Skye Odyssey

One day to play with, and possibly one last chance for Loz to climb for a while as baby Monckton is due very soon. Therefore it seemed fitting to make the most of the day and head to Skye.

Elgol - what a view

I have only been to Skye once many years ago, and it rained on the drive up, rained for the the day and night there and the forecast was for rain for the next week so we bailed back to England and I've never been back!

Friendly abseil

Heading over it was a nice sunny day and I was blown away by the views of everything really. The Cuillin did look magnificent and I started to think why haven't I been here in the last 3 years living in Scotland!?

Me following HairyMary I think

We headed to the scenic Elgol, again what a beautiful spot watching the boat trips and whale spotting.  After a quick coffee at the pickup truck we headed off round the coast to Suidhe Biorach. Wow, wow, wow!

The phew top hold after the crux on Angel of Sharkness

Jamie Jampot the great VS - also the abseil point

A friendly abseil saw us on a lovely sun trap ledge above a calm sea. Jelly fish were floating around as we started our campaign on the climbs. The hard sandstone was incredible to climb and we did 4 fine routes, most of which looked improbable or very hard, but generally weren't. Angel of Sharkness (HVS) was cool, steep with big holds until the crux at the very top, and Hairy Mary looked a crazy line for VS, but was actually easy climbing, just fairly exposed.

Me looking down Hairy Mary thinking never VS

Loz climbing it

A fine day that I will certainly remember for a long time, I must get back to Skye for more adventures soon its amazing!

Back into the training..

I'm finally (again) starting to commit to the training for my mountain bike race in Norway this summer. An ankle injury stopped me cycling for a few weeks and then I got distracted by climbing and the new house, but the realisation has dawned that if I want to complete the race I need to train!

snow on the tops

I did a 60km route in the Cairngorms today. I love the biking here and even explored a few new tracks at Abernethy which included a river crossing before heading over the Ryvoan Pass. The biking is easy with great fast rolling tracks just the tonic today getting some miles in.

I wasn't going to take any pictures today but as a fun thing happened I thought it worth a blog entry.. Shooting out of the forest at one point I came across a JCB with the doors open.. I was soon joined by a really friendly guy who said he'd just bought it second hand (I think it was fairly new). He was really chuffed with it saying that he'd wanted one his whole adult life. He then offered me a go, moving the bucket around - great fun! This doesn't happen everyday on a ride and I grinned all the way back to Aviemore.

Back home - busy at North Kessock

In search of the Scarlet Pimpernell

The big plan was to head to Carnmore and climb a mythical remote mountain route this weekend, but strangely I found myself building stone garden steps on the 'nice' weather day as Loz's work had  him working on Good Friday after all!

Quick coffee in the van

While the rest of the UK is still gripped in a heat wave the West of Scotland was forecast to deteriorate on Saturday so we had to be creative with our planning. After many messages back and forth it looked like the NE Caithness coast was the best bet.

Loz trying to settle my nerves

Worryingly I awoke with a horrible headache and felt very nauseous - not a good omen for the day. I did nearly cancel, but told Loz to pack the ibuprofen (I can't find ours since the house move) and we were off.

Zawn jumping

I really like the drive up the NE coast passing Helmsdale and various settlements. It feels remote and somehow austere. I always think of Bronte's writings, but I'm not sure why as this area has the sea and she was all about the fells in North middle England. It's probably my association that she dealt with at times bleak, hard landscapes that evoke a sense of loneliness and yet beauty, which is what I feel up here in the far NE.

Loz starting the abseil down to the Pimp. Me heckling

We arrived at a large tumbling down farm, at the end of a gravel road half a mile from the sea at Sarclet. The farmer drove in to check his sheep and gave us a friendly wave as we made a quick coffee after the 2 hour drive. I felt well again!

Pimpernell is the Arêtes to his right, corner system in the sun is the VS

We walked the rolling grassy cliff edges for an hour locating the cliffs and climbs and checking the place out. Again I felt physically sick and anxious, this time from the thought that soon we would have to abseil into some abyss or zawn... I often get like this at 'new' sea cliffs when on climbing trips. .

Loz breaking through the roof on the Pimp

We picked an area that had 2 VS's, and abseiled in thinking that this would be a good warm up... We cocked up! The routes were in the shade and greasy and damp given the high humidity.

Happy Chappy

I ended up on a small ledge, well foot ledge 4-5" wide 2 feet above the sea on a rising tide... Loz came down and very slowly and carefully started climbing out.. I did wonder what the fuss was about, as my feet and back started to get heavily sprayed as the sea got to within inches of getting me!! But when I did eventually escape my watery shaggles I knew what the fuss was about, unnervy, greasy, insecure and higher up loose climbing.. We were both relieved to get back to the surface and sun.

Loz on the VS (Scarlet Pimpernel Arête behind)

This did nothing to improve my current fragile state of mind (!) and as Loz peered down a big cliff and tried to entice me to the Scarlet Pimpernel a 4 star E1 as it was in the sun I wasn't convinced.. but after looking at another chossy cliff I agreed..

