Blethering Blonde

All the fun of the wedding :-D

2010-07-10T11:00:00.000+01:00

Our mates Jamie & Nicky are getting hitched today and we are really looking forward to being there with them to cerlebrate this event. So no hills but I suspect plenty of thrills and spills

Aw ra best :-))

Blowing the cobwebs away

2010-07-08T18:50:00.002+01:00

No excuses, except not enough hours in the day has kept me from updating the blog.We have been getting out though not as often as we would like especially in that unprecedented dry spell. Oh to win the lottery ;-)

We had a great trip to Gairloch which included getting up Slioch and gave me more ideas of hills that I want to do in that area. I suspect I'll do Slioch again as it was a crackin day oot :-D

There was the slightly earlier than usual trip for Steve's work crowd where we ended up on Sgurr a Mhain via the Devil's Ridge. As ever an entertaining weekend made very comfortable with our stay in The Glencoe Hotel.

Our few days in Lochcarron gave me more food for thought on areas to explore as we did lots of beachcombing and wandering up hills that might not get the same attention now its no longer a Munro.

We even had a camping trip south of the border to Newton on Rawcliffe North York Moors for a change to catch up with Steve's family and old school chums as well as the influx of geese on Hornsea Meer that nearly had us for dinner.

Oh for more days to wander and blow the cobwebs away..............................

It's not just about the hills...........

2010-05-05T23:53:00.000+01:00

The main purpose for the weekend get together did involve a hill (more on that later) but as we were all a bit tired from the long drive north to Gairloch, the decision to wander around the area and enjoy some coastal stuff after a long lie was a unanimous one.

There are so many gorgeous beaches on the far NW coast of Scotland but high on my list to go visit was the lighthouse out at Rubha Reidh. I'd spotted it when we were searching for accommodation for the weekend and was pleasantly surprised to find you could stay there, even hire the whole place. I quite like the idea of staying in a lighthouse :-) It was a bit on the windy side which meant we had some nice swell action going on. There are some really interesting rock formations too to explore and clamber across and that kept us all amused for a while.

Rubha Reidh Lighthouse

Me exploring the rocks

Kate checking out the large cleft

What can I say - Nicky, Jamie, Steve & Kate playing on the rock

We eventually decided that our stomach's needed attending to and had already sussed out what was in the area so it was back to the hamlet of Melvaig and the Melvaig Inn. What an interesting place. Lots of quirky retro music and toys along with a dart board and pool table to keep you busy. There were also some unusual bits and bobs around the place that are certainly talking points. Well worth the visit.

Scary wabbit......

Next stop was Redpoint. Weather was getting duller but we still managed to get some views over to Skye as we wandered along the beach comparing the size of the shells we were finding.

We finished the day off with the most fantastic dinner at the Badachro Inn - oh how I love seafood.

Evolution

2010-04-26T00:08:00.001+01:00

I had an interesting conversation with a colleague at work the other day that made me realise how far my interest in the outdoors has developed over the years.. He came to me looking for advice as he and a few friends are doing a sponsored Southern Uplands Way jaunt next month. None of them are regular walkers but they are all keen to experience the outdoors.

I'm quite envious of the obvious excitement he is experiencing at the planning of this adventure and at the same time worried for him and his friends hoping that they don't overload themselves with kit and kill themselves trying to walk with it all. When I see him at work this week I shall have a list of the essentials they need in the pack and the luxuries that make the long walk more bearable. I'm instantly taken back to my first few backpacking adventures which I have fond memories of but also vividly remember the pain attached to these also. I just hope I can ensure that this will be the start of something good for them rather than en endurance event for a good cause.

Sgurr a' Mhaoraich

2010-04-22T22:32:00.001+01:00

The story of this adventure will seem familiar if you have read PTC, Sandy and Phil's blogs already but I thought I'd write up my thoughts anyway. Apologies for the repetition and delay.That thing called work that finances my gear habit and excursions has been demanding way too much of my time and energy but hey ho.

Loch Quoich is an area that is virgin territory for me. I had looked at in wonder from the South Glen Shiel Ridge last year but it still hadn't made it onto this years "must do" list. When I got the email from PTC outlining the options for a weekend adventure this was the one that most took my fancy. The drive up was very familiar until we turned off at the sign saying Kinlochhourn. The light was fading fast but I could see there were lots of very interesting hills in here that will need to be explored at some point. We parked right at the start of the stalkers path onto the ridge up Bac nan Canaichea. Its a well maintained path so there were no difficulties even though we were walking in the dark having set off at 930pm. The sky was clear so we were all trying to pick out the stars, looking for shooting stars and tracking the satellites. Then some cloud started coming over and I had to succumb to putting the red light on in the headtorch. This initially did me quite well until the ground got a bit more undulating and my depth perception was non existant, bloody nystagmus and astigmatism. This slowed me down a bit and eventually I had to put the white light on. We were initially planning to camp near the wall that disects the ridge just after the summit of Sgurr Coire nan Eincheallach but when we came across a really nice flat plateau at around 800m with a snow bank perfect for water purposes we decided to pitch there for the night.

