“Water water everywhere, nor any drop of snow…..” The famous line from the Rime of the Ancient Mariner needed only a tiny change to describe our warm, wet winter. The Ancient Mariner pointed wistfully into the distance, in search of winter conditions. But all that was to be seen, were… Continue reading
“A Mountaineer of a type not found in Scotland today” was the description by no less a mountaineer than the great W H Murray, describing the historical Rob Roy MacGregor. Because Rob of the red hair (Ruadh) could travel for days through the highland mountains when there were no maps,… Continue reading
The Alpe Adria trail is about 750 km from Austria to Trieste. A website gives full route notes in English, which made an easy ‘off-the-shelf” selection. Stage 1 begins at the foot of Austria’s highest mountain, the Grossglockner (3798 m). I climbed this summit 20 years ago in 1999 but… Continue reading
A DIEM CARPE- D …… (in the secluded glen) Tick tock. Tick, tock. Mr Green’s Munro clock. So as time counts down towards Steve’s “Compleation” date on 5th October, there remain a handful of mountain days to be accomplished. During the August Monsoon period, our thoughts turned to the four… Continue reading
England ! Thy beauties are tame and domestic to one who has roved over mountains afar. Oh, for the crags that are wild and majestic ! The steep frowning glories of dark Lochnagar. So there we we again (the fifth ascent for each of us) on top of… Continue reading
OLD COVES LINK UP Loch Trimmingham is an Old Cove. No-one can deny it. (or face ructions). And so I was extremely happy when Loch agreed to Link up with me for a drive over to the Lake District. The same term could not be applied to our delightful Irannienne;… Continue reading
Glen Dessary begins near the tidy tourism of the Caledonian Canal, somewhat north of Fort William past the Commando memorial. Twenty miles to the west, the glen ends at a pass on the edge of some of the most rugged terrain in Britain – the Rough Bounds of Knoydart. The… Continue reading
Aged three my grandaughter declared her intention toclimb a mountain. Beamsley Beacon near Bolton Abbey is just the thing at 395metres. Continue reading
In praise of Glen Shiel There’s a pub at either end. Connected by a road and a bus service. The north and south sides of the glen are chains of shapely mountain summits, connected by high, narrow ridges with occasional scrambly sections. These provide over 20 miles of high level… Continue reading
Mr Murray and I had no need of the axes and crampons were were carrying, because the mountains were simply covered on a blanket of 100mm to 150 mm of soft new snow….. nothing hard to slip on (or to hold an axe in). Cold and clear, there were plenty… Continue reading