Once down after the long free hanging abseil I felt much better and think I surprised Loz when I claimed the E1.. It has an exciting bouldery start, traversing out right to gain an Arête and I dithered on this, but once established on the wall and with gear in the cracks I felt fine and enjoyed the incredible 40m route. Amazing climbing a solid clean line on conglomerate with trad gear (it's mainly bolted up here).

An incredible route, I literally can't think of any negative, never too hard, never too steep, never too far from the next runner - totally fun absorbing climbing. I sat on top with the weight of earlier lifted and feeling very content.

As we had faffed so long it was now 4pm ish, but I knew we'd be going down the abseil rope again for the VS. Groove Armada, followed a steep flake corner system from the same belay and looked hard(er). Loz declared he was pumped after the pimpernel so I wondered how this would go..

But it went very well, he flew up it and when I seconded it I grinned the whole way up. Absolute class, amazing steady (fairly easy to be honest) climbing in a spectacular position. On top we both agreed we couldn't think of a better VS in the UK that we had climbed.

What a spot, what a day, we even saw a whale swim past.. back at the van we had a cup of tea and chatted to the friendly farmers again, and he said 'aye, its getting busy up here now for climbing, we had another couple of climbers here not 2 weeks past'. Busy indeed.

Down memory lane..

After Christmas, Easter is a good time to visit family again in England, and after a chance message from Steve who now lives in Plymouth I managed to arrange a joint meeting in the Peak District. I love returning to the Peak, seeing family, the place and of course climbing on the gritstone where I cut my climbing teeth.

Steve topping out on Elliots Unconquerable at Cratcliffe

I think we spent almost 10 years meeting at Steve's beautiful but cold, old Winster house drinking tea and hatching plans for the weekends climbing... Then one year Steve moved to the South of England, I went to Lancaster for a second career and University, Dave moved to Brussels and Kev & Sue moved to France! All change.

Brown's Eliminate - Froggatt

It was a little different being based out of my mum's this year, but the egg breakfasts (obligatory) and chat was good. Steve is still mad for the gritstone and climbing and we headed to Cratcliffe the first day (gulp). The climbing here is great, limited with no easy stuff and well, quite brutal. We, or I struggled up 4 x HVS's nursing bruised, bleeding hands and ego that first night.

Same - I didn't take many pics

Day 2 saw us at Millstone with another 4 x 3 star HVS's under our belt. It's an interesting situation when Millstone seems a light relief after the day before! Obviously finished with a pint on the way back to the full board Youlgreave accommodation.

same!

On our last day given the forecast wind we headed to Froggatt. Again I'd not climbed here for a while. Steve is mad for it and amongst other routes we did some great classics including Chequer's Buttress, The Big Crack, Brown's Eliminate, Great Slab (on top rope - wow, I would never solo this route) and finished on Valkyrie.

I always struggle on Valkyrie, and again had a bit of a mare on it this time! It's a tough route for HVS.  I was slightly heartened when as we were leaving a climber also made the first crack look quite tricky, and he was continuing from the top of it climbing the direct E6 route beyond! A great trip, thank goodness I can have a rest now... I'm sure Steve will be back next Easter! Maybe next time I will do a little training beforehand.

Mountain cragging in winter

The final (fun) opportunity for my week off was the chance to go mountain cragging in Scotland in winter! I hooked up with Harpic (Martin Hind) for this mini adventure. It was great to see him again, he's such a cool and interesting fellow (I'm sure he won't read this so I'm safe!).

There she blows... Stac Pollaidh

The joke is that summer or winter, no matter the adventure when you ask what time does he want to meet, the answer is always 9.30am, after he has sorted out his horses! Fine, but a couple of winters ago I couldn't get used to this approach.. but I have to say that it totally works, and he's so fit, that he manages to fit anything into this time period - he likes to finish early too!

So with a sunny forecast we headed west as Martin fancied climbing Vlad the Impaler (HVS) on Stac Pollaidh. The weather started off well, but as we neared the base of the crag it was a wee bit chilly with a gale force wind!

A sheltered snack after the climb

We climbed the route, which is a great route, very gritstoneesque with lots of jamming (which I did in gloves). It was now baltic and I was surprised we weren't blown off the route. We decided not to do another route... and as we decended the top of Stac Pollaidh became enveloped in cloud. Need to go back for Jack the Ripper (E1) now, but maybe when a little less breezy!

The cloud rolls in

Hike a Bike

I should really have been purely bike training, but with last weeks good weather I decided I could maybe combine a mountain bike ride with a munro in the Cairngorms.

I have wanted to visit Beinn a' Chaorainn (Cairngorms) for some time. It sits above the famous Lairig an Laoigh pass and Fords of Avon. In one sense it's a little remote, either a 30km round trip from the Linn of Dee, or around 35km (round trip) from Glenmore Lodge. I know there are much more remote hills, but it takes a little while to get to it!

skein of geese

I decided to bike in from Glenmore Lodge over the shoulder of Bynack More. So off I toddled on my bike on a glorious sunny day. It was mainly rideable over the shoulder, with various bits of pushing to keep me amused.

