about 20 miles away. It is a pretty straightforward ride though - the canal goes between Edinburgh and Linlithgow so there is a good level path for cycling all the way.

We were riding into a headwind as we went out there which took a bit of effort at times and while the forecast had been for a fairly dry day we were caught in a few heavy showers. Thankfully each shower came through when we were sheltered by trees so we didn't get too wet. We did get very muddy though - the wheels throwing up loads of mess from the path.

Cyclists, runners and dog walkers were out enjoying the day and there was also a lot of wildlife along the canal, well birds anyway. It was a good ride out past Ratho, through Broxburn and finally into Linlithgow where we headed up the hill and for the final mile or so into the fields where Jay and Sarah live in a house which today was full of one year olds and their parents. It was a good ride, but further than I expected and it was good to get there and have mug of tea and some of the food that was laid on for the adults - baked sweet potatoes and some cheese were very welcome.

Time went on, as we played and chatted and as the weather was still dodgy we wimped out of a 20 mile return trip through the mud and decided that it would be the train back to Edinburgh, so we were back down the hill to the station and on to a busy train full of folks heading for a night of entertainment at the Fringe.

We sped through the country, 10 minutes or so flying past the scenes that we had been riding through and in a few hours before.

It was a good day out - different muscles a different experience from the normal.

Not many photos for this one - it is much harder to take regular pictures when cycling as opposed to walking.

An evening stroll in Pentlands.....

2011-08-03T22:09:00.000+01:00

Tonight it was a quick walk in the Pentlands with David. He and I have done quite a few hills together and it was good to be out with him again.

We had a fine chat talking through what we had been up to recently - our families, our work, hills we had done. I told him of our recent walks in Knoydart and Glen Dessary. It was a pleasant evening.

We parked at Flotterstone and headed up over Turnhouse then up Carnethy. The views over midlothian were clear but out over the Forth there was a bit of a haar rolling in.

These are nice hills, a bit of wildness on the edge of the city. The light was starting to go so we dropped back down to the bealach and then turned north to meet the burn which runs parallel to the road down to Glencourse Reservoir, where there were fish jumping out of the water trying to get at the midges.

Then, in gathering gloom through the trees and back to the car.

It was a good evening. A couple of hours grabbed from the week.

Sgurr Mor - a perfect day in the West Highlands

2011-08-02T21:46:00.000+01:00

Friday afternoon I was at my desk, alternating between working and day-dreaming about where I would rather be. A glance at the weather forecast webpages grabbed my attention....it was looking good. I called Marian and said I was leaving sharp and we were going North. I talked through some options but really I had already decided where we were going. I got Marian to call the Great Glen hostel and we managed to get a couple of beds. By 530pm we were on the road heading up a familiar route, Callendar, Lochearnhead, Crianlarich, Tyndrum.

We stopped at Morrisons in Fort W for food and diesel. It was good to look up from the car park and to see Ben Nevis clear and proud in the sunshine.

On up past Spean Bridge and along the shores of Loch Lochy to the hostel where we checked in with Clem - he has his beard back! - and then cooked some dinner before a relatively early bed.

Saturday it was up at 7 and an early breakfast to be out sharp, heading back south and along the roller coaster road along the side of Loch Arkaig. It look the best bit of half an hour to get to the end of the road where there were already a bunch of cars parked.

We got out and started to get ready, pausing briefly to chat to a couple who were heading in to bag a Corbett somewhere in the depths of Glen Kingie. Then it was off down the track in brilliant sunshine. It was a track which we could have cycled down, off to the glorious west. Just before Glendessary Lodge there is a path cutting off uphill shadowing a burn, a path which climbs nicely to a wide boggy bealach. Then it is down to the the River Kingie. In spate this is a tough river to cross, but this day it was easy to walk across.

We stopped for a snack before heading up steep slopes to the ridge. It took a while, but each metre o height opened up more views - the broad sweep of the Glen going out towards Fort Augustus, the Glenfinnan hills, even Ben Nevis.

As we attaiend the ridge there was more - Glen Quoich outlined in silver sand. Soon we were at the top and I was stunned by the view - it was Knoydart. I started naming all of the hills.

Beinn Sgritheall over Loch Hourn and the unique shape of Ladhar Bheinn. Luinen Bheinn and I traced out where we had descended just a few weeks ago. Sgurr na Ciche was the poser here - big pointy and proud. Skye was there too, Rhum and Eigg. This is a special place and one to which I will return.

I could have stayed here forever, soaking up this place, this view. Where else would I most like to be? But time was passing and we returned as we had come. Down and up and down again walking in bright sunshine, feeling the breeze and even enjoying the cooling water on my feet as I walked through the burns.

