Holidays, social and 30m steel sculptures

Well, it’s been a busy summer though not in the blogging sense – obviously. After a ten day trip to the Lake District in April various delays meant our planned two month holiday in the Highlands became a one month sojourn. The weather was rather good – in fact very good - though we were too far north to be bothered returning southwards for a trip to Rum and Knoydart as we’d originally planned.

The last days of June were spent at a The Beatrix Potter International Study Conference in Birnam where Lynne was reading, signing books and acting as tour guide for other members from the USA, Japan, the Netherlands and Canada as well as from other parts of the UK. A really enjoyable few days.

Eastwood House, Dunkeld where Beatrix Potter wrote the famous picture letter to Noel Moore. The letter was to become The Tale of Peter Rabbit.

During those few days we celebrated our fortieth wedding anniversary. Forty years of climbing, walking and backpacking together at weekends and holidays; often summer evenings were spent rock climbing at a local sea cliff or, very occasionally, at Craig-y-Barns near Dunkeld. Great years.

Immediately following all this social activity we went to the Lake District – a home from home since we met - and enjoyed a ten day heatwave. I was surprised how few climbers were on the crags given the perfect conditions. The fells were pretty quiet too.

Since our return it’s been hedge cutting, the odd day out in the Ochils and generally getting the garden back in order before our next trip in September.

On Thursday we went to see 'The Kelpies', information about which can be found here. We had seen programmes about them, watched videos but nothing had really prepared us for the real thing. They are located only twenty miles away so we'll be back to see them illuminated one winter's night. If you are ever in the Falkirk area go see them. The visitor centre is not due to open until 2015 but coffee and snacks are available.

                           

                            

                         
I've started to upload photographs to Flickr and they can be found here

23 May - green birch, Blackwater

 

 

There are several obvious and popular ways out of Kinlochleven for the backpacker or day walker; all pass through interesting country.

Today we took the path on the north side of the River Leven to Blackwater Reservoir. Reminiscent of the Nevis gorge in places, we strolled through the seemingly endless birchwoods before gaining open ground by Dubh Lochan some two hours after leaving this friendliest of villages. It could be argued that the route lacks variety - birch and oak dominate - but with the sun shining through the fresh foliage, waterfalls sometimes heard but not seen, and the cuckoo for company, you'd be hard pressed not to enjoy every step. A good bridge crosses the Allt na h-Eilde but only the remains of one exists at, I think, (my mind was elsewhere) the Allt Coire na Duibhe. A tree trunk arches over the waters by accident or design, but no such aid was required on this trip and in any case it would be a precarious means of crossing.

There is no access across the dam, or so a sign says, but this was ignored by cyclists coming from the opposite side. I expect this is normal: "My reading isn't very good", another walker, part of a duo plus dog on their way to visit 'the graves', commented.

We returned by our outward route being vastly superior (in my view) to track on the other side of the Leven. It had been a pleasant day but my heart belongs to the heights and exploring the corries, so tomorrow we are for the tops.


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Thursday 22nd May. A Marilyn - Sgorr a Choise

 

 

 

This impressive 663m hill had the feel of Knoydart about it - all rocks and knobbles - though a reasonable path wound its way hither and thither to the cairn which, appropriately for a Ballachulish hill, was built exclusively from slate.

We chose to approach from well up Gleann an Fhiodh and crossed the River Laroch with no difficulty to gain the rough, heathery slopes and were rewarded for our efforts by superb views from the ridge to Bidean nam Bian among many.

The remains of an old fence was followed to the start of the rocky stuff where lunch was enjoyed. We turned our backs on poor despoiled Glen Creran and watched tiny figures on the 'Vair Pair' and boats on Loch Leven. A tranquil scene.

The summit was a place for photographs and identifying peaks near and far; the Paps of Jura and Ben More of Mull were visible.

We have never climbed a Marilyn because it was listed as such and we don't intend to start now. Well, maybe a few. I wonder how many we've done...
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Calm in the Coe

We've had a beautiful drive to Glencoe, the new green of May everywhere a delight.

The recurrence of a chest infection requiring a cocktail of drugs to combat the after effects has delayed departure for almost three weeks. Our reward is a calm evening by Loch Leven with superb views of Bidean and its remaining snow fields.

Ruddles County has also played its part in the settling in process here at Invercoe, one of the friendliest sites we stay on.