We were soon set up, stoves were on and the food was out to refuel before bed. Amazingly I was still feeling very awake despite it being well after midnight. Our stars had disappeared under cloud which was a shame but it was a lovely still night with not even a whisper of wind. I eventually retired to the tent about 130am lying there listening to the music shuffle on the phone before drifting off. I woke a couple of hours later with a cold bum - I should have taken either the Downmat 7 or my PHD Down Trousers - but soon drifted off again after strategically placing my insulating jacket. When I next peaked out the tent at 515am the sun was already teasing the sky with tinges of orange. I opened the fly of the tent a little more and repositioned the pillow to make the most of it. PTC chuckled at me when I let out a "wow" at one point. Eventually around 6am we were all awake and exiting our various sleeping quarters to get the full effect of the sunrise. We all wandered over the ridge to get our various pictures of the scene and grab our own private moments with it. Hunger then got the better of us and the stoves were on for breakfast cuppas. We exchanged banter over how we'd slept and our thoughts on the sunrise. Perfect apart from not getting an inversion. Hey ho, we can't have it all ways

First peak out the tent

The boys enjoying the view

The perfect spot

We regretfully packed up and started up the rest of the route. We all agreed that we had found the perfect camp spot and were glad not to have pushed on for the original destination. When we reached the top of Sgurr Coire nan Eincheallach we were rewarded with a fantastic view of our intended peak and there was snow!!!!! The 360 degree views that we were getting were just getting better and better. To our north the Glen Shiel and Kintail hills, to our south Glen Kingie and Knoydart. Its an intersting undulating craggy little ridge with some entertaining rocky bits that we had fun scrambling over. We enjoyed taking our time drinking in the views and the feel of the mountain under our feet. Before too long we were on top ooing at ahhhing at the panorama. I couldn't get over how far we could see. Torridon, Cairngorms, Ben Nevis looking majestic and Skye out west. We set up camp on the summit for cuppas and sticky gingerbread muffins. Again none of us really wanted to move but we needed to keep going.

The wall

Nice grippy rock to play on

Summit of Sgurr a Mhaoraich looking towards Ben Nevis

Our route off was down to Bealach Coire a Chaorainn then onto Am Bathaich before dropping into Glen Quoich. The route down to the bealach still had a fair bit of snow on it. The first section was perfectly angled for some sliding down. I just couldn't resist. The next was not so forgiving. The angle was a lot steeper and the snow more consolidated so crampons on and I followed the steps made by PTC, Phil & Sandy for me. When we reached the bealach we were able to see the next stage, working our way through the rock bands and grass terraces to the summit of Am Bathaich. It turned out to be easier than I first thought. The rest of this wee ridge down gave us some intersting rocks to play on and oggle at the strange letters that were on some of them. Soon enough we were on the stalkers path down into Glen Quoich, not the most exciting part of the day that's for sure.

Entertaining snow slope

Approaching Bealach Coire a Chaorainn

Heading down stalkers path to Glen Quoich

One more obstacle to negotiate before we were on the path back along the loch side, Allt Coire a' Chaorainn. PTC wondered if this would be a "Blondie stopper" I certainly wouldn't be able to cross it the same way the boys had as my balance is so crap I'd almost certainly fall in trying to rock hop. So the socks were off, the boys chucked some more rocks into the gaps on the river bed and off I went. That last 4km along the loch inlet really drained us all so we were really glad to eventually get back to the car 22 hours after we had left it. Irn Bru was graftefully consumed, fresh clothes donned and into the car as the sun was setting once more over Loch Quoich. A cheeky deer tried to stop us from leaving by standing in the middle of the road staring us out. We won. As we headed back to the main road we had the sudden realisation that we may have a problem. The road south of Fort William was due to close at 9pm. The race was on PTC's trusty stead was ever so slightly overloaded but despite his best efforts, within the law of course, we reached Spean Bridge at 858pm, no chance of getting south on the A82. We were off on a tour of Scotland heading over to the A9. By this time we were all craving proper food and we debated where we were likely to obtain some. It is really disappointing to realise that this country doesn't cater for those who find themselves needing food after 9pm on a Sunday night. We travelled 130 miles from Loch Quoich before we found anywhere open, the services at Perth where the selection was limited and delayed as the staff were changing shifts. We were soon back on the road and I eventually put the key in the door at 1am.

This was certainly a weekend that will put a smile on my face every time it is mentioned or comes into my thoughts, even with the sting in the tale.

Thanks boys :-))

For those who want to see more photos (of which there are many!!) you can find them here.

My name is Elaina & I'm a gearaholic.................

2010-04-19T00:45:00.001+01:00

This weekend has turned out to be a no hill zone due to my knee being grumbly after last weekend's adventures and a heavy week on my feet at work. I should have been using the time to catch up on the domestic stuff that I have been ignoring for ages but that aint any fun. I used Saturday to catch up on the much needed sleep that my body craved and then confirmed my ongoing knee grumbles with a walk along the canal. My wee brain started wondering what distraction I could come up with for Sunday other than doing the dreaded housework. I had a sudden flash of inspiration - a visit to Escape Route could be on the cards to check out the Haglofs Matrix pack that I was considering. OK Pitlochry aint round the corner but Steve doesn't mind driving especially if we can stop off at The Real Food Cafe.

