tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10895962765388675732024-03-13T19:33:44.007+00:00Afoot in the Hills"The spirit was already aloft, I was pulling on my boots" - W H Murray, Mountaineering in Scotlandafootinthehillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670636358354420373noreply@blogger.comBlogger481125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089596276538867573.post-83084306108587673722022-05-14T14:16:00.026+01:002022-05-14T15:16:55.552+01:00Apollo 11 Command and Service Module; Apollo 11 Lunar Module This is for Sir Hugh at conradwalks.blogspot.comThese two models were built to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing. Command and Service ModuleI was a bit disappointed with the Command and Service Module because the clear panels had small manufacturing imperfections and getting a good finish on the Command Module's clear panel seams risked damaging the afootinthehillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670636358354420373noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089596276538867573.post-48148186216137166372021-08-23T13:23:00.006+01:002022-05-14T10:06:30.937+01:0029 July - a third and special visit to Ben-y-HoneOn a very misty February morning in the late 1970s we arrived at Invergeldie after a a snowy drive up the narrow twisty hill-road. Only one other car was parked, a yellow Saab which we were sure belonged to my brother and his wife - Saabs were not common in the UK at the time, let alone yellow ones! The snow was at road level so we donned skis and set off into the mist, following the Invergeldie afootinthehillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670636358354420373noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089596276538867573.post-19346773942550303572021-07-17T08:51:00.344+01:002021-07-25T21:06:40.933+01:00A few hills in 2021It's a long time since I sat down to write a post so here's a brief update.The year started well with an easy local hill on 1 January. There was reasonably good snow-cover and in the New Year sunshine lots of families were out sledging and generally having fun on the hills and in roadside fields. Click photos to enlarge.Several good days in snowy conditions followed throughout January and afootinthehillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670636358354420373noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089596276538867573.post-76426704710034669452021-02-23T11:06:00.003+00:002021-02-23T11:06:44.167+00:00Tuesday 23 February - Mars 2020 spacecraft components on the surface of Mars.Courtesy NASA-JPL afootinthehillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670636358354420373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089596276538867573.post-59871433064622683672021-02-20T11:07:00.003+00:002021-02-20T13:59:07.916+00:00Thursday 18 February 2021 - Perseverance has landed.. Perseverance about to touch down on Mars. The three Sky Crane tethers can be seen and the umbilical providing communications and power to the rover is on the right. NASA/JPLWell, after 480 million kilometres Perseverance landed on the Red Planet on Thursday at 8.55pm GMT in Jezero Crater, just 2km south east of the delta, and is tilted only 1.2 degrees. It has been an exciting journey with afootinthehillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670636358354420373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089596276538867573.post-18831569709981852012020-09-07T10:43:00.004+01:002020-09-08T10:29:16.135+01:00Monday 7 September - You’ve got to laughafootinthehillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670636358354420373noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089596276538867573.post-33020983916217509042020-08-19T13:41:00.006+01:002020-09-03T10:40:27.264+01:00Wednesday 19 August - Mars 2020 Mars Ingenuity HelicopterOn 7 August, one week into its journey, Mars helicopter charged its batteries in flight for the first time in a space environment. It took eight hours for engineers at JPL to analyse the performance of the six lithium-ion batteries and bring their charge up to 35%, a low level charge state having been shown to be optimal for battery health during the nearly seven month long cruise to Mars.
The afootinthehillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670636358354420373noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089596276538867573.post-30271834949404951702020-08-05T14:18:00.005+01:002020-08-08T12:55:20.878+01:00Wednesday 3 June - Glen Bee and Hill of Kinpauch (Kinpauch Hill on OS Maps)
A few days earlier we had enjoyed a fine traverse of the hills above Glen Sherup and from our lunch spot on the broad ridge above the Broich Burn, between Frandy and Burnfoot Hill, we could see that Upper Glendevon Reservoir was very low, perhaps even lower than during our last long spell of drought conditions in the summer of 2014. We knew that a closer look could be combined with a walk afootinthehillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670636358354420373noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089596276538867573.post-83720916727079503482020-08-05T13:00:00.012+01:002020-08-19T13:46:37.703+01:00Tuesday 4 August - NASA-JPL Index to Mars 2020, Perseverance posts.
Not quite on Mars yet!
Perseverance showing location of plate with names
Index. Will be added to when new posts on Perseverance appear and a link given to this index on each post.
