More pain and disappointment. Looking ahead.

As regular readers will know, I’m currently supposed to be walking the West Highland Way, as of yesterday.

As is becoming the norm for me, things haven’t gone to plan. About 3 miles before reaching Drymen, I started to get the now familiar twinge of pain in my hip area. The further I walked, the worse it got. When I reached the tarmac section for the last two miles walking in to Drymen, it was pretty excruciating.

In the end, I had to give in, so phoned for a lift out. I’m now writing this blog on my tablet, at home, while feeling a little bit despondent – particularly as the pain has subsided, as is normally the case with this.

Fixing the problem

I’m currently waiting on the healthcare people to call me back and confirm my appointment with the physiotherapist. Hopefully he’ll have some ideas and suggestions. However, I’ve had physiotherapy before, and while it does seem to work for a couple of months, the pain does seem to return in the long term.

As the pain only seems to occur when carrying loads or when doing sustained uphill or downhill (but the latter is also intermittent… It doesn’t always happen on a hill walk), the solution may be to lighten up further. Not that easy, without giving up on comfort while on the trail. I also don’t want to spend my whole life in the glens, and never risking going up the hills.

If there was one specific cause, it’d be easy to deal with, but it happens when wearing boots or shoes, with a variety of different packs, over short (5-6 miles) or long distances, it happens whether I’m using poles or not. It simply isn’t that easy a problem to fix.

Future options

I refuse to give up on backpacking completely. I simply won’t let that happen. I’d be lost without my escapes to the countryside… They’re probably the thing that keeps me sane. I’ve said several times to Janie that hiking and backpacking isn’t so much a want as a need for me. It helps me clear my head, get rid of any stresses, etc. Both my physical and mental health depend on it.

So what can I do?

Assuming this is going to be a problem for the foreseeable future, and that it isn’t going to be cured (you never know, it might!), there are a few options open to me.

1. Lighten up.

I could reduce the actual backpacking to overnighters, in glens, in the warmer months of the year. That way I could significantly reduce the pack weight.
As an example, let’s assume an Osprey Exos 34 pack (something I’ve been wanting to look into for overnighters. Still trying to find a place I can try one, though!), 1kg weight (size large)
Sleeping bag, 650g, mat, 397g, stove + fuel 700g, food, 400g, waterproofs, 620g, torch, 121g, first aid kit, 300g, Scarp 1, 1.5kg, approx.
That’d be a total pack weight of about 6-6.5kg (with water added)
I’m reasonably confident that I’d be able to cope with that on an overnighter. It would mean I’d still be able to enjoy some of the best walking about… Walks such as Corrour – Dalwhinnie, Fort William – Corrour, Kinlochleven – Corrour, the Minigaig pass, etc will all still be options for me.

2. Have a base camp

I’ve just obtained a new 5 man tent, which I can stand up in, for campsite camping. I could use this as a base, and just go for day hikes from there. There are several campsites in the UK which will give me local access to hills, whilst maintaining a base. It also means that if I do suffer pain, it’ll be easier, and more comfortable to have days off and arrange other plans while I recover.

3. Day hikes

Clearly, this is linked to the base camp idea, but also, standalone day hikes will still get me out and about and into the countryside, without having to be as heavily burdened

4. Hostels, Bunkhouses & B&Bs

A lot of walks (admittedly, not in the most remote areas) can be planned so that stopping points can be at hostels or the like. By doing this, I’d be able to do multi day hikes, without excessive weight, as no need to carry tent, stove, etc. The obvious drawback to this, as a plan, is the expense. It’s definitely not going to be a cheap way to travel!

5. Courier services

This is something I considered switching to yesterday, but didn’t have any sort of day pack with me. Basically, a lot of the more commercial and popular hiking trails offer baggage transfer options, where they’ll courier your gear to your next stopping point. This would mean the West Highland Way, Great Glen Way, Cateran Trail and the like would still be options… And it would work out cheaper than the hostel/bunkhouse route, too.

As you’ve probably guessed by now, I’ve done a fair amount of thinking since I got home yesterday. Yes, I’m still pissed that I’m at home, but I know that this thing isn’t going to get the best of me. It’s not going to stop me getting out on the hills or out on long distance trails. There are options available to me. Yes, in some cases, they are more expensive, and as a poor guy, that makes the opportunities to partake of them more limited, but that just means they’ll be more of an event when I do them!

West Highland Way gear list

After reading lots of different gear lists for those people who are currently embarking on the TGO Challenge, I figured I would produce a comparable list for my trip along the West Highland Way.

I’ll be walking the 97 mile route over 7 days, and carrying almost everything I need, including food, for the whole journey.

The reason for this is simple. I’m poor. I find I’ve a lot less money than I had originally anticipated by this point. My original plan was to carry food to cover me until Tyndrum, then stock up there, but to predominantly eat at restaurants along the route. As it now stands, I’ll be eating at restaurants twice, and eating my own food the rest of the time.

So, here’s a list of what I’m carrying, and, as is normal for these things these days, how much it weighs.