Looking back to Ryvoan from Bynack More's shoulder

I got to within a km or so of the Fords of Avon, and as the track wasn't rideable in either direction I just left the bike at the side of the path knowing I'd get it on the way back (I hoped..).

bike, you can stay here

Fords of Avon refuge

The ford was fine (it's not rained for a week), but clearly there was a thaw going on so I guess some snow melt was being fed down the water courses. It was slightly more difficult to cross than when I was last here, and I could see that it wouldn't take much to make it impassible.

le top

A quick snack and I shot up Beinn a' Chaorainn after fording the river. I didn't find any path as it's normally approached from the Linn of Dee. Once on it's shoulder it was easy walking in the beautiful sunshine and I saw ptarmigan and hare both out of place still in their white winter coats.

the students start back to Aberdeen

fording...

I didn't expect to see anyone all day, but surprised 3 young folk in jeans with little equipment on the summit who had come across from Aberdeen for the day. After a friendly chat they soon left and I took in the 360 degree vista. Up until this point I'd not taken any real pictures, and thought I'd not bother.... but I started to feel more enthused about trying to capture some of the days highlights so the camera came out on the way back.

you can do it!

Returning to the ford I bumped into a party of hikers walking the Lairig an Laoigh and Lairig Ghru circuit. They were very friendly, but made heavy weather of the river crossing which gave me a focus for some pictures. I left them eating (packaged) omelette (great snack) and skipped back to the bike.

drink and paddle stop (so cold!)

The ride and push back was great, and not at all arduous. It was so sunny and mild that I got through the 2 litres in the platypus and needed an extra litre of burn water.. I took this opportunity for a paddle, which was pretty cold but refreshing. The stretch back from Bynack More's shoulder to Glenmore is so good on a bike, fast as you dare... A gentle 6' 30" hill day.

Scottish Hot Rock

With the massive thaw and unseasonally warm weather most of the Scottish snow has gone, or is going so we decided to go rock climbing, which is very peculiar for this time of the year, especially for me.

We intended to go to Gruinard, but because we were chatting so much in the van it wasn't noticed that I was going the wrong way as I turned towards Torridon. We only noticed at Achnasheen! We had been talking about the very sad and untimely death of Andy Nisbet and Steve Perry, who were killed new routing on Ben Hope not so many weeks ago.

The waterfall comes into view up on the right

I don't profess to have known Andy very well at all, but of our 3-4 encounters he had made a big impression upon me, a great man with a quiet, soft voice but definite confidence and presence, always positive with a story to tell. Everyone seems to have a great tale of an encounter with Andy, and I've never heard anything but positive praise for this stalwart of Scottish climbing. I hadn't met Steve. They will be greatly missed I'm without doubt.

As we had driven the wrong way (drat) Loz frantically checked the guidebook and we thought about Stone Valley, but then waterfall buttress on Beinn a' Mhuinidh above the end of loch Maree, opposite Beinn Eighe was mentioned... I'd always wanted to climb next to this waterfall, and with the warm weather, and Loz reading that the first ascent of one of the routes was soloed by Andy Nisbet, it seemed very fitting and the right thing to do.

The route takes the dry rock to the right of the waterfall

There aren't that many routes recorded and the best seem to be a couple of 2 star Severe's 100m in length. We picked Blanco S 4a the Nisbet route and pared down the gear and set off on the scenic path towards Slioch and Loch Maree.

It was so mild, and beautiful walking along the valley through the old forest remnants, mainly alder, oak, ash and birch. Loz is an arboriculturalist (I think that may be the correct term?!... a tree person basically!) and it was interesting what he was saying about the tree's, their lift cycle and conservation value. Seeing an old hollow oak that he guessed was 300 years old it was fascinating how he described how the tree has self sacrificed its limbs over the centuries to maintain a more compact and stable structure and base. These veteran tree's are now recognised as the most important to protect from a conservation perspective, which is a relatively new approach. Even 10-20 years ago it would of been a 'its unstable and dying, better to chop it down approach'.. fascinating stuff.

Loz on pitch 1

After a cookie break by Loch Maree we struck up hill when below the waterfall and it didn't take long to gain the height and get to the base of the spout! A cool place indeed! I'll be honest now, it wasn't hot, in fact a little chilly as we started climbing.

chubby hamster on the belay

The route was quite adventurous mixing good solid climbing with loose unstable rock! Given the latter, which there was lots of, I wouldn't have wanted to solo the route for sure as Andy did on his first ascent.

Loz jumping across the top of the waterfall

The views to the waterfall, and across to Beinn Eighe were great and we took our time at the top savouring it. As we walked out it became warmer, and Loz commented that it very much felt like a warm summers evening in the Lake District.