BYNACK MOR

The Barns of Bynack

Along the ridge

Trailing Azalea

Kath & Louis at The Barns of Bynack

Cloudberry

Ptarmigan Chick

Kath & Loius are out with me for four days of Munro-ing in The Cairngorms. Kath has been out with me on a previous trip last summer and her Munro tally is up to 118, until today. Our first outing was a 'warm up' with a good leg stretcher onto the solitary Munro of Bynack Mor. We set off in cloudy conditions but the tops soon cleared. We saw no one all the way to the summit and then had a detour to the finest feature of the hill-The Barns of Bynack. The cloud descended on the way down and we had  a couple of hours of rain. It's a fine time to see lots of plants and flowers, lovely displays of Cloudberry, Trailing Azalea, Moss Campion amongst many others. We also spotted a ptarmigan chick scurrying across the path. I was shod in my ancient Scarpa Vega plastic boots today  to remember how heavy they are- 2.5kg I think , this wasn't for fun! I'm guiding on Elbrus in August and wanted to feel how to walk in the heaviest boots on the market. Think my feet will survive and my wallet will be thankful too :)

WILDLIFE WATCHING

The rain stayed away from The Cairngorms today and after low cloud this morning the tops eventually cleared and it was warm. Karen and I had a day of wildlife watching around the beautiful Loch Gamhna. We even fitted in coffee & cake at The Potting Shed. Looking benign weather for the week ahead, I have Kath & George out for a few days of Munro walking from tomorrow.

MORE BIKING - GLEN FESHIE

The sun returned today and a very pleasant morning in Upper Glen Feshie. Fantastic biking with the paths and trails recently maintained from only a few weeks ago when I was last up here.The trails go into wonderful single track in the upper reaches, before entering into Glen Geldie. The bridge over The Feshie is still down from 2009 when it was washed out,  so who knows when this will be fixed up again? It's been so hot & dry the last week or so and getting across The Feshie I hardly got my feet wet for a return down the western side.

SUMMER & SUMMER HOLIDAY IN SPAIN

I have a one week walking holiday running on 14th - 21st September 2013 to the fantastic Tramuntana Mountains on Mallorca. Forget the beer swilling larger louts and crowded beaches, the island has loads of excellent ridge walking and scrambling on mountains of 1000-1400m, with sunshine! I have two places booked and there are a further 8places left. Please email me for more details: gary@tarmachan-mountaineering.org.uk

Meanwhile back in The Cairngorms it was another lovely hot, sunny day yesterday. Some great biking and dragonfly/damselfly spotting around the Glenmore area.

Some 'secret' single track not marked on OS maps

Common Blue Damselfly

THE BURMA ROAD

Here we go!

Enough said

The Cairngorms from near the summit

The beautiful River Dulnain

The River Dulnain

The Highland heatwave continues! Another hot day with virtually unbroken sunshine. A good day to bike the 'Burma Road', this classic biking route named in the 1940's after the more famous road in Asia. Well I've never visited Burma but it felt just as hot lower down the route this morning but thankfully a lovely breeze once higher up. A relentless but very enjoyable stiff pull with spectacular views to The Cairngorms and west toward the Monahliath mountains. After over 500m of ascent the summit is reached and then a wonderful downhill all the way to the River Dulnain. Lots of bird life along the picturesque Dulnain including Curlew, snipe and lapwing. Return back to Avimore via the Speyside Way at Boat of Garten for a brilliant 45km and over 700m of ascent. Looking like one more hot and sunny day tomorrow.

SCORCHING ON SGORR RUADH

Sgorr Ruadh

The Torridon hills from the summit

Looking toward Fuar Toll from the summit

The north ridge of Sgorr Ruadh

Strath Carron hills from the south

The superb spell of sunny and hot conditions in The Highlands continues and this weekend was glorious in the North West. Karen and I had a fab weekend in that beautiful and spectacular mountain area between Strath Carron and Torridon. With an array of fine mountains to choose from we decided on heading up Sgorr Ruadh from Achnaschellach. Here lie some of the finest stalkers paths in  the country which take you high up on to the mountain ridges. The summit views over to Torridon are wonderful and a line of mountains including the giants of Beinn Alligain, Liathach and Beinn Eighe  are stretched out in front of you. A summit view to savour and with no wind it was unbelievably hot. Shortly after descending down the north ridge we were so privileged to have the company of a Golden Eagle soaring above our heads, magic. We returned down the Fionn Abhainn to Coulgas, spotting a pair of Red Throated Divers in  Loch Coire Fionnaraich. The early evening warmth was magical and thinking we may miss last dinner orders at the Strath Carron Hotel we were so thankful for the kind ladies who gave us a lift down the road, just in the nick of time for food and cold beers. We saw no one all day, on a Saturday and weather like this?



HOT & DUSTY CAIRNGORM TRAILS

Looking back to the Cairngorms from the top of the Ryvoan Pass

Four Spotted Chaser waiting for a midge or two

Large Red Damselfly

The River Spey & Cairngorms

Another beautiful day in The Cairngorms, with just a slight breeze it was perfect for a biking day over the Ryvoan pass to Nethy Bridge. With many flowers now blooming and a great time of year for some Dragonfly watching. Four Spotted Chaser and Large Red in abundance along the Speyside Way. Off up to the North West tomorrow with more sunshine and warmth to savour in the Glen Carron hills.

FIACAILL RIDGE, CAIRNGORMS

A beautiful sunny and hot day in The Cairngorms and most places in The Highlands by the look of things. It was very peaceful on The Fiacaill Ridge, only seeing a couple of folk who were shod in what I would call 'deck shoes', a lot of shrieks when they hit the patch of snow which is still lying on the west side of the actual ridge line and has a steep run out into the boulders below. More glorious weather to come next few days. Summer at last!

HOT DAY ON THE CMD ARETE

Roger impressed with the magnificent NF views

Roger racing along the arete

CMD arête or NE Buttress?

Big smiles  at the summit, we avoided the crowds

A dry and hot spell of weather ahead across The Highlands. Roger was out with me today and he wanted to savour the wonderful views of the north face of Ben Nevis. He had been up The Ben via the Piny Track several years ago but wanted to see the ' real Ben Nevis'. There was very little wind, hot temperatures and bright spells, despite quite a bit of high level cloud. Roger and I were round in a fast time, hope I can wizz round the hills when I'm his age!

WARMING UP

Over in Lochaber again and a very warm afternoon. A quick blast up to the Larig Leachach Bothy which is at the eastern end of The Grey Corries. Forecast is set to be warm, dry and some sun for rest of the week.

CAIRN GORM

Seems like the weather is settling down at last with a dry and sunny period coming up. Karen and I had a mid afternoon blast up Cairn Gorm. The cloud was off the tops and some good sunny spells but still cool on the summits. No midges yet! Well, ll find out if the west has them tomorrow!

3 DAYS ON THE BEN

A few photos from last Wdnesday, Thurday and Friday working on Ben Nevis. It was a nice spell of summer weather at last, such a welcome! Looks like a settled, dry and sunny spell next few days too.