6 NASA-JPL Mars 2020 Ingenuity Helicopter5 NASA-JPL A perfect launch and Perseverance is on her way to the Red Planet
4 NASA-JPL Perseverance is on the launch pad3 NASA-JPL Perseverance launch date 30 July2 My afootinthehillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670636358354420373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089596276538867573.post-65651617621017301982020-08-02T14:13:00.011+01:002020-09-03T16:24:32.531+01:00Thursday 30 July - NASA-JPL A perfect launch and Perseverance is on her way to the Red Planet
Note: there are likely to be quite a lot of these sort of posts in the coming months, primarily as a personal record of this important mission. My name being on one of the chips attached to Perseverance adds another dimension of course. I've already signed up to the next part of the mission in 2026 (and Lynne is coming with me!) - The Mars Sample Return Campaign, but more of that much later afootinthehillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670636358354420373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089596276538867573.post-59294561537918262372020-07-30T10:48:00.001+01:002020-08-04T16:23:50.152+01:00Thursday 30 July - NASA-JPL Mars Rover Perseverance is on the launch pad
The Atlas V on Pad 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Base. The large cone at the top houses Perseverance. (Courtesy NASA)
United Launch Alliance's Atlas V booster carrying NASA-JPL's Mars 2020 Rover, Perseverance, is due to launch from Pad 41at 7.30 am EDL (12.50 pm our time) today. Live broadcast begins 12 noon our time. Although I'm aboard in name only, I'm just (but not quite) as excitedafootinthehillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670636358354420373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089596276538867573.post-35432051096716021572020-07-27T14:00:00.004+01:002020-08-04T16:24:51.645+01:00Monday 27 July - NASA-JPL Mars Perseverance launch date 30 July
The nose cone containing Mars Perseverance rover is manoeuvred onto its Atlas V rocket. Courtesy NASA/JPL - Caltech
The Mars Rover, Perseverance, was attached to the top of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V booster on Tuesday 7 July, along with the aeroshell, cruise stage and descent stage.
The original launch date of 20 July was delayed after a line of oxygen sensors that monitors the levelsafootinthehillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670636358354420373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089596276538867573.post-1319536214591522832020-07-18T15:18:00.002+01:002020-07-18T15:18:50.432+01:00Saturday 18 July - Moronic behaviour at Muir of Dinnet Nature Reserve
We often visit this small Reserve when on holiday in Braemar and were appalled when we read Catriona's recent post. Here's the link
I'm sure you will be as appalled as we were, but perhaps not any more surprised.
afootinthehillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670636358354420373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089596276538867573.post-57868790200836503512020-06-22T08:53:00.002+01:002020-06-23T05:29:00.239+01:00Monday 22 June - Nell
Last March two ultra runners, along with Border Collie Nell, were reported overdue in the Fisherfield Forest and Dundonnell MRT were called out together with members of Torridon MRT.
The missing party were all found near Loch an Nid, the runners suffering from mild hypothermia, and were flown out by the coastguard helicopter. However Nell ran off frightened by the helicopter so the following afootinthehillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670636358354420373noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089596276538867573.post-55008502048779136552020-06-21T19:45:00.000+01:002020-06-22T09:00:57.166+01:00Sunday 21 June - SARDA
What a wonderful photograph of Jib, member of Aberdeen Mountain Rescue Team. Wearing goggles allows Jib to take part in helicopter rescue missions by protecting her eyes from flying debris.
Photo copyright Jamie Greig.
afootinthehillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670636358354420373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089596276538867573.post-364474471303022992020-06-14T09:09:00.003+01:002020-09-01T20:44:18.081+01:00Sunday 14 June - NASA-JPL My trip to Mars draws near - launch now scheduled for 17 July
Engineers at NASA's JPL have been busy getting the Mars Rover, Perseverance, ready for the start of its journey to Mars landing at Jezero Crater on 18 February 2021. The crater is some 45km in diameter and Perseverance will land on the flat floor of the crater just east of the ancient river delta.