Food

My plan is to have a meal at the end of day two, at Rowardennan, breakfast on day 3 at Rowardennan and meal on day 5 at Kingshouse Hotel. All other breakfasts and meals will be carried. Snacks to eat during the day will be purchased as I go (with the exception of the first two days, which I’ve packed)

I have 5 x Oatso Simple Big Bowl porridge, coupled with 5 x Tesco Cereal Toppers for breakfasts.

For main meals, I have 1 Adventure Food Pasta & Ham, which I had in the cupboard, 1 home made tuna & sweetcorn pasta and 2 x super noodles (with added dehydrated vegetables and 2 cut up pepperami minis each)

For dessert, I have 2 x banana & custard (which is simply dehydrated banana, custard powder, sugar and powdered milk) and 2 x dehydrated cake (a new thing for me… Apparently, with hot water added, it tastes just like fresh, warm cake)

I’ve also 4 sachets of hot chocolate for the cold evenings (which seem likely as the forecast is showing!)

As I mentioned earlier, I’ve got lunch and snacks for the first two days included, in the form of 6 x snacking cheese from Tesco, a pack of cheese oatcakes, a Double Decker, a mint Kit Kat chunky and a Nature Valley peanut bar. That should easily see me through to the village store in Balmaha, when I’ll pick up snacks for the following day.

The total weight for it all, once placed in an 8l Alpkit Airloc bag – 1.955Kg

Cooking & Eating Equipment

With all that food, I’m gonna need to cook it and eat it somehow!

I have the following with me for that purpose:

1 Alpkit MyTiPot
1 Steel Clikstand with Titanium windshield
1 MSR Pot gripper
1 Alpkit Titanium folding spork
1 Trangia burner (pre-filled with fuel)
1 Gerber Powerframe knife
1 Light My Fire Fire steel
1 refillable lighter
1 Light My Fire spice box, with salt, pepper & cinnamon
1 steel mug.

All of the components, with the exception of the mug, fit inside the MyTiPot. I plan on replacing the mug with a titanium equivalent in the near future.

The total weight comes in at 819g, of which 155g is the mug… A titanium one will shave at least 100g off that!

Clothing

I’m trying not to overdo the clothing, but I know I’ve got a little more than I need to get by. Unlike those on the TGO challenge, with the exception of 2 nights, I’ll have access to showers and the like, so a certain element of fresh clothing isn’t going to go amiss.

We have:

2 x Finisterre Zephyr Boxer shorts
1 x Bridgedale Endurance Trekker socks
4 x Bridgedale Coolmax Liner Socks
1 x Rab MeCo 120 short sleeved top (wishful thinking that it’ll be warm enough to wear it!)
1 x Berghaus X-Static top, for evening/sleep wear
1 x Gore Mythos SO running tights, for sleeping in, and slight insulation on cold nights.

Total weight, in a 4l Alpkit Airloc bag is 1.097kg

Insulation

I suspect it’ll get cold while I’m out there, and if it drops below zero, I’m definitely going to need extra warmth in my sleeping bag. For this, I’ve got the following:

1 x Rab Microlight Down Jacket
1 x pair Smartwool training gloves (much warmer than they look!)
1 x Buff Hood (the jacket doesn’t come with it’s own hood, and the buff hood really works at blocking wind and providing warmth!)

Total weight, in a Sea to Summit eVent compression sack (size xs), 674g

Waterproofs

Pretty much the standard waterproofs here, and judging by the forecast, they’ll probably be on my back more than in the pack!

1 x Mountain Equipment Supercell Jacket
1 x Berghaus Paclite Pants

Combined weight of 624g (not bad for an XXL jacket and XL trousers!)

Sleep System

This one is quite simple… Just a sleeping bag and an air mat.
I have the following:

1 x Mammut Sphere Spring sleeping bag (650g, rated to 0°c)
1 x Hyalite/POE Peak Elite Air May (397g)

The tent

That’ll be the Scarp 1, then. It’s always going to be my choice of tent for every solo trip. It is without a doubt, the best tent out there for tall folks.

I’m going to take the crossing poles with me, too, as at least one forecast has suggested snowfall when I’m in Tyndrum or at Kingshouse.

Total weight: 1.875kg (including spare pegs)

Gadgets and miscellaneous

No trip is the same these days without lines of communication and some form of entertainment to while away the hours in the tent.

Kindle Paper white, in Aquapac case – 269g
Alpkit Glowy torch/lantern (a genius piece of kit, more in another blog post!) – 121g
Samsung NX1000 Camera, with 20mm pancake lens in Case logic case – 537g
MSR fuel bottle, with fuel (as I’d forgotten to put it in other categories!) – 658g
Samsung Galaxy S3, in OtterBox Defender case & Aquapac case, with 2 spare batteries – 300g

Let’s not forget…

First Aid Kit/Toiletries

As I’ll have access to showering facilities most days, I’ll be making use of them! As such, I’ve got more toiletries with me than I’d take for an overnighter or a wild camping trip.

I have:

Medicines/first aid

1 pack Co-codamol (prescribed to me… Much better than paracetamol!)
1 pack Ibuprofen
1 pack Immodium Instants
1 pack Compeed blister plasters
1 pack waterproof plasters
2 sterile dressings
2 small bandages
1 tube Gehwol Extra foot cream
2 tick removal tools (different sizes)
1 styptic pencil
1 SPF15 sun lotion (I know, I know, I could safely leave it behind!)

