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A moring on the Edges on Helvellyn and the perfect inversion of Catstye Cam .. freezing in Glenridding and sunbathing on the top
Brilliant photos, what a day to be up high.
Amazing shot of Catstycam.
I think so . we were very lucky
I'm a bit slow reporting this, but managed 2 short days on the Aran ridge in mid Wales a few weeks ago. We'd planned to camp high up, but sadly conditions were nothing like those on Wyvis or Fannich just up there ^ - it was blowing a hoolie and clagged in. So we dropped lower for the night.
First day
Second day
Heading to Snowdonia this weekend (no bikes due to bad shoulder)
I'm guessing it'll be very wet underfoot, even up high - anyone been in the last few weeks?
Looking for some advice regarding a week long hiking holiday in the Dolomites. We are thinking of basing ourselves in a town and doing daily challenging walks. The choice I'm struggling with is do it yourself with regard to accommodation and route planning or use a company ( eg Colletts ) who provide tried and tested routes of all levels and accommodation. Obviously using a company is more expensive but I like the idea of the 'tried and tested' routes. And where would be a good source for finding routes, I can't use my trusty OS App in Italy! ? Thanks
I can’t use my trusty OS App in Italy! ? Thanks
You can, just with the standard map.
Heading to Snowdonia this weekend
Looks fairly unpleasant in the mountains this weekend. I'm honestly ready to just jump in the van and drive anywhere within 6hrs that isn’t shit this weekend. I'm usually ok at coping with the dark and crap weather but this winter has felt particularly bad, maybe because there have been good days but not when I could go!
@claudie - Crystal summer/Ingham's do holidays in Selva Val Gardena or Corvara(Alta Badia). You can have self-catering, B&B or half board.
There's a 1000 walks to do locally via bus or cable car, lots of VF routes too. Selva is probably handier for getting straight on the hills but Corvara is probably a better place to stay.
Local tourist info websites area mine of information as are other websites. I know the areas well an dhav helped friends plan holidays in both towns.
Feel free to email me if you want some help
Edit: I've got friends who have studied Collets, Exodus websites and just planned their own week away
Looks fairly unpleasant in the mountains this weekend.
+1
https://www.mwis.org.uk/forecasts/english-and-welsh/snowdonia-national-park
The mountains are always there.
The Cheviots might be okay this weekend.
Funnily enough I was thinking about a weekend bouldering/soloing in Northumberland!
@ElShalimo, thanks for your suggestions, I will definitely follow up on them. But I might have more questions for you in a few days!
Did anyone get out last weekend? Would you believe I ended up going for a bike ride? Some nice days midweek but another stormy weekend beckons.
I was out in the north lakes in cloud and high winds, just keeping my legs fit really but I enjoyed it as an adventure. Wore goggles and full waterproofs half the walk for the wind, but not so windy as to impede walking or balance.
I'm following https://twitter.com/LakesWeather and it's a bit annoying seeing all the fine days happen on weekdays when I'm working. The other constraint is snow/ice but I'm planning to get the skills and gear for that soon.
@spin - the wind in Snowdonia was pretty wild - much stronger than the forecast. We were going to do a route on Northern Carneddau but it was 40 plus gusts so Plan B was low level. Sunday was even gustier. We walked up past Cwmorthin to Rhosydd slate works. Even at 450m the gusts were impressively strong. There were others doing the Moelwyn horseshoe but it would have been very nasty on the tops.
Cwmorthin
Looks like a nice plan b!
I'm told the snow in the highlands has all been melted by the recent warm storms, gone lower down, and higher up is now all just neve/ice 😢
Pen-y-ghent yesterday
It was bleak
A cracking couple of days yesterday and Friday:
Very nice Spin
Aye, lovely.
I forgot to post our Mount Keen photos from a few weeks back. We had a very icy drive up the glen to wild camp, then cycled in as far as we dare with the ice (which was forecast and did indeed melt).
Awww Spin, they’re ace. Not sure where though, An Teallach?
Sorry, should have said.
The first is An Coileachan in the Fannichs and the rest are Beinn Alligin.
nothing like as exciting but we got some slushy mushy stuff way down south.
@Spin - did you descend via the gulley that avalanches all the time?
About 15 years ago me and my mate were on the Horns and got blown off our feet about 10m from random gusts. I'm 15st so it was a touch scary - it's a fair drop off
A little wander about on Liathach today, trying and mostly failing to find something to climb.
A section of Hadrian's Wall today
Thoroughly enjoying this thread. Well done all
When I posted about Beinn Alligin you mentioned a 'gully that avalanches all the time'. I'm curious to know where you mean as I wasn't aware of any particular black spots on that hill. Cheers.
