I was contemplating Schiehallion to clear the head, but the cloud was lying on top of it !

PTC said he was heading for the Tarmachans for an overnighter, I had no kit with me so I said I would come up with him and run back off the hill in the dark.

We grouped at the new car park as the Lawyers visitor centre was has been obliterated just like the visitors centre.

The cloud base was less than inspiring as we trudged up the hill under gazes of grumpy walkers returning off the hill to their cars.

The cloud teased by breaking on occasions and letting little patches of sunshine and blue skies show.

Light was going fast as we reached just below 900m, the air was cold and we were right on the line of cloud, the ground frozen solid.

Ptc pitched his tent as I melted snow on the Jetboil for a brew.

Whilst waiting for a brew I used the last of the light to explore an avalanche that was further down the hill, The Tarmachans in my experience are very avalanche prone for some reason.

Coffee was not the usual sachet affair but a rather fancy bag from Growers Cup, I had tasted this at Escape Route before Christmas and its tasty to say the least !

As I sheltered in the porch of the comp we discussed various things including the lack of want for two people to share the very tent we were sheltered in !

I checked the temp outside, minus four was the reading and it was about half five at night.

I packed my kit and reluctantly stripped off my insulating layers ready for the run down the hill.

I also stuck my microspikes on to give me extra grip on the icy and snow patches we had crossed on the way up.

I set off stopping at the next hill down to see if I could get pictures of PTC’s lit up tent, the cloud had cleared a bit but not enough to give off usable light.

His torch did however look like a mountain light house as I messed about before getting cold and running onto the car park.

I drove back to Aberfeldy trying to figure out if the sky was clearing or not.

PTC was on the sunrise lottery !

With winter deciding not come after all I decided that it was spring and started working on Leroi to get him and I race fit !

Friday was a loop around Mugdock and then onto the old pipe track to Strathblane which was surprisingly clear of windfall.

But on return to Mugdock there was a lot of trees down and a route change had to be made !

Saturday We planned to go for a spin up to the top of Farragon Hill outside Aberfeldy but the snow was still low down in the valley.

Mark and I opted for Griffin forest for a quick hack before work !

Instead of that we ending up wading through snow carrying bikes.

Photo courtesy of Mark French

The weather was not too bad and in the trees you could have been in the Alps or Canada.

Having to pedal hard downhill just to keep the bike moving was a bit de motivating !

What should have been a quick forty minute hack became an hour and a half toe freezer !

Sun was a bit of exploring a newish track to Kenmore from Aberfeldy.

Photo Courtesy of Mark French

The ground was muddy so there was a lot of pushing involved !

A bit of lunch in The Courtyard put smiles on faces again as we returned via the back road which was a bit flooded.

All good fun !

If it stays like this the road bike will be coming oot as well !

Here’s an excerpt:

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BANG ! There was bright lights  everywhere ! In the window and the door, voices were muffled due to my IPod playing in my ears !

Guys stumbled into the door like a SWAT entry team,shouting are you OK.

Shocked I sat up and finally made coherent conversation.

Turns out that SPOT have changed the settings on the “HELP” button that I use as an alternative message, instead of sending “I am Camped here” to my contacts, it had sent about 6 messages and SPOT SAR had sent me 2 texts asking me if I was OK.

With no mobile signal (hence the SPOT) I did not get this and after a pow wow of friends and rescue services, the moore guys from Kingussie RAF SAR were deployed in my direction !

After much chat and the insistence from “Control” that I was to be walked out, the poor guys left back into the wind and rain to bog trot back over to the Landrovers by the Pattack.

I didn’t really get much sleep after that mulling over what had just happened and the fact that those poor guys had been put at risk on Christmas Day whilst I slept fine and well !

The guys had mentioned that the footbridge at the ford was now underwater so my plan was to use the small track on the other side of the river from the bothy.

100mph gust were forecast and that’s why “Control” wanted to walk me out.

By half eight in the morning the sun was coming up but the cloud was still low on the hills.

I had a chat with the boys next door, they were planning on heading back to Dalwhinnie as well.

I packed BOB carefully making sure all items were in their dry bags preparing for the worse !

Essentials to survival were packed in the Endurance on my back incase BOB and Leroi went for a swim that I could not control.

In the end the track was good and with the gusts pushing me along it made for a pleasant cycle back to the main track.

I looked down at the footbridge and could see a police Landrover sitting abandoned, the boys had said that it had floated off whilst trying to cross the ford !

Back on the loch side I pushed on along the track, now getting used to the drag of BOB I was keeping a reasonable speed up.

Once back at the truck all the texts came in on the phone I answered them one by one making sure everybody was sure I was OK !

Aye another standard adventure turned into an epic !

Everybody comments with Bah Humbug etc but I have my reasons.

I try to avoid the whole thing by getting away but the past 2 years when the snow has fallen and I have been on the beach it just did not feel right !

I wanted to be back in Scotland playing in the snow !

The last post was a lucky gap in the weather and on getting back the  Christmas forecast did not look good.