Toiletries

1 Lifeventure Trek Towel, large
1 Colgate travel toothbrush
1 Colgate travel toothpaste
1 Dove deodorant spray
1 Dove Shower Gel

All fitting quite nicely into a 2l Alpkit Airloc, weight: 578g

Rucksack

I’ll be taking the Lowe Alpine Nanon 50:60 pack with me, weighing in at 1.4kg.

So, the total weight on my back adds up to…. 10.555kg.
Take off the food and fuel, and you get a base weight of 7.942kg. I’m actually quite happy with that… Particularly as it includes extras I wouldn’t take when properly wild camping (shower gel, deodorant, towel, so many extra socks, etc)

I’ve not weighed my worn items, but here they are, anyway:

Finisterre Zephyr Boxer Shorts
Bridgedale Coolmax Liner Socks
Bridgedale Endurance Trekker socks
Haglöfs Mid Flex Pant
Rab MeCo 120 Long-sleeved top
Montane Litespeed Jacket
Mammut Brecon GTX boots
Outdoor Research swift cap
Swiss Eye Slide Sunglasses (plus lenses… Both orange and smoke coming with)
Black Diamond Contour Elliptic Shock trekking poles

So, there you have it. For all those who thought the gear porn had ended when everyone set off on the TGO Challenge this morning, here’s a wee bit more for you!
I think this is the first time I’ve actually gone to the effort of breaking down my weights since in first attempted the West Highland Way 2 years ago. At that time, my pack weighed in at over 18kg, and in terms of the number of items carried, it wasn’t much different from what is above. The real difference comes in the weight of the items. My sleeping bag, for example, is 1kg lighter than the one I used then, my rucksack is more than 1kg lighter. The tent is about 1kg lighter, and so on. In contrast, though, all of my new items (with the exception of the rucksack, actually), were significantly more expensive than their originals.

I certainly wouldn’t recommend people spend the money required for the gear above on their first outing (I’m conscious that people will find this post when hunting for gear and weight info for the west highland way) on any major walk. There are much cheaper options out there!

Pain Update

I spoke to the doctor a couple of weeks ago about the intermittent leg pain.

The net result – he didn’t know what it was.

After a quick examination, he concluded that it was unlikely to be a problem with my hip joint, as I had a full range of motion and nothing was coming out or grinding.

He initially thought it could be muscular, but when I advised that a 5 minute sit down seems to temporarily resolve the problem, he changed his mind.

It could, however be a nerve based issue, but again, he’s not sure.

I’ve been referred to a physiotherapist for help. The doctor did advise that if the physio was unable to pinpoint or resolve the issue, he’d be at a bit of a loss as to what to suggest. His suggestion at that stage would be a specialist sports physio, which isn’t available on the NHS, apparently.

The downsides of an intermittent issue, I guess. I suspect it’d be much easier to pinpoint when it’s actually happening. I can’t see me persuading my doctor to come on the hill with me, in the hope that I can get it to happen again!

On the plus side, as I work for Sky, we have private healthcare available to us, and access to our own on-site physiotherapist. I’ve booked myself in for a session with him when I get back from the West Highland Way. I’ve also got an annual health check through Sky the week after the walk, too.

Since the problem happened on Auchnafree Hill, I’ve not done as much walking as I would have liked. The next weekend, I did a walk up Glen Tilt, just as far as Marble Lodge (from the Old Bridge of Tilt car park) and back. Yes, it was a 10 mile walk, but it wasn’t particularly demanding. Not surprisingly, I didn’t really have much problems then. I had the odd twinge, but nothing to get too worried about.

After that, I guess there was a couple of short walks up Aviemore way, in Abernethy Forest and up at Rothiemurchus, but again, no problems (the longest of these was 5 miles).

Now I’m preparing for the West Highland Way, starting this Saturday, and I’ve had little to no hill time in the past few weeks. I’m feeling more than a little unfit right now. I had hoped to get a couple of proper hikes in over the past weekend, but a bad case of athlete’s foot, of all things, put paid to that idea.

I’ve done the way before, so I’m confident I can do it, although last time I was using a courier company – this time I’m carrying all my gear (as I did the first time, which was the very first time I had the leg pain – which is always at the back of my mind!).

I’ll likely provide another update with what gear I’ll be carrying. As I’m pretty darn poor right now, I’m going to be carrying much more food than I’d intended (I was planning on using restaurants and other convenient options along the way)

 

Pain on Auchnafree Hill

“Should be two relatively easy days” said Nick, via Twitter.

The simple fact that I’m writing this at 5am, when I’m supposed to be asleep in my tent at the start of day two should be an indication that things haven’t quite gone to plan.

That plan really was simple. I’d start at the car park by Loch Turret on Thursday, climb Auchnafree hill and drop down into Glen Almond, where I’d camp overnight. On Friday, I’d climb back out of the glen and up Ben Chonzie, then back to the car. On both days, taking in some minor tops along the way.

