Not sure what to do exactly yet - there are some outlying munro's to tidy up; however the forecast is a bit iffy although Fri looks pretty decent - might be the best day for a long, challenging walk...
More to follow
Wednesday, 17 August 2011
Back in the NW...
for another few days - with poor Claire having to work I am on my own; although Andruil (the new bike) is with me.
Wednesday, 10 August 2011
I need a name....
However, I still don't have a name....PLEASE can someone help my useless owner give me a name...
Thanks..
The new bike
Tuesday, 9 August 2011
Testing the boots...
so, one consequence of breaking my left heel years ago is that I could do with heavy boots in summer as well as winter - except they are MEGA heavy and also quite hot...so I have been using trainers (my trail shoes got lots of use on the Scotland trip) and they are brilliant...although I have a limp like Herr Flick of the Gestapo (type 'Allo 'Allo into You Tube if you don't get that reference) every morning...so the solution presented itself on the way back from Scotland. Nevisport in Fort Bill had lovely trainers with high ankles. I got a pair and decided to test them out before I go back north next Wednesday. That, and the gorgeous forecast coupled with an appalling weather forecast tomorrow and for the rest of the week as well!!!
As you can see - there have been worse days.
So, I parked at Mardale Head and wandered along the lakeshore for about 1km until I left and ascended up Rough Crag. Wainwright described this as the best way onto High Street, and he is (as usual) probably right....Blea Tarn (in the first picture above) looked splendid and the view from the top was amazing (as can be seen from the second picture)..
From the summit, I descended over Mardale Ill Bell and dropped down to the Nan Bield Pass, the head of which is in the last picture. As can be seen the path is well made - it seems to have been totally reconstructed in point of fact. This will make navigation easier in the mist/winter but does seem to be a bit of overkill. As I was feeling really good and the day was lovely I made the 400' ascent onto Harter Fell, where I soaked up the views of the Howgill Fells and distant Ingleborough and Pendle Hill; oh and I scoffed my cheese sandwiches as well!!
The descent down Gatesgarth was lovely as usual - it seemed busy to me although given that it is the summer holidays it was probably not that busy. I reckon I saw about 20 people today - and by saw I mean passed, overtook and was able to say "hello" etc to....considerably more than Claire and I saw during all our days in the NW Highlands put together.....
https://picasaweb.google.com/102361192587557786751/HighStreetAndHarterFellAGloriousDayInSummer
go check out..
As you can see - there have been worse days.
From the summit, I descended over Mardale Ill Bell and dropped down to the Nan Bield Pass, the head of which is in the last picture. As can be seen the path is well made - it seems to have been totally reconstructed in point of fact. This will make navigation easier in the mist/winter but does seem to be a bit of overkill. As I was feeling really good and the day was lovely I made the 400' ascent onto Harter Fell, where I soaked up the views of the Howgill Fells and distant Ingleborough and Pendle Hill; oh and I scoffed my cheese sandwiches as well!!
The descent down Gatesgarth was lovely as usual - it seemed busy to me although given that it is the summer holidays it was probably not that busy. I reckon I saw about 20 people today - and by saw I mean passed, overtook and was able to say "hello" etc to....considerably more than Claire and I saw during all our days in the NW Highlands put together.....
https://picasaweb.google.com/102361192587557786751/HighStreetAndHarterFellAGloriousDayInSummer
go check out..
Sunday, 7 August 2011
A quiet (ish) weekend...
and yes the weather has not been great - that said Claire and I went for a nice walk by the River Eden this evening....her leg is healing up slowly but surely; however Scotland next weekend will come too soon. We are going up at Bank holiday and I am going up the week after next so all is not too bad...
...no new bike as of yet - still needs a name. Aiming to do some more exercise this week - running, walking, cycling and maybe even some climbing. Forecast is the usual August rubbish but there we are....
...no new bike as of yet - still needs a name. Aiming to do some more exercise this week - running, walking, cycling and maybe even some climbing. Forecast is the usual August rubbish but there we are....
