Three days in the wilderness.

It's been a very long time since I've been backpacking, so long I can't remember when I last went. Seems I only go wild camping from the kayak these days. When a friend put out an email asking if anyone wanted to join her on a trip to Ben Alder I thought "why not". We had three glorious days hot, sunny and no midges, what more could we have asked for.   

I really enjoyed myself and can't think why I've stopped doing it. Trouble is kayaking, skiing, climbing and backpacking there's just so much to do and so little time.

Still touring.

With all the snow around I've been out on the planks most weekends for a while now. here's some photo's from Sgor Gaoith a few weeks ago. I was out yesterday on Ben Macdui but as is often the case in a white-out.

 Dealing with skins in a gale isn't as simple as is made out in the instructions.

 Walking back to the car after a good day.

Over the last few year I've spent more time on the water than in the mountains, all of a sudden and for no particular reason I seem to have renewed my love of the hills.

Glenshee

I've not much work on at the moment so I decided to have a day on piste for a change. Skiing in Scotland can all too often be a bit like this Samivel cartoon, yesterday it wasn't quite so bad and there was even some nice soft snow (almost power) in places.

Ski touring Scottish style.

Some photo's from a couple of weeks ago, I was out on Cairngorm with the Edinburgh ski tour club, the weather was a little wild.

Conditions in the mountains are said to have been good this weekend but my cars off the road, very frustrating. 

Where's all the snow gone?

After our fantastic weekend earlier in the month I had high hope for the New Year. It Seems that the Scottish winter gods had other ideas. But I had four good days walking, mostly in the rain.

First ski tour of the session.

I've not been doing so much kayaking of late, just got my mountain head on at the moment. Last weekend I was out with the Edinburgh ski touring club, we skinned up Lurcher's gully from the car park at Coire Cas. Stonking weather hope it lasts. Most of these photo's are by Fenneke Wolkers-Sinke.

 Alan, Tracy, Me, Ian.

 Alan, Fenneke, Tracy, Me 

Alan, Tracy, Me, Ian. 

Fenneke. 

Tracy

The Solway Firth.

In the past I've walked in the Galloway hills, on the Rhinns of Kells and my own mountain "The Merrick" but I've never paddled there. So at the beginning of the year when I was complying the club calender I bent the arm of Mike B who used to live down that way. He duly organized a trip and last friday seven paddlers from Fife met up with seven paddlers from Dumfries for two days of paddling around the Fleet islands and Brighouse Bay. 

                                   
Saturday night was spent in the Masonic Arms, and we didn't even have to roll up our trouser leg. An area definitly worth further exploration.