I had even changed the plan since talking with Nick, to make it even easier. I was now going to do a circular walk to Auchnafree hill on day 1, and another to Ben Chonzie on day 2, so that I didn’t need to drop down to Glen Almond, but more importantly, didn’t need to carry all the camping gear all day. I was a little worried about my general levels of fitness to carry the gear in deep snow.

I knew there would be a fair amount of snow, so I would bring the snowshoes along, to make life that little bit easier.

Things started just fine. I arrived at the car park just after 10am, threw on the boots and gaiters and off I went. Things carried on fine for a couple of hours, trudging through the snow (the snowshoes were a major blessing along the way!) Until a point just before the big cairn on Choinneachain Hill.

I was hit by a sudden pain to my upper right thigh and groin, that was building in intensity. I needed to sit down!

After sitting down for 5 minutes, everything seemed fine, but after 20 minutes or so of walking, the pain started to come back again. It varied in intensity, but it was a constant companion on the way back to the car. Sometimes it felt like a dull throb in my upper thigh, whilst sometimes it felt like my hip was about to pop out of its socket, which was quite excruciating!

You’ll have noted by now that I’d started the return trip pretty much as soon as it happened, even though it felt better.

Sadly, this isn’t the first time it has happened, so I knew what was coming. This is what did it for me when I first attempted the West Highland Way 2 years ago, and it was this that caused me so much bother when Janie and I walked the Mell Circuit the same year (interestingly, we’d been talking about the problem and her concerns about me doing long days in case it came back just a few days ago!).

I know the problem isn’t muscular. If it was, sitting down wouldn’t alleviate it that quickly, and I’d still be in a fair amount of pain just now… That means it’s either a nerve or joint problem. I’m not even 35, so I’d like to think there’s nothing wrong with my hip… I don’t know, though, so another trip to the doctor and physio is on the cards, I reckon.

In saying all that, what I did manage of the walk on the hills, I enjoyed, so it didn’t completely get the best of me! Below are some photos taken yesterday, highlighting just how stunning it is up there!

Loch Turret and Carn Chois, taken on the return trip

Looking back the way I'd come

The way ahead

Looking down towards Crieff, with the Ochil hills in the distance

The Blue Craigs, looking stunning

Loch Turret, at the end of the walk

The walk wasn’t a total bust in other areas, either. From a wildlife perspective, I got my Mountain Hare fix (these hills are one of the best areas in the UK to see them), as well as getting to see Red Kite soaring above. Stunning!

I also got to test a few new bits of kit, to see how they went, and everything seems fine so far. My new boots, in particular, were exceptionally comfortable.

This was also my second outing with snowshoes, and much as I have to admit that they’re still hard work, they definitely do make a difference when compared to trudging through the snow just in boots!

Here’s hoping I can get this all sorted in the next few weeks! I’m supposed to be walking the West Highland Way from the 11th May!

Ternua Four Winds Jacket – first look

I’ve been looking to replace my softshell jacket for a little while now, as my Mountain Equipment G2 Alpine jacket just wasn’t cutting it (pilling and bobbling from pack wear after only a couple of days, and black – I’m not a fan of black on the hills!), so when Sport Pursuit offered a flash sale of Ternua gear, it piqued my interest!

Ternua, as a brand, is not one I’d heard of before, but the jacket I was interested in was using known fabrics (in this case, Gore’s Windstopper Soft Shell fabric) which I knew and trusted, so I figured I would investigate further.

After a few fruitless searches (as they’re a Spanish company, and not generally distributed in the UK, information in English was sparse), I eventually found this post on Scottish Mountaineer, regarding a couple of their other products. Michael suggested that the build quality of the products were of a high quality, so although he’d not reviewed the specific jacket I was looking at, I decided to give it a punt – after all, it was still a Windstopper Soft Shell jacket, for less than £100. You just can’t argue that!

As is always the way with Sport Pursuit, I had to wait about a month before the jacket arrived (due to the way they do business – they only offer items for sale for a week, and don’t order from the manufacturers until the sale has ended. They clearly don’t ship to customers until they receive it!), which happened a few weeks ago.

OK, to get this bit out of the way… I know some people are not fans of Soft Shell, and prefer fleece, and I know a lot of people don’t like Windstopper, as they don’t find it good for the Scottish climate. (better for cold & dry, as opposed to cold & wet, they say). I quite like only needing one layer (besides the baselayer!) and as I tend to be a fair weather hiker in the colder months, the other complaints about Windstopper don’t really apply. Now, on to the jacket itself.

Here’s the blurb from the Ternua website: Gore-tex® Windstopper® Soft Shell technical jacket with hood, three zipped pockets, armpit ventilation, toggle adjustable bottoms and Velcro adjustable cuffs. Comfortable windstopping, transpirable, waterproof that stays comfortable and offers the necessary freedom of movements to maximise performance while you carry out different activities in all types of climates. Very useful, ideal for trekking, hiking, classic climbing, ice climbing and mountain ski.