This was my first visit to the store but it had come highly recommended by Phil and PTC. As we walked in Steve started shaking his head and saying "oh no". I had walked into Haglofs heaven :-)) I didn't know where to start. I spotted the packs behind the counter and asked if they had the Matrix 60. I could see by the look on the staff's faces that my luck was out. It was at this point I started cursing PTC & Phil for misimforming me. We began looking over the stock that they had and trying on some other but none were suitable for the job I wanted. I decided to have a look at the rest of the lovely Haglofs kit and found to my delight that they had wummins versions of a lot of the range and in my size. I was getting giddy by now. I found the Lizard Shorts and just had to try them. I was over the moon when I came out the changing room as they fitted perfectly. What I wasn't expecting was to hear this voice say "they had better not be the ones I had asked to be put aside for me". It was Phil. He'd been working up in the area and had come in to get his prized Lizards. I started shouting at him for luring me to this place under false pretences. I soon got over that and before I knew it Phil and myself were going through all the lovely kit with help from Peter whilst Steve stood looking on wondering how to deal with two gear freaks who were bouncing off one another.

Peter then gave us a lovely cappiccino. Now this is what I call shopping. Before I knew it I had a pile of stuff that I wanted Lizard Shorts, Lizard Top, Box Cap along with some Sealskin socks and an amusing sunhat from Animal. I needed to get out before I spent any more money. I didn't quite make it. Somehow I just needed to order the Lizard top in the lovely purple as well as taking home the black one.

The shop had stayed open way later than they were supposed to. We really needed to go but not before Peter had said he'd get in the Matrix in red for me to try. Thanks staff at Escape Route for exceptional service and I hope not to cite you in my application for bankruptcy ;-)

Wildcamping Kit

2010-04-18T01:35:00.002+01:00

Apologies for the delay in getting this out. That thing that finances my gear habit and excursions has demanded way too much of my time and energy for my liking. Anywhoose, last weekend's adventure had me pondering over many items of kit before we headed out. I don't go wildcamping enough to be fully confident in my choice of kit but hopefully that will change the more I get out.

Tent

I really only have one backpacking tent my Terra Nove Superlite Voyager which I have had for 4 years so it aint the lighter version available now but the 1.7kg original version. It's luxury as a solo tent and not too shabby for sharing either. But this was being left at home as I had been given a Big Agnes Fly Creek to play with for the night. I was very impressed.

At less than 1kg fully packed you hardly know it's in the pack. It's a inner pitch first and considering that I had never seen it before and I was pitching in the dark it went up very easily and quickly with no major hassles. It's got a rather unusual pole design in that it has a hub that splits at the front to form the porch support. I'm used to a front entry tent but I did have to think hard where I was putting kit as the entry is on the narrow side but still very workable. The porch is certainly large enough for you to cook in and if you can sit cross legged you're soted. I prferred the lying on stomach approach which was very comfy. Although very narrow at the footwell there was still space at the side for my pack and plenty space around my head for stff I wanted nearby. It's narrow footprint makes it a perfect wildcamping and I certainly had a comfy enough night in it.

Pack

I knew that I probably needed a larger pack than my usual choice of the Macpac Amp 40 to get the extra winter gear accommodated. On a whim I rushed to the local gear shops to see if any had an OMM Vilan 45+10 returning home to find that although this is a very nice pack it didn't allow for any more gear than my Macpac Amp so it has gone back to the shop. That meant I had to use my old Gregory Zpack. Another piece of kit about 5 years old that has now evolved to be a better pack. It is a comfy pack and carries very well even when fully loaded. My main gripes with this old pack are the lack of easily accessable side and hip pockets. I have added some Decathlon pouches to the hip fins but it looks messy and they move about too much. I see the latest version, now 55L capacity compared to 50L, has rectified that. For this foray my old Zpack did what it needed to do.

Sleeping

I have recently taken delivery of a a PHD Minim 500 sleeping bag, a bargain in their sale. I knew it would do the trick perfectly.It's got a temp rating of -10 a drishel outer in this lovely "gold"

What I ended up dithering over was what mat to take. I had bought an Exped Downmat 7 short for winter but decided as the weather was not going to be that bad I would risk taking the Thermarest Neoair which is just so super comfy. I also had my Decathlon pillow and my PHD down booties. I had a little thermometer with me so when I was woken up with what turned out to be a cold bum, I checked and it was -2C. Maybe I should have taken the Downmat. Other than that the combo worked very well.

Other Stuff
The only other area where I had a wee quandry over was what spare clothing to take. My insulation layer was decided purely on aesthetic reasons. I wanted to wear my lovely mango coloured Haglofs Barrier Windstopper. It weighs a third more than my PHD Yukon and is no where near as packable but is very toasty and the colour is just so easy to see on the hill.

