eBothy Blog

Just back from a week’s leading for the HF on Arran, at their Altachorvie house. I took the bus to Glasgow, then train to Ardrossan and bus from Brodick to Lamlash, arriving just in time for the piping in of the haggis, which is a traditional Friday evening slot in the HF Scottish houses (Arran and Glencoe). I arrived with John no1 and hung back until the piper had done his work, then headed for the grub, which is always superb at HF houses. On the Saturday morning, Jon no2 arrived and we had our wee leader meeting to work out who leads what routes during the week and were then joined by John no3. You’re always bound to meet interesting people on HF holidays and this week was no different, as John no3 turned out to be a 70s rock star, being one half of the Rhead Brothers. These days John is an expert on all things Arran to do with flora and fauna and he was leading the special interest wildlife week.

It was tough year least year, what with ML assessment, work commitments and OU courses but I’ve just heard from the OU that my certificate in Astronomy and Planetary Science will be winging it’s way northwards sometime after the next conferment in August, so it’ll be on the wall in September. Conferment, sounds awfully posh! Perhaps I’ll start a new Astronomy category at the eBothy. Astronomy and Gaelic, now there’a a thought. Did you know what the Gaelic for the Pleiades was? Well, it’s a fascinating tale. One that I’ll blog I think. Watch this space (ho ho!)

Sometimes I wonder if I’ve lost the plot. I used to just grab a map, yellowing and weather beaten, from the shelf and head up the hill. As long as I had the compass and a couple of rolls, that was me for the day. Now it’s computers computers computers!

I should be out on the hill today but I’ve just finished marking my students’ TMA submissions, on the computer and moved on to the next task, coming up with a quiz for one of the evening entertainments when I’ll be leading for the HF, on the computer. Google and Google Earth instead of Cuillin and real earth beneath my boots. Not to mention loading up the GPS with route info for the trip. (more…)

Just plugging a colleague’s charity cycle from Dungeness to Port of Ness, on the Isle of Lewis. Pop over and donate if you feel like it.

A quick, vacuously simple posting to mark a momentous occasion. After 2.5 months without any rain other than a few quick bursts in the night, today it is gale force winds and torrential rain! The mosses had started to turn yellow and die off. The grass had stopped growing almost. The neebs had run out of water and Broadford is overrun with Touroids (got that word from Ruth at Scizzors!). Forecast is for much more chilly weather in the north. I almost bivvied on top of Blaven last night it was so beautiful. Not a cloud in the sky(e).

This might sound a bit of an oxymoron at first sight. It might also seem a ridiculously pretentious post but what I’m trying to do is work out why I blog. Whereas I’ve got 25 years of hill diaries tucked away on the top shelf, this blog has only been going for about 18 months, with my first post back in December 2006. Looking back, it was a change in direction for me, with respect to wandering the hills. I’d decided that I’d go for the ML and start leading folk and to mark the occasion I thought I’d also launch into the blogosphere. Since then I’ve mainly posted about stravaiging, training and guiding, which is what I’ve written about in my diaries, minus the training and guiding. The diaries are personal accounts, to remind me of the friends, weather, conditions and routes we did and the solo trips I’ve done but the blog started to include articles that other people might find informative. The audience I was writing for slowly changed from my humble self, to whoever was interested in my electronically distributed opinions.

So why write a blog? (more…)

Still not sure what to make of the interest in the last post I did (I had no idea so many people read this paltry pile of pontificating prose, i.e. my blog!). I think I’m a bit intimidated now, to report on my new JetBoil! I was thinking of perhaps writing about it before I forgot what make it was (I have no idea what my old stove is) and I’m having real trouble finding a partner for my 12 year old Karrimor base layer, which I wear in the summer and which I’ve no intention of chucking out. What’s the story with all that plasticky stuff everything seems to be made of now? (more…)

Since the (hopefully temporary) demise of Solitary Walker’s blog, I’ve been rootin’ around for other sources of inspiration for the outdoors. Philosophical musings, poetry and the like. So I thought I’d do a quick round-up of the subject content of the blogs I read. Starting up Google Reader, there were a load of updates waiting to be read and perusing them it suddenly struck me that most of the blogs I follow concentrate on gear reviews. (more…)

I’ve been ruminating on remit for a Mountain Leader (ML) lately, as I’ve been doing some “guiding” in the Cuillin for my old friend Corncircles, who’s researching a book that takes in some of the classic outings in the highlands. The latest foray into the rocky world of the Cuillin started me thinking on what it would take to be able to offer my services to paying clients, as opposed to helping friends through challenging terrain, as, believe it or not, most of the Cuillin are “off limits” to holders of the ML award, who’s remit basically states:

“lead parties in the mountains of the UK and Ireland”

However, there’s a little word missing from the “mission statement”. That word is “all”. (more…)

Neat or what! I’ll try this with my new JetBoil but NOT in the tent porch!

Stove stabilizer