Memories of Ausangate

I was talking to a friend the other day who had been thinking of ultra-running the Ausangate Circuit a couple of years back but due to one thing and another never got there. However the conversation prompted me to dig through my photos from an expedition there a couple of years previously...

                          

Skye Dawns

One good thing about this time of year is that you don't have to get up too early on Skye to see some fantastic sunrises. The weather has been pretty amenable for that at the moment too. Here's a selection of mornings from the past couple of weeks... I have plenty more in large file formats and if anyone wants a high resolution copy let me know.

Busy Summer!

Well the main summer season is fading into memory now, but very fond memory. Thanks to everyone who has been part of our adventures this year, be it on Skye, in Torridon, Assynt, Perthshire, Glencoe, or wherever. It's been a busy one but most enjoyable, and it's been nice to see some familiar old friends as well as make new ones. The range of activities has been wide with plenty of climbing, scrambling, mountaineering and also lots of relaxing walking.

I'm just in the process of updating the website now, trawling through the photos from this year and deciding which ones are worth putting up - the weather , especially in the early part of the summer has been fantastic, with Skye almost running out of water and breaking all records for sunshine whilst the southern part of the UK was under water! So I've managed to capture quite a few splendid sights, and will get them up shortly, hopefully.

I'm also busy planning for next year.... watch this space.....

Some Surprises in Highland Perthsire

Last week saw me setting out again armed with GPS, maps and voice recorder, this time heading for Perthshire to research some new routes round Blair Atholl, and from Pitlochry to Kinloch Rannoch by way of Aberfeldy and Fortingall.

Fortingall was a new one for me - a designed village very much in the Arts and Crafts style, unusual for the Highlands and with its thatched cottages very reminiscent in a way of my jaunt to the Cotswolds a little while back. It's also home to allegedly the oldest living thing in Europe - the Fortingall Yew. Legend spuriously states that this was the birthplace of Pontius Pilate. Not sure about that, but if it were to be so, he could have carved his name on this tree.
One of the delights of Perthsire is it's woods and trees. Superb specimins of Wellingtonia and other Giant Redwood type trees litter the countryside, not just at the major sites like Blair Castle but all over the place - along the road from Fortingall to Coshieville there were some splendid entish monoliths. The glens are home to superb oak and beech woods, in the pass of Killiecrancie and Glen Tilt being notable, and there's plenty of conifer action too.

One fine morning passing through the village of Strathtay I chanced upon this little fellow dashing about in the winter sunshine. He wasn't at all put out by my presence and just carried on doing his stuff whilst I rummaged for my camera. Made me wonder where my Tufty Club badge was. Showing my age here!

It's been a mildish wet windy winter and there hasn't been too much snow, and the day I walked from Fortingall over to Kinloch Rannoch I was surprised to find the normally clear track obliterated by fields of iron hard icy snow at the relatively lowly elevation of about 600 metres. For half an hour or so I wished I had been carrying crampons. The route passed the slightly tatty bothy at Glenmore and then round the western nose of Schiehallion to a rather splendid hidden shepherd's hut. Put a stove in the fireplace and I could live there!

Full marks should go to the Quaich Cafe in Aberfeldy for supplying me with a fine bucket-sized coffee, and also for Raj at the curry house who was a splendid host with a charmingly Basil-like haphazard demeanour. A visit to Chillies was definately an amazing experience and not just for the food. So much so I went 3 nights running!

More Neil Art

Thanks Neil for another super picture - this time it's Glamaig and Ben Mor Dearg...

Copyright - Neil Ornstein

Cotswold Adventure

An interesting time in January and something a little different in this usually quieter time of year.... forsaking the arctic north for the sunny delights of south west-ish England and a quick jaunt round the Cotswolds, doing a recce for a circular route of a week's duration heading from the regency spa town of Cheltenham and making a foray into the quiet countryside around it.  This is not an area I'd visited before but I must say I was pleasantly surprised. It's so quintessentially English, with a succession of rolling hills, copses and spinneys interspersed with charming villages with their greens and cricket pitches, thatched cottages and country pubs.

One thing I cottoned onto fairly quickly is that the green and pleasant land is, in January, quite muddy. The so-awfully well kept B+Bs I was staying in were of course spotless and usually decorated in white with cream carpets.  At times the whole operation got a bit bogged down with mud management, but my hosts were most forgiving and accommodating.  During the day there was often a hunt for an uncarpeted bar in the village pubs or a cafe with a laminate floor and lack of upholstery.

The walking was surprisingly tough, partly due to navigating the network of field paths which are everywhere criss crossing about, and partly due to the aforementioned muddy terrain.

There's certainly no sign of any recession down here, it's the home of the Range Rover and I suspect that such vehicles are preffered not just for negotiating the lanes that lead to the studs and riding stables which dot the countryside, but also for their copious luggage space, very usefull for loading a few antiques in. Antique shops here seem to occupy the same prominence in the village high street as charity shops do in  northern towns. Yes, there was some very nice art and furniture to be had.

One day I passed Julian Lloyd Webber's house and popped into his local. I was curious to see if I would actually catch a glimpse of a successful cellist in his natural habitat. No, but I did see his very impressive topiary.

Another day my route passed the Long Barrow at Belas Knap. Amazing! The carpet of tiny white winter flowers made me go all Lord of the Ringsy and think of the barrows of the Rohirrim in front of the courts of Edoras, with their dusting of Symblemyne.

Special Offers On 2012 Trips

Sat 2nd- Sat 9th June 2012
Wilderness Camping Trip to Letterewe and Fisherfield area in the North West Highlands. Ascents of some of the most remote Munros, in one of Scotland's most scenic and unspoilt areas.  Book early for this popular trip, pegged again this year at the 2010 prices - from £250pp.
Download info sheet(.doc)


Sat 30th June - Sun 8th July 2012
"Classic Ridges and Scrambles". Challenging walking and easy scrambling. No previous scrambling experience required although you will need to be a competent hillwalker with a head for heights. Spend Saturday till Monday in Glencoe and Tuesday till Saturday on Skye. Stay in comfortable hostel accommodation.  This trip has been price pegged at the 2010 price of £280pp for the week. Limited places available- book early to avoid disapointment!
Download info sheet(.doc)

Get in touch for more details.