I had packed my PHD Ultra Vest but it didn't come out at all. I had also wondered about whether or not to put the PHD Down Trousers in. I decided not to. It may have helped with the cold bum issue and Phil certainly seemend nice and comfy wandering about camp in his in the morning so they may well be considered for other camps. Everything else packed was pretty much the same as always. Jetboil for cooking, Travel Tap water filter, Platypus hydration system, Alpkit Gamma Headtorch, Buffalo windshirt, Haglofs Oz, Kahtoola Steels and microspikes, Camp Corsa ice axe.

I'm still not sure how my gear nearly filled a 50L pack while Sandy managed to get his into a 35L. I'll just need to keep tweaking.........

“Instructions on how to engineer an epic out of a daywalk”

2010-04-14T11:44:00.001+01:00

I've nicked the title for this post from PTC who has written up the weekend's events to perfection as serialised here in Camp Freddy and Camp Coffee . A wee overnight wildcamp with PTC, Sandy and Phil on Sgurr a' Mhaoraich which turned out to be one of the best hill experiences I have had.

I shall put something together properly when I manage to get through the 395 photos I took and my energy levels get to a stage where I sort of make sense. Hopefully that wont be too long ;-)

Preperation

2010-04-09T23:05:00.001+01:00

At last, a week of work torture is over. I badly need a hill fix to rejuvenate this bruised and battered soul. PTC has formulated a plan that sees four of us going off to play up high in the dark near Loch Quoich. I'm sure this trip will do the trick perfectly.

My body is weak at the moment so I'm sitting here going through what kit to take in my head rather than getting it all together. It has been way too long since the last wildcamp for me to be able to easily recall all that is required. This will have to be rectified. Bed is calling. I shall be dreaming of my sleeping quarters for tomorrow night ........................ :-)

Beinn Ime

2010-04-06T10:18:00.000+01:00

I needed a hill fix but had the ususal post work hangover. Destination Arrochar, Beinn Ime. There were a couple of options on the table, doing it from Butterbridge possibley taking in the Corbett Beinn Luibhean or a nice easy meander from Succoth. It would be decided on whether there was space in the car park at Succoth. There was space and as I had done nothing but sleep in the car on the way there we decided to take the easy option.

As you'd expect from a holiday weekend, it was mobbed but we had chosen the less frequented hill. It was looking a bit murcky as we approached but thankfully for us the weather didn't appear to want to touch our hill. It's great in that area around Bealach a' Mhaim, the views of the surrounding hills are just majestic.

Beinn Ime

Beinn Narnain

Ben Vane

We hit the snowline around 750m and its the type of snow we like, not to wet and hard enough to be able to take your weight. Bliss :-) This was where I started cursing the fact that I had forgotten to lift the camera and Steve had left his at home too. I was praying that the shots I was taking with my Nokia 5800 would turn out. I couldn't see the screen so it really was just pointing and hoping for the best. Thankfully they worked. The views from on top were phenominal.

On the route up we'd been recceing potential sliding, sorry Easter egg rolling areas after all that was why we had come up the hill ;-) You're never too old to follow traditions.

Tradition

2010-04-05T15:42:00.004+01:00

Easter Sunday, a day to go up the hill and roll your Easter egg down. Then again, maybe just go for a slide myself as well as my egg :-)

Gear Ponderings

2010-03-31T01:00:00.000+01:00

This winter has certainly got the old brain cells ticking over with regards to kit choice. Before I got back into walking seriously in 2005 I'd never really been out in winter. Oh how that has changed. Even with its added dimensions which make it even more challenging for me, I can safely say it is my preferred season for walking, especially when you get a winter like this one.

Up until this winter I've been tweaking my kit to help me deal with all the issues that plague me year round, when I'm moving I can run hot but as soon as I stop I cool. It seen my kit choice evolve from the standard base layer, fleece and hardshell to Icebreaker 200 weight merino layer and an original Paramo Velez. This combination has been a good servant in the 4 seasons in one day winters that I'm so used too with only occasionally having to tweak further by doubling up the merino or adding in a powerstretch if its been really cold. For me Paramo has solved the problem of getting as wet inside as outside that I had with most hardshells though when I tried eVent it was an improvement on Goretex .

Buffalo Windshirst keeping the elements off

So why have I been tweaking agian? Well the lack of the standard precipitation this winter I've been able to leave the Velez at home. These lovely blue sky winter days have seen me be able to go out just wearing merino and powerstretch for a lot of the time which has been great. On top of that I've been switching windshirts. The Montane Litespeed Jacket has been a favourite in the pack for a while. At 145g you barely notice it in the pack and it certainly keeps the chill off when you're moving. -7C with no wind chill was about the coldest I managed while moving without having to add insulation. For a bit more omph and flexibility I found the Buffalo Windshirt was definitely a better choice on colder days. It's heavier duty at 230g but has side vents and a lovely front pouch. It also withstood the windchill a bit better than the Litespeed, more definitely a winter windshirt. Its only down side, though not always an issue, the lack of a hood. Just a bit of a faff to buy it extra adding 90g. Not much has changed in my insulating layer. The Rab Generator Smock has been a constant in the pack for a few years now and the only thing that has usurped it has been the Haglofs Barrier Windstopper in the lovely mango :-) which appears when its really cold and likely to be a chance of showers. Apologies for the link as Haglofs official site no longer does it. No change in the down stuff either withe the PHD Ultra Vest and PHD Yukon Smock in the pack for the really cold outings. Suffice to say I was a warm, dry & toasty blonde this winter :-D

