Buchaille Etive Mor - possibly the most photographed mountain in Scotland and a very good looking one!
Hopefully my next post will be full of photos of our new house, when we get our offer accepted...
Saturday, 26 October 2013
Autumn Stomps in Scotland
We have a new home town! Ali and I have officially moved to Fort William and though we are just lodging with friends at the moment, we have put in an offer on a house in Corpach and are just waiting to hear the verdict. That feels very exciting and grown-up! Job-wise, slightly less exciting. Ali is solidly plugging away with mailing brochures to hundreds of keen young explorers ready for Ru'a Fiola next year and I am picking up the odd weekend doing Segway tours... House and job hunting is very time consuming in front of a laptop screen but everything outside is changing colour and while it does still feel mild, I am persuading myself that there is a wintery smell around the place. Snow is imminent I tell you! I hope so anyway. But as I said, the colours are changing and the hills are glowing (when the sun shines through). Around the house hunting we do keep stealing some adventure hours, so here are a few photos of our stomps around and about our new home.
The Aonach Eagach Ridge in Glen Coe with Ali and Jago
Very autumnal colours at the Meeting of Three Waters in Glen Coe
Looking east through the iconic Glen Coe
Dramatic weather after a big stomp in the hills
Buchaille Etive Mor - possibly the most photographed mountain in Scotland and a very good looking one!
I have just discovered stitching photos and if you look at this for a while, it's a bit squiffy in the corners! But this is Glen Nevis, one of the most beautiful valleys in the world and Steall Falls (I'm hoping this will freeze and host some climbing action this winter!) I think everyone should go and visit. It was raining heavily when I went up there and it was still wonderful.
Hopefully my next post will be full of photos of our new house, when we get our offer accepted...
Buchaille Etive Mor - possibly the most photographed mountain in Scotland and a very good looking one!
Hopefully my next post will be full of photos of our new house, when we get our offer accepted...
Wednesday, 25 September 2013
Northern Scottish Mountains and Rock Climbing in the Verdon Gorge
Two very contrasting adventures here. Summer is officially over and Ali and I have a few weeks off before his next job officially starts and before we move to Fort William so, to make the most of being homeless we have had a yomping/camping adventure up north and a sunny bolt-clipping trip to France.
Before I start with my photos, I will just add that Ali's blog is also updated and hosts some much better photography! It can be found at www.mountainstotheseaphotography.com
From the second summit along the ridge of An Teallach, the weather was incredibly changeable and that rain storm behind Ali was very much heading our way!
Looking back along the ridge we have just yomped along.
Midgie hell.... Our camp spot was idyllic, by the stream, under a rainbow, by the mountains, no-one to be seen etc etc. And then the midges arrived. Great!
From the summit of Ruadh Stac Mor (one of the Fisherfield Six) right after we have been thoroughly drenched by rain. The forecast actually was for a big storm to blow in that evening so we are just preparing to hurry off the hill before 50mph gusts start blowing in!
Ali, doing his thing.
Our adventure now got very much warmer. Excellent. The Verdon Gorge in France seems to have gone somewhat out of fashion in the sport-climbing scene but it could not have been a better place for us to have ended up. A search for cheap flights turned up Marseille and a search for climbing near Marseille turned up Verdon. Our style of climbing in the UK is usually long adventurous routes that take a full day to complete and Verdon had exactly that to offer, but with a few added bolts. We are not particularly grade focused either which was ideal here. A quote we found on the UK Climbing website about one climb, La Demande (6a), was "6a climbers would probs die" and while 6a should not usually be our upper limit, we found the climbing pretty damn hard!
The standard Verdon View. Not bad. And this was the worst weather we had all week. Not bad either!
Griffon Vultures. All week we could turn away from a climb to look out over the gorge and see anywhere up to eight of these birds swooping past us. They are huge and fly very menacingly close to you, but with these and the thousands of Swallows in swarms dipping in and out of corners and crevices in the rocks, the atmosphere was wild and wonderful.
With the routes we did being up to 12 pitches and hard, I don't really have many climbing pictures but this was on our rest day where we mooched round the very easy via ferrata of the gorge. It did involve some very ancient metal-work, two exciting river crossings and an awkward diagonal abseil, but perfect for an easier day out.
This was our view down the gorge throughout the via ferrata.
