Mount Keen - 2005

Two years ago today, I completed my first Munro. Mount Keen. It had been a scorcher of a day travelling up Glen Esk, but the weather came in and the plateau wasn't clear. I cared not a jot.

It took me about 6 hours, met some folk, and experienced a glow when my first Munro was finished.

Tabbing it up Glen Esk, past some chaps repairing the track.

Stopped to explore the incongruous Queen's Well.

Up the Ladderburn.

The view down Glen Esk.

Clambering over the rocks to the summit.

Pose for the self-timed camera snap.

On the way back down, a gap in the cloud revealed a dear sneaking past. Stopping later to allow an ascending walker up, he said "this is my first"; "that was my first" says I.

I failed, however, to contact anyone to let them know about my conquest until I was back within mobile phone range. Strange feeling not being able to use a mobile phone when mobile.

Landward/MWIS

Feature on the BBC's Landward programme about the Mountain Weather Information Service (MWIS). You can see Geoff Monk compiling the forecasts in their video clip.

Coincidentally, the Sports Minister announced that "sportscotland will be investing £36,000 per annum over the next three years." (link)

TOS on YT

The Outdoors Station has started a YouTube channel. It seems to compare favourably with the iTunes feed in media quality. You can watch Bob demonstrating their range of tarps, for example.

Strangely, in the 'related' field was Yazoo's "Don't Go", which, of course led to "Only You", which seemed to be the one record that we had in the Sixth Year hut at the Nicolson.

Interview Take 2

Andy Skype-called again to try and get a better recording for the podcast on bloggers. Last time I was down with the 'flu when he called. Today, I had spent most of the day in a darkened room - migraine came on in the morning. Bleh.

Still, managed to listen to some Outdoor Station podcasts whilst resting my eyes. I've just noticed how smug Andy looks on the photo for Bob & Andy's Seaside Adventure.

Simon Says

Simon's side of the weekend's story can be found in his trip reports on Scottish Hills:The east end of North Glen Sheil

Good Luck

Best wishes to Kevin (Batish) and Tomoe on their new venture: One Life Japan. A very philosophical blog entry announcing it (link).

Hey, Simon, look what I found on their new company's blog...great minds, eh?

Eco-Navigation: Seabirds vs GPS

By some small coincidence, there's a Japanese exhibition on at the Art Gallery in Aberdeen just now. I've only managed round half of it so far, but spotted one usagi and some heron, and some gorgeous netsuke.

I support the MWIS

There's an article on Cameron McNeish's blog about the Mountain Weather Information Service (MWIS) being under threat again. I've posted a comment on Cameron's blog, and emailed a copy to the Executive's Sports Minister, so won't repeat myself here.

Vibrating rings

I missed this recently. What a cunning idea!

Two vibrating rings which can guide the wearer around a city via global positioning satellite (GPS) have been unveiled by a British designer at the Royal College of Art...Gail Knight. ...The rings buzz for left and right, and have different vibrations for forwards and backwards. Both buzz when going in the wrong direction. (link)(via The Goat)

Well done, Gail.

Lightweight Tents

When catching up on the TGO Gear pages about the European OutDoor Trade Fare, I also noted Cameron's posting on the lightweight (sub 2kg) and lower-priced tent (approx £120) from Wild Country for 2008. (link)

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The new edition of Trail scrambled through the letter-box this morning included an item about a "reader whose ultra-light tent had collapsed in really wild weather". So some calls were made and a few manufacturers of lightweight tents were asked what speed their tents can cope with.

Golly. I didn't realise that wind speed only affected lightweight tents?

Looking back, to June 2007's Trail, with sub-2kg 2-person tents, wind speed is not rated. However, Trail's Graham Thompson did talk about the stability of the tents in his reviews.

I note that Craigdon Mountain Sports have a tent show advertised this weekend in Duthie park, I wonder if they will have a note of the wind speeds that their tents can stand up to? I think the public should be informed. Oh, they do - they have staff on hand to tell people - how handy is that?

As Mr Thompson rightly says "You need to know what you and your kit are capable of".

Doesn't everyone?

The outdoors can be a dangerous place - get it wrong, and you can die. Much like driving to work.

