Routes Mountain Sport

13/12/2022

Weekend adventures…

13/12/2022

Just had a great weekend down in North Wales leading a group of Royal Marines Reservists on mountain training in preparation for deployment to Norway later in the winter.
On the Sunday we headed up Y Garn with a covering of cloud which we eventually headed into. Then it was over Glyder Fawr and Glyder Fach where the cloud broke and we were rewarded with stunning views.
The snow was generally loose and I consolidated, but is becoming very icy where compacted on popular paths and crampons were used descending past Llyn Bochlwyd.
BZ (Well done) to the guys who faced big climbs with big packs with a smile even when they weren’t getting the views.

31/03/2022

Cauldstone Slap! Nothing to do with the Oscars, but an old drovers’ road pass across the Pentland Hills. It also represents the nearest proper fell running for me, I can be at the car park less than 10 minutes from my front door.

Today I “ran” up East Cairn, a regular run for me, but due to a knee problem I hadn’t done it for ages. I’m really happy that not only were my knees fine on the run, but still feel great afterwards too!

The weather was changeable to say the least, bright sunshine to intense soft hail and back again. But fabulous views between the showers.

25/03/2022

Had a great day Packrafting down the Tweed today.
Lots of wildlife, sunshine and people just out enjoying the wonderful Borders countryside… but I was the only one on the water!

25/03/2022

Had a late start yesterday, but headed up Cruach Ardrain in mixed weather. Surprisingly Y Gully Right Fork was pretty much complete, so it had to be done. Crampons required from a third of the way up and keep plodding!
Into the cloud as I made it onto the ridge to the summit, which was quite atmospheric.
Then I dashed out to Beinn Tulaichean and picked a tricky line back to Stob Garbh before dashing down again.
Great little day out!

21/03/2022

An absolutely stunning day in the Cairngorms today. Taking in Lurchers Crag, Ben MacDui and Cairngorm itself on foot and using my little Fatty blades too.
Lots of people out taking advantage of the amazing conditions and views.

17/01/2022

I was working in the West this weekend so took the opportunity to take the Packraft out on Loch Long. Well with weather this good in January, it’d be foolish not to.

I did a 10km loop across the Loch as far as the Torpedo Testing Station, crossed back over at Arrochar and then back alongside the banks. It was flat calm and sunny to start, the wind picked up towards the end and it got a little more choppy, but nothing to cause any problems. Lots of herons on the banks and even saw a couple of seals from a distance.

Just great adventurous fun!

25/12/2021

Adventures of Nick doing his thing. Love Packrafting!

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10/12/2021

A cracking day in the Lakes walking up Wetherlam with Neil and Martin. The weather was better than forecast for us and we got a cloud free summit as well as workable winds. Crusted snow as we got higher and a number of rainbows gave great views and it was nice to nosey around Tilberthwaite Quarry where there was evidence of the extensive tree damage we saw across the Lakes.

10/12/2021

Not quite a “quality mountain day”, but a fun one. Yesterday we dashed up Tinto on the way down to the Lake District where we chilled out in front of the fire with a dram.

05/12/2021

Part two of todays adventure… After reaching the side of Carron Reservoir I quickly got the park raft sorted and strapped the bike on for a paddle in the gloaming back down the reservoir. It felt really special to be out on the water in flat calm as the light died. What I hadn’t bargained on was how cold it was, and although I was toasty working hard, the bike was covered in a crust of ice as I transitioned back to biking mode. Cracking little trip!

05/12/2021

A mini adventure of two parts today. I dashed up to Carron Valley this afternoon and took a cross country ride up over Tomtain and out to Black hill. The surface was frozen, but The wheels went through any boggy areas so it was slow going. It was only a short distance to Meikle Bin which I hoped to take in as well, but I was running out of time and didn’t want to miss out on part 2 of the adventure so headed down…

21/11/2021

A completely different type of adventure this morning, a first shake out with my new Packraft. Mounting the Packraft onto my bike, dropped down to the water’s edge at Threipmuir in the Pentlands, then mounted my bike on the Packraft! I took a gentle paddle, trying to avoid disturbing any wildfowl in the early morning sun. A short portage over a causeway and I continued down to the Black Springs arm of the reservoir to exit. I brewed a coffee while I packed up and took a loop around Loganlea and Green Cleugh before dropping back to the motor.
It was a great mini-adventure and a good shake out with the kit. Also great to see so many people out enjoying the countryside in fantastic weather.

24/09/2021

DofE stuff the last two days around Edinburgh with Fettes College. Nice views!

22/08/2021

Epic four Munro round in the Cairngorms on Friday with . Four new for him, two new for me.
My highlight was Carn a’Mhaim, a peak I’d been trying to work into a walk for ages. It’s a lovely rocky ridge although technically it’s just walking. The lowlight (is there such a word?!) was the visibility, we spent most of the day in the clouds. Atmospheric rather than magnificent!
Lots of frogs too!

