Me and Annie both took our winter mountain leader training at Glenmore Lodge recently, so after a week of criss-crossing the Northern Corries and learning some new skills we were enthusiastic to get out and practice further from home. This week was the first time in several months that high pressure has dominated Scotland, and it would have been downright rude not to take advantage … Continue reading Bluebird skies on the Ben
It’s been a blustery winter so far, but for the second time in four days last week the forecast turned up a gem in the far North-West. Another early start; this time it was local bicyclists Ronan and Nash joining me in the front of the van. As we moved through Inverness at 0630 a watery sunrise began to shine through the rain beating on … Continue reading Winter sun in Torridon
Breaking the recent trend, the forecast this week has thrown up the odd island of calm in amongst all the Atlantic lows, especially in the North-West. After last-minute planning in the bar and optimistic interpretations of weather and avalanche forecasts, I left Glenmore at 6am on Tuesday, headed for Beinn Eighe with Patrick and Julia. Seize the day and all that jazz. Since Christmas it … Continue reading Lawson, Ling and Glover’s Route, Beinn Eighe
Last year, I swore that I would never do the ‘Puffer again. It was too damp, too dark, too gritty, and it cost too much in new bearings/chain/cassette etc. I think I said the same thing the year before; I’ll probably say the same thing before entries open for next year. When it comes down to it though, the thought of everyone else suffering their … Continue reading Pace and Momentum at the Strathpuffer
Sometimes, you get so fixated on finding new, better trails that you forget the quality rides that are sitting right in front of you. That elusive dream trail is still waiting out there somewhere, but in the meantime there are all the old favorites waiting for a chance to show you why you ride your bike again. In August I went with Seb to revisit … Continue reading A classic summer’s day in Lochaber
Last weekend me and Annie parked up on the Laggan road at Ardverikie to take a wander to a classic multi-pitch HS route that hides around the back of Binnean Shuas: Ardverikie Wall. The SMC guide gives it four stars, and seeing as Annie’s been raving about it since she did it last year I was pretty excited to have a look for myself. We … Continue reading Ardverikie Wall
When summertime does things properly around here, it feels almost rude not to make the most of every last minute of sunshine. Scottish summer nights can seem almost endless, and even when sitting inside having a post-ride cup of tea the evening sunlight streaming through the windows tells you to get straight back outside. To make the most of the amazing weather I decided to … Continue reading Tour des Cairngorms
It’s more often thought of as a inconvenient outlier to the rest of the ridge, but the dawn-lit ridge walk back from Gars Bheinn was simple enough that it gave us the freedom to stare at the rest of the Cuillin in front of us, and a good warm up for what was to come. Just before we reached the bags we met the first … Continue reading Cuillin Traverse, Part 2
I’m starting to wonder if North West Scotland’s reputation for miserable weather isn’t just a cunning plan to keep the crowds of tourists away – each time I’ve made the journey over the last couple of years I’ve met sunshine. There’s been cold and wind, but never the days of fog and drizzle that we’re told will probably get in the way of the fun. … Continue reading Cuillin Traverse, Part 1
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