The rover's mission is to look for signs of past life, collect rock and soil samples, afootinthehillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670636358354420373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089596276538867573.post-30417247724353121262020-06-08T09:36:00.000+01:002020-06-08T11:51:26.928+01:00Sunday 31 May - A fine circuit
I was a bit concerned to read that two walkers were charged by police
after being rescued a week ago from Beinn a' Chroin, a Munro near
Crianlarich. Apparently they were not equipped for the ascent, got in to difficulties and the Killin Mountain Rescue Team were called out. The
pair were subsequently charged in connection with 'culpable and
recklesss conduct' having placed the officers and afootinthehillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670636358354420373noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089596276538867573.post-18389877501615966412020-06-04T10:19:00.001+01:002020-06-04T13:44:27.236+01:00Friday 29 May - Return
On Thursday Nicola Sturgeon duly confirmed the promised slight easing of the lockdown and hillwalking could resume, with the proviso that you stayed local. No problem for us except to decide which hills to climb.
There were lots of cars parked at Castlehill Reservoir but we hadn't planned to stop there or the Woodland Trust carpark in Glen Devon which in any case was closed. Thwarted, people afootinthehillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670636358354420373noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089596276538867573.post-66778347437870197722020-05-17T10:54:00.003+01:002020-05-18T15:09:10.080+01:00Covid -19. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory builds VITAL in 37 days.
When I post about NASA it is usually related to my interest in their human space exploration programmes past and present or the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's robotic exploration, most recently the upcoming launch of the Mars Rover, Perseverance (more of that in the next post). This however is different: "This is the story of how a team of engineers, fuelled by a desire to help during the afootinthehillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670636358354420373noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089596276538867573.post-90670820329633199362020-05-15T15:42:00.004+01:002020-05-15T15:44:18.758+01:00Some hope at last
Mountaineering Scotland is leading discussions with partners in the Mountain Safety Group on how to deliver a phased return to the hills and mountains.
It has drafted proposals which will be submitted to the Scottish government outlining how activities like hill walking, climbing and bouldering can be re-introduced.
Stuart Younie CEO of Mountaineering Scotland said: "We want to see an afootinthehillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670636358354420373noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089596276538867573.post-75184683409042091032020-04-24T15:40:00.000+01:002020-04-25T14:35:48.729+01:00Friday 24 April - Life goes on
Our seeds have now arrived from D T Brown, a delightful company to deal with, and planting has begun. Peas, cress, radish, spring onions, tomatoes, spinach, lettuce. and rocket, named :Rocket Artemis F1. When I pointed out to Lynne that the Artemis programme is NASA's current Moon mission and F1 engines powered the first stage of the Saturn V in the Apollo era, I was met with 'You're afootinthehillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670636358354420373noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089596276538867573.post-25264903009736270652020-04-21T10:06:00.002+01:002020-04-21T10:09:40.766+01:00Monday 20 April - I think this rather fine
It's taken a while, but this beautiful larch tree on the route of our daily walk, has come to life.
Taken with iPhone. Click to enlarge.
afootinthehillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670636358354420373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089596276538867573.post-79441715649296824442020-04-19T16:21:00.000+01:002020-04-25T14:56:48.770+01:00Sunday 19 April - four weeks on
These daffodils brighten up our daily walk but obviously they've had a close encounter with a tractor, probably delivering hay for the sheep. I like to think they were spared on purpose. Positive thoughts are needed at present.
We met not a soul before turning onto the now familiar single track road to Powmill. In the distance is King's Seat Hill, the snow patches on its steep north east afootinthehillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670636358354420373noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089596276538867573.post-30819625901093175652020-04-11T13:29:00.000+01:002020-04-11T14:07:03.087+01:00Saturday 11 April - Living in the moment
Apart from our daily exercise I've been uploading photographs to Flickr initially because my cousin - we rock climbed together in our youth - asked to see photos of our locality and the hills of the north. I do like Flickr but the free version has a limit of 1000 photos, so sometime soon I'll have to upgrade to Pro and take out a subscription. Looking again at some of the photographs I've afootinthehillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670636358354420373noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089596276538867573.post-21251223538838229842020-04-03T11:01:00.002+01:002020-04-19T08:30:15.482+01:00Friday 3 April - So what's been going on?
Well, nothing as far as hills are concerned what with the lockdown and trying to keep ourselves and others safe. We abandoned the idea of walking in the quiet Ochils which would have involved a three mile drive to the nearest parking spot so have enjoyed daily walks from the house instead, meeting only the odd cyclist or dog walker. Kinross-shire is very rural so options for walking are varied afootinthehillshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670636358354420373noreply@blogger.com4