So that was it. We got down and drove back along Arkaig. Too tired to come back home we got a B&B and after a meal in the Commando Bar at Spean Bridge we collapsed to sleep well.

Those views remain in my head, burned on my retina. At the moment when I close my eyes I still see that view of hills looking into Knoydar. I hope that remains for a good while.

Review: Berghaus Men's Knoydart Waterproof Jacket

2011-08-02T20:55:00.006+01:00

Go Outdoors have sent me something else to test and review, this time it is one of their mens waterproof jackets.

This waterproof is a berghaus one: the Berghaus Knoydart Jacket.

It arrived yesterday and I just picked it up and carried it home - it was too hot for a waterproof.

I am not really a gear geek. Some outdoor bloggers seem obsessed with gear but while I like it, I often feel pretty guilty about spending that much cash. So, while some people would have weighed this and analysed the stitching, I'll just talk through how I've used it today and what I've thought of it.

This morning, I was woken early by rain bouncing down. Edinburgh was drenched. I picked up the jacket as I was leaving the flat and headed out for the bus.

It is only a few minutes walk to the bus stop but the rain was heavy and it was good to see the jacket shedding it well, the water beading on the surface of the coat as it is supposed to do. I jumped on the number 23 which was just coming to the stop as I got there and must have looked a bit wierd taking photographs of my jacket to try to show you the beading of the water.

It rained all morning but at lunchtime I headed out for a walk around the block. Down to Holyrood Palace and then up the Royal Mile before dropping down St Mary's Street, climbing up the new Scotsman steps and then back to the office down the High Street.

The drizzle was still thick in the air, although it was not putting off the tourists and performers on the Royal Mile. The Jacket kept me nice and dry though.

I had the hood up, which fitted well. There is a volume adjuster on the back which with a quick tug made the hood nice and snug.

Over the day the rain continued, but just as I was going home, things brightened up and as Marian met me for the walk home the sun was out and we wandered back via George Square which is all getting set up for the Festival. I got her to take some photos of me in the jacket, me trying hard not to look too much like a model in a Grattan catalogue.

But what of the Jacket?

I am impressed. I don't tend to spend much on kit and since I've been walking seriously I've only had a couple of waterproofs, a heavy Spraway one that I got in a sale and my current main waterproof shell, a Montane Atomic DT that I picked up a couple of years ago at 914 Outdoors. The Montane one is light but simple.

This Knoydart Jacket is of a heavier material, but is still a lightweight jacket. It is lined in a light nylon and there is a mesh pocket inside for your mobile. The zip is well made and smooth with flaps to protect it. The peak is not wired but I like that - it is still stiff enough to stay upright. The hood can roll away quickly and when it does it looks very neat. There is a pocket on the breast with a waterproof zip. It is relatively short too as modern jackets tend to be. I like them like this rather than thigh length.

I like it. It feels very new and clean at the moment though and almost too good to use on the hill! It will get out in the wilds soon, but at the moment it is a good jacket to see me through the summer downpours in Edinburgh.

If you are on the lookout for a decent waterproof at a reasonable cost I would certainly recommend that you take a look at the Berghaus Knoydart.

In Glen Kingie on the way up Sgurr Mor

2011-07-31T21:28:00.002+01:00

The write up will follow when I've sorted through the photos.

View from the top of Sgurr Mor

2011-07-31T20:24:00.000+01:00

I'll post a full trip report later, but for now here is the video from the summit. You will see that I was amazed at the view, with the hills of Knoydart especially clear. I was spotting the hills that we had been on just a few weeks ago, the view clear down to Loch Hourn.

Glorious.

Always a good sign

2011-07-31T20:18:00.000+01:00

I like it when I walk past signs like this. It is an indication of fun to come.

Streap

2011-07-31T18:09:00.003+01:00

A nice view from the window

Sgurr Mor -Glen kingie

2011-07-31T10:07:00.004+01:00

Superb day yesterday on this great hill. The views from the top into knoydart were what the west highlands are all about. Rugged point hills, lochs, sea and islands.

More photos to come when I get home.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Glen Orchy Corbetts: Beinn Bhreac-liath and Beinn Ulaidh

2011-07-27T21:55:00.001+01:00

We didn't get going until late on Saturday, not leaving Edinburgh until about 10:30. I've said it before, but all my 27 remaining Munros are a long way away now and not really day trips. So short days need different hills and this time I picked a couple of Corbetts that would give us good views.

Beinn Bhreac-liath and Beinn Ulaidh are well positioned, just near Bridge of Orchy, opposite the classic slopes of Beinn Dorain. Behing is Ben Lui and the Crianlarich hills ahead are the Black Mount and the Glen Etive Munros. Huge monsters, beauties all around. I'd say that they are familiar hills, but it is now a good few years since I was up all these and the familiarity comes from driving past them all so often.