The second of two tyrolean river crossings on the via ferrata route. This rope apparently is not always up, so after two big (non-reversible) abseils, we were quite relieved to see it! Though we did have a bit of a swim in the river later too and actually swimming across would not have been too much of an issue.
An early morning cloud inversion, on our way to do our last routes of the trip. The little black car was our rental for the week, a Chevrolet Spark. Tiny and exceptionally gutless up the hills...
If only this photo had an empty pizza box, it would entirely sum up our evenings this week. I have discovered a new found enjoyment for beer (but only Leffe). The village of La Palud was such a perfect spot. It still feels small and french despite the tourist traffic that the gorge gets. It has one bakery, one tiny climbing shop, two small bars/restaurants and a little pizza shack. Everyone knows everyone and they all support each others businesses. The campsite was clean and friendly, had hot showers, always topped-up loo roll, and we almost had to physically pin down our campsite owner just to give him some money. I would recommend the Verdon Gorge to any climber. It is hard but there is plenty for climbers of all abilities (with a good head for heights!). Brilliant.
Now for the more grown-up adventure of mortgages, jobs and moving house...
Before I start with my photos, I will just add that Ali's blog is also updated and hosts some much better photography! It can be found at www.mountainstotheseaphotography.com
Our adventure now got very much warmer. Excellent. The Verdon Gorge in France seems to have gone somewhat out of fashion in the sport-climbing scene but it could not have been a better place for us to have ended up. A search for cheap flights turned up Marseille and a search for climbing near Marseille turned up Verdon. Our style of climbing in the UK is usually long adventurous routes that take a full day to complete and Verdon had exactly that to offer, but with a few added bolts. We are not particularly grade focused either which was ideal here. A quote we found on the UK Climbing website about one climb, La Demande (6a), was "6a climbers would probs die" and while 6a should not usually be our upper limit, we found the climbing pretty damn hard!
Just another classic South France view.
Now for the more grown-up adventure of mortgages, jobs and moving house...
Saturday, 31 August 2013
Last Minute Summer Adventures
Our season at Ru'a Fiola is nearly at an end already! It hasn't been the easiest of seasons but as usual it has flown by in a flash and we are starting to plan the next chapter. At the moment, France and northern Scotland seem to be on the cards and then... winter is coming! (NERD ALERT). Ali is house hunting and I am job hunting. The plan is, and this is a new development, to spend some time in schools this winter getting some classroom experience with the potential idea of doing my teacher training next year. Very exciting times! I never thought I'd say this, but I need a new educational challenge and the idea of staying in one place all year round is maybe sort of rather appealing... But in the mean time we will be in Fort William so anyone with any Scottish plans this winter should drop by.
Anyway, here are a few photos from the last couple of months. I have mostly been a little unwell and wimpy so life is not as strenuous as usual but we have still have some lovely course breaks and even a week off for gaining ML days.
Home for the nights - Fords of Avon refuge
We now have only two courses left on the island so the next blog will hopefully be after a mountainous trip up north and a sunny bolt-clipping trip way down south. Bring it all on!
Monday, 24 June 2013
Appendix Surgery, Colonsay and Plockton Pub Adventures
So it is now almost halfway through my summer season on Ru'a Fiola now! Summer is going by really rather fast and although we have had the odd few days of sun, it has felt like summer took a long time in getting here. Work is as brilliant as ever, great kids and loads of island enthusiasm, energy and the usual shenanigans that have us gossiping for weeks.
I have been coming and going to and from Mull quite a bit and Dad is doing brilliantly at his new hotel. Baby labrador Fin is getting bigger and bigger and happier and happier every time I see him! Dad is almost constantly full, has had the BBC come and stay and is about to take on a starring role (extra) in a new film with Damian Lewis. I couldn't be happier for him! I am open to ideas for a 60th Birthday Bonanza next summer... anyone??
A standard view out of the ferry on the way over to Mull. We ALWAYS get good weather.
One minor inconvenience this summer was a sudden pain in my tummy whilst on expedition, which resulted in having a ruptured ovarian cyst and appendicitis! Off to hospital for 2 nights and an operation for me.... I must have taken this photo right after I woke up because I have absolutely no memory of taking it. Perhaps my morphine-full mind was in more control than the rest of me. It has meant that adventures of late have been rather more tame than normal but now, three weeks later, I am mostly back to normal (with the odd ibuprofen hit once in a while!)
