Driving home for New Year....

to misquote Chris Rea.....this is being written on the M74 (not whilst driving I should stress), as Claire and I are on the way back from Scotland. We called in at Aviemore on the way back and the amount of snow not around was remarkable...I was hoping to do an hour or so of cross-country skiing but that was not possible.

The thaw continues apace and has wiped all the snow of the lower slopes of Fionn Bheinn as we drove past this morning; only 5 days after we struggled up it in ankle deep snow...but its forecast to get a lot colder on Sunday when Claire and I are heading out to the hills in Cumbria again....now all we need is lots of snow in Scotland before now and the end of month when we are hoping to head back to the north.

Meall A' Ghiubhais...

http://picasaweb.google.com/simon.bigair/MeallAGhiubhais#

the photo's from this walk are up. The mountain is a lovely 878m Corbett at the back of Beinn Eighe....Claire and I did a lovely 6 1/2 hr circuit from the road near to Kinlochewe. We used a pony track to the top of the pass between our peak and Ruadh Stac Bheag before ascending the steep slopes to the summit. Views were ok, a little bit of cloud but Ben Wyvis was visible during the clear patches as was Fionn Bheinn that we had we climbed on boxing day....

Moved locations...

Claire and I are now at Cromasaig B and B, a lovely place not far from Kinlochewe at the head of Glen Torridon...

it's still thawing quite heavily in Scotland....not sure what that will do for walking conditions.

Glen Torridon photo's

http://picasaweb.google.com/simon.bigair/CoireDubhGlenTorridon#

first time back in Glen Torridon in years....it did not disappoint..

Pix from today..

http://picasaweb.google.com/simon.bigair/FionnBheinWithClaire

Fionn Bheinn...

so, quite a cold night for us...one of the party had cold toes and the other one has a very good sleeping bag but a naff Karrimat and so got a bit cold late in the night when condensation started to form in the tent......the thaw stopped around the early hours.

After a 7.00 alarm and breakfast in the bunkhouse, where we are staying tonight and back to camping tomorrow, we set off at around 8.30. Big plus for today was no driving - which is a good thing on several levels. I did for one second think about bringing my skis up with me - about 15 mins in I wished that I had! The snow was ankle to shin deep and the trail breaking was hard work. Those who know the Irvine Butterfield 'High Mountains of Britain and Ireland' book will know that some of his times for rounds are a little creative!! suffice to say that 3-5 hours was never going to happen today and it took 4 hours to get up!! There were a couple of parts where the snow had been blown off to make walking easier, however it was hard graft for the most part. Cresting the summit ridge was a delight as the Fannich and Fisherfield Peaks opened up in front of us - the first time I have ever seen these hills and mighty impressive they look too. Liathach and Beinn Eighe had been visible for most of the day as well....

The final ascent required us to stay back a bit from the edge as Toll Mhor was corniced in places; however thoughts of a summit cup of tea were rudely shattered by the arrival of driving spindrift.....all that remained was a 1 3/4hr descent; once again on wearisomely soft snow...Claire showing highly impressive stamina as she ran down the last hill....unlike other members of the party who plodded slowly!!

Now sat in front of the fire with a pot of tea - piggybacking the hotel's broadband...hope they don't read this!

And so it begins...

This is written sat at the table at the bunkhouse of the Ledgowan Hotel in Achnasheen in the NW Highlands of Scotland....just to prove it is actually a camping trip.

Today has been a pretty good day actually - we left at 7.30am and sailed up to Achnasheen in a leisurely 6 1/2 hrs including quite a few stops - the advantage of no traffic!! It has begun to thaw here which is less good and the forecast is for a thaw for the next few days before turning colder again on thurs, which is our last full day....nevertheless we have lots of options and we shall see.

