Well....today was to be my 20th Munro this year, and apart from my first one, Ben Lomond, it was to be my first with someone accompanying me! My girlfriends brother in law decided to come and join me on the "smallest" Munro, as he figured it would be an easy introduction to the hills. Having [...]
So, just over a year ago, myself and my friend did my first Munro with my pipes, Ben Lomond. It was a horrible day, and we couldn't see a thing at the top. Now, 26 Munros into my personal challenge, I have re-visited the Ben, and got my picture at the top! It seemed a [...]
So as any of you who have read my reports regularly are probably aware, I am a bit of a last minute walker. I check forecasts, look out the window in the morning, and that is me, yes or no. Today, for some reason I thought it was to be a horrible day, so made [...]
So, winter came, and for many of us, it conquered!. Rain, wind, snow, hail, you name it, we got it over the past few months. I saw some people braving the elements, and hitting summits no matter what, but for me, it meant lower level activities. Since hitting my elusive 50th Munro, I had grown [...]
So the Arrochar Alps will always have a special place for me. Despite being brought up in the majestically rugged North West, surrounded by mountains, it wasn’t until I moved to Glasgow, and missed the hills, that my true passion for the mountains began. It was on the Arrachar Alps that I began my real mountain experiences. I had done Narnain previously, and was under the impression, that Beinn Ime, was just a simple progression, so off I went up Narnain.
By now, my activities were starting to generate interest, not just from friends and family, but the wider climbing community. One of my father’s co-workers, an experienced climber, had been following me with interest. He did however express concerns about the equipment I was using.
Cloud…something to really depress a hill walker. Many walkers go up regardless, and I can understand that, I have caught the bug, and I love the physical achievement of reaching a summit. But having said that, I can’t feel the achievement is complete if I can’t see anything. If cloud blocks the views, you could [...]
Again I was working in the evening, and was thinking what I could do with my days. The sun was shining again, and I could almost hear it shouting “I’m not here often, get out and enjoy it”. Ben Vorlich was next on my list, due to its closeness to Glasgow, so off I went. [...]
I had a couple days off work coming up, and the weather had been fantastic. The sun was shining like it was mid-summer, and although it was cold, the air was so fresh. I was desperate to get out walking. The night before, I was at work, planning to go to either Beinn Narnain or [...]
It was the 9th of January, and due to lack of experience, knowledge and equipment, I thought I would have to wait till spring or summer to start my personal challenge of playing the bagpipes on ALL the Munro tops, due to weather and underfoot conditions. Having climbed Ben Lomond back in April, in blistering [...]