Toasy warm in the Haglofs Barrier Windstopper

I also discovered something quite interesting about my choice of trousers too. For 95% of my outings I have been protected from the elements by the great value Decathlon Quechua Bionassay Trousers. They have been a star, especially the internal gaiter and the side vents. Well worth the £40. The remainder of the time I've had on the Patagonia Backcountry Guides. Both trousers are very similar in their style and function though I noted one remarkable difference. My Patagucci's didn't do a bumslide anywhere near as well as the Decathlon troos. At least I now know when I have the Patagucci's on to make sure the orange survival bag is in the pack to aid the journey down the snow slopes ;-) You could even describe the Patagonia lack of slide as a safety feature for someone like me for when I really don't want to sliding!!

Oh the joys of proper winter weather, if only they could all be like this...................

Abort! Abort! Abort!

2010-03-30T12:43:00.000+01:00

Best laid plans and all that....................

Typical, we'd planned the weekend for months, a first porper Scottish hills outing for Andy & Janet coming up from the flatlands of the East Riding and a birthday celebration for Sandy and the weather decides to revert to type.

We parked at Mamore Lodge which is closed at the moment with an uncertain future. Pity as the location is absolutely top notch. Let's hope someone has a vison for the place. Even before we left the car park we'd been hit by a few showers. This was going to be a test of the waterproofs. Louise was wearing her Velez Adventure Light for the first time on the hill, Andy had his Rab Demand Pullover out for its first outing and Janet borrowed my Haglofs Oz.. The rest of us were in our usual stuff.

Looking down Loch Leven

We sort of had a plan for a route, head along the West Highland Way and go up to the beallach between Stob Ban & Am Bodach and decided from there where to go next. As we walked along Sandy spotted a patch of snow and just couldn't help himself.

Upwards we headed but the weather didn't get any better. By the time we hit the first patch of snow that we had to cross visibility was deteriorating and the wind picking up.

Heading up onto the snow

Shivering at the beallach

We got to the beallach and things deteriorated further. The gusts were hitting the 65mph as predicted by MWIS, visibilty was about 100m and for the first time this winter I felt the need to put the goggles on. Group descision was to turn back. Sandy's manflu had now inflicted Louise so no point in making it worse by carrying on it attrocious conditions. As ever Steve and I made the most of the available snow patches to slide down while the other looked on. Ach well coffee and chocolate cake soothed the pain in the Glencoe Cafe.

Just to report back, all waterproofs did what they said on the tin much to everyones pleasure.

Weekend Adventures

2010-03-26T11:55:00.000Z

Its been a busy week with no chance for me to sort the photos from last weekend and write the trip up. It'll just have to wait as we're off for more weekend adventures :-) Destination Kinlochleven, an old favourite of ours with so many hills to choose that are never the same on any 2 visits. We'll be showing Steve's brother & sister-in-law the joys of this area for the first time - just a wee bit different from the flatlands of East Yorkshire they are used to. There is also the prospect of them walking in snow for the first time.

It also happens to be Sandy's birthday weekend so we'll be celebrating that too. Oh for weeknd adventures :-D

Lochinver Pies

2010-03-19T00:23:00.001Z

It can't really be classified as gear but to my mind, having the right grub with you is just as important as what you're wearing. It's for that reason that I have just gone and spent a small fortune on some of the best tasting pies that I have ever had so that we have some lovely grub for our trip next weekend.

We'd been told about the famous Lochinver pies ages ago and when we were up in Ullapool last year we made a special trip out to Lochinver for these sought after items. They were just the ticket for our long day out on Suliven. Tonight I was reminded about them and decided it was time to make use of their "Pies By Post". Roll on next Thursday when they arrive :-D

Shopping

2010-03-14T20:34:00.001Z

I had an interesting day yesterday, gear shopping with a friend who needed kitted out but isn't really a gear junkie (yet!) and admits she hasn't really the patience to shop around. We'd had some discussion about what she needed to get, boots, waterproof and possibly pack if the budget allowed. Sandy had already given Louise some advice. He was even tempted to come join us but the lure of some hill time kept him away, just.

There are quite a few places to go gear shopping in and around Glasgow each with their own pros and cons so I knew we were unlikely to be able to get everything in one store. It was going to be a very different experience to my normal round of these shops. This day out was me acting as Louise's personal shopper and I was trying hard not to enforce my personal preferences onto her. I was also shopping with someone who is the standard sized woman not a taller than average, larger feet than average woman.

First stop Tiso Glasgow Outdoor Experience for lunch in their excellent Fit Food Bistro. Got to make sure you're well nourished before a hard days shopping!! Louise had got there before me and her first comment to me as I walked through the door was "I think I have expensive tastes" as she stood there with an Arcteryx hat, the girl knows quality.