Be safe, be alert, be turned on to your place in the scheme of things - if you screw up, it's usually you that suffers. The rain doesn't care that you only took a showerproof jacket. The wind doesn't care that your tent can't cope. The sun doesn't care....well, you get the gist.

In a blame-centred society, it is good to have no-one to blame but yourself. Puts things in perspective.

Wild camping? He was bloody furious. Boom tish.

Primus ETA Express again

More info through on the Primus ETA Express that I posted about recently (Primus ETA Express). Lighthiker is going through his haul from the Friedrichshafen European OutDoor Trade Fare. Thanks for the dedication (both definitions), Roman.

I failed to pick up on the TGO Gear pages which included articles posted form the show too. Including this one from Cameron McNeish on the ETA Express. Increase efficiency, so less gas used, so longer hikes with smaller amounts of fuel. Cracking stuff.

Google Reader

What's in my Google Reader subscription? Well, it changes quite regularly, but here's my current personalised 'magazine' list in alphabetical order.

Alan Sloman's Big Walk	Look! A three-headed monkey!
Ali and Lay's Mountaineering Blog	Mark Stirton
American Bushman	Mobile Learning
Backcountry.com: The Goat	Must Be This Way
bastish.net	Puppy's World
BG!	Scobleizer - Tech Geek Blogger
Big Galloot	Simon's Blog
Blogger Buzz	Stirton Productions and Beyond
Chris Townsend Outdoors	Summit Dreams
Daily Blog Tips	The Other Scottish Storyteller
Freezer Bag Cooking™	The Wilderness World of Cameron McNeish
GTM Coupe Rebuild	Trail Gear Blog
HennessyBlog	Two-Heel Drive
Hike Wales	Walkabout In The UK
KirouOutdoor	Webware.com
Lighthikers World	Whitespider1066
London Backpacker's Walking Pages	山より道具

Add to that, a regular plough through the blogs listed in the sidebar, and magazines. If I can learn from other people, then it might save me time, money and hardship. It can even be entertaining as well as educational.

3 Days of 'Bagging

Some of Simon's photos from the weekend. Me in the outdoors. Perhaps the sofa would be a better option after all.

Friday: Below Ben Wyvis.

Saturday above Cluanie

No comment.

round edge then the bealach

Bealach Coire a'Chait

Unpacking pack into tent

Trust me, I know what I'm doing

On the side of A'Chralaig

Bypassing the technical climbs/scrambles, care still need be taken. Yes, I am in the photo.

Simon and myself on Mullach Fraoch-choire

Retracing the track back to our packs.

The low cloud helped me a lot.

nuBG

Bearded Git!'s moved his blog across to WordPress. I'm not sure if the exclamation mark is required in his alias, but I don't want to be tarred with a particular hue.

Click here to be taken to the new BG! blog.

How Scottish?

A company have a calculator on their site that tells you how Scottish your name is.

An index score of 100 is the average for all name combinations in Scotland.

I scored 257.

A nephew of mine would score 276, but he does have a Gaelic-spelt first name.

Primus ETA Express

From the European OutDoor fair (singular 'outdoor'), Trail's Gear Blog posted about the new Primus ETA Express solo cook system (link).

From the great newsfeed from Trail, and the detailed postings on Roman/Lighthiker's blog (if you're not sure what a blog is...well, too late), this integrated system from Primus has been the only bit of kit to catch my eagle eyes.

The lower section looks similar to the Primus Micron, and when searching for more information, I find that Cameron McNeish wrote that: "Chris has been getting a little excited by the new Primus EtaExpress stove" (link).

Link to Chris Townsend's blog. I'm waiting for the review of this tent to appear in TGO. PS: nice photo.

Andy Talks Dirty

Andy's trailer for the long-awaited (by me anyway) podcast chats with various bloggers.

Killer Crocs

Whoa, there was me just winding down for the night when I caught site of Sarah's crocs across on her blog. They allow those on the PCT? I suppose with hunters about (big assumption on my part), that having something that bright strapped to your pack makes sense.

Oh, and there's also her kit list too, which I'll peruse after the blobs have finished dancing in front of my eyes.

Ultimate Outdoor Season

Just caught the trailer for the new BBC programme "Mountain", which starts at the weekend. I know that seeing Cameron McNeish on top of a Scottish hill may not be newsworthy, but the series looks like fun. There's a book to accompany the series, no doubt a dvd with added features, and maybe even cakes.

