Another delightful run through the Two Lairigs today with the very belated discovery that the higher path traversing from a start up the south ridge of Stob Dubh is the one, true, sensible way up the Lairig Gartain from the south where the more awkward lower path by the Allt Gartain is more of a decoy existing mainly to spoil a good run. (more…)
10 April 2015
29 March 2015
Munros, Tops and ‘Munro-lite’
A bit late in the day with just 12 of my 601 all-time Munro Tops left to do and Slioch waiting for 30 May but, prompted by Robin Campbell’s receipt of the Scottish Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture at last month’s Fort William Mountain Festival, I’ve finally bought and read The Munroist’s Companion. (more…)
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22 March 2015
Slow Beinns and Lairigs
Last Sunday I fell into a pile of bricks, slabs and back wall trying to do without a ladder where I needed one but lazily thought access looked tight without moving a few bits and pieces first. Which, quite apart from serving me right by leaving me with a bashed coccyx, rather messed up my running plans by ruling out Sunday (hurt too much!), Monday and Tuesday (too busy with work, but probably still hurt too much?) to start picking up the pieces again on a fine Wednesday evening. But I’ve still managed to ‘run’ every day since without hurting myself much more beyond the occasional jarring slip, so was able to make something of the further spring-like weather this weekend on a couple of circuits beyond my typical winter evening fare… (more…)
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13 December 2014
eTrex 20
It’s not my first GPS device. I’ve got half a dozen now counting this new eTrex, two running watches (Forerunner 305 and 310XT), a nüvi 1390T for driving, a chart plotter on the boat and an old 8-channel GPS 45XL (which was my first), but most were bought for different purposes and only that old 45XL is truly superfluous now. (more…)
1 December 2014
Remotely interesting
Lurg Mhor is miles from anywhere… except Lurg Mhor! Frequently quoted as one of the very remotest Munros, I’d had it and its neighbour Bidein a’ Choire Sheasgaich on the radar all summer, but what better time to hit such remote peaks than the limited daylight of St Andrew’s Day? (more…)
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24 November 2014
Fastpacking Fannichs
While not quite the stunning November day of two weeks ago, yesterday’s more wintry trip over the eastern Fannichs brought another healthy haul of four Munros and three Tops. Having done the central group of Meall a’ Chrasgaidh, Sgurr nan Clach Geala and Sgurr nan Each before, finishing the ridge east of those leaves just two Munros and a Top at the western end for another day, but my seven peaks were hard won in conditions that were cold, slippy where frosty/dusted with snow and very windy (nearly got blown off Sgurr Mor!), with generally poor visibility and intermittently showery as well… (more…)
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10 November 2014
November Fastpacking
After getting my Ultimate Direction SJ Ultra Vest 2.0 in May and loving it, I was keen to add something similar but larger for the kind of hill days when I needed a greater capacity. But it seemed that it just didn’t exist, with UD’s own PB Adventure Vest only so much bigger and looking marginal for fit with the M/L size topping out at my required 40″ chest and the Salomon packs not appealing so much to me. But then I got wind of the new UD Fastpack 20 (due out September) with M/L size specified for 32″ to 46″ chest and a configuration that looked just right, would have taken it there and then if I could have got my hands on one, and promptly pre-ordered from Castleberg Outdoors. (more…)
28 September 2014
Feshie
Took a trip to the Glen Feshie Munros on a so-so forecast today with them being the nearest I’d not done (had Carn Ban Mor from ML Assessment years ago, but the rest were ‘new’). (more…)
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15 September 2014
Northern Pinnacles
Meall Dearg and the Northern Pinnacles of Liathach have been calling me ever since I first set eyes on them on a conventional east-west traverse of Liathach 29 years ago. But now I really needed Meall Dearg with the Munro/Top quest not complete without this ‘most difficult top’ (to quote Irvine Butterfield’s somewhat debatable description), so thought I’d go take a look yesterday… (more…)
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8 September 2014
Slowest Ben yet!
Fair to say I got what I deserved when I’d neither been training ‘for’ it nor been well the preceding week, but afraid my 2013 Ben Race optimism’s now been followed by a new 2014 worst of 2:18:41 and placing outwith the top 200. (more…)
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