Friday morning cycle

We finally got round to visiting Alex and Ausma in southern Germany. Em and Bernhard joined us from Zurich for an excellent weekend of wining, dining and walking…

We had wonderful weather – though the vines were suffering from some recent frost damage

Woods (well, we were on the edge of the Black Forest)

The Blauen, which we went up without really planning to

More snow on the north face than expected

View from the top

Cafe at the top, where we thoroughly confused the staff by ordering five Aperol spritzes and a tea

More views

Making friends with the locals

Bertie vs Bernhard

Feldburg

More sunshine

Lunch!

In a very pleasant garden

Basel (with cathedral) on the way home

The Rhine

Aberdeen Angus (but no steak)

Posted on April 22, 2017 by yellowvanmountaineering

Over the Easter weekend we took the van to eastern Scotland, for a mixture of Munros and cycling (and quite a lot of “motor touring”, aka driving around).

We began with a coastal cycle from Arbroath (where we ended up when we discovered that our planned camping spot near Carnoustie was the wrong side of a <2m railway bridge). Heading northwards along Route One, we enjoyed views of sandy beaches, flowering gorse and a lot of polytunnels. So to Montrose for cake, after which we turned inland, negotiated an “interesting” farm track, struggled through the aptly named Hillside, then zoomed into Brechin for lunch at its (apparently famous?) cathedral. The afternoon was spent battling headwinds on long, straight, undulating roads, but we were finally rewarded with an easy descent back into Arbroath. We then drove up into Glen Clova and enjoyed an evening in the hotel bar, where the steak was more than twice the price of anything else on the menu, so we didn’t have it…

On Saturday we met David – who happened to be in the area – for some ticking of Driesh and Mayar, ascending from Glen Doll via the Kilbo path and returning by Jock’s Road. The weather was mostly sunny, which didn’t stop a biting wind delivering a battering of light snow for an hour or so. After the summits, we continued to Dun Hillocks and followed a little burn through some remote-feeling moorland to the plateau edge, where there were spectacular views down the glen. Unfortunately the burn then descended over a cliff and we couldn’t quite find a way down, so a short detour was required to return us to the path. Having left David to bag a bonus Corbett, the evening’s drive took us out to Stonehaven, then back inland through Banchory to Alford and a lovely camping spot on top of Suie Hill in deepest Aberdeenshire.

This delightful position was less appreciated the next morning when we had to put on all our jackets and gloves to roll down the hill on a chilly and grey (but dry) Easter morning. We soon warmed up on speedy roads through a variety of interesting villages towards Kemnay, and arrived at our intended afternoon tea stop at Castle Fraser around 11.30… Back on the road after coffee and scones, we cycled alongside the River Don back to Alford and up the biggest hill of the day to finish at the van. Our next overnight spot was Invermark at the top of Glen Esk. We spent most of the evening trying to work out why on earth a police car seemed interested enough in another car to wait two hours for the owner to return. It’s still a mystery.

We were now perfectly placed for a quick ascent of Mount Keen the following day, which was duly completed, with good views of the main Cairngorms. Heading south by around 2, concluding a successful trip exploring a new area and avoiding the worst of the weather!

Arbroath

Beach at Lunan

Montrose, looking south

Montrose, looking north

Brechin cathedral (apologies for the jaunty angle – it was the easiest way to get the flowers and the tower in…)

Back in Arbroath (we’re parked on the far side)

Useless but photogenic jetty

Rocks!

Burn of Kilbo

Ascending the Shank of Drumfollow

Glen Doll

Cold on Driesh

Mayar summit

And again

“I think we’ve Dun Hillocks now”

Lunch by the Burn of Fialzioch

A little traversing entertainment

Admiring the view

Waterfalls

Suie Hill van spot

Next morning

Castle Fraser

Trees on the way up Glen Mark

The way to Mount Keen

The Queen’s Well

Getting there, and looking back down the glen

Mount Keen summit, with snowy Lochnagar (left) and Ben Avon area (right) on the skyline

The long track back out

French skiing

Posted on April 12, 2017 by yellowvanmountaineering

A week of ski touring with Tom, from a rather comfortable base in La Bâtie des Vigneux near Briançon (thanks, Hares!). Mostly day tours with one overnight in the Queyras.