Thursday, 4 August 2011
New pictures...
with more space I am uploading everything (or almost everything) from my camera....whole lot of new shots from our day on Ben Wyvis.... https://picasaweb.google.com/102361192587557786751/SummerOnBenWyvis#
Weather has crapped out yet again today - back to persistent 'I'm going to last most of the day' rain that was common in June. On the plus side; I have ordered a new mountain bike - who will need a name at some point...might make that a competition!!
Weather has crapped out yet again today - back to persistent 'I'm going to last most of the day' rain that was common in June. On the plus side; I have ordered a new mountain bike - who will need a name at some point...might make that a competition!!
Wednesday, 3 August 2011
Picasa upgraded....
https://picasaweb.google.com/102361192587557786751
this should get you to my home page.....I will upload the vast majority of my pictures onto here....and will link it from various blogs as well....
this should get you to my home page.....I will upload the vast majority of my pictures onto here....and will link it from various blogs as well....
The final day in the Fannich hills...
yeah ok - sorry it has been a bit late; getting home and sorting out the mess from a week away has taken some time; plus yesterday I went to the west with Claire (she is working there this week) and went for a gentle 2mile run on the coast - and did some reading and lesson prep stuff.
I also still haven't brought any more space on Picasa either - so not many pix as of yet; they will be up tomorrow. The ones that are up are here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/102361192587557786751/SgurrMorWithClaire
This one was from the wed walk and is Sgurr Mor (at 1110m the highest point of the Fannich range) with Carn na Criche to its left. Our walk goes left to right and off into the distance!!
Well, a nice early start at the bunkhouse saw us parked up and ready to go at 8.10 which is pretty good. The forecast was good and the mist was starting to clear off the hills as we followed an excellent stalkers path into the hills. Claire's leg was
still causing her problems and was heavily strapped [later consulting with a physio meant that she shouldn't really have done this work - mega props for having the guts to do it my lovely] and the good walking underfoot was great. Regrettably, it couldn't go on for ever and we soon got a junction where we had a choice of paths, a walkers path which we knew went to Loch a' Mhadaidh (our first destination) and the stalkers path which went off towards a ridge. We took the walkers path - which turned out to be an error; although it didn't become apparent for another couple of hours.
Our path was narrow and did vanish once in a while, however it deposited us at the Loch which is at the heart of the range. Our next objective was the col between Carn na Criche and Meall a' Chrasgaidh (the final peak we had ascended on wed). We were initially really lucky to pick a small but very usable path through the heather to the base of the corrie headwall, where a gruesomely steep and quite midgy ascent would put us on the main ridge and MUCH easier going. The last part of this ascent was really tough for Claire with her injured leg, and it was much to our relief and somewhat to our amazement that we met a good traversing path coming in from the ridge to our right. Looking down from the top it linked up with the stalkers path on the ridge of Creag Raineach Mor (a 600m peak next to the col). With hindsight we should clearly have stayed on the stalkers path.....it's easy to say it is a wonderful thing but I should probably have trusted my instincts which were to use this ridge in the first place (when planning the route at the bunkhouse). Not a great decision, especially for poor Claire who suffered a lot with her leg...
Once on the path; it was a weary wander up to the summit of Carn na Criche, where a lunch stop in the sun helped no end. A steady plod up Sgurr Mor led to the main decision of the day - descend over Beinn Liath Mhor Fannaich (the way we had gone down on Sunday) or go further along the ridge - very easy walking but an unsure descent off the Belach Ban. Claire chose the latter (to her immense credit) and we descended and then re-ascended (not much) over Meall nan Peithirean before a final drag onto the munro of Meall Gorm. From there our route lay over its SE top and thence to the Belach. The sight of a path starting next to Loch Gorm and taking us through the first part of the heather bash was VERY welcome...and it made a lot of difference. When it vanished it was hard going; however our decision to head to the river was correct (for once on this trip) as we picked up a small path along it which sped our progress. Once we had hit ground we knew from Sunday I pushed on ahead so as to walk/hitch the 2 miles along the road to get the car (oh yeah - missed this bit out, by committing to do more walking Claire knowingly risked adding 2 more miles on as well). Luckily I got a lift almost immediately and was able to be at the car park when Claire arrived (not that long after me it must be said).