Mild air meant all the snow was melting and high winds meant being high on the hills was not going to be a nice option !

So low-level it was to be as I looked over maps and came up with a plan.

I stopped off in Aberfeldy on Christmas Eve to catch up with a few people, then drove to Dalwhinnie, parked up and slept in the truck as the weather was howling outside.

Christmas morning I brewed up in the truck with my new nifty kettle and set about packing BOB.

Hooked on the back of Leroi Bob carried the weight well, negotiating gates was a bit tricky but after a few miles I got used to having him along.

The wind was blowing into my face, making pedalling interesting even on the smallest of inclines.

I soon hit the track on the North side of Loch Ericht, a light drizzle in the air intensified thanks to the strong winds.

occasionally I would get a bit of shelter from the wind thanks to the  trees on the shore.

As I looked along the Loch squals shot clouds of spray along the valley, waterfalls had water leaving them in an upwards direction instead of the way gravity intended.

I was glad I had decided against kayaking into Benalder Cottage !

I stopped for a break to take a layer off as the drizzle had died off, after all what was the rush !

Ben Alder Lodge is a lovely building and really marks the beginning of the climb and leaving civilisation, it also was the last of being sheltered from the high winds !

On the bare hillside I was getting buffeted so badly I ended up getting off and pushing,by the time I had pedaled downhill to Loch Pattack I was getting lashed with massive rain drops as well as 80mph gusts of wind.

There is  a small track that cuts directly over the moor to the bothy but I opted for the main track round Loch Pattack, this turned out to be badly flooded and at the “Ford” there was an interesting decision to be made !

The ford was nowhere to be seen so the Indiana Jones style bridge it was, It took 3 journeys to get everything across with the walkway dipping under the water at the lowest point each time !

Between the ford and the track junction the track was non-existent, at some points Leroi, Bob and I swam through murky boggy ditches.

The wind and rain still raged in my face and all I could think about was the bothy a few Km’s away.

I walked and cycled the rest of the way, arriving at Culra Bothy just after one pm.

A sheet of the roof was flapping badly in the wind and as I checked out the various sleeping rooms I came across 4 Guys attempting to walk to Fort William, they too had opted for the shelter of the bothy due to being knackered thanks to carrying packs the size of small houses.

I unpacked in the bigger room and got a brew on.

I sat the SPOT unit on the window sill and sent a ping to say “I have camped here”, the rain still battering of the glass of the window !

Was I glad I wasnt in a tent !

Darkness came early as I ate and drank brews, I finished my book so resorted to playing cards on my Ipod before I slipped into my bag and drowned the noise of the roof banging in the wind with tunes from my I pod.

I drifted in and out of sleep, the sheet of roof banging in the wind and then at 2am all hell broke loose !

]]> http://bobinson.wordpress.com/2011/12/28/bobinson-bob-and-lerois-christmas-adventure/feed/ 4 bobinson http://bobinson.wordpress.com/2011/12/20/am-on-the-telly/ http://bobinson.wordpress.com/2011/12/20/am-on-the-telly/#comments Tue, 20 Dec 2011 18:39:23 +0000 bobinson http://bobinson.wordpress.com/?p=1246 ]]> Well not really !

Forgot to turn that stupid wind filter off so volume is crap !

Video

Wikipedia: video definition: television. →

I walked  further than I set out to do, ending up with blisters on my heels due to not tying my boots properly !

The forecast was good for the weekend so it would be rude to miss out on a trip to the hills.

Packing was easy, route choice was harder and at just past midnight I printed a map off and got some sleep.

Waking late I left the house and headed up the A82, it wasnt too busy and I reached the car park at about half twelve(yes it was late).

There were a few patches of cloud in the sky but the sun was bright in the blue sky.

I had initially planned on following the track next to the Falloch and the crossing the river, following the woods to Stob Coire Bhuidhe, given the time of day and conditions I opted for the ridge joining Grey Height and Meall Dhamh.

Layers were soon coming off as the climb got steeper on the shoulder of Grey Height.

A steady climb through a mixture of soft drifting snow and solid wind slab kept the heart rate up,the rocky outcrops made route selection more interesting.

Thoughts were on snowshoes as I disappeared up to my knees in places !

I stopped for a brew on the top of  Meall Dham, it was half three and already the sun was getting low in the sky causing the temp to drop.

The wind had picked up on the exposed ridge, drifting snow had frozen and was a bit more consolidated making it easier going.

Picking my way above the crags on Cruach Ardrain I ran out of light and energy, I was on the last flattish spur before the top a couple of hundred  metres short of the summit.

The snow here was deep and soft which meant I had to excavate a pit to get to the hard base in order to pitch the tent !

This took a bit longer than I thought and finally by 6pm I had the tent up just as the wind was starting to get stronger, the temp was -4 as I jumped into the tent to get the stove on.

I had some food and settled into my double cocoon of down courtesy of PHD, I  had a read of my book for a while as the snow battered off the outside of the tent.

