Winter is back

Finally, winter seems to have started properly in the last couple of weeks, with sustained low temperatures and snowfall. Cover is still thin in many places, making it feel more like December than late January, but it's great to have winter firmly in place. Conditions for climbing have been very good, and I have been out making the most of it. Ski-touring hasn't really started for me yet, the cover is just not there yet, but hopefully it won't be long.

Pinnacle Ridge, Lurcher's Crag, Cairngorms (III)

Sidewinder, Coire an Lochain, Cairngorms (III,4)

The Black Carls of Beinn Eighe, Torridon (I/II)

The Hybrid, Coire an t Sneachda, Cairngorms (IV,4)

Variety is the spice....

With the usual changeable conditions we get at this time of year my work has been really varied recently. Last week I had a great day out in Glen Coe guiding Greg up the Zig Zags scramble on Gearr Aonach, followed by a wintery walk up to to Stob Coire nan Lochan. This was working for Lochaber Guides.  At the weekend I was based out of Glenmore Lodge as a volunteer instructor for the Mountaineering Scotland SMART (student safety) weekend, with both days spent working on the Rock Improvers courses. Today I was out with Matt and Laurence in the Cairngorms. The plan had been to go for a good scramble, but with high winds and rain forecast we decided to stay low and look at developing and polishing their mountaineering skills, including using the rope alone, to increase safety if needed.

Enjoying the Zig Zags.....

Glen Coe looking stunning

Proper winter

Just below the summit

Going up

Going down--South African abseil technique

Finding your way.........

Today I was down in the incomparable surroundings of Royal Deeside with new client Simone. Stimulated by an upcoming move to the Pyrenees, Simone wanted to learn to navigate "properly", and not just have to rely on mobile phones and similar technology. Very wise! Navigation teaching has changed a lot in the mountaineering world over the last few years. The "modern" approach is to make use of large-scale (in our case 1: 7,500) orienteering maps to help maximise learning in the early stages. This is certainly the method that the NNAS awards (of which I am a provider) advocate. With this in mind, we spent the morning at the new Permanent Orienteering Course at the Linn of Dee, completing 20 navigation legs of increasing difficulty by lunchtime! We covered setting the map, the 3 Ds (Direction, Distance, Description), estimating how far you have travelled using pacing/timing, handrails, catching features, as well as using "quick" bearings to ensure you're on the right path. Towards the end of the morning Simone, who hadn't used a compass before, was managing to navigate across open country using a "quick" compass bearing. After lunch we put these skills into practise with a journey using the more usual (for hillwalking) map scale of 1:25,000, moving around the complicated topography of the slopes and birkwoods of Morrone above Braemar.
A really enjoyable day out, and Simone worked very hard to make brilliant progress.

Get the right tools for the job

Handrailing the fence line

Found it!

The hills are full of crowberries just now

Heading out across open country to hit another linear feature

Heading home

A wild winter's day-Winter Hillwalking skills day 3

For Emily's last day out with me we planned to look again at some specific skills. After yesterday's efforts a shorter day was called for, and we headed into Coire an t Sneachda. We looked at building emergency snow shelters, and had a go with the Bothy Bag---these can be lifesavers in winter.  The weather was wilder than forecast with strong SE winds funnelling over the Cairngorm plateau; lots of new snow being deposited, with windslab forming readily. Plenty of spooky "shooting cracks" too, so check the avalanche forecast carefully and remain aware of which aspect and what gradient of slope you're heading onto!

Poor visibility requires careful navigation

Windslab and shooting cracks

Glorious in Glen Feshie--Day 2 Winter Hillwalking Skills

For Day 2 of 3 with Emily, we went for a bit more of a journey, doing a lovely circuit of Sgorr Gaoith, a Munro above Glen Feshie, on the western side of the Cairngorms. Today we focussed on navigation whilst we were journeying, with Emily taking us from point to point using map and compass. We looked particularly at the importance of having a system to use for each and every leg, so you can be confident of how far  you have come on your compass bearing, and what to expect from the ground underfoot. On the way down from the cloudy summits we were treated to some of what Scotland does best, that magical winter light that is simply breathtaking. A brilliant day out!

Glorious

A holiday snap for Emily

Hard work but fun

Looking across Gleann Einich to Braeriach

Cornices---not a place to get your navigation wrong!

Starting the descent

Summit selfie

Beautiful light

Heading down

Last of the day's light--a great day

Faith in friction

Some shots from a few days ago playing on the wonderful granite slabs of Stac an Fharaidh in the Cairngorms, on Pippet Slab (Severe). Faith in friction required!

Mountain biking

Here are a couple of pictures from earlier this week, guiding Mike around some of the tracks and trails of the Cairngorms and Strathspey. We started in Aviemore itself and took in lots of ground including Rothiemurchus, An Sluggan, Loch Garten, Carrbridge etc.  A nice change from the hill walking, although not exactly an easier day-----the computer read 63 km and >3000ft up and down but the end. Phew!

Fantastic light and colours---on the Speyside Way

View to the Cairngorm mountains

Spring has officially Sprung

If you're looking for inspiration the On High Hills Spring Newsletter is now out. With the clocks changing Spring finally feels as though it is here (well in the glens at least!), and we are looking forward to getting out in the long hours of daylight onto the hills over the coming months. Hope you can join us.

Dreaming of days like this to come.......

Back to the Cairngorms and still sunny!

After yesterday's steep ups and downs in Torridon, today was a bike day to cover some ground and give the leg muscles a change of scene. Plenty of fun as usual on our fabulous trails and tracks that we have around Rothiemurchus, Loch Morlich and Glenmore. Lots of people out enjoying the fabulous weather. Simply stunning.



The Northern Corries of the Cairngorms from Loch Morlich

 



Good to replenish some Vitamin D!

The Cairngorms from the north early this morning

Biking in the sun

Stunning Autumn day again here in the Cairngorms. We enjoyed a cracking bike ride on the singletrack around Carrbridge........the trails remain pretty dry with a fine coating of fallen pine needles. The colours remain fabulous just now. Warm in the sunshine, but chilly in the shade today. Lovely!

Indian Summer

Fifth and final day with Ros today, and what a cracker of a day---wall to wall blue sky and warm sunshine. I took her to Glen Feshie and we made a lovely loop around Geal Charn and Meall Tionail. T-shirts in October---a great way for Ros to finish her holiday. Thank you for your company Ros, and some lovely days out on the hill.