The backpacking gear is stowed in the overhead cab so all we need is a bit of decent weather for a trip to Knoydart and Rum perhaps. But before then, a few local hills await.
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Good Luck to: Alan Sloman (and Team), Martin Banfield and Alan Rayner on the TGO Challenge 2014.

Inverie pier

Western Isles arrives at Inverie

Cairn of Claise

Lochnagar

Have a great trip, and I hope you get some of the weather shown in the photographs.

8 April - A mixed day

The morning started with a loss of power on site. Funny how the first thought in this gadget-obsessed world was "camera batteries need charging, so do iPads, the phone,...". Pathetic really. It was quickly fixed once reported.

Later we discovered that the door on the motorvan could not be opened from the inside. Luckily it could still be locked from the outside and also opened from there. Holidays can be stressful!

In a strong headwind we walked up the track to Force Crag Mine, Eel Crag shrouded in mist. From Scar Crags a few days earlier we'd noticed what looked like two small lakes near the mine workings and wondered was going on.



As many of you will know, the mine was worked for lead, barytes and zinc from 1835 until 1991 and is, unsurprisingly, a significant source of metal pollution in Coldedale Beck which feeds Newlands Beck and the River Derwent and Bassenthwaite Lake Special Area of Conservation. High levels of metals, particularly zinc, cadmium, lead and copper result in a failure to meet water quality standards, so a pilot passive-mine-water remediation sheme is underway to reduce the quantity of metals entering Coledale Beck. The work is a partnership between the Coal Authority, the Environment Agency, the National Trust and Newcastle University.



Now wiser than we were a few days ago we returned to the 'van and drove round to park at Uzzicar. During Christmas and New Year holidays in Braithwaite during the mid-1970s to early 1980s we got our milk from Uzzicar Farm and delicious it was too.


The weather had improved somewhat since morning so, without any objective in mind, we followed the old mine road by Stonycroft Gill before taking the path which skirts the slopes of Stile End and leads to Barrow Door.(I couldn't get thoughts of the Barrow-Wights from Lord of the Rings out of my head).The wind was quite fierce atop Barrow and my Mountain Cap was promptly blown off, luckily landing on the heathery lee slope where it remained just long enough for me to retrieve it.

As an afterthought, Stile End was quickly added. I'd completely forgotten just how lovely these little fells are and I'm looking forward to visiting Outerside again, perhaps on its own, perhaps as part of a circuit to include Scar Crags and Causey.




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7 April - Another wet one

We parked up at our usual spot and set off in heavy rain for Little Town and a low level walk along the base of Catbells. The fells were obliterated by thick mist but nonetheless we decided that an ascent would be worthwhile; maybe the mist would lift. It didn't and the rain became heavier as we climbed. An orange clad girl arrived on the summit with her Border Collie, the ideal companion on the hills. Always a little ahead of her; frequently looking back.

For the second time this holiday the camera stayed in the pack until down. The rain relented - and the clag cleared. There's no justice.

The gear is now mostly dry and I'm hoping it will stay that way for the remainder of the holiday.

By the way, there must be big hamsters hereabouts as the second picture shows.


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5 April - Blaeberry Fell

Not even the slopes of Walla Crag were visible or much else for that matter, so we reckoned it wasn't worth driving anywhere for the same conditions. Blaeberry would at least give us a summit, however modest and: "There's a certain sensuous pleasure to be obtained from getting wet through - really wet through to the skin - which is something akin to the joy of robbing orchards...." A H Griffin. I expect most who read this blog will have been at some time wet through to the skin and can decide for themselves whether or not the experience was sensuous. I know what Griffin is getting at, but can't possibly comment about the robbing orchards bit!

Despite the steady rain people were abroad in fair numbers but we were alone in turning off for higher things, all others continuing along the path high above Derwentwater.

I am always pleasantly surprised at the absence of litter on the fells but a brief stop at the sheep fold revealed various debris lying around - tissues, bits of drinks cartons and so on; near the summit, orange peel was scattered; an old banana skin lay further on. The mentality of those responsible is beyond understanding.

The top was an exposed, wet and misty place but as usual we were enjoying being out in 'weather' though no photographs were taken, the new Sony and older Lumix staying safe in the packs.

All was quiet back at the path to Ashness Bridge so we followed it for a while enjoying the misty view down Borrowdale before calling it day.

Tea was finished by the yew* trees on Walla Crag; a Scots Pine reminded of home. The weather even more so.

Edit: being back among the Herdwicks I originally spelt this 'ewe'! Either no-one noticed or they were too polite to point this error out-:)

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