Griff Rhys Jones/Ultimate Outdoor Season - Mountain
A new series for BBC One presented by Griff Rhys Jones, it's on BBC One, Sunday 29 July at, 9pm. He's travelling the length of the UK on the country's highest mountain peaks - Wales, The Lake District, The Pennines, Central Scotland and the North West Highlands of Scotland. (link)

Griff will also look at the historical tales of the British mountains - epic battles, early pioneers and geological marvels. (link)

The series is part of the Ultimate Outdoors Season on the BBC. (link to BBC Press Office, which must be busy just now, as they haven't updated the information at time of my posting.)

There is a link to the BBC's page for the program...which is currently a placeholder (link ... the BBC busy again, perhaps.)

Now, what caught my attention was the phrase "Ultimate Outdoor Season". I found nothing on the BBC site about it, and the nothing on the BBC's Scotland/Outdoors mini-site. Of course, maybe with recent scandals, the BBC are resorting to sponsorship?

I wonder if Jones the Hill has been following the BBC's own advice on How to Climb Mountains from h2g2?

Other items you might wish to take are:
A large calibre rifle
Enough ammunition to take out a platoon of revolutionaries
Crampons
An ice axe (for ice climbing and to slice meat for food from your climbing partner's frozen body)
Warm clothing
A religious item to use for when you beg God for mercy
A rope (this can be used to climb with, or to hang yourself when things get really bad)

Hold you ice axe is a menacing way and threaten your friend into climbing ahead of you, that way when avalanches and rock slides happen his body might deflect the first part of the onslaught which could allow you time to seek shelter. Continue on in this fashion making a good effort at not falling to your death. Also try not to be hit by falling objects like rocks, snow, and other mountaineers.

I think it is meant to be a parody. Maybe there's a premium rate number I can call and ask the BBC about their advice? Or what else will be in the "Ultimate Outdoor Season"? Ultimate is a big word to live up to.

Cluanie horseshoe day 2

2 munros completed. Thanks Simon. Details to follow.
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With a shower outside, the Akto's door vent comes in handy. The fabric is dropped out of the tent, so drips are avoided. Looking at the Kintail Harveys map of the bealach region we were in, I found a typo that I'll need to inform them of. See if you can spot it? Look for the Allt running from Coire a' Chait.

Simon in the neighbouring Akto.

Opportunity to photograph my cookset. Folding spork, Primus Micron, nalgene cup, home-made wind shield, gas cannister, Snow*Peak titanium mug, homemade pot cosy, sponge on its ziplock bag.

Pitched at 900m overlooking Gleann na Ciche. Simon's Akto on the left and mine on the right.

Looking back at the unnamed lochan (self-named Lochan nan Doirbeag) where we had camped on Saturday night.

A' Chralaig in cloud.

Gleann na Ciche.

Low cloud over Affric.

Eastern ridge in cloud.

Near A' Chralaig.

A' Chralaig cairn.

Simon at A' Chralaig.

Duncan at A' Chralaig [Munro 37, 1120m/3674ft].

On to Stob Coire na Cralaig.

Clambering.

Three folk overtake us.

Onward to the Stob.

Pinnacles.

Exposed.

Near Mullach Fraoch-choire. The worse of the work done - expect we have to head back the same way. I hope the low cloud doesn't lift suddenly.

Duncan and Simon on Mullach Fraoch-choire [Munro 38. 1102m/3615ft]

Interesting.

Junction near Stob Coire na Cralaig. We would head down into Coire Odhar rather than taking the longer trek back to A'Chralaig and then down.

Looking up from Coire Odhar.

Looking down from Coire Odhar to An Caorann Mor.

Fionngleann.

Below the cloud mass in An Caorann Mor, heading down to the valley floor.

An Caorann Mor was a bit boggy, but not seriously so.

Gaining the hardpath in the glen.

Loch Cluanie appears.

Strange stone walls, some I shaped, some T or Y shaped in the glen. Some form of sheep shelter perhaps?

14km and 5 Munros later, Simon back at the car.

A few minutes later, I, too, was back at the car. Soon after, I would be hunting for my car keys - losing them after unlocking the car.