One AWESOME course break was spent going to Colonsay which from Ru'a Fiola seems to be right out in the wild Atlantic but actually has a thriving and very friendly population and we went girly to the max with flowers in our hair, gallery viewing, tea shops, skinny dipping at the beach and the Titanic. Matt came with us too and very gallantly put up with our girl talk.
Susie's new flower fact. This is "Bog Pimpernel"
Ailsa, the flower fairy we found in the woods.
Kiloran Bay. Here we played and ran and dug holes and watched the sunset and skinny dipped.
Susie, Ailsa, Laura and Matt
Can you imagine a better beach Laura?
Taking a walk in the Colonsay jungle. We do actually get quite excited seeing so much green big plants and trees after living on our tiny wild and windswept island.
The latest adventure was a trip up to a bothy owned by old Ru'a Fiola friends Magnus and Helen. We have the key on loan and the bothy is in a superb place for climbing, yomping, beaches, waterfalls and good access to Torridon, Skye, the pub in Plockton and all sorts. The bothy is rather foosty but we set to with brooms and scrubbing brushes and Ali and I have all sorts of plans to come back over the winter and help with any kind of restoration that needs doing. Over the few days we were here, the Cioch Nose of Sgurr a Chaorachainn was climbed, a team walked out to Uags bothy and I scrambled right up the Allt a Mhuillin to a loch at the top for a wee skinny dip and a yomp in the rain.
A view through my phone from the top of the Allt a Mhuillin on a very dreich day.
A fine situation for a skinny dip. A very quick skinny dip in the cold rain and wind...
Laura turning housekeeper even on her days off
Coats hanging up everywhere after a wet day out in the hills.
A little home for Ali, Ruaridh, Laura, Adrian, Adam, Matt, Susie and I for a weekend, thanks to Magnus and Helen.
Now starting the second half of our summer season and hopefully all the dramas are behind us and my tummy will heal back to normal. I am looking forward already to climbing again. Though I have rediscovered embroidery threads, wool and needles again...all good healing activities!
Sunset on Ru'a Fiola across the cottongrass. My home for the summer. Happy Hannah.
I have been coming and going to and from Mull quite a bit and Dad is doing brilliantly at his new hotel. Baby labrador Fin is getting bigger and bigger and happier and happier every time I see him! Dad is almost constantly full, has had the BBC come and stay and is about to take on a starring role (extra) in a new film with Damian Lewis. I couldn't be happier for him! I am open to ideas for a 60th Birthday Bonanza next summer... anyone??
One minor inconvenience this summer was a sudden pain in my tummy whilst on expedition, which resulted in having a ruptured ovarian cyst and appendicitis! Off to hospital for 2 nights and an operation for me.... I must have taken this photo right after I woke up because I have absolutely no memory of taking it. Perhaps my morphine-full mind was in more control than the rest of me. It has meant that adventures of late have been rather more tame than normal but now, three weeks later, I am mostly back to normal (with the odd ibuprofen hit once in a while!)
One AWESOME course break was spent going to Colonsay which from Ru'a Fiola seems to be right out in the wild Atlantic but actually has a thriving and very friendly population and we went girly to the max with flowers in our hair, gallery viewing, tea shops, skinny dipping at the beach and the Titanic. Matt came with us too and very gallantly put up with our girl talk.
The latest adventure was a trip up to a bothy owned by old Ru'a Fiola friends Magnus and Helen. We have the key on loan and the bothy is in a superb place for climbing, yomping, beaches, waterfalls and good access to Torridon, Skye, the pub in Plockton and all sorts. The bothy is rather foosty but we set to with brooms and scrubbing brushes and Ali and I have all sorts of plans to come back over the winter and help with any kind of restoration that needs doing. Over the few days we were here, the Cioch Nose of Sgurr a Chaorachainn was climbed, a team walked out to Uags bothy and I scrambled right up the Allt a Mhuillin to a loch at the top for a wee skinny dip and a yomp in the rain.
Now starting the second half of our summer season and hopefully all the dramas are behind us and my tummy will heal back to normal. I am looking forward already to climbing again. Though I have rediscovered embroidery threads, wool and needles again...all good healing activities!
