Knee problems and looking back

Lynne on Carn a' Mhaim

After months of thinking my knee injury was improving and after some seriously painful physiotherapy (which continues) I’ve now been referred to an orthopaedic surgeon. That will take about eight weeks. Since my previous post I've limited myself to easy local walks and spent some time, which would otherwise have been more enjoyably spent in the lovely snowy hills, scanning a few more slides.

Happy days on a backpacking trip in the Cairngorms in May 1980 taking in Carn a’ Mhaim, Ben MacDui, Beinn Mheadhoin and Beinn a’ Chaorainn.

An idyllic spot to camp at Loch Etchachan but alas it was too early in the day.

Lynne and Morag at our evening camp

The tent is a Saunders Basecamp which had two lovely big porches providing ample storage for wet gear in bad weather.  Not that we had much gear back then and didn’t seem to be any less comfortable than now with all the modern stuff we use. The tent saw one more trip to A’Mhaighdean and Ruadh Stac Mor before being lent to my idiot boss who burnt a hole in it with a cigarette. It was only two years old.

In April 1983 we had a terrific ski tour in superb spring snow during a week of still, alpine-like weather but I can't locate all the slides of this trip. I expect they are in carousels used by Lynne who, on a voluntary basis in the 1980s, gave talks to schools about the Scottish hills, climbing history, Munros and so on.  The kids loved it.

Ascending Lurchers on our way to the plateau

 The rucksack is a Karrimor Jaguar weighing 1kg which is about 300g lighter, roomier and far more comfortable than my GoLite Quest. It is still in excellent condition which I doubt the GoLite will be after three or four years, let alone after thirty years! Clothing? An old M&S jersey, an old shirt and Rohan Superstrider breeches. Certainly we carried down jackets but, looking again at these slides, I’m more convinced than ever that for the most part, and with some notable exceptions, we just don’t need all this new stuff that’s being thrust at us. Not everyone will agree of course!

Up on the plateau where, shortly after this photograph was taken, we met Swiss ski-tourers who fed us some Swiss (naturally) chocolate and simply raved about the scenery. We sunbathed above Loch Avon and all was right with the world.

Tomorrow I may try a day in the Ochils before Friday's physiotherapy - the popliteus muscle needs some attention. Oh, and I'm building a Lancaster Bomber (model that is!) and as soon as the snow disappears from its roof, I'll need to get the top-box off the motorvan before it goes for a service. And I need to get round the blogs to find out what you've all been up to.

Symington's Mug Shot

We discovered these last year in Morrisons and found they made quite a good lunch time snack when backpacking. A sachet weighs 68g and provides 301kcal. Empty into a mug, add boiling water and allow to stand for 5 mins (we find a bit longer is required) and we usually add a Butter Bud. We've only tried the Creamy Cheese one, but others are available.

North of Loch Maree

North of Loch Maree lie the wild deer forests of Letterewe, Fisherfield and Strathnashellag. We first visited Letterewe in 1981, bound for A'Mhaighdean and Ruadh Stac Mor, accompanied by our young Border Collie, Morag. We had telephoned the keeper at Kernsary during the winter months to make sure that Morag would be welcome, and of course she was. This was Letterewe after all, owned by the Dutch billionnaire Paul van Vlissingen. Chairman of one of the largest privately owned companies in the world, comprising the likes of Calor Gas and Makro supermarkets, he always descibed himself as a 'guardian', dismissing the idea that anyone could 'own' such landscape.

 He had a significant influence on land reform in Scotland through the work he did with The Ramblers Association and others in the 1990s and The Letterewe Accord was the forerunner to the Scottish Parliament's own land reform legislation only introduced some 10 years later. He died in 2006 and the estate was inherited by his two daughters.

When we returned last June, this time heading for Beinn Lair and Beinn a'Chaisgein Mor, we wondered if much would have changed. We'd got so used to seeing places change in recent years, and rarely for the better, but needn't have worried. Sure there were other people around where none were encountered in 1981; the sandy shore of Fionn Loch had a few tents belonging to people canoeing on the loch, presumably having canoed up Fionn Loch  for no roads penetrate here; tents lay across the causeway and near the path that leads to high lochans on the route to Gleann na Muice Beag; and people were heading for a bivouac on A'Mhaighdean. But all was quiet, as it should be in such a place.

Inevitably, van Vlissingen had his critics but I believe that we owe much to Paul van Vlissingen (and to Colonel Whitbread before him, although he was less welcoming!) and just before his death he bought the 6874 acre Tournaig estate situated between Poolewe and Aultbea and adjoining Letterewe, thus affording protection to even more precious wild country.

..... it's very hard to leave.