Like the Hadrian's wall shots. The only time I've been there was to climb on the 2 crags near Sycamore(less) Gap.
I really need to get down and try Lough
We had a wee daunder along the edges above Ladybower this weekend - I had forgotten how 'open and windswept' those moors are.... really odd to be tramping ground I've not been on in 15 years, yet felt so familiar....
Not really hills but I went out to follow the River Allan from Greenloaning to Kinbuck (nr. Dunblane) at the weekend. I had a been hoping it might miraculously be a decent connecting route on the gravel bike rather than always using the road but it was mostly soggy field edge stuff or intermittent tussocky sheep track.
HOWEVER I got a big fright near the end as I entered a field full of cows. I'm not usually worried about cows but obviously like to keep an eye on how they're behaving. This was a very large field as well so I thought it would be easy to keep my distance.
To my dismay these ones all seemed very interested and quickly gathered into a group and started following me, cutting off my retreat. They were moving at a bit of a trot and I didn't fancy letting them get too close so I scrambled down the riverbank which was too steep for them, but they just kept trotting along the top watching me 😭
Got to a flat bit where I no longer had the cover of the steep bank so didn't really know what to do, I made a break for it and kept them at bay by yelling loudly and waving my hiking poles. I removed one of the rubber tips as I genuinely thought I was going to have to use a pole as a cattle prod 😬
This continued with the lead delinquent still making repeated feints at me and me having to lunge at him yelling and waving my arms. They seemed to eventually get bored and leave me alone but the leader kept trotting along for a bit, was worried that if he took a renewed interest they would all start at it again. Finally reached the fence at the end of the field (with a stile and signs warning fishermen of power lines etc. So obviously intended for public use) and jumped over.
Not sure what sort of behaviour they were displaying, I put it down to youthful high-jinks and curiosity but also wondered if they were maybe just trying to see me off out of their field, don't think they viewed me as a threat (they didn't seem very scared that's for sure) and I didn't think cows were territorial...
Either way, chastening experience!
@spin - probably an exaggeration but I think it's Coire na Laogh. There had been a few incidents there around the time we did it so it wasn't a great feeling descending through deep wet snow in May
Greenloaning to Kinbuck (nr. Dunblane) at the weekend. I had a been hoping it might miraculously be a decent connecting route on the gravel bike rather than always using the road but it was mostly soggy field edge stuff or intermittent tussocky sheep track.
Kinbuck to Dunblane is much more doable, if bordering MTB territory.
Kinbuck to Dunblane is much more doable, if bordering MTB territory.
Yep, ran out of time, would have loved to continue on to Dunblane and even BoA as I know those trails.
I've almost linked up Auchterarder to Braco off-road, so it was a shame the Greenloaning to Kinbuck bit wasn't worth riding, could have been a cool link up.
"probably an exaggeration but I think it’s Coire na Laogh"
Ok, I can see why that would be the case, it would accumulate windslab in westerlies.
Wet spring snow probably isn't the conditions you need to worry about there.
Mellbreak, Scale Force and Crummock Water shore followed by an evening meal in Kirkstile on Saturday (terrific weather).
Did anyone do any good walks over Easter?
Deleted
We managed a couple of random high points.
Eilean Garbh on Gigha - all 100 lofty metres in height. But stunning views.
And another oddity in the form of the twin 'peaks' of Davaar Island, another oxygen depleted 110m and 115m...complete with caves and crucifixes.
We were hoping for the Tump on Colonsay and the blip on Oronsay, and a Munro this weekend. But the weather has kyboshed all those plans.
Please be careful out there. I don't want to derail this thread but I just lost my best friend.
BBC News - Body found in search for missing Edinburgh hillwalker
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-68732739
He was the most careful and logical individual. I won't ever know exactly what happened but it's very easy for a tricky bit to become a Bad Step in poor conditions. Don't be afraid to turn back.
Mull today. It was OK I suppose... 😉
Sorry to hear about your friend gecko, a slip or trip can happen to absolutely anyone. One of the most careful, experienced and meticulous climbers I ever knew went that way.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AP1GczOMAsFIGb4HoQvSIkV8QxCEF1RHr1YyPRFolrm1uWSi7ONjyyv4-bjCdUOxkBRFT277BToWYkFmW4fmoph77ABLanV9zALa3bUn2Mu4xmfJflPbKsnz=w2400
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Snap Spin from last Friday, great weather in Mull over Easter, managed to brush up my offwidth climbing skills at Fionnphort.
We are wondering about Mull in October for some hills and meanders... Those pics are helping encourage me!