I turned the torch off about elven and didn’t wake up till half seven !

I unzipped the door of the tent to see the faint hint of sunrise, the moon was now visible casting that amazing ambient light across the mountains and snow.

I got the stove on for a brew, the wind had dropped and the snow had filled all my footprints from last night.

Mug in pocket I climbed the steep slope to the summit, just in time to see the sun raise its weary head over in the east.

No matter how many sun rises I see it still brings a smile to my face, I sat smug and warm drinking my coffee before it was time to head back down.

As I followed my footprints I  thought with a smirk of the person who had avoided the Saturday night party to get up early this Sunday morning to be the first on Cruach Ardrain only to be greeted with a fresh set of footprints from a pair of Haglofs Gryms !

Reluctantly I packed my kit away as the sun started to hit my camp spot, the temp was minus 2 when I left.

Contouring around Cruach Ardrain I headed towards Stob Glas.

I lost track of time as I explored the little outcrops and amazing snow shapes formed by the wind.

Crampons and poles were the right choice on the varying terrain, the drop in height  towards Beinn a Chroin was a mixture of heel stamping and glassading (even with crampons).

It was a little de-motivating to drop that much height only to have to regain it on the other side.

On the top of Beinn a Chroin the weather started to change for the worse, the Suunto on my wrist was telling me it was minus 2 on my wrist as the cloud rolled in and the heavy snow fell.

I had to stop for a rest as I was feeling pretty knackered after the couple of steep gullies I had climbed to regain over 400m.

The light changed as the sun broke back through the cloud.

I could see wee H and her pal on the summit of An Caisteal but there was no way I was making the RV with them at the top.

The ridge is a rocky nightmare to the top of An Caisteal making you pay for every metre you gain.

The snow was soft and I gained half a step for every step taken, the wind scratching at any bit of exposed flesh.

The cloud was down visibility was about 10m if you were lucky as I pushed past the numerous false summits.

On the top I finally found the small cairn !

I was gubbed !

The summit was not the place to stop and have a snack so I dropped down a bit till I got a bit of shelter.

I toyed with the idea of pitching the tent but food in my pack was not plentiful !

I had to navigate on bearings and time to ensure I stayed on track, always fearful I would take the ultimate big step off a cornice in the ridiculously flat light.

I stumbled on and finally dropped out the cloud on the wrong side of Sron Gharbh !

I contoured round whilst heading for the track, crampons still on.

I finally hit the track as the light was fading.

I looked over my shoulder for one glance at the mountains before returning to the real world on the other side of the railway tunnel.

The A82 was slow but I did not care !

Aye whats the rush !

Clients have changed their minds !

Anything else ?

Oh aye its almost Christmas !

It’s a PHD Alpine Ultra Jacket

I had my eye on one of these since I visited the factory with PTC.

I didn’t expect to see it till the New Year but again the PHD awesome service came through !

Hit me again and I will become an angry Chimp !

For those that love the Tech Jargoneese see below.

Of course the only colour to have is Bobinson Trademark Gold/Yellow.

Now can we have some nice weather so we can get out to play .

When you mention Easton you tend to think bikes, but these clever guys have all sorts of developments going on including Easton Mountain Products .

Part of this range are the  Artica Hike Snow Shoes.

I have always had this big debate as the usefulness of snowshoes in Scotland but with winters supposedly to be getting colder and snowier then its worth a thought !

We played about with snowshoes back in 2009 and I have carried a few times  and used them mainly as an alternative training method in the winter.

The 30 inch shoes I tried weighed in at 2.29Kg’s,the Red Feathers I have been using are 1.67Kg’s but the Eastons have a few nifty little features that makes the weight worthwhile.

The first is the one handed quick cinching binding.

Just like it says on the tin ! the big handle allows use even with thick gloves or mitts on and holds the shoe to the boot evenly, the scale of adjustment is good and I reckon you could get a pair of snowboard boots in there as well as being small enough to fit a fell shoe.

The only thing that needs a bit of pre setting is the heel strap that is marked Small,Medium,Large and Extra Large, It takes just a few seconds to adjust so its nothing to get upset about.

Secondly the two-pronged  split-axis stainless steel toe crampons only found  on the hike model stops the teeth sticking down so far when un weighted, this is a bonus when tired or when (in my case attempting) running in the shoes.

The 7075 Aluminum USA Frame is robust but with a bit of give to ease the strain on the knees etc.

The narrow deck is controllable even on traversing a slope, something I had limited joy with in the past, yet it still displaces enough snow to avoid sinking deeply into the loose snow, the 3 choices of size avoids you having to carry any more shoe than you need too.

The narrow platform also helps with carrying the shoes, something that has always been a struggle for me as Straps are not long enough on your pack  or you find your elbows hitting off the edges.

80% Recyclable gives the Eastons not a bad environmental standing as well.

For all the girlies, you will pleased to know they also do a ladies version.

Retail is just under £200 and you can pop into Escape Route and have a good look at a pair.