Day 1: Resort skiing at Puy-Saint-Vincent (Ecrins). For Dave, first time on new skis. For Jo, first time skiing powder and not just falling over all the time, and first real tree skiing…

Day 2: Avoiding avalanches at Col du Chardonnet, from Pont d’Alpe (near Mont Thabor).

On the ridge, just about managing to stay below the cloud

A summit of sorts

Time to go down

Tracks, and sunshine! Powder at the top, crustier on the flat

Further down

Day 3: Queyras. Pont de Lariane to Refuge Agnel, via Pointe des Sagnes Longues. Leaving the car…

On the plateau above Torrent de Clausis, heading for the skyline to the left of the square rock

It was a long, hot way up! Passing Le Rouchon

Summit ridge

Ready for the descent

On the way down Tom decided we’d follow some interesting-looking tracks heading off to the right. They led us down through this bowl and to the top of a rather steep (for me) gully…

Probably my most interesting ski to date (so glad I learnt how to do short turns in Jan)

Dave making it look not that easy! After this, we traversed down to the main valley and rejoined the track up to the Refuge Agnel.

Day 4: Tour of the Pain de Sucre from Refuge Agnel. Catching up the next group on the Col Vieux

We decided to make a detour to the Rocca Rossa, which is out of sight over the col

Taillante slabs to the left

Tom breaking trail (nobody had been here at least since the snowfall a few days before)

I think the Matterhorn and Monte Rosa are in the distance somewhere

Traversing beneath Pain de Sucre

Tom reaches the ridge

We’re not too far behind

Monte Viso looking splendid

Us on the summit ridge (sans skis)

Wonderful skiing down – I didn’t get a very good picture of the tracks which is a shame as I was rather pleased that Dave couldn’t tell which were his and which were mine

Heading for the Brèche de Ruine

An ascent to the Col d’Asti (third col of the day) followed, then a ski down the Italian side on spring snow, which apparently Dave and I didn’t know what to do with

Col Agnel

The road from Italy (and Viso again)

Skiing back out to the car – a good view of the gully we descended the day before

Day 5: Dave was recovering from his exertions so Tom took me on a wild goose chase up the Clapouse valley from Ailefroide (Ecrins). First challenge was crossing the stream

Our high point, after quite a lot of clambering around in steep forest

The descent was icy too (with a bit of breaking crust), but at least the view was nice

As we were back by lunch, there was time for a saunter up the local protuberance behind La Bâtie des Vigneux

L’Argentière la Bessée

The Durance river

Day 6: Pointe des Marcelettes (Queyras). Setting off from Saint-Véran

Torrent de Curlet

Steep skinning (I only took photos on the flat bits)

Dave managed to lose some binding screws, but employed various means to carry on regardless

Dave and the summit ridge we’d traversed, looking towards Italy

Still powder to be found in places

A final interesting section (which I sideslipped)

Tom taking the more aesthetic route

Day 7: Wet! We got out for a walk round Briançon before it got too bad.

Spring catch-up

Posted on April 12, 2017 by yellowvanmountaineering

A selection of goings-on from the last few months, none of which seemed deserving of its own post! But I have photos and nowhere else to put them, so here they are.

First, our annual New Year trip to Scotland, this time to Mull. Staying right on the shore, we enjoyed spotting otters, sea eagles and the Northern Lights, plus a Corbett, some Grahams, a cave, some pottering and a great sunny/snowy mountaineering day out on Ben More. Unfortunately I’d forgotten to charge my camera battery and didn’t have a spare…

On the track at the start of the way up Dun da Ghaoithe

Beach at Lochbuie

Next, I joined an Eagle Ski Club off-piste skiing course taught by the highly recommended Alison Culshaw, based in Chamonix. It was the coldest week of the winter (-20), but sunny and very profitable from a learning-to-ski-properly point of view.