The day did have one final good part...upon arriving back at the bunkhouse, Ian told us that we could have the second b and b bedroom, complete with its own bathroom and showers.....RESULT!!
A fantastic end to a great trip....even the drive back, we took the scenic route down Loch Ness, the next day went ok....
https://picasaweb.google.com/102361192587557786751/SgurrMorWithClaire
This one was from the wed walk and is Sgurr Mor (at 1110m the highest point of the Fannich range) with Carn na Criche to its left. Our walk goes left to right and off into the distance!!
Well, a nice early start at the bunkhouse saw us parked up and ready to go at 8.10 which is pretty good. The forecast was good and the mist was starting to clear off the hills as we followed an excellent stalkers path into the hills. Claire's leg was
still causing her problems and was heavily strapped [later consulting with a physio meant that she shouldn't really have done this work - mega props for having the guts to do it my lovely] and the good walking underfoot was great. Regrettably, it couldn't go on for ever and we soon got a junction where we had a choice of paths, a walkers path which we knew went to Loch a' Mhadaidh (our first destination) and the stalkers path which went off towards a ridge. We took the walkers path - which turned out to be an error; although it didn't become apparent for another couple of hours.
Our path was narrow and did vanish once in a while, however it deposited us at the Loch which is at the heart of the range. Our next objective was the col between Carn na Criche and Meall a' Chrasgaidh (the final peak we had ascended on wed). We were initially really lucky to pick a small but very usable path through the heather to the base of the corrie headwall, where a gruesomely steep and quite midgy ascent would put us on the main ridge and MUCH easier going. The last part of this ascent was really tough for Claire with her injured leg, and it was much to our relief and somewhat to our amazement that we met a good traversing path coming in from the ridge to our right. Looking down from the top it linked up with the stalkers path on the ridge of Creag Raineach Mor (a 600m peak next to the col). With hindsight we should clearly have stayed on the stalkers path.....it's easy to say it is a wonderful thing but I should probably have trusted my instincts which were to use this ridge in the first place (when planning the route at the bunkhouse). Not a great decision, especially for poor Claire who suffered a lot with her leg...
Once on the path; it was a weary wander up to the summit of Carn na Criche, where a lunch stop in the sun helped no end. A steady plod up Sgurr Mor led to the main decision of the day - descend over Beinn Liath Mhor Fannaich (the way we had gone down on Sunday) or go further along the ridge - very easy walking but an unsure descent off the Belach Ban. Claire chose the latter (to her immense credit) and we descended and then re-ascended (not much) over Meall nan Peithirean before a final drag onto the munro of Meall Gorm. From there our route lay over its SE top and thence to the Belach. The sight of a path starting next to Loch Gorm and taking us through the first part of the heather bash was VERY welcome...and it made a lot of difference. When it vanished it was hard going; however our decision to head to the river was correct (for once on this trip) as we picked up a small path along it which sped our progress. Once we had hit ground we knew from Sunday I pushed on ahead so as to walk/hitch the 2 miles along the road to get the car (oh yeah - missed this bit out, by committing to do more walking Claire knowingly risked adding 2 more miles on as well). Luckily I got a lift almost immediately and was able to be at the car park when Claire arrived (not that long after me it must be said).
The day did have one final good part...upon arriving back at the bunkhouse, Ian told us that we could have the second b and b bedroom, complete with its own bathroom and showers.....RESULT!!
A fantastic end to a great trip....even the drive back, we took the scenic route down Loch Ness, the next day went ok....
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