Thursday, July 26, 2007
Walk 41 Heading into Fisherfield
Thursday 26 July
Thanks to Ishbel and Elspeth (and don't forget Corrie) for a fabulous walk into pastures new. We started confidently up the side of Little Gruinard River, thrashing through head high bracken, only to discover that this was not the right way ...
So we got back in the car to drive all of 1km to the car park for Little Gruinard Beach and this time followed the right bank of the Inverianie River passing spectacular waterfalls, through narrow gorges, up steep rocky slopes and out onto the rock-scarred hinterland normally only frequented by fishermen and entrepid adventurers heading for the vastness of Fisherfield. We saw a few fishermen in the River Gruinard on our return who were praying for rain - there is little water in the rivers, which must be galling when so much of England has been flooded over the last few weeks.
Monday, July 16, 2007
So only 10 to go ...
It's going to be hard deciding which 10 walks to end with - but there are many of my friends I haven't walked with and that is more important than where we walk, so I'll be putting out a plea to you all.
Walks planned in the next six weeks to which EVERYONE is welcome are:
26 July - somewhere near Aultbae with Ishbel
27/28/29 July - a walk of golf or two with Paul and Rachel
1 August - Pollok with anyone in Glasgow at the time!
15/16 August - walk with Wendy and Alan in Glen Tanar/Glen Esk area
30 August - Golspie-ish with Liz
1 September - Ben Wyvis with Elaine and Co.
6 September - Pap of Glencoe - Last chance ... with as many of you as possible"!
I have lots of spare dates after 11th August and will be up for anything, anywhere, so I hope you can join me.
Walks planned in the next six weeks to which EVERYONE is welcome are:
26 July - somewhere near Aultbae with Ishbel
27/28/29 July - a walk of golf or two with Paul and Rachel
1 August - Pollok with anyone in Glasgow at the time!
15/16 August - walk with Wendy and Alan in Glen Tanar/Glen Esk area
30 August - Golspie-ish with Liz
1 September - Ben Wyvis with Elaine and Co.
6 September - Pap of Glencoe - Last chance ... with as many of you as possible"!
I have lots of spare dates after 11th August and will be up for anything, anywhere, so I hope you can join me.
Number 40 Meet the Old Man
Saturday 14 July
Vikki and I continued on from Torridon to Skye for a lovely weekend with Calina and Donald in Glen Eynort. On this day the forecast was pretty mixed so we became model tourists and spent our morning buying bits and pieces in Portree. Just as the rain started we got out the car and wandered through Storr Woodlands to the meet the Old Man. Not just any old man - but a fine specimin at 165ft, delicately shaped like a willow leaf. In 2005 I had been here with Colin and Kath when The Storr was the venue for a moving performance "Unfolding landscape". Light and sound revealed a new, night-time perspective on this un-natural natural landscape. So today I came back to see it in the day-time. Very different conditions - but many of the same sensations. "Merci beaucoup" to the Frenchman that took the photo.
Walk Number 39 Beinn Alligin
Friday 13th July. What's come over me? Yet another two of the "M's" in one day - Stob Mhor and Tom Gruagaich - but don't worry it's unlikely to happen again.
Duncan, Vikki and I were rewarded for even setting foot out the car park on a dubious-looking-low-cloud kind of day in Torridon. However, after nipping round the "Horns of Alligin" in thick cloud (wonder what all the fuss is about, never saw a thing) and gazing down the gap of yawning, the cloud gradually lifted and all the wonderous views opened up for us to gawp at. We enjoyed the second top in clear conditions without another soul in sight - probably because the high flying midges had seen them off!
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Two Munros at once!!
Tuesday 10 July Karl, Scally, Sue and I with Loch Loyne and the old road from Cluanie to Tomdoun behind as we ascend Creag a' Mhaim and Druim Shionnach just south of the Cluanie Inn. We got a great day with a little bit of everything except rain (well some wet cloud but so little it didn't count). Must tell you about the wildlife - between us we spotted lesser butterfly orchid, merlin, dotterel and ptarmigan. Scotland's wildlife is there if you are lucky, and we were.
Monday, July 09, 2007
Can you spot Loch Maree?
Sunday 1st July. Despite my Fab50 with Andy being first billed as Slioch, then in my diary as "Andy's paddle" this was neither a paddle, nor Slioch - but a bit of both in the end. Starting our walk from just outside Kinlochewe, the sunshine lulled us into thinking we might walk in a big circle through the spectacular landscapes of Lochan Fada and the Heights of Kinlochewe, but the weather had other ideas. We valiantly tried to ascend the pass below Slioch but the weather unkindly threw everything it had at us - a typical day for "summer" 2007. We would probably have been drier going for a paddle on Loch Maree! Anyway it was fun - of sorts. Sorry to Meg for missing her off the picture AGAIN!