Tricky snow

Wearing everything

Regular hot drinks definitely required

Grand Montets

Guided day touring from Les Contamines with Jonny Baird and Dave Rudkin

Kick turns with springs…

Dave was feeling left out, so we planned a weekend in Scotland at the end of January to try some Scottish skiing. But we didn’t think there was enough snow, and reverted to Plan B (some efficient bagging of the Lawers Munros on foot). However, the van had other ideas when the alternator packed up on Friday night in Glenogle between Lochearnhead and Killin. Having spent the night there we visited the local garage, who couldn’t fix us and advised that we “enjoy our holiday” and get the AA to tow us home on Sunday. By now having wasted half the day and being stuck in Killin in steadily falling (slightly solid) rain, Lawers was out the question. Instead: brunch, then a walk back up Glenogle and a consolation Graham, Meall Buidhe. We spent all of Sunday getting home…

On the trail of some mad cyclists

At Meall Buidhe summit, following some excellent navigation practice

Not quite sure what we had to look so happy about

Slightly improving weather!

My birthday fell on a Saturday this year, so we invited the local duffers for a walk round the Langdale Pikes (really just an excuse for a get-together).

Stickle Ghyll

Harrison Stickle

We did more talking than walking…

David came to visit us for a weekend to tick off some of our local Marilyns. We’d been up Sharp Haw on the Skipton skyline before, but our route this time (from Flasby) was much nicer, and this time we visited neighbouring Rough Haw too. As that was a short morning’s work, we headed to Ilkley in the afternoon to explore its famous Moor (it was too cold for any baht ‘at nonsense, mind you). On Sunday we visited Brontë country for a slightly grim circuit of Boulsworth Hill, Top Withens and the Walshaw Dean Reservoirs. The mist didn’t lift all day, hence no pictures…

Sharp Haw

Exploring the Cow and Calf, with Ilkley beyond

At the start of March we visited Eleri in St Andrews. Rain and mist confined us a walk along the Fife coast path on Saturday, from which the sea was only visible when we were actually on the beach. On Sunday, we did a pleasant loop from Auchtermuchty around Pitmedden Forest. Highlights were the nice woodland, views of the Firth of Tay, a deer farm and the slightly incongruous hot tub business.

A proper forest…not too many trees

Firth of Tay

Snowy November Lakes

Posted on December 11, 2016 by yellowvanmountaineering

Although most of the snow was fast disappearing by the weekend, we did manage a couple of days on the hill. Firstly a round of Kentmere, with a surprising number of friends that responded to our last minute plans. The weather was amazingly warm and windless, so combined with the snow made for a fun day. After sampling a selection of offerings at Hawkshead Brewery and Wilfs Cafe on Saturday night, we managed to drag ourselves out for a second day around the Fairfield horseshoe, which was less snowy and more cloudy, but still good fun, and only a couple of hours from home.

First of the snow

Clockwise around the horseshoe

Follow the wall…

Excitement of snow

Views out south

Warm enough to chat!

good snow cover on the tops

Dave off enjoying the snow

admiring the view

Sliding

Not much snow on the slopes though

Late afternoon light in the Kentmere valley

Searching the way up Fairfield

The other side of the route

Which way off is it?

Final views of the weekend

Honeymooning on Skye

Posted on November 9, 2016 by yellowvanmountaineering

Wedding photos are still a work in progress, but here are some of our wonderful trip to Skye afterwards. (We’re still not really sure whether this counted as a honeymoon or not and reserve the right to have another one at a later date!)

We spent the first day just pottering around the coast near our cottage. Shore around Tarskavaig Bay

Mountains!

