The weather for Sunday was for high winds and snow storms, but by mid morning the day was turning to a lovely spring day. I was just getting changed to go out walking when the phone rang. "You fancy a paddle?" Of course I did. We shot round to Loch Lomond.

A great three hours paddling with the Loch to ourselves.

Only been out paddling on the sea once this year, I've been in the pool several times but that doesn't count. I've been skiing twice, not bad considering the warm, wet winter we've been having. I had hoped for more but it doesn't look like it's going to happen. Hopefully if I can save up enough I'm trying to get a crew together for the Chamonix - Zermatt Haute Route by one of the harder more remote variations. This will be for spring 2013, until then I'm looking for mixed kayaking - climbing trips.

First ski of the season.

Last weekend was gloriously cold and sunny up here in Scotland, I headed up to the Ben Lawers group; always a good spot for some ski touring. As I walked in with skis still on my pack I saw these tracks, don't come out very well in the photo, but I'm fairly sure their cat. Thing is there's no houses for something like six miles from where I took this. Could it be a Wildcat?

I skinned up into Coire Odhar, quite warm in the sunshine. Beinn Ghlas in the background.
Looking back towards Loch Tay.
Beinn Ghlas from my high point. The snow was mostly windcrust but it held my weight and didn't collaspe under me. The ski down was a bit rough and jerky at times but it was good to be out once again.
I felt fine all day but as I drove home I started sneezing, by the time got to my house I'd developed full on flu. A week later and I still haven't shaken it off and the snows all gone. Oh well.

Out in my back yard.

I've not been doing much kayaking lately, I'm looking forward to hopefully getting some skiing in this winter. Yesterday I went for a walk with my friends Ray and Tracy along with Olly the dog. We drove to Dollar and walked back to my house via the Doller gorge, the Glen of Sorrows (how did it get that name?), Lord seat Hill, Andrew Garnell Hill, Ben Cleuch and Ben Ever. Lots of snow and a couple of squalls. A really good day out.

In the Dollar Gorge.
Above Castle Campbell.
The Glen of Sorrows.
Soup time
On Lord Seat Hill.

More photo's

More photo's here.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeforsyth/sets/72157627948502581/show/

Night Paddle.

Every year the Fife club go to Loch Lomond for some night orienteering around the islands at the southern end of the Loch. This year was a cold, clear and still night, it was great for paddling. Didn't do quite so well at the orienteering this year but who cares. Afterwards we had a barr-be and a few drinks. On Sunday we went round again and picked up the markers, this time in thick mist. Even at night when paddling on a bearing you can usually find some reference points to help you stay on course. In the thick mist we had no such references, trying to stay on bearing is really hard without them. However, we all made it across a 3km crossing and were only 25m out.

An air photo of Loch Lomond, taken from a microlight, at the time we were paddling on Sunday.
Wanted dead or alive!

Setting off.

The Gigha Megatrip.

Last year I organized a trip to the Isle of Gigha, it was a really laid back chilled out trip for the five of us that made it. So this year I put another trip in the club calendar. I was somewhat taken aback when at one time over twenty club members wanted to come. In the end seventeen paddlers arrived at the Gigha boathouse campsite in three waves. One friday afternoon, one friday night and some on saturday morning. Once the tents were up we set off for a circumnavagation of Gigha and Cara. Sunday was quite windy, steady force 4 with gusts of force 6. We'd be paddling down wind but as the group was one of very mixed ability we took the ferry back.