Footwear first. Louise commented that Sandy said she should get a waterproof flexible mid so we looked at what they had. There was very little in the way of flexible mids and certainly none that fitted. Next the waterproof jacket. The only stipulation she'd been given by Sandy was "don't get the same as me" so no Haglofs, not that the budget would allow it either. When I asked Louise what she wanted it was simple - something that was going to keep her dry, not get her soaking on the inside and make her cold. My first thought was, it'll have to be eVent rather than Gore--Tex. A few jackets were tried but Louise was starting to say things that were making me think that hardshells may not be for my friend. She has issues with her circulation meaning she has to keep her hands and feet warm all the time. She also runs warm when on the move but as soon as she stops she gets very cold. This was something I was very familiar with so knew that we may have to consider another option, Paramo. Often referred to the darkside its like Marmite you either love it or hate it. I explained to Louise how Paramo works and she was becoming more interested. Unfortunately the selection available was limited for her to try in Tiso but she liked the idea. Off to somewhere that stocks Paramo. It is a range that you need to try on as the sizing isn't standard. I knew what my preference would be so it was off to GoOutdoors as the only stockists of the womens Velez Adveture Light. I love my stanadard Velez but have resisted the temptation of changing over to the lighter version due to the colour options, no plain red or orange available. Louise put it on and immediately she had a grin on her face. Waterproof sorted.

We were on a roll, especially when I saw what footwear was on offer. When I told Louise that they had the mid that Sandy has been covetting for a while she looked slightly apprehensive but the fit on the Salomon Fastpacker was perfect and exactly what she needed.They are light and flexible with a fairly good tred on the sole.

Time to do some quick calculations and evaluate what items were still required tand to be within budget. The descision was taken on trousers. In both stores I was a bit dismayed at the fact that it seemed to be only summer weight trousers that were in abundance though only 2 or 3 brands were evident with an even more limited selection of softshell type trousers on display Louise had the same problems I always do, the sizing is so off on all these trousers. The best option available was the Sprayway All Day Rainpant. Not a product I had come across before and one that I wait with interest to see how it performs. The fit on Louise was good with leg length long enough and in the size that she is. Purchases complete.

It was back to Bigbananatowers to see if Sandy could guess what we had purchased and look at the expression on his face as each item was brought out, very entertaining. As you can see from the photo I've nicked from Sandy's blog they soon got round to testing the new purchases.

This shopping trip made me realise that Louise had the same issues that I do in looking for kit so it isn't all about being standard size but more about what is on offer to try. It has confirmed to me that the commercial considerations of the stores and deals offered by mainstream manufacturers have such a strong grip on the stores available to me that I will struggle to be able to see in the flesh any of the not so high street recognisable kit that I seem to be drawn to. Yes there are one or two great independant retailers in Scotland who carry the brands I seek but fear that in order for me to be able to truely compare what I'm after it will require a trip to the Lakes.

I also managed NOT to buy anything :-)

Fairfield by the side door

2010-03-10T22:13:00.000Z

There are just so many options of nice short jaunts from Ambleside but we'd decided on Fairfield in the hope we'd get some nice sunset shots. As I'd spent so much time drooling in the gear shops in the morning it was going to be a quick dash up from the A591 rather than the full classic horseshoe. Arriving at the lay-by just before 2pm we headed up towards the side of Tongue Gill aiming for Grisedale Hause.

Seat Sandal, Great Tongue & snowy Fairfiel Brow

The weather peeps had promised that as the day went on it would clear but we still had lots of dramatic clouds floating about with glimpses of blue sky. Amazingly for a Lakes wander we had been going for about 45 minutes before we started meeting people on their way down. Those that we spoke to appeared rather high from getting down through the snow - what were we about to encounter? From Grisedale Hause it was just a straight pull up the snow covered Fairfield Brow to the summit plateau. Crampons weren't required as it was certainly soft enough for kicking steps but there was lots of evidence of slides. Maybe that was why those people we'd met were feeling a bit high!!

Looking down Tongue Gill

St Sunday in the sun

Dollywagon Pike & Grisedale Tarn

Seat Allan from Fairfield

The summit was the quietest I've ever seen on Fairfield with just another couple of folk and a skier about, the joy of the late ascent :-) Unfortunately for us the promised clearing of the clouds didn't happen. It was just the opposite in fact. Not to worry. We enjoyed the views that we had and headed off towards Great Rigg for our descent. There was one last good patch of snow that us kids could have a wee play before heading over to Stone Arthur and back to the road. What was nice was the fact that the route over Stone Arthur ended up being a wee bit more craggy than I had figured for - nice :-)

Fairfield summit with St Sunday behind

Looking west from Fairfield summit plateau

Looking towards Great Rigg

Heading down Great Rigg

Playtime :-)

Stone Arthur

Heading South

2010-03-05T12:27:00.000Z

The shackles of work have been thrown off for a few days. Much debate about what to do especially with the continuing snow and its condition. As ever the weather forecast gave us the nudge of where would be best. Time to go play south of the border as The Lakes are also covered in snow and that doesn't happen that often. There is also the opportunity for gear fondling in Ambleside too..................................

Camp Corsa Ice Axe

2010-02-28T21:53:00.000Z

This proper winter has made me think a lot about the kit that I routinely just carried for many a winter but not fully used. My Camp Corsa ice axe is one such item.

