Friday 5 January - At last a day on a hill

It was a good feeling to be setting out for the hill again after two and a half months of enforced inactivity. My shoulder/back muscle felt OK and since it was a cold day and I was wearing virtually all my clothing, the sack was light. We parked at Castlehill Reservoir, a popular starting point for low level excursions as well as for the tops. For many years though, our parking spot for Innerdownie Hill was near the Glendevon Youth Hostel from where a pleasant approach through the small hamlet of Burnfoot gave an easy start to the ascent. Alas in 2007 the YHA announced the closure of the hostel, along with several others, and the small carpark has been absorbed into the steep driveway up to a new house which stands on the former YH site.

The cold encouraged fast progress up the water board road past Glen Quey Moss, peaceful and undisturbed after the successful fight to stop CEMEX's application to quarry there. Everywhere underfoot was solid but not icy there having been little or no precipitation for a number of days, but care was needed all the same.

Glenquey - luckily were going to walk into sunshine

The route now ambles along the base of Innerdownie to the start of our preferrred line of ascent although a direct approach can be made from where the photograph is taken.

So far I hadn't felt any pain in my shoulder but unfortunately on the steepish first bit of the ascent I must have set a pesonal best for slowness, so clearly I've some work to do on the fitness front. The gently rising ridge took us easily to the fine and familiar cairn and oh my goodness, it was so good to be back again and looking north from on high.

Approaching the top - interesting skies

Descending

After some lunch we sauntered down the grassy path, meeting two cyclists pedalling away furiously to make, it seemed to me, slower progress than they would have made on foot. Shorty after passing us they dismounted to push. I expect the enjoyed a good run back though.

Home, hot chocolate, a shower and a relaxing evening. What more can you ask?

The red line shows the start from the former YH, the blue our route.

Seasons Greetings to one and all

There has been little to report lately as my shoulder has taken much longer to heal than expected so hill activity has been restricted. None at all in fact. Physio and yet more physio with various physiotherapists appears to have resolved the issue, although I have not had a rucksack on recently. Fingers crossed.

Enjoy the festivities and have an exciting 2017.

Oops - wrong blog!

Sorry the previous closure post should have gone to a second blog which I had on blogger. Hit the wrong one on the iPhone! Phew! Glad I caught that..

Montane Air Jacket

Readers will know the story - the jacket leaked, at the pocket zips and front zip in my view. However
Montane tested it and could not find any fault so the retailer refused a refund asking that
photographic evidence be provided so that they could take up the case with Montane.

Needless to say we had a very dry, cold and beautiful first week in Braemar at the beginning of this month followed by only a little intermittent rain until the middle of the second. At the Muir of Dinnet Nature Reserve I wore the jacket on an easy stroll and it rained for about 10-15 minutes - steady but not heavy and with no wind. Small areas on the inside mesh at the pockets became wet and the inside baffle very wet. Back at the motorcaravan I took pics and emailed them to Swaledale Outdoors from whom I'd bought the jacket

They felt the evidence was clear and the money has been refunded. My thanks to Richard.

All a bit of a hassle and a pity because I did like the Air Jacket in every other respect - quite light, a nice fit, packable etc.

I won't, however, be buying anything made by Montane in future and will revert to my usual trusted
brand - Mountain Equipment. I don't expect to stay 'dry' in prolonged rain no matter what kind of waterproof I'm wearing but I know what's acceptable, and the Air Jacket was not.

Wearing the Air Jacket on a cold and very windy October day on Cairn of Claise

 

Octavius Flexipants

More from the Deeside Knitwits

Sunday 9 October - on a cold and frosty morning

We woke to the most beautiful morning, the grasses white with frost, light mist drifting over Morrone's lower slopes, the stags noisy. It was a day for a top.

So, it was up by the Baddoch Burn in an hour and a half, a stop for tea and then the stony ridge and summit of An Socach. We met a few walkers but not as many as expected given the hill's Munro status and the fine weather.








In the cold clear air, views of the surrounding hills were sharp and only as we left the summit did the sky cloud over. Unlike on previous visits, when we've returned via the east top to Sgor Mor and so down to Baddoch, we retraced our steps and soon were enjoying the late afternoon sun by the Baddoch Burn.

There is no shooting on a Sunday - on a weekday we'd have been on the ridge mentioned above - but a stalker with binoculars was studying the deer on the western slopes of Carn Chrionaidh, no doubt in preparation for the morrow. We've heard rifle shots a few times on this holiday.

It's been a lovely week with lots of sunshine by day and starry skies by night, but as a result I've not been able to use my Montane Air Jacket and photograph the water ingress, thus demonstrating that the jacket is faulty. There's some rain forecast for tomorrow so hopefully my point will be proved.


Sent from my iPhone

All things fishy

Some photos of the usual delightful display provided by the Deeside Knitwits.

Hares

It was a beautiful October day with sunshine from the off but a strong, bitterly cold wind met us on the summit of Carn an Tuirc and had full play on the exposed walk to Cairn of Claise. The cairn here is now half its previous height, cause not obvious.

One of the great pleasures of walking these hills is seeing the mountain hares but none were to be seen today. Why? Because they've been slaughtered by landowners. Massacred for sport, no matter what the landowners say. Hundreds and hundreds have been shot - including apparently on the Balmoral estate. Sadness was mixed with fury at this carnage. Just Google "cull of mountain hares in Scotland" and be disgusted (I hope).

Sent from my iPhone

A quick getaway

A good weather forecast, a quick stocking of the motorcaravan and we were off back to Braemar. 

The Glen Shee ski park was a very windy place today but down in the village it was a perfect autumn day, the surrounding hills looking as fine as I can remember. Tomorrow we'll be on them. 

When we were here in September I reported my 'leaky' new Montane Air Jacket. It was returned to Swaledale Outdoors who in turn sent it back to Montane for testing. Their lab tests showed no fault, so no refund. In fairness, Swaledale have offered to 'work with me ' to resolve the issue i.e. go out in the wet and photograph the water ingress. Go out in the Cairngorms in the rain with a jacket I know doesn't work? Er, no thanks. 

For the moment I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions. 




Sent from my iPhone