The interesting part from that is the bit where it mentions armpit ventilation. I had automatically assumed that would mean either pit zips or a different fabric mix under the arms. That isn’t the case for this jacket. In the photographs on the website, I saw the little hexagon shapes on either side of the torso. I’d assumed those were purely aesthetic. It turns out they’re not. They’re actually cutaways from the main fabric. I can only assume that these are the advertised ventilation. I have to admit, the jacket does seem to breath a little better than the Mountain Equipment one (with the core venting zips closed), but I’ll definitely need to give it more time to see how well these work in the long term, and more importantly, how resistant they are to the elements – I have a couple of concerns about having vents that can’t be closed, but we’ll see how it goes.

I’ve worn the jacket a few times now, and I can confirm that the face fabric is definitely harder wearing than that of my old jacket. That’s a big plus for me, and I’m definitely more confident about using it.

So far, it’s been plenty warm enough when I’m walking, though definitely not warm enough for any prolonged stops, but that’s what down jackets are for. Another big plus.

I have to admit, I love the colours of it. Another plus

So far, nothing but plus sides, and one thing I’m not sure about.

There is, however, one negative about the jacket. The hood. There simply isn’t enough material for forward and back head motion. If you look down (which you’re gonna do!), don’t expect the hood to stay in place. It’s fine when looking side to side, and does a good job, but there’s not enough fabric at the rear of the hood to cope with any forward motion. For me, that’s really not a deal breaker. I tend to wear a hat on the hills, so will probably not be using the hood, anyway. If the weather turns bad, I’ll have thrown my waterproof jacket on, and that’ll be the hood of choice, anyway.

I guess we’ll see how it goes. I definitely prefer it to my Mountain Equipment soft shell, as it feels much harder wearing and more breathable. If the current cold spell continues, I suspect I’ll be wearing it more than I’d originally planned over the next few weeks (I’d expected to retire it to the wardrobe when daytime temps got to double figures!)

More of a challenge than expected

The plan was simple.

We’d spend Thursday travelling from Fife to Fort William by train, with a short walk to the Glen Nevis Youth Hostel. Friday, we’d walk from Fort William to Staoineag bothy. Saturday, we’d walk to Culra bothy and finally, on Sunday, we’d walk out to Dalwhinnie.

Things don’t always go as planned, though.

The plan for Thursday went perfectly. My friend Bill and I boarded the train at Inverkeithing at 10:39am, and 2 changes later, we arrived at Fort William a little after 4:10pm. A wee trip to the shops (I just can’t help myself!) later, to collect a couple of bits that Bill had forgot to pack, and then we were off to the youth hostel. We arrived before 6pm. Job done. A nice, uneventful day (though long and boring, in the whole!).

Friday dawned and the alarm went off as planned. Down we went to the canteen for a cooked breakfast, to see us on our way. Duly eaten, off we went.

The forecast was for a little fog first thing in the morning, to clear and leave a generally cloudy day, with sunny intervals. The forecast was wrong. There was barely a cloud in the sky, and watching the sun come up on the distant peaks as we walked was really amazing.

The walk along Glen Nevis was relatively uneventful, with the minor interruption of a small herd of highland cows. This actually worked to our favour, to a certain extent, as they kept the cars at bay, so we could walk a fair bit without being forced from the road!

All around us, as we walked, the views were spectacular.

The road ended, and then the walk really began. We quickly passed through Nevis Gorge and Steall Falls, and then into the open glen. The views were spectacular, with views of The Ben from angles I’d never seen before, and some generally stunning views. Bill kept saying that he felt like he was in a scene from Lord of the Rings or the like.

As the day progressed, the walking got more and more difficult. With the clear sunshine and warmth, the valley was getting rather warm. It wasn’t long before I was stripped down to a baselayer (and the Tuff pants were getting decidedly warm!). The drawback of this was that any hint of a frost on the ground had disappeared. The walking got more and more difficult, as it got more and more boggy, and each mile felt like a struggle.

Between my poor footwear choices (this really wasn’t the path for shoes, as opposed to boots) and Bill’s load (he hasn’t quite embraced the lightweight revolution, so he was more than a little overburdened!), it was proving quite a challenge.

At the same time, even though Bill was struggling with his pack weight and I was less than impressed with my soaking feet, we were still surrounded by some truly amazing views!

Eventually, we passed the Meannanach bothy, which told us we were close to our destination. A quick look back highlighted just how amazing the views had been!

We arrived at the bothy at about 5:30, both feeling a little the worse for wear. We’d originally planned to sleep in the tents outside, but decided a bothy night would be best. I suspect we were both in bed at about 8:30pm, knackered!

Saturday dawned, and I have to admit to feeling quite a bit refreshed. A fresh pair of socks on dry feet was all that I really needed. We’d tried to help Bill reduce his pack weight by getting rid of some of the excess that he’d packed (yes, he’d packed 2 400g tins of stewed steak amongst other unnecessary items!), so things should have been a bit easier for him, too.

The day wasn’t anywhere near as stunning as the Friday had been, but as it was quite a bit cooler, it was a lot more comfortable for walking in. The path initially carries on next to the river for a mile or so, with the same issues that we’d had the day before (it was boggy, having to jump channels, clamber over rocks, etc), but eventually came to a simple track, next to Loch Treig.