This is my third ice axe. Like most folk I started with the Grivel Munro but I really didn't know what to do with it. So I went on a Winter Skills Course with Kendal Mountaineering Services to give me the basics and build my confidence up on dealing with stuff in winter. The first thing I did after that course was go out and buy a new ice axe as my trusy Grivel at 70cm was too long for me to comfotably self arrest. Lots of research and talking to friends lead to the DMM Crque being axe number 2 in my arsenal. For me this is the hard man of my ice axes and ceratinly ticked all the boxes for what I needed it to do and more. Using it was a pleasure too.

Then a wee birdie started going on about these lovely lightweight ice axes. I started thinking about how many times I had the axe in my hand as compared to carrying it on the pack. Milder winters now, I might be as well carrying an axe less than half the weight of my trusty Cirque. In came axe number 3, the Camp Corsa. It's the lightest ice axe in the world at 205g so perfect if you end up carrying it a lot.

Mmm, what's this now, a proper winter :-) We've had snow and ice sice before Christmas so the pointy toys have been in use a lot. The Camp Corsa has been a star. I have a 60cm one so length wise it's perfect for walking. I gave it a work out with self arrest when I first got it as I wanted to make sure it would do the job with no issues. So far I've not had to use it for real but have every confidence in it if I need it. It holds very well in the hand and being so light you hardly know it's there. It doesn't have a grip on the shaft so goes into the snow fairly easily. The adze is on the smaller side compared to the Cirque or Munro but don't let that fool you. It does really well in cutting steps and digging out. I've not had to use the pick in anger but I did have a wee play with it when we went to Steall Falls and was impressed at how it dug in. It officially gets a B rating for the shaft which means it will do for an emergency belay, the same as the Munro whereas the Cirque is T rated. Not surprising really as it is a technical axe.

Not once have I felt this winter that I needed to have my hard man axe with me instead of the Corsa so I suspect it shall continue to be my axe of choice when I'm walking the hills in winter. If I'm ever brave enough to do more technical stuff the Cirque will be out but til then the beast will stay in the hoose.

Devil's Staircase, an angel of a view

2010-02-26T23:00:00.001Z

OK, here's day two of last weekend. A wee wander to make the most of the glorious weather on the way home. Whenever anyone does the West Highland Way for the first time its the Devil's Staircase that gets them twitching as its labeled as one of the toughest parts of the route. For any regular hill goer, its just a standard ascent which gives some great views, hence our choice of route. We also added the two wee lumps on either side in order to maximise our experience of the views - well worth it.

Not much else to say except enjoy the photies as we certainly enjoyed being up there taking it in for real :-)

Meall na Teanga

2010-02-23T12:12:00.000Z

What a weekend................... It started off as one of my whimsical "lets's get away - what about this place?" Base was the Letterfinlay Lodge Hotel right on the shores of Loch Lochy and a lovely base it was too. We'll be back there. The hills to be climbed, the Loch Lochy Munros of Meall na Teanga and Sron a Choire Ghairbh. It was summer 2002 when I had attempted these two as part of my Great Glen Way wander but only managed Sron a Choire Ghairbh. Well I had done Ben Nevis and walked 23 miles in the two days before - doh!

There are several options of how to approach these hills from Kilfinan, including being able to bag the Corbett Ben Tee. There was much discussion between us. Descision made, as we weren't sure what snow conditions were going to be like we would follow the standard route along the forrest track and take it from there. If things were going well a descent down one of the ridges may be on order.

An old friend had been in touch the day before saying he was going to be in the area so it was nice to see him there when we parked up. I suspect in summer that we wouldn't really be able to park as far along the track as we had due to the private parking signs all around the very closed holiday chalets. It didn't take us too long to get along the track to the turn off up Cam Bhealach, especially with Frank pace setting ;-)

We were still under cloud and I wondered how long it was going to be before we got above it and when we would hit the snowline. Didn't have long to wait as we hit the snow around 300m but the cloud still lingered until nearly 500m. The views when it cleared were stunning

As you can imagine there were lots of "wows" and "OMG", faffing and taking too many photos. Once at the top of Cam Bhealach we were rewarded with more amazing views which just got better and better as we made our way over to Meall na Teanga. There's the lump of Meall Dubh to get round to the next beallach before you get near Meall na Teanga proper. So far the snow had been lots of deep powder but as we got higher we started to hit some harder steeper stuff that meant time for crampons.

The day just kept getting better and better. It was a little longer than we realised to get to the summit cairn of Meall na Teanga but boy the views were so worth it. Apologies for the excessive number of photos but I feel the need to share.

We could have spent the rest of the day up there just taking it all in but we still had another hill to get up. First of all I had to get down this one. Unfortunately the first section coming off the ridge got the better of me. Way out my comfort zone on a steep icy slope and I had a wee slip that thankfully I recovered from. It was enough to give my the colly wobbles so when we were back at the beallch I decided I couldn't face going onto Scron a Choire Gharibh so Steve went off to conquer that on his own. I had a very pleasant wander back and decided to go round to Laggan Locks to catch the sun going down. Not quite in the right place for a classic sunset shot but I do like this one.