Due to the weather and conditions reports all those who were due to be in the bunkhouse have cancelled and thus we can use the facilities (which campers are allowed to do anyway) and spread out a bit...avoiding leaving gear in the car etc. I have managed to get my new short skis in and had a very brief play with them - a bit different from skiing on normal skis and they will take some getting used to.

Early to bed for us - forecast is for an okay morning and less good in the afternoon, not that forecasts mean a huge amount up here; so we are going to start early and try Fionn Bheinn, the local munro.

Harter Fell via Gatesgarth Pass

These pictures are some of the many that are on my picasa site: http://picasaweb.google.com/simon.bigair/HarterFell

Today was the last day before Claire and I head to Achnasheen and then Kinlochewe in NW Scotland; with a bit of an uncertain forecast as to what we were going to get. We also wanted to drop some of Claire's stuff off at the flat - a very gentle start to the moving in process. So, we dropped down to Haweswater for a nice day out on Harter Fell and the promise of a glorious day.

The drive down was a little interesting - but not as interesting as the drive out promised to be!! We picked up a walker who had abandoned his car some way shy of the Haweswater Hotel (which actually provided us with a nice soup and bread!) and slid gently down to Mardale Head. Apart from a couple of cars the car-park was deserted and we had the Gatesgarth Pass to ourselves as our hitcher departed up the Nan Bield. The pass held a lot more snow than Blencathra, despite the latter being considerably higher, and on the ascent to Harter Fell itself someone had quite clearly being skiing there...The views from the top were glorious with views to Ingleborough and Pendle Hill which is near Burnley in Lancashire. The descent, by the same way, was even more glorious with prolonged views over the Pennines and the Howgills to help us and then a glorious afternoon sun over the High Street range. We saw 3 people all day before the hotel - another very good point.

Off to Achnasheen tomorrow and then an early start on Sunday to hopefully beat the weather....we shall see

another photo added to Picassa...

I'll be taking the camera on the Scotland trip starting xmas day as well as the macbook - so check back regularly.

By then I may have calmed down enough to talk about Gatwick Airport; Servisair and Royal Air Maroc.....

Have a great christmas one and all...

Simon

Photo's from today....

http://picasaweb.google.com/simon.bigair/BlencathraWithClaire#

Will post details of why I am here and not in Morocco later.....

All packed up...

school is done and the bags are now packed as we start early tomorrow.....driving to Gatwick and then facing the crux of the whole trip (getting off the ground on Sunday). It seems that one snowflake and the whole country grinds to a halt - someone remind me that we live in the 21st century in the 4th largest economy in the world right....or do we live in 1930's Albania?

With luck we will fly to Marrakech via Casablanca on Sunday and then start the 4 day Mt. Toubkal trek early Monday morning...given the weather and the pre-xmas shoppers we have decided to leave early tomorrow to allow plenty of time for travelling down...

The irony is that its currently ok in Cumbria - cold but not as much snow as I'd like on the hills...hopefully we'll have some HUGE dumps when we're away; just in time for play when we get back..

Will blog from Marrakech as to how the trek went....hope the weather is going to be ok.

Rusty on ski's...

to say the very least....went out for a little potter along by the river today......trying to remember basic details such as to how to stay upright!!!

Think I need to do a lot more skiing yet - hopefully Claire and I will hit the Rothiemurchus Forest sometime in the New Year....oh yeah and the burning in my legs reminds me how hard a sport this can be...

Another big dumps of snow...

This was taken yesterday, just by Claire's as we strolled down by the river together - Claire was on study leave.

We've just been out for a walk and its snowing and snowing well - not sure what to do tomorrow but need to be in Keswick to get my skis which are being edged and waxed sometime tomorrow so might do a mixed route or maybe Sharp Edge - not sure what condition it will be in tomorrow....

Snow stopped play at 2pm..

at school. Having had a torturous drive up to Carlisle I find it extremely doubtful that we'll be in tomorrow as more heavy snow has fallen.....the only question will then be what to do tomorrow and can we get out over the weekend....