Snow Returns To The Cairngorms

Cairn Gorm and the Northern Corries, January 8

Yesterday's constant rain gave way to wet snow as darkness fell. None stuck at this level but this morning the hills were white again and the fields crisp with frost.

With no time to climb the hills I looked at them from below, admiring the shimmering whiteness and the blue sky - rarities this winter. Lower down the glens were full of mist.

Bynack More

More snow is forecast. Maybe winter has really begun.

Creagan a'Chaise in the Hills of Cromdale

Outdoor Books Review 2015

Reading and walking go together! On the Pacific Crest Trail in 1982

Every year I read many books – though never as many as planned. Some are old favourites, some new. Not all are about the outdoors. Of those that were, here, in no particular order, are ones I enjoyed. Some were in electronic form and read in camps and on trains. Others were real physical books (and some of those went travelling too). I’m happy to recommend all of them. I reviewed some on this blog last year too and I’ve put in links.

 

John Muir: The Scotsman Who Saved America’s Wild Places by Mary Colwell

This is a straightforward biography concentrating on his upbringing and influences rather than his later activist years that are well-covered by others. It’s easy to read and a good introduction to one of the most significant figures in the history of conservation and wild land. Longer review here.

Balancing on Blue: A Dromomaniac Hiking by Keith Foskett

The story of the author’s hike along the Appalachian Trail this book is as much about the entertaining and sometimes downright weird people he shared the trail with or met along the way as it is about the actual environment and landscape, though there is enough about the last to let would-be hikers know what to expect. The physical and mental effort needed to undertake such a long hike comes through too.

All The Wild That Remains: Edward Abbey, Wallace Stegner, and the American West by David Gessner

Combining a travel book with a literary study David Gessner journeys across the USA in search of the places, people and landscapes that inspired and influenced two great and influential but very different writers on conservation and the outdoors. The result is an interesting, entertaining and thought-provoking book.

Doubling Back: Ten Paths Trodden In Memory by Linda Cracknell

Beautifully written this book describes ten walks undertaken by the author and the memories they

bring back and the emotional importance and impact they have. The walks vary widely and include an alpine mountaineering adventure, a 200-mile solo backpack in the Scottish Highlands, and a trek with friends in Norway. Longer review here.

Thru-Hiking Will Break Your Heart: An Adventure On The Pacific Crest Trail by Carrot Quinn

Written in a fast emotional style that reads as though the events are happening at that very moment this long distance hiking memoir is a blow by blow account about the physical and emotional experience of undertaking such a journey. The author’s mental state and her relationships with the hikers she travels with dominate the story with the landscape and the trail itself very much in the background.

The Carbon Cycle: Crossing The Great Divide by Kate Rawles

Long-distance road cycling has never appealed to me either as an activity or something to read about. However this book about a trip through the Western USA to Alaska caught my attention from the start as the author undertook the journey in order to talk to people along the way about climate change (hence the pun in the title). The story of the ride is entertaining too but it’s the conversations and the author’s reactions to them that make this book stand out.

The Cairngorms: A Secret History by Patrick Baker

Rather than the landscape or natural history this book is about journeys into the hills in search of human influences – gem mining, aircraft crashes, artistic communes and more. The stories are fascinating, as are the author’s adventures and detective work. Longer review here.

Roads Were Not Built For Cars: How Cyclists Were The First To Push For Good Roads & Became The Pioneers of Motoring by Carlton Reid

Fascinating, exhaustive, polemical and eye-opening this history of modern roads by cycling writer Carlton Reid tells a story that really ought to be far better known, which is that the smooth roads we have today came about due to cyclists not motorists. There’s a huge range of colourful characters involved, much curious detail and a really interesting story.

Nature’s Housekeeper: An Eco-Comedy by Michael Gurnow

This unusual and entertaining book is the story of a man discovering and learning to love nature in the forests of Missouri in the USA. Whilst it is funny and there are many hilarious episodes the book does have a serious and profound message. Longer review here.

Between The Sunset And The Sea: A View Of 16 British Mountains by Simon Ingram

Whilst the heart of this book is the author’s description of his adventures on the mountains he weaves history, geology, art, science and more around his personal journey to produce an entertaining and informative volume. I finished this right at the end of the year – a fuller review will follow.

The Adventure Game: A Cameraman’s Tales From Films At The Edge by Keith Partridge

This is an astonishing book, a series of exciting and often hair-raising adventures all over the world in pursuit of film-making. The author has taken his camera deep into caves in Papua New Guinea and to the summit of Everest and just about everywhere inbetween. His stories are thrilling and entertaining and the book is illustrated with dramatic and beautiful photos.

A Walk In The Woods by Bill Bryson

Having seen the film of this book last autumn I reread this account of Bill Bryson’s misadventures on the Appalachian Trail and found it better than I remembered from when I first read it back in 1998. I was also surprised at how many of the events in the film replicate almost exactly those in the book. It is funny and also informative but not an accurate description of long-distance hiking!

The Grahams & The Donalds: Scottish Mountaineering Club Hillwalkers’ Guide edited by Rab Anderson and Tom Prentice.

This is a book to dip into and dream and plan. It’s a wonderful guide to Scotland’s lower hills with beautiful pictures, helpful maps and good descriptions. The SMC now needs to bring its Munros and Corbetts guides up to the same standard!

