Hello readers!

I’ve started this blog in response to requests from my friends to write further about my cowardly exploits in the hills of Britain and elsewhere.

Sgurr Alasdair – King of the Cuillin

Tue 8 May 2012

Day 2 of my Cuillin ordeal… sorry, challenge! Richard wasn’t with us for this walk as he decided three days Munroing in a row was enough so he was having a rest day. I met up with Ryan-the-guide at 0900 at the same little carpark in Carbost and we set off round to Glenbrittle – we were to do Sgurr Alasdair, he announced. I was fairly ambivalent about this – I didn’t see it as my hardest challenge, apart from the Great Stone Chute, but the weather was looking none too good so I didn’t want something too difficult anyway. My horror of descending very steep scree was going to be my biggest problem on this one as the stone chute is over a thousand feet high and very steep indeed!

‘Breaking’ News!

Sorry for the brief replies for the next couple of months but I can no longer type! I slipped on a muddy banking on the way to work on Fri night and shattered my arm!

So doesn’t look like I’ll be ‘compleating’ this year after all!

Damn that osteoporosis! I knew it would get me one day! Gutted!

I’m off work for at least 6 weeks and have had to have my arm internally wired up!

An Dorus Twins (Mhadaidh & Ghreadaidh)

Mon 7 May 2012

The night before our first Cuillin walk, our guide Ryan, visited our holiday cottage to make plans and check our equipment – he also had forms for us to fill in – I joked they were ‘Organ Donation’ forms! Joking apart though, I was pretty worried about our planned activities in the Cuillin which was why I’d had to hire a guide. It probably needs saying at this point that there are two kinds of Cuillin mountain guide – the ‘non-technical’ guides who are local and know the Cuillin Ridge like the back of their hands, and the ‘technical’ guides like Ryan, who would be able to rope me up for the bad bits – very necessary in my case!

Carn Dearg from Dalwhinnie – Winter Walking in April!

Sun 15 April 2012

Last time I was down Loch Ericht was in 2004 on one of my first Munroing and first-ever bothying trip. I’d answered an advert in the Open University magazine asking for companions for a Munro-bagging trip around Loch Ericht staying in bothies. As I’d just started Munro-bagging in earnest and had never tried bothying, I contacted the guy – Mark – now a good friend of mine.

We arranged to do the trip in August – the dates turned out to be perfect for my birthday-avoidance week (I won’t even acknowledge my birthdays, never mind celebrate them!) We managed two nights in Culra Bothy either side of a great day on Ben Alder and Ben Bheoil before the weather completely cracked up and we had to backpack our way the 9 long miles back out again to Dalwhinnie in torrential rain.

This April, I was back there once again – this time alone apart from my trusty little fold-up bike. The weather had once again completely cracked up giving me the most winter walking I’ve had all year… except it’s now Spring – or at least it is in England.

Beinn-a-Ghlo-in-the-snow

Sat 14 April 2012

I’d been itching to do Beinn a’ Ghlo ever since I started seriously collecting Munros – probably about 10 years ago now. I was quite tempted to do it in full winter conditions as, although Beinn a’ Ghlo encompasses three peaks, they looked to be quite easy from the photos and maps. However, after completing the round of the peaks, I’m now really glad it wasn’t in full winter conditions as I found it a pretty hard day…

Really Hate to Have to Do This…

… the challenge that is – not putting out this request

Hi,
As you will have gathered from reading my blog, I’m at present ‘doing the Munros’, i.e. walking all the (nominated) mountains over 3000 feet in Scotland – there’s 283 of them and I have 35 left to do. Of the 35 I have left, 10 of them are on the Cuillin Ridge on Skye and are fearsome for mountain cowards. I’ll attach a photo to show you what I mean.

That’s 2 of ‘em!

Winding Down on the Kentmere Round

Thu 29 March 2012

After my first ever rock-climb unexpectedly turning out to be a 250 foot high multi-pitch route in Langdale with around a 150 feet abseil off it (in contrast to my expectations of something more like a 30 foot single pitch you could just walk away from at the top) on the previous evening, I needed to wind down some! What better way to do that than the Kentmere Horseshoe walk – a round of 7 Wainwright fells to which can be added another couple of peaks if you feel inclined on the day. The weather was due to continue to be gloriously hot and sunny and I’d used the thought of this walk to spur me on up the rock climb the evening before.