From here, the walking massively improved for a few miles. Sometimes you forget how easy it is to walk on a landrover track. The views back down to Loch Treig were quite impressive, too, with the occasional break in the cloud.

As this section of walking was predominantly uphill, it was at this stage that Bill decided he’d had enough and was giving up once we reached Corrour station. I don’t believe in trying to pressure people to carry on, so I was happy to go along with this.

The last couple of miles to the station were back to boggy quagmire, and yet again, my feet got soaked and ruined, so I have to admit, I was happy to end the walk. Had I carried on, I doubt my feet would be particularly pleasant by the end of the day! Besides, the section from Corrour through to Dalwhinnie I’d walked last year, so I wasn’t going to be missing anything I hadn’t done before.

All in all, this was one of the best walks I’ve been on, in terms of scenery, but one of the worst, in terms of conditions underfoot. I think both Bill and I came out of that having learnt things. In Bill’s case, I suspect the load will be getting lighter in the near future. In my case, I think I’ll be relegating my trail shoes to day hikes, where wet feet aren’t nearly as much of an issue. I’m now on the lookout for a decent pair of leather boots (I don’t like fabric boots. Yes, they tend to be lighter, but they simply don’t have the longevity of a decent leather boot) for backpacking.

I also realised that I was being maybe a little over enthusiastic with my camera gear. I took my tripod and all 3 lenses with me, though all bar 3 of the photos taken were using the 20mm pancake lens, and the tripod was only used a handful of times. I think in future, I’ll just get a smaller case and bring only the basic camera and pancake lens, leaving the kit lens, zoom lens and tripod behind (and saving me almost 2kg in the process!)

Am I disappointed that things didn’t go to plan?

A little.

I’m glad we went, though, and even though it was more challenging than I expected, it was definitely a worthwhile walk, which I’d be more than willing to do again!

Haglöfs Tuff Pants – an update.

When I first looked at these trousers on the blog, I hadn’t really had much chance to use them, as it was just a bit mild out. However, over the past couple of months, I’ve had plenty of chance to put them through their paces.

I’ve been hiking in Glenshee, Glen Nevis, Glen Banvie, Glen Lui and Glen Tilt in them, as well as visiting Ben Vrackie, Auchnafree Hill and Coire Ardiar, in Creag Meagaidh, and this has given me a good indication of what they’re capable of.

The overall result is that I love them! They’ve been my go to trousers for the past 3 months, and will probably remain my go to pant for the next month or so, too.

My initial thoughts about them potentially being too warm in anything but winter conditions are probably quite accurate. I suspect once daytime temperatures stay in double figures in the glens, they’ll be retired until next winter.
In saying that, I’ve been out in them at temperatures of -5º, with some pretty serious windchill, and I’ve been kept really comfy in them, with nothing but boxer shorts on underneath. That’s a testament to how great the Flexable Pro fabric is at blocking the wind, and providing that little bit of insulation.

On the few occasions when I have felt a little warm in them, unzipping the pockets has helped provide that little bit of ventilation, which has been more than enough to cool me down again.

There are stretch panels at the back of the knees, the crotch and at the rear, near the top. With these, and the brilliant cut of the trousers, I get complete freedom of movement. They’re not the lightest trousers in the world, but when worn, you barely notice they’re there.

The only real drawbacks I can mention are relating to the belt, and those who have Haglöfs trousers will probably be familiar with the first of these.

When you put the trousers in the wash, the belt has a habit of slipping through the pre-formed loops, and can be a real pain to get out again. I’ve found that if you keep the belt clasped shut, it does reduce this happening, but it sadly doesn’t eliminate it completely.

The other issue I have is also related to the belt. It loosens itself over time. I’m pleased to say that all of the walking above has caused me to lose a tiny wee bit of weight since 2013 began, so I’m finding that I actually use the belt, but as the average day in the outdoors progresses, it loosens off a little. It only takes a few seconds to hitch the trousers up and tighten it again, but it is still a minor irritant.

After a few months or regular use, the trousers still look like new, and I’m hoping they’ll last for several years to come. I think if I was to get another pair of haglöfs trousers, I might go down to a regular leg length, as the long leg is a tiny bit long, even for me!

The Tuff Pants in action, this morning on Ben Chonzie

Fife Coastal Path – Dalgety Bay to Kirkcaldy

OK, I have to admit to being a bit of a fair weather hiker, at least where the hills are concerned. In the past, I’d decided to simply cancel plans if the weather was looking particularly nasty.

This year, I’ve decided that I won’t do that. If the weather is worse than I’d like, I’ll change the plans slightly and do something closer to home, and at low level. It’s a much better option than giving up on a day in the outdoors, that’s for sure!

To that end, a couple of weeks ago, when the worst of the wintry weather had hit, I decided to do a walk from my own front door. I have a small advantage, in that one of Scotland’s long distance walks is right on my doorstep. The Fife Coastal Path.

Basically, the route covers the entire coastline of Fife and is 117 miles long. I did a little 15 mile section 2 weeks ago.