It was busy going north - the first weekend of the English school holidays? - but it was fantastic weather. We got up to Tyndrum stuck in a trail of slow moving cars. Jsut before Bridge of Orchy we turned off down Glen Orchy into some peace, parked the car and headed up the hill.

We basically followed the route the Steven Fallon recommends - his website is a superb resource. The views were phenomenal, the clarity of the air was so good - everything standing clear and plain.

I enjoyed the walk, clear views, space to think to mull over different ideas. Near the top of Beinn Ulaidh there was some industry. There is gold in these hills and maybe there is mining going on?

Dropping down along the famous quartzite dyke was interesting, smooth and white rock. Down at the river things were boggy and we were fighting midgies.

It was a superb day - a real quality mountain walk.

Back to the car and home via the Real Food Cafe for gluten free fish and chips.

Ben More and Stob Binnein

2011-07-25T21:50:00.000+01:00

I am still sorting through photos from Saturday. Here is one of Ben More and Stob Binnein - what a clear day.

I sometimes think these hills are too familiar and close to home, always looking to get further north, but it is an amazing area that deserves some more exploration.

Ladhar Bheinn

2011-07-25T21:26:00.001+01:00

I just realised that I hadn't posted my photos of the walk up Ladhar Bheinn. Once again in the company of Steven Fallon this was a day of wonderful views and good chat.

I could narrate in poor prose the adventure, the boat ride and the climb into the corrie and onto the ridge, but I couldn't match the photos:

I will be back to this place

View from the Glen Orchy Corbett Beinn Ulaidh

2011-07-24T13:58:00.000+01:00

This was yesterday afternoon about 5pm.

Glorious

The Glen Orchy Corbetts

2011-07-23T23:21:00.003+01:00

Just back from a superb day on the Glen Orchy Corbetts of Beinn Bhreac-liath and Beinn Ulaidh. It was a nice little circuit but what made it were the views. The hills are slap bang in the middle of the Southern Highlands and the whole walk was amid familiar giants - Lui, Oss, Dorain, the Crianlarich Hills, Cruachan, the Etive Hills, the Grey Corries.

What made it more special was the clarity of the light. The views were so clear.

A wonderful day. I'll put up some more photos this week, but for now the photo above is from Beinn Ulaidh looking towards Ben More and Stob Binnein and the Crianlarich Munros.

A summer evening in the Pentlands

2011-07-13T21:40:00.001+01:00

It was a perfect summer evening tonight and I got out into the hills for a walk. It was fantastic, the light washing over these familiar hills.

There were some guys flying which was pretty exciting to watch.

What a wonderful place, so close to home. It is great to be able to escape up here. The big and remote mountains are fine and I love getting to them, but it is these familiar well-known hills keep me going.

August 2011 - New TGO

2011-07-11T22:13:00.001+01:00

There is a new TGO magazine out. I am at the front as a contributor this month and there is a piece from me on interval training to develop metabolic conditioning.

It is another really nice issue - great photos and good material.

No photos....

2011-07-10T23:20:00.000+01:00

I was down south for the weekend visiting my folks. I won't repeat the accounts of my Dad's gradual deterioration but suffice to say that it is sad to witness. It drives me to reflection on the need to act now, to generate experiences, memories and life.

Blaven - 24 June 2011

2011-07-05T21:18:00.001+01:00

This is all getting out of sequence, but so be it.

On the Friday after our trip up Ladhar Bheinn (I'll put that up next) we were up and greeted by a nice day. We had a leisurely breakfast at the Glenelg Inn and then headed off over the Ferry and back to Skye, looking to take advantage of the weather to get up Blaven.

Blaven was a new hill to me. Marian had been up before when she had a guided week on Skye but then she had had rubbish weather so was happy to get up again and actually see something. I'd actually been in touch with Alistair from the ebothy blog to see if he could join us, but he was working. He missed a good one.

The photos really speak for themselves on this one.

It was a glorious day. The path up into the corrie was good and we turned off and up the ridge with the views opening up behind us and out to the islands.

There were a couple of scrambly bits which were a lot easier than I thought they might have been but the architecture around me was awesome and the hill pulled me up.

From the summit the view was literally breathtaking. I've never seen something like this. All was clear to the sea, the mainland mountains, Ben Nevis. But what did astound - and frighten - was the Cuillin : close, serrated and scary.

We lingered for a long time at the top before a gentle walk down stunned by what we had seen, where we had been. It was a view and a day that will sustain me. It satisfied me but left me wanting more of this and less of long days in the office. It is days like this on which I will look back...not days of stress behind my desk.