A free day and dry weather coincided for me yesterday. Dropping family in Penrith, so headed for Martindale. Parked Howtown church and starting with Hallin Fell, I did an extended round - Beda, Angletarn, Brock, Knott, Kidsty round to Wether Hill and Steel Knotts. Took in The Nab too. Lots of hills I'd passed through/near on the bike, but never been up. Skylarks were in fine song. 27km as a first hill walk this spring will have consequences though.....
managed to brush up my offwidth climbing skills at Fionnphort.
On the split boulder? I had a good couple of hours bouldering on that hillside, it's really good. Also had an afternoon at Loch Buie which I thought was excellent. Even managed to solo a couple of easy routes on Iona. I'll definitely head back to Mull with a rope at some point, lots to do there.
On the split boulder?
Lol, I had a moment on that boulder, got my arm properly wedged, left some abrasion marks on the elbow of my nice Arcteryx jacket trying to free myself 😂
Our wee boy loved the hillside above it, he just disappeared scrambling up it whilst we still unpacked, a little 6 year old dot heading for the summit 😎
I'll leave this here. Enjoy.
Our bomb proof expedition tent never had a normal tent shape again after a night in a Beinn Eighe Coire and we lost some kit. My main recollection is lying in my sleeping bag spending the whole night being slapped in the face by a wet inner as my side of the tent was constantly flattened by the raging wind. The tent survived and continued to be used for many years, despite it's unusual re-shape. A 1980s wild country or terra nova, not my tent so I can't quite remember. The actual owner of the tent didn't make the trip, I don't think he was very impressed the next time he used it with it's new interesting profile.
Anyone got weekend walking plans?
I've been out of action for a few weeks but hoping to get out in the Peak or the Dales on Sunday
We were planning, but the wind is putting us off... We make make use of a tailwind and pedal to Edinburgh...
Considering heading into the Lakes again on Sunday as it looks the better of the two, it's looking like it'll just be me n the dog.
Running a bit behind, but back at the beginning of March me and a couple of mates had a great week up in the Highlands.
First a day on the flanks of the Cairngorms in typical winter conditions! Spindrift and zero visibility so just kept to the flanks of the plateau.
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Next it was 3 days in magnificent Assynt, staying in the wonderful Suileag bothy and climbing Canisp by the lesser-trod NW ridge.
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And there's more...
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...and more...
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It is probably the most beautiful part of the world, for me, up there with anywhere I've been abroad, even though the scale may be smaller.
We were left with a last look at Suilven. We'd decided not to climb Suilven this trip, as we'd be back in early April...by canoe. Happy to say mission successful on that, but that'll have to wait until I've actually edited the piccies.
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Excellent photos, I'm very jealous.
Suilven is my favourite mountain by a distance. When the weather is good I think the NW Highlands are the finest hills/mountains in Europe.
The final walk of our trip was on the wild lower hills between Gairloch and northern Loch Maree, with the wind a constant wearying factor on summits for the entire week. These are astonishing little hills, rocky and with surprisingly difficult navigation, given they top out at under 400m. An Groban and Sithean Mor were the two summits, a surprisingly tough day. The views were magnificent.
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Wild, wet and windy up at Wessenden today !!
Excellent photos, I’m very jealous.
As am I, very nice!
Can we have a "I spent a week of my annual leave and a chunk of money, and I didn't see any nice views for it" thread?
Stunning day up on the Langdale Pikes on Saturday. Had this weekend booked in for a few months and was expecting a day of being in clouds and rain given the last few months of crap weather. However, we could not have asked for better weather on the day. Went up via Jack's Rake. Much more difficult (fear wise) than I remember when I last did it as a fear and responsibility free teenager many years ago! There's too much space in my head for the what-ifs these days.
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Went up via Jack’s Rake. Much more difficult (fear wise) than I remember when I last did it as a fear and responsibility free teenager many years ago!
I found exactly the same when I last did Jack's Rake. It struck me as greasy and very exposed. Hard to believe what I used to skip up and down in my youth. I think a lot of it is down to lack of leg and core strength, I just don't have the same confidence in my balance and foot placement these days.
I found exactly the same when I last did Jack’s Rake. It struck me as greasy and very exposed. Hard to believe what I used to skip up and down in my youth. I think a lot of it is down to lack of leg and core strength, I just don’t have the same confidence in my balance and foot placement these days.
I'm the same. A few years ago I really started to lose confidence on scrambly bits, and felt far more exposed than I used to, and I've always had a good head for heights (former climber). Took me a while to get my head round it, but eventually I realised the lack of "spring" in legs (and arms to an extent) and the therefore more laboured climbing, was sucking confidence as was a lack of the fitness of youth. By slowing down quite a bit, I've mostly got reasonable confidence back, though I'm definitely nowhere near as happy as I was 30 years ago skipping happily along the Cuillin ridge and the like, revelling in it.