Wednesday, 1 May 2013
Rock Climbing Road Trip and Mum's Wedding
Ali and I had two weeks to go before going back to work on Ru'a Fiola and the logical decision was to climb aboard the Heffer (for glamorous camping at its best) and embark on a UK climbing trip. The plan was to drive from the Isle of Mull to Winchester for my Mum's wedding and back again via as much climbing as possible.
Before I even describe the climbing there, may I say hats off to the Northumbrians. The wind was strong enough to knock us over but even without it, those routes had us stumped. Bowden Doors was too exposed and Back Bowden's cliff seemed to start a metre and a half above the ground making the starts outrageously strenuous. Kyloe Out, the third crag of the day helped us regain some confidence though and we may yet return to this corner of the country. A couple of days in, we dropped in on some old uni friends of Ali's, Tom and Kate but the wind continued to blow us right off the Yorkshire crags and in the end we had to escape to the sheltered Helm Crag in the Lake District. After this the forecast was so grim that we drove straight south to Winchester for a good mum-made dinner, a much needed shower and an inside bed.
Ali on a gnarly first ascent of "Just Another E5" - a spectacularly easy bouldering "problem" at Ilkley, Yorkshire.
The wedding was perfect. Mum and Daj decided on a registry office service which could not have been nicer. I will admit there was emotion rolling down my face as they walked in with such happy smiles. My brother David and a friend Pete did two beautiful readings, the rings were exchanged and the book was signed. It all felt very special indeed. Coffee and cake was followed by a charismatic tour of Winchester Cathedral and we returned home for a luxurious cheese and biscuit lunch. Naps and flower arranging then preceded the evening's festivities - a photo shoot in the pub garden and a superb three course dinner with friends and family.
The photos are slowly being sorted and pimped up and given to Mum and Daj but here are just a couple to show the beautiful and jolly nature of the day.
Daj's one and only wonderful wedding tie
Taken by my Mum, Ali and I actually looking very smart indeed! A very uncommon occurrence and it goes without saying that my outfit was co-ordinated and acquired by Mum...
The day after the wedding, we started the second half of the climbing road trip starting at Swanage with the newly weds and old Rua Fiola friends Justin, Sara, Molly, Rupert and Rosie. Swanage is famously adventurous climbing but it turned out only to be the beginning of our epics on sea cliffs.
Ali on "The Heat" E3 5c at The Boulder Ruckle, Swanage
Our next aim was Pembroke and we did manage a successful day at Mother Carey's Kitchen. We struggled up a loose climb to start but the rest of the climbing was glorious and in the sun. The last route of the day had my feet leaving the ground with the tide just tickling them! The next morning we had a brush with the army wanting to spend the day firing at our next crag (outrageous!) so we have unfinished business at Pembroke. Then the weather took another bad turn and we had a big chunk of day in Tescos for breakfast and MacDonalds for internet. Pembroke was sadly lacking in anywhere more appealing to sit on a rainy day... Our next reunion was with Magnus, Helen, Archie and Lizzy in Brecon. More old Rua Fiola friends who were very welcoming indeed. A long drive down to the Gower peninsula only confirmed the fact that it was raining and we drove to North Wales for more incredible sea cliffs, just perched out from under the clouds. Gogarth was surprisingly welcoming on our first day, so we stayed a second for a more notoriously "gogarth" kind of route, with damp rocks, loose rocks, treacherous top outs and wild descents. Excellent.
Ali completing "The Strait Gate" E1 5b in Mother Carey's Kitchen
A slightly less than promising view from the van in North Wales
Ali following me along the harrowing final pitch of "A Dream of White Horses" in Gogarth
Just as we finished climbing. Beautiful evening!
After North Wales we drove to the Peak District to see Jago and Sarah. Jago is a professional juggler and even having heard a lot about him, I still never quite clicked on to how professional he actually is. AMAZING and easily on a par with the likes of Cirque Du Soleil. We saw his work space too, lined with row upon row of pyro-this, flame-that and fire everything. Glowing clubs, fireworks coming out of hula hoops and crazy costumes. Quite an exciting life that couple leads!
We climbed in the Peak District with Ed (our peak district tour guide), Glen, Logan, John, Sylvie, Tom and Kate, ticking off some gritstone classics and before we started running out of time on the trip, we climbed a day at Brimham Rocks (very weird rock formations but single pitch climbers paradise!) and stayed a night with Wee Ben and Mary, more Rua Fiola people, and finished off all Ben's sloe gin! Ben is rebuilding an old ruin in Yorkshire in a beautiful little valley but at the moment is fighting with all the paperwork that comes with living in a National Park... When the place is done though he will have the most beautiful home.
