Having run 90 miles last week, found that surprisingly straightforward but knowing it’s still a big week by my standards, I thought it might be fun to mix in some mountain biking (something that’s still pretty new to me) to give me a break from the pounding for a day or two. (more…)
13 April 2010
7 April 2010
Bonking on Rannoch Moor
To the non-runners among you, it’s not what you think! A runners’ bonk (aka hitting the wall) is basically grinding to a halt when you run out of fuel, as might happen when you’re nearly finished that afternoon double crossing of Rannoch Moor you set out to do without any lunch, in which case you probably deserve it… (more…)
4 April 2010
Sgurr a’ Mhaoraich
So I was planning to go running today then mix and match with some winter walking during the week, but a quick look at the forecast for Monday and beyond (big gales and sustained snow melt, with the MWIS now threatening 100mph gusts on the highest summits!) had me thinking ‘carpe diem’ and heading up the road to pick up my ‘missing’ Loch Quoich Munro of Sgurr a’ Mhaoraich. (more…)
3 April 2010
Long day on North-East Buttress
Yesterday I climbed North-East Buttress (IV,4, and one of the great classic ridges) on Ben Nevis with Isi Oakley in glorious late-season conditions. (more…)
1 April 2010
HRM niggles and ringing the changes
When I bought my Forerunner 310XT, I also decided to get the new soft-strap heart rate monitor, and said (in my brief 310XT review) that ‘The new soft-strap heart rate monitor is nice and was worth getting even though the 305’s monitor will work.’ (more…)
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28 March 2010
More shoes and heart rate
27 March 2010
Shoes, heart rate and serendipity
Since I’m running on rough ground all the time, pushing my road shoes beyond their designed remit on almost every outing and like to have several viable pairs on the go, I rarely buy running shoes a pair at a time. So, with the mileage steadily building towards June’s West Highland Way Race, my last two pairs of Asics GT-2130s becoming ever more bashed up and most of my existing off-road alternatives somewhat out of favour, I really needed to stock up, spent part of Monday evening trawling the net for good deals (aka sale prices) and now have five new pairs of shoes!
So what did I get, and why? (more…)
20 March 2010
A Tale of Two Lairigs
It’s a logical circuit I’ve had my eye on for years but somehow (despite having run just about everything else you can run in this area) never got round to doing as a whole. (more…)
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14 March 2010
Point Five Gully
While it’s no longer close to the monstrous undertaking that foiled many leading climbers prior to its controversial first ascent in 1959, Point Five Gully (V,5) on Ben Nevis remains one of the most prized winter climbs for the recreational mountaineer, described in Colin Stead’s Cold Climbs essay as ‘probably the most famous ice gully in Scotland, perhaps in the world’ and more concisely in the relevant SMC guidebooks as ‘[probably] the most famous ice gully in the world!’ (The 2002 Ben Nevis guide omits the ‘probably’.) (more…)
7 March 2010
Gairich
Today was supposed to be the climbing day I’d ‘earned’ after another tough week’s running but, with my prospective partner’s legs apparently screaming/shot from skiing yesterday and me not fancying yet another run on some purgatorially snow-compromised local off-road course, I had to find something else to do. (more…)
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