06/08/2021

Early bird catches worm!
It’s my last day up here in the far Northwest of Scotland, I have to be in Uttoxeter tomorrow for the wedding of Jason and
What better way to prep than climbing the most northerly 3,000ft peak in the UK?
With horrendous rain forecast around 1100, I set off early into the mist for a quick blast up, brief coffee stop and and back down again by 0900! Now let’s grab a bacon roll and head home to see if is ready for this wedding!
231/282

05/08/2021

Today I was bagging in the Northwest again, Conival and Ben Mor Assynt. I headed up Conival via the South Ridge a nice grade 2 scramble although a bit of a hack in. Then out along the ridge to Assynt and another scramble out and back to it’s southern top.
It was a cracking day weather wise, with an ever changing sky. Lots of people out on the standard route, but the only people I saw on the walk out to my ridge were folk braving the Cape Wrath Trail.
229/282, 230/282!

25/07/2021

More cragging adventures…

25/07/2021

Cairngorm adventures…

25/07/2021

Great to see Ads from RNRMMC progressing to leading on sports climbs at Moy Crag this week. Rocking that conglomerate!

25/07/2021

The hot weather doesn’t make for ideal running conditions, but it makes opportunities to see views that I normally find lost in the clouds. Yesterday I took the opportunity to run a loop up Carn Eilrig and Meall Odhar. I even paused for some solo climbing on route.

25/07/2021

Great to see so many people enjoying the rock at Cummingston this week. I had the pleasure of climbing with Chris and Ash from RNRMMC who did brilliantly.

14/07/2021

Had an awesome day out with an RNRMMC team on the Forcan ridge yesterday. Although the clag was in, it was mild and although we didn’t get the views it was incredibly atmospheric. There was some fantastic scrambling, but pretty much all escapable. We also took in the two summits of the Saddle and Sgurr na Sgine, another two Munros for the team.

09/07/2021

A cracking little day trip to the Lake District to climb at Gouther Crag with Chinny. We did a handful of easy lines on great rock in a relaxed atmosphere with nice folks around. The only downside was that as the breeze dropped to nothing, the midges came in in force. The highlight of the day was Kennel Wall, a severe well deserving it’s *** rating and a must tick in the area whatever grade you climb!

08/06/2021

Today was about exploring. It doesn’t need to be a million miles from home, so Chinny and I headed to Cairny Hill Quarry near Blackridge. It appears to be a scrappy little quarry which I’d spotted from the train before, but actually there were some solid areas that provided some good sport.
The routes were listed in UKC, but not apparently in route order and with few descriptions, so we cuffed it a bit, free styling fun. Mostly bouldering, but Chin led “Kings of the Mild Frontier”. My highlight was the bold arête which we think might be “Rarete”.
I’m sure we’ll be back!

04/06/2021

Traverse of the Cobbler with Craig Mac today. Awesome day! Say no more!

29/05/2021

Another cracking day on the hill, this time with Gill, Mark, Peter and David. We tackled the eastern Munros of the Ben Lawers group starting with a relatively gentle ascent of Meall Griegh and onto Meall Garbh.
After Mark set up his hot dog stand(!!!)we took on the challenging ascent of An Stuc. Gill was like a rat up a drainpipe! At the bealach we decided to take on Ben Lawers itself. It was a busy summit and after the obligatory trig point selfies, we took the direct descent to the pub!

19/05/2021

Yesterday Andy and I had a delightful spring cragging day at Limekilns, one of the Central Belts hidden gems. The Gellet Stone is a huge block of quarried limestone sitting in woodland looking over the Firth of Forth. It’s steep sides have various crack lines and glorious bands of fossils. Inevitably the more popular lines are a little polished, so when a heavy rainstorm finally caught up with us when I’d just led Sunsetter, Andy was left to slip-slide his way manfully up before we did what any brave rock warrior would do at this point... headed across to Rosyth Quarry to finish the day!

09/05/2021

Great to be back in the Peak District for lots of reasons, one of which was a snatched hour or so soloing at Harborough Rocks and reacquainting myself with some old friends.

05/05/2021

The winter that just keeps giving!

Yesterday I managed to get out for my first real hill day of the year after all the restrictions and other commitments. I was desperate to get a winter day in and punted for Beinn Fhionlaidh from Glen Etive. This gave us the opportunity to scope around and we found a cracking ridge line which gave good grade 1 winter fun on snow with mixed moves which we named Cuckoo Ridge after the first cuckoo of the year we heard on the way out.

The route finished about 150m easy walk from the summit, a new Munro for me. We got some fabulous views from the summit before the snow started again and we took in the East Summit too.

If Carlsberg made hill days...