Rock formations at Brimham
We now have a small tour of Scotland to do, packing the van and cleaning clothes etc to get ready for going back to work at Ru'a Fiola. We are at Ali's parents now and soon to go back to Mull and then in only a few days time, our next adventure begins back at work. Bring on the island madness!
Before I even describe the climbing there, may I say hats off to the Northumbrians. The wind was strong enough to knock us over but even without it, those routes had us stumped. Bowden Doors was too exposed and Back Bowden's cliff seemed to start a metre and a half above the ground making the starts outrageously strenuous. Kyloe Out, the third crag of the day helped us regain some confidence though and we may yet return to this corner of the country. A couple of days in, we dropped in on some old uni friends of Ali's, Tom and Kate but the wind continued to blow us right off the Yorkshire crags and in the end we had to escape to the sheltered Helm Crag in the Lake District. After this the forecast was so grim that we drove straight south to Winchester for a good mum-made dinner, a much needed shower and an inside bed.
The wedding was perfect. Mum and Daj decided on a registry office service which could not have been nicer. I will admit there was emotion rolling down my face as they walked in with such happy smiles. My brother David and a friend Pete did two beautiful readings, the rings were exchanged and the book was signed. It all felt very special indeed. Coffee and cake was followed by a charismatic tour of Winchester Cathedral and we returned home for a luxurious cheese and biscuit lunch. Naps and flower arranging then preceded the evening's festivities - a photo shoot in the pub garden and a superb three course dinner with friends and family.
The photos are slowly being sorted and pimped up and given to Mum and Daj but here are just a couple to show the beautiful and jolly nature of the day.
The day after the wedding, we started the second half of the climbing road trip starting at Swanage with the newly weds and old Rua Fiola friends Justin, Sara, Molly, Rupert and Rosie. Swanage is famously adventurous climbing but it turned out only to be the beginning of our epics on sea cliffs.
Our next aim was Pembroke and we did manage a successful day at Mother Carey's Kitchen. We struggled up a loose climb to start but the rest of the climbing was glorious and in the sun. The last route of the day had my feet leaving the ground with the tide just tickling them! The next morning we had a brush with the army wanting to spend the day firing at our next crag (outrageous!) so we have unfinished business at Pembroke. Then the weather took another bad turn and we had a big chunk of day in Tescos for breakfast and MacDonalds for internet. Pembroke was sadly lacking in anywhere more appealing to sit on a rainy day... Our next reunion was with Magnus, Helen, Archie and Lizzy in Brecon. More old Rua Fiola friends who were very welcoming indeed. A long drive down to the Gower peninsula only confirmed the fact that it was raining and we drove to North Wales for more incredible sea cliffs, just perched out from under the clouds. Gogarth was surprisingly welcoming on our first day, so we stayed a second for a more notoriously "gogarth" kind of route, with damp rocks, loose rocks, treacherous top outs and wild descents. Excellent.
After North Wales we drove to the Peak District to see Jago and Sarah. Jago is a professional juggler and even having heard a lot about him, I still never quite clicked on to how professional he actually is. AMAZING and easily on a par with the likes of Cirque Du Soleil. We saw his work space too, lined with row upon row of pyro-this, flame-that and fire everything. Glowing clubs, fireworks coming out of hula hoops and crazy costumes. Quite an exciting life that couple leads!
We climbed in the Peak District with Ed (our peak district tour guide), Glen, Logan, John, Sylvie, Tom and Kate, ticking off some gritstone classics and before we started running out of time on the trip, we climbed a day at Brimham Rocks (very weird rock formations but single pitch climbers paradise!) and stayed a night with Wee Ben and Mary, more Rua Fiola people, and finished off all Ben's sloe gin! Ben is rebuilding an old ruin in Yorkshire in a beautiful little valley but at the moment is fighting with all the paperwork that comes with living in a National Park... When the place is done though he will have the most beautiful home.
We now have a small tour of Scotland to do, packing the van and cleaning clothes etc to get ready for going back to work at Ru'a Fiola. We are at Ali's parents now and soon to go back to Mull and then in only a few days time, our next adventure begins back at work. Bring on the island madness!
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