More shore and views across the Cuillin Sound (Rum was in cloud, but we saw plenty of it later!)

Looking towards Elgol

The Cuillin from Tarskavaig headland

Ruined castle near Tokavaig

Loch Ghabhsgabhaig (where we later went for a very cold swim)

View from our cottage south along the west coast of Sleat

Rum making an appearance in the evening

Aird, start of our walk to the Point of Sleat

Sea and sunshine

Beautiful Camas Daraich, which we visited on our return

Reaching the Point, with Eigg beyond

Rum

Everything a beach should be: small, sandy, clear, empty and surrounded by mountains

Skinny dipping pictures not included

Drying off

Sound of Sleat and Mallaig

Picturesque bay near Armadale, with Knoydart beyond

On the way home: Loch Dhughaill and the Black Cuillin

Beach at Achnacloich

Windows and wood and beer 🙂

One of many wonderful sunsets

We couldn’t resist the ridge, of course… An early drive round to Torrin brought us to the base of Blaven at alpenglow time

Sunrise over Loch Slapin and Torrin

Blaven, Clach Glas and Sgurr nan Each

Looking for the path

Allt Aigeinn and Loch Slapin

We scrambled up the north buttress of Sgurr nan Each

The traverse ahead (Clach Glas hiding in front of Blaven)

Red Cuillin

View north from Sgurr nan Each

Scrambling with a view

The main ridge was cloud-capped for most of the day

Loch an Athain

Can’t get enough of this view

Famous hole

Black, red and cloud

Slabby bits near the top of Clach Glas

Picking our way down

The Putting Green

Final chimney of the route – suitably slimy and scrabbly!

Near the top

We ran down just in time to make ourselves presentable before a fantastic evening at Kinloch Lodge

At the start of a walk to Dalavil, looking across the Sound of Sleat to Loch Nevis

Loch a’ Ghlinne

Beautiful trees at the edge of Coille Dalavil

Dave found some sheep to follow to the coast

Still following them

Seaweed

Back through Coille Dalavil

Autumn colours

Knock Bay

Beach just in front of our cottage

We came back a few minutes later for an evening swim and found four dolphins in the bay!

Back on the ridge for our last day: Sgurr nan Gillean and Am Basteir

Marsco and the Red Cuillin

Getting closer

Onto the rock: start of Pinnacle Ridge

Glen Sligachan

Abseiling from the third pinnacle into nowhere

Somwhere on Knight’s Peak?

Descending the upper west ridge of Sgurr nan Gillean (it soon got more interesting…)

Sgurr a’ Fionn Choire and the far side of the ridge

Descending the slabs of the Basteir Tooth

Finding the final abseil

Coire a’ Bhasteir

King’s Chimney

View back to Sgurr a; Fionn Choire, Bealach nan Lice, Am Basteir and Sgurr nan Gillean

Summit of Bruach na Frithe

Amazing

The view southwest towards Loch Scavaig

Sun between layers of cloud, and Glen Brittle

Looking towards Carbost in the setting sun

Southern Cairngorms

Posted on September 3, 2016 by yellowvanmountaineering

August bank holiday backpacking from Linn of Dee. Jo finally gets to see the Cairngorm plateau, free from mist and snow, in all its bouldery, heathery, grassy glory – albeit through a cloud of midges…

From Linn of Dee we began the long walk-in by heading up Glen Lui.

Slightly too far along Glen Lui, in fact, as we initially missed the path over to Glen Quioch. But there was compensation in the shape of a rainbow near Derry Lodge.