We’ll start off from St David’s Harbour, which is the first place on the coastal path, as you arrive at Dalgety Bay (as the walk from my house to here ain’t very exciting!). It conveniently has a nice car park, and if anyone is planning on doing this walk for themselves, is also within 15-20 min walk from Dalgety Bay rail halt. The coastal path is signposted here, as it is at most stopping points along the way.

You also get a great view of one of Scotland’s greatest landmarks (yes, I’m biased! Shoot me!), the Forth Bridge… A true engineering wonder!

The path is quite clear, and as it passes through Dalgety Bay is a mix of trail and tarmac, but mostly trail. There are a few points along the way with some nice views, such as Seal Point, shown below (I’ve never seen a seal anywhere near it, so why it’s called that, I’ve no idea!)

It doesn’t take long before you come to Dalgety Bay itself, which is fenced off, with some lovely warning signs…

Yes, folks, I live in a town which has radioactive waste on the beach!

You know what, though? I’ve lived here for more than 20 years, and there’s nothing wrong with me! My dad and I used to dig bait here, and never had any issues eating the fish caught with it… The whole thing has been blown way out of proportion, as is always the case in this H&S era.

Just on the edge of Dalgety Bay, you reach St Bridget’s Kirk, a medieval church, which is maintained by Historic Scotland.

Once past here, you walk up a small minor road, then join the path towards Aberdour.

This is quite a pleasant stretch of path, through reasonably open countryside and woodland

After a mile or two, you arrive at Aberdour itself, and are immediately faced with the Woodside Hotel… The hotel more or less burnt down a few years ago, and they’ve done an amazing job in restoring it.

The route now goes through the town itself, and down to the Black Sands beach, one of several seaside award beaches along the coastal path.

The part then goes round, past the harbour and then up and along to a point

The path then goes round to Silver Sands beach, yet another one winning a seaside award.

And with that, you’ve effectively left Aberdour. You’re now on the path to Burntisland. This section of the route is also quite pleasant, staying close to the shore throughout, though with a railway line as a constant companion.

Eventually, you arrive at Burntisland.

For me, this is where the walk went through it’s least pleasant phase. Upon arrival into Burntisland, the way markers for the coastal path have had their direction arrows scrubbed out, but no alternatives in their place, so it’s a bit of guess work to find the right route through the town.
Luckily, it’s not rocket science… As long as you aim for the coast, you can’t really go wrong!
Burntisland has yet another award winning beach (yes, it seems everywhere in Fife, apart from Dalgety Bay is clean!)

Sadly, once past the beach, my least favourite section of the whole walk appeared. Up until now, the sections between towns have been the most pleasant parts of the walk, but not so the section between Burntisland and Kinghorn!
It’s awful tarmac, all the way, on a path right beside a main road! Decidedly unpleasant, though fortunately, relatively short at about a mile.

Once in Kinghorn, the path leads you down to yet another beach, though I’m not sure if this one has any awards…

The lifeboat crew from the RNLI were out, doing some exercises with the coastguard helicopter, so I stopped for a couple of minutes to watch them in action.

Then, it was a case of carrying on before the hail/snow got too much for me to bear!

The section between Kinghorn is actually my favourite part of the whole walk. It’s probably the longest uninhabited section of the whole walk and has some of the most interesting terrain. There’s a couple of wee bits of uphill and downhill here, as well as a few muddy sections, all of which work to get the blood flowing and make it that wee bit more entertaining!
There was also more rugged terrain and slightly more interesting things to see.

Eventually, it had to end, though, and Kirkcaldy quickly appears, as does the end of my walk

I think the idea of doing the simple, local walks when the weather is slightly less pleasant is a good one. If this year is even slightly like last year, I suspect I’ll have the complete coastal path walked before the end of the year. In a way, I’d really like to, too! There are other parts I’ve already walked, and I’m sure there will be plenty more to come… I think next time I’ll walk in the other direction from home and see where I end up (I’d probably aim for Limekilns)

This walk in itself isn’t a bad walk. There’s enough there to keep the interest for most of the walk… The only exception is the section between Burntisland and Kinghorn, but in honesty, I’m not sure there’s a way round it…
It’s definitely a good way to kill 5 hours of a day, though, and it at least prevents the day becoming a waste. With a train station at either end, it’s quite good, too.

Coire Ardair, Creag Meagaidh

I’m currently spending a bit of time on a wee outdoors adventure of sorts. I’ve had a long weekend booked off work for quite some time, but had never really gotten around to booking anything in for it. Then, at the start of December, I got an email from the Scottish Youth Hostel Association (SYHA), advising that any stays booked for January which were made before the end of December, would get a 30% discount. That, coupled with a new camera and a desire to get out and about to use it, sealed the deal! A 4 day trip, with 3 nights at different youth hostels was planned!

Coire Ardair

When planning my trip, I wanted places that would be scenic, hopefully provide good photo opportunities, not too long, but included some walks that I hadn’t done before.

After some searching on the Walk Highlands website, I found the walk for Coire Ardair, in the Creag Meagaidh National Nature Reserve… With an estimated walk time of 3.5 – 4.5 hours, it was about right for the first day.

I got up early, and made the 2 hour drive to the start point. Having never been here, I had no idea what to expect. I was surprised to find almost a dozen cars in the car park… Clearly this place is popular, as most people will have returned to work today! (Though I only actually met one group returning as I was walking!)