Then it was Sligachan campsite - the breeze keeping the midges down for a while - and a nice meal. The rain came that night but it was the memories of the day that will last.

Mam na Gualainn (796m)

2011-07-04T21:21:00.001+01:00

After a nice relaxing evening in our new tent - lots of space in the porch to stretch out, read and cook away from the midges - it was a long night's sleep. Sunday morning was glorious - not a cloud in the sky. We were in no rush to get anywhere so it was a case of lots of tea and then bacon and eggs, eaten al fresco facing the spectacular view along the Loch.

After a bit of a lazy morning, we go the tent packed up and headed down to Kinlochleven and then back up the opposite side of the Loch, finding the layby to park in to give us access to the hill, just as described by Steven Fallon.

The route up was fairly easy, but steep at times. Still as we climbed higher the views opened up to give a vast vista over the Western Highlands. The sunshine was obscured now by some gloomy cloud, but that only added some drama turning Bidean and the Etive hills into Mordor. The cloud always stayed high though and the views were maintained.

The Mamores - and behind them Ben Nevis - were particularly impressive. What a fantastic view point! It was also fun to look down on last night's campsite.

As an alternative route down to avoid some to the steepness we just took a bearing for the col on the right of way over towards Glen Nevis via the West Highland Way, then it was a nice walk back to the car at the loch side in sunshine.

As usual the drive back was broken at the Real Food Cafe for a snack size fish supper and a pint of tea. Does it get any better?

Here is another cheesy video from the top

Tent Review - Vango Tent Model: EOS350

2011-07-04T19:37:00.002+01:00

Go Outdoors were kind enough to send me one of their tents to review. It was a great excuse for a weekend in the Highlands and we really enjoyed the space in the tent. Looking round the campsite there were a lot of Vango tents - I am not surprised - they are good value and well built. Not necessarily light enough for backpacking, but camping from a car they are find. Go Outdoors class this as one of their cheap tents but that makes it sound poor quality. It is a good product.

Anyway I asked Marian to write the review, since she had been complaining that my usual tent was too small! Over to Marian:

Vango Tent Model: EOS350

Our small two-man tent is good for basic camping in dry and insect-free weather, but really is a bit too small to be anything more than a refuge when the wind blew and rain came down, or else we had to evacuate to the car to escape the midges...... so we were looking for something a bit bigger anyway.

The Vango EOS 350 is described as “versatile and very roomy, this 3 man tent is ideal for family camping or groups at festivals.” We tried it out as a two-man tent on a glorious weekend in the highlands of Scotland. It is a spacious three-man tent, with larger outer porch. The tent was straightforward to put up (took around 15 minutes on the first time but this will get quicker with practice), although the poles needed a bit of guiding through the slots and had a tendency to come apart if they got snagged. The inner compartment was easy to put in and clearly marked by colour coding to show which bits need to be connected to the fly-sheet.

For two people, the inner compartment was spacious with enough head-room to sit and even kneel up comfortably and there would be enough space for three people. Pockets on each side of the tent were useful for storage of those small items that get lost easily. The groundsheet-covered porch was the best part as this gave plenty of space for storage, cooking or just sitting when the weather or midges become so that being inside is more pleasant. One door had a midge net over it, so we could sit with the door open and enjoy the view without the midges, although a few did come in underneath the fly-sheet. It didn’t rain while we were away so the tent wasn’t fully tested but the windows in the porch also gave light and a view of the outside.

An area where weaknesses may develop in the future is the door zips – my experience of zips that go round corners suggest that these will break first and to be aware of not putting too much strain on them. The zips had flaps to protect from rain leaking in but they also got caught easily so care is needed when using the zips.

However, on the whole this is a good tent which is indeed versatile and roomy. It really helped make a good weekend hugely enjoyable and I look forward to using it a lot more.

Garbh Bheinn

2011-07-03T23:45:00.002+01:00

I'll get back to the write up of our trip with Steven Fallon shortly but I wanted to get this up.

A nice weekend and a tent to test (more on that to come) so it was a trip up north to bag some Corbetts. We piled up to the campsite at Caolasnacon, superb situation, got the tent pitched, took soon photos and set off up the hill. Across the road from the campsite and then up the hill. The Corbett of Garbh Bheinn, 867m.

The views were amazing. The Aonach Eagach was the big feature but the prospect behind looking down Loch Leven to the Morven/Sunart/Moidart was spectacular, always with the Pap of Glencoe a punctuation and key to the view. The summit also had a nice view of Ben Nevis, free of cloud, proud and massive above all else.

The weather helped to make it such a good day - Corbetts are often about views and those from this hill were wonderful.

Back to the tent and food. Tins of chile and rice never tasted so good.