A twisted pine in Glen Quoich

Lovely walk through the heather and bilberries along Quoich Water around the base of Beinn a’ Bhuird

Late lunch spot and still a long way from the tops

Finally gaining some real height on Ben Avon, after ascending over Carn Eag Dhubh and Creag an Dail Mhor

Deer grass looking spectacular

View south-east from the slopes of Carn Eas

After catching a shower earlier in the day, the rest passed either side of us

The eastern corries of Beinn a’ Bhuird, from Ben Avon

Boulders, grass and granite tors

Leabaidh an Daimhe Bhuidhe. And a surprising number of walkers and bikers milling around for 5pm on a Friday…

Garbh Coire and the “Bhuird-a-saurus” (not looking quite as much like a stegosaurus’s back from here as it did earlier)

View north towards Glen Avon, from the slopes of Cnap a Chleirich

A stream on the way to Beinn a’ Bhuird’s North Top

Coire nan Clach and Dubh Lochan

Campsite number one: far side of this lochan just above the expanse of Moine Bhealaidh below Beinn a’ Bhuird, with a little breeze and no midges

Pondering the best place for the tent (Beinn a’ Chaorainn and Beinn a’ Chaorainn Beag above Dave’s head)

Moine Bhealaidh bog, heading for Beinn Bhreac (it was further away than we thought)

Back across the bog to the summit of Beinn a’ Chaorainn

We then dropped down to Lairig an Laoigh and took a cross-country route through the heather under Stob Coire Etchachan to pick up the path (the first of the day) near the Hutchison Memorial Hut.

Upper reaches of Derry Burn, with Creagan a Choire Etchachan at the head of the valley

After a stiff climb up Beinn Mheadhoin and back, we took the ascending path south of Loch Etchachan before breaking away towards Derry Cairngorm

Evening ascent of Derry Cairngorm, looking over to Carn a’ Mhaim and Cairn Toul

Campsite number two, high on the path from Loch Etchachan to Ben Macdui. Unlike the first, this one was close to several other campers (although we couldn’t actually see any), completely windless and plagued with midges.

In the morning we made a quick getaway onto the plateau for breakfast (there were still midges, but they took longer to find us). We were also high enough to be above the early morning mist.

After visiting Ben Macdui (for the second time in six months, but in very different conditions), we descended to the south, towards the enticing-looking ridge of Carn a’ Mhaim

The ridge was indeed very nice, and the atmospheric views of the Lairig Ghru and the Cairn Toul/Braeriach range were stunning, but we found that we couldn’t walk fast enough to escape the midges

Over Carn a’ Mahim and heading for Derry Lodge

Across Luibeg Burn and a final view of the hills before a long (but speedy) walk-out in search of respite. Next time really must remember the anti-midge kit.

Yorkshire in the evening

Posted on August 10, 2016 by yellowvanmountaineering

In June, without very much notice, we moved to Skipton. Well, Dave did, and Jo is attempting to be there as much as possible while working in Oakham (currently managing about half time). Although we’re both working hard, we’ve already found a couple of benefits of our new location…

Soon after moving, we joined a large group of friends to celebrate Ruth’s 30th birthday in Buttermere. (OK, not strictly Yorkshire but with the recent extension of the Dales national park into Cumbria, not far off.) This turned out to be more exercise than expected, especially for Dave who, after a whole-group round of Red Pike, High Stile etc, Haystacks and Fleetwith Pike, was persuaded to join some speedy people in continuing around the skyline to Dale Head, Hindscarth and Robinson. Meanwhile, Jo was more interested in making it to the ice cream shop before closing time. On Sunday we re-bagged Mellbreak and discovered that yet more of our friends are in danger of becoming fell runners, before driving home in two hours – a strong contender for the best bit of the weekend.

Hot work above Buttermere

Cooling off?

Ruth and Ian at the top of something

Haystacks looking west

Fleetwith Pike

Loweswater

Andrena on Mellbreak

We’ve also been out and about in the evenings. With evening-size hills in most directions from Skipton we’re a bit spoiled for choice and still trying to work out the best parking places, crags and routes avoiding various walls, bogs and insect hotspots. Being able to cycle to Bolton Abbey after work is also quite exciting.