Immediately upon entering the path, you enter into woodland. The amount of lichen on the trees was quite astounding! (This is actually a good sign… Most of the lichens on these trees only grow where there is good air quality!)

The standard visitor path leads up a fair bit, then eventually comes to a viewpoint overlooking Loch Laggan below, and the surrounding mountains.

It is at this point that the (very clearly signposted) path breaks off for Coire Ardair.

The walk is relatively steady uphill, but not too steep. Initially, it progresses through Birch woodland, with the occasional gap to view the way ahead.

The further you go, the more you can see of your destination, and it gets to the point where you can barely keep your eyes on the path… You just want to see what is round that corner!

At this point, I got to witness my first Golden Eagle of the year! Result!
Annoyingly, while I was frantically struggling to switch to the 50-200mm lens, it flew directly overhead, really close! I did eventually get the lens on, but the eagle was much further away by then… Still, at full screen, you should be able to tell what it is!

A little bit more walking and the destination is beginning to show

A little further on, and yet more can be seen. Nearing the end now!

And there it is, the Lochan within Coire Ardair!

After a brief stop for a snack, I quickly turned around and made the return trip.

I have to admit, this walk has really rekindled my love of the Scottish countryside, and just goes to highlight the hidden gems that can only be found if you put one foot in front of the other. All in, the walk took me pretty much 4 hours exactly, which isn’t too bad… Particularly when you consider how many times I stopped to take photos, etc!

It left me on a bit of a high… Now, can the other days achieve the same?!

I’m currently writing this in the Glen Nevis youth hostel, having transferred the files wirelessly from the camera to my tablet. Now I just need to pop along to use the free Wi-Fi at McDonalds, to upload it for the world to see!

A couple of short trips within Glen Nevis tomorrow… Hopefully they’ll be just as interesting!

Looking ahead to 2013

Well, 2012 was a bit of a disaster for me, in terms of the amount I achieved, but there’s little point lamenting about it. Needless to say, I made quite a few promises and plans, both personally, and on this blog, and I think I succeeded in, well, none of them, really. In part, that was due to the horrible weather we had in 2012, but there was also a lack of motivation on my part in some cases, too.

Looking to 2013, though, I’m determined that it won’t happen again. I’m going to try and exert my independence a little and escape into the wilds much more often.

Do I still want to get into running? Yes, but only for fitness purposes, rather than for any specific goal. I found that I quite enjoy it, but as soon as it got frosty outside, I was more than a little reluctant to get out on the streets (understandably, I’d like to think!) I plan on taking that back up again once the worst of the winter is past, probably in mid to late march. In the meantime, I’m willing to let the cardiovascular fitness slide a little (but not too much!)

So, do I have any big plans for 2013?

Well, yes and no. I plan on walking the West Highland Way again in May (starting Saturday May 11^th). I’ve walked the West highland Way before, with Janie, but when we did that, we used the courier service to transport our baggage. This time, I plan on carrying my own gear and doing it properly. I’m hoping that by doing a decent length walk like this at the start of the main walking and backpacking season, I’ll be fit enough to carry out a good few backpacking trips (I’m thinking a 3 day trip every month, from May – October and day trips most weekends in between) during the rest of the year.

I bought myself a couple of books before Christmas, from the Cicerone Backpacking Britain range, which has several backpacking trips from anywhere from 2 days to a week. I’m hoping to tick a few of them off before winter kicks in next year. I have to admit, when I got them, I was a bit daunted, as a lot of the trips involved taking in the summits, when I’m used to walking the glens. That’s why I’m hoping a week of solid walking on the West highland Way, coupled with several day trips (and the occasional overnighter) in the hills will make me fit enough to carry a few of them out.

As my last post points out – I’ve also got a new camera, and I’m moving on a bit from the point and shoot cameras I’ve been used to. I’ve just ordered a carbon fibre tripod (with head, just over 1kg, so light enough to carry for most backpacking trips), and I plan on focusing quite a bit more over the coming year on the photographs I take. It should mean that the quality of the images I take will markedly improve (I already think that’s the case, just from the photos in the previous post!) It also means that I’ll occasionally pick shorter walks, but with a photographic interest, as much as a walking one.

A good example of this is next weekend, where I plan on going out for 4 consecutive days (staying in different youth hostels each day), with a view to taking photos of some of the stunning mountain scenery we have in Scotland. The objective isn’t for the big, long walks, but rather, good photo opportunities.

Janie and I have been talking, and we’ve agreed that we’re going to be putting a bit more focus into Cullaloe, the nature reserve that we manage in 2013. This means that as well as getting out into the hills, I’ll also be doing more to encourage others to get involved in the reserve and to take an interest in the wildlife that can be found in their local environment. Pond dipping, moth trapping, bug and bat hunting will all feature, I suspect, along with the usual butterfly surveys which I carry out each year.

Basically, I plan on spending as much time in the outdoors as I possible can in 2013, whether that’s backpacking, hill walking, taking photographs of the local scenery or working at Cullaloe. And I can’t think of anything I’d rather be doing!