Playtime :-D

2010-02-19T14:16:00.000Z

Looks like this could well be perfect hill weather this weekend so plans have been hatched and the bag is half packed. Bring it on :-D

Kayland Apex Trek

2010-02-16T21:36:00.001Z

Some might say I could be likened to Imelda Marcus when it comes to my footwear on and off the hill as I do have a rather impressive collection. I put it down to the fact that I've not got standard size feet, especially for a female that means it can be a sod to get comfy footwear. When I was alerted to a bargain for a winter boot I decided to take a risk on the Kayland Apex Trek.

It's not a brand I'm too familiar with but I was impressed with what I saw when I opened the box. They are what they say on the tin, a 4 season B1 boot with what looked like a nice grippy vibram sole and an eVent liner. As always I had to endure wandering around the house in them for a few hours then looking like a numpty wandering the streets of Glasgow in them before I felt I could take the risk of wearing them on the hill. During these wanders my feet had to adjust to stiff boots again, something they haven't done for a year and thankfully there were no twinges from my longstanding issue with plantar fasciitis.

Time to put them to the test on a hill. I've only worn them a couple of times but so far I've been happy with them. For a stiff boot they feel light on your feet, 760g per boot. The fit with my Sole insoles is just right, no rubbing or movement. The lacing system is goood as it has a locking system to keep the forefoot laces the way you want them and then the ankle and heel is kept in place. The terrain I've had them over ranges from hardpack trail, bog fest, rocky path, grassy slopes and of course snow & ice all with no issues. The grip in snow is excellent and even on slippy grassy stuff there was none of my infamous arse planting with these big boys on my feet. I've not tried them with the G12's yet but they certainly did well with Kahtoola KTS Steels and Microspikes.

At the end of both days my feet knew they had been in stiff boots but I wasn't screaming in pain like I have been with boots in the past. I suspect that will also improve the more I wear them and my feet get used to stiffer footwear again. It's certainly the first time that I've been able to wear a boot for 7hrs plus practically straight out the box. They wont be my first choice boot but if I know that I'm going to be spending half my day in snow these will be the ones going on my feet.

Ben Lomond - 8th time lucky

2010-02-14T23:06:00.003Z

This was my first Munro so many years ago I can't even remember when. It's my local hill. But until today I'd never had a view from on top. There have been days in the past when I knew on leaving the car park I wasn't going to see anything. That was fine, I just wanted out on the hill. It was the days with the promise that I'd get my view and didn't that fed my love hate relationship with this hill. January last year was the last time we visited just after a huge dump of snow. It was a mini epic due to leaving too late, loads of fantastically deep snow and coming down in the dark - fun :-D

The forecast had said best south of the A85 with cloud base over 1000m, maybe today was the day I would get a view. The route was inevitable, via Ptarmagin Ridge. For me the tourist route is only ever for descent. One day however I will try out ptc* route as it looks like fun, just not this time. From the drive in we could see that there was still a good covering of snow. It was all good. We knew the hill would be busy, especially as the car park was just about full. Maybe ptc* TV appearance had made lots of people come to see the wonders of Loch Lomond? Time to head up the hill.

Nice steady pace was set and before we knew it we had hit the snowline. We stopped for something to eat and put the crampons on. Time for the real fun to begin. I'm just going to put the photos up and let them tell the rest. Apologies for there being so many pictures, I just couldn't help myself.

The views from on top was breathtaking. This may have been the 8th time that I'd touched that trig point on the summit but for me it was like doing the hill for the first time. More photies.......

We spent ages on the summit just drinking in what we were seeing. It started getting nippy so time to head down. More photies of views. Oh and a few of us having our own wee sliding fun :-D

Beinn Resipol

2010-02-12T09:52:00.000Z

The first time we attempted Beinn Resipol was back in November 2006 just after Ardgour had a significant dump of snow. Needless to say it made progress so slow that we turned back vowing to come back another day to get the summit. Last Sunday was that day. The recent snow and cold weather meant that we still had a descent enough covering of snow on the tops so pointy toys were in the pack.

My memories of our first visit here were of major bog fest followed by knee high supersoft snow. This time, although damp underfoot is wasn't anywhere near as bad. The route follows the Alt Mhic Chiarain on an intermittent path up to the beallach, first through wooded plantation then onto moor. We hit the snowline around the 750m mark and the clouds. We'd seen enough of the route to the summit to know that it was time to put the crampons on.

It didn't take us too long to wind our way through the snow covered rocky outcrops. We were lucky enough to be following the footsteps of the only person we'd met on the hill which made route finding in the cloud a bit easier. We didn't stay long on the summit as the wind was biting and the clouds were just teasing us with bits of views.

Typically once back at the beallach the cloud started clearing giving us great views down Loch Sunart. We had great fun descending the snow covered stream gully. Steve even did a practice ice axe arrest. I just went for a slide :-)

Time for a last look back at the hill and out to the loch before we lost the views. I may have reached the summit and got the tick on this one but I suspect I shall not be fully finished with this hill until I get my views.