A weekend break in a sunny climate ? Why not try the Highlands in mid-November ? You will be able to enjoy cloudless blue skies from dawn till dusk. A 360-degree panorama of famous mountains will look as though you can reach out and touch any of them, in the… Continue reading
Eight in October The trees definitely were in their autumn beauty as we passed up Glen Nevis and beyond the mighty Steall waterfall. Dolly Steve and I headed for Sgurr Coinnich Mor (1095 metres) which lies “back o’ the Ben” and is the western outlier of the great Grey Corries… Continue reading
Trekking in … er…. Italy Our modest pleasure was to fly out with no more than we could carry in a smallish rucksack, to spend as many nights as possible up in the mountains, sleeping in rifugios and walking between them, and visiting a couple of simple mountain summits en… Continue reading
Culling jewels in the Far North Cul Mor is fringed with cliffs on three sides. From its 849 metre summit there is a 400 -metre drop to Lochan Dearg a’ Chuill Mhoir, excessively steep. Having made our way quickly up the “normal” route, Steve, Dolly, Paul and I started to… Continue reading
Stob Coire a’ Chearcaill in the Ardgour peninsula, stands proudly at the head of Gleann Chearcaill, looking directly across Loch Linnhe towards Fort Bill. On Saturday it gave us a clear circuit around both its ridges, whilst the mainland remained swathed in murk. The mountain sported some fairly mighty cornices… Continue reading
Sunday (25th Feb) was a pinnacle of good weather in the Lake District. The skies completely blue all day, almost no wind, the ground frozen, and hard neve in gullies and on north-facing ground. Steve Murray and I captured the mood of a relaxing and beautiful day by making our… Continue reading
Hallsfell Ridge on Blencathra was in full winter condition on the rocky section above 600 metres last Saturday. (17th Feb). Dolly, Steve M, Paul and I prayed hard for the mist to lift, but it didn’t. The narrow top of the ridge is an entertaining scramble with axe and crampons.… Continue reading
There was a very poor forecast (almost) everywhere. So it was time for a day in the Far East (of the Grampians). Paul and I have long served our time in the high Cairngorms, so we were happy to find an alternative to Saturday’s 100 mph gusts and driving rain.… Continue reading
Reports from Helvellyn were of snowdrifts 1500 mm deep, and some avalanche potential. But on the opposite side of Patterdale, the less-frequented Place Fell offered an ascent on more scoured windward slopes, (i.e. on the mountain’s western side) a lesser elevation avoiding the deepest snow, and a pleasant circuit of… Continue reading
The Lakes of Vens looked impossibly beautiful. High in the mountains at 2400 metres the three blue-green pools lie in a hanging valley surrounded by sensationally jagged ridges, overlooked by a small Club Alpine Francais refuge. We spent most of the afternoon failing to take good enough pictures, and were… Continue reading