Finally, I don’t only read outdoor books. For those interested my other reading included some big books – Susanna Clarke’s unusual and entertaining Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, read after watching the TV series, which was one of my TV highlights of the year; Margaret MacMillan’s monumental, intriguing and disturbing The War That Ended Peace: How Europe Abandoned Peace For The First World War; and Darwin by Adrian Desmond and James R. Moore, a fascinating and detailed biography of the great scientist that I haven’t yet finished. I’m also rereading A Song Of Ice And Fire by George R.R.Martin, in part because I can’t remember which events in the TV series are the same as those in the books! I’m only a little way into volume two however. I may not finish before the end of this year.

Magical Light on the First Hill of the Year

Heading for the summit

In a week of storms the sixth day of the new year looked to be the most likely to give reasonable weather, especially in the Monadh Liath hills to the north of the Cairngorms. So for my first hill of the year I went up the big rolling moorland dome of Geal-charn Mor to the west of Aviemore with three others.

View down An Gleannan to Strathspey

 

The Northern Cairngorms were shrouded in cloud as we began the climb up through the lovely birch and pine forest of An Gleannan. These higher hills were to remain that way all day but scene wasn’t of a dull grey blanket as the clouds swirled and twisted around their lower slopes with flashes of sunshine breaking through at times to give wonderful, constantly changing, magical light. Above us a dark cloud hung but it stayed above the summit and to either side the sky was much brighter.

On the descent

 

Once we left the trees a cold wind began to bite and soon we were walking on frozen ground and a thin covering of snow. Frost feathers decorated the dead grass. On the summit the wind was strong and bitter so after a hasty snack and a compass bearing we set off down featureless slopes before picking up a path that led to the warmer, greener land below. The brightness had left the sky and the first rain was falling just as we reached the car. A fine first hill day of the year was over.

Happy New Year!

Favourite New Outdoor Gear 2015

Testing the Hoka One One Tor Ultra boots in the Cairngorms

As every year I tested a large range of outdoor gear for The Great Outdoors magazine in 2015 (you can see my 2014 choices here). These are the items that impressed me most. Again as always this doesn’t mean they replace old favourites but they are products that I’ll go on using. So, in no particular order, here we go….

Jottnar Hymir Neoshell Smock

Lightweight (350 grams) and compact this waterproof top is ideal for long trips. Being made from Neoshell it’s very breathable and the design is functional with an excellent hood with wired peak and a mapsize chest pocket. I’ve used it in torrential rain and daylong drizzle and it’s proved very comfortable.

 PHD Elite Racer

Truly ultralight this sleeping bag weighs an astonishingly low

247 grams. The shell fabric is very thin but still wind resistant and downproof. There’s no zip but there is a hood and a shaped foot. It’s filled with 950 fill power down and is rated to +12°C. At +3° I was warm wearing just light clothing in it (thin base layers, very thin insulated top, medium weight wool socks). For summer backpacking this is a tremendous bag. The rest of the year it could be used as a liner in another bag.

Hilleberg Enan

The Akto has been one of my favourite tents for two decades now. However there are now quite a few good alternatives that weigh less. The Enan is Hilleberg’s own one of these. It weighs 1.1kg but has the same inner and porch size as the Akto. Ventilation is actually better than with the Akto due to two large mesh panels at each end. 

Jetboil MiniMo

The MiniMo is the first integrated stove/pot/heat exchanger unit that I’ve really liked as it’s the first with a wide rather than tall pot, which makes it more stable and easier to use for cooking and eating. In fact I was so impressed with the MiniMo that I ended up using it on almost all my 2015 camping trips.

  

 Sherpa Nangpala

Insulated with Primaloft Gold Down Blend, a mix of 70% water-repellent down and 30% Primaloft, this warm jacket is water-resistant, quick drying and breathable. It weighs 444 grams and packs up small. There’s a warm hood and handwarmer pockets.

 Berghaus VapourLight Hypertherm Hood

 

 At just 224 grams this insulated jacket is amazingly warm. It has a hood and handwarmer pockets and is great for three-season conditions or combined with another warm top in freezing weather. The shell fabric is windproof so it can be worn as a mid or outer layer.

  
 Nigor Wickiup 3  

 Amongst many products I was sad to see disappear with the demise of GoLite the Shangri-La 3 pyramid tent  was especially missed. The Wickiup 3 is a more than adequate replacement however. It’s the same shape and size as the SL3 but has more guyline attachment points and is made of lighter fabric. I mostly use the flysheet with just a groundsheet, a unit that weighs 1.3kg.

 Nigor Zero G

The Zero G is another Nigor product that resembles an old GoLite one, in this case the popular Jam pack. The Zero G is made from the same tough Dyneema fabric and has the same big rear pocket. It’s more comfortable with heavier loads though as it has an internal frame and a thicker hipbelt. The capacity is 53 litres and it weighs 1.1kg. I found it comfortable and stable and ideal for summer backpacking.
 
Mountain Laurel Designs Exodus Light Suspension Upgrade 
 

The Exodus was one of my 2014 favourite new items of gear. This new version is designed to carry more weight (14kg rather than 11kg) and has an inflatable frame and a slightly larger and more padded hipbelt. I found it fine with loads up to 16kg. The total weight is 652 grams, making this a real ultralight pack.

 

Hoka One One Tor Ultra

 

These unusual-looking boots have a very thick midsole that provides great cushioning. The leather/nylon uppers have an eVent lining. I find these boots very comfortable and quite warm – I’ve worn them in the snow.

  

Osprey Atmos AG 65

 

For heavy loads where comfort and support is more important than the weight of the empty pack the 2.25kg Atmos AG 65 is superb. It has a frame and a tensioned back and hipbelt. The latter wraps itself round you to really take the weight off your shoulders. As well as very comfortable this pack is also capacious and stable.

Fjallraven Keb Eco-Shell Jacket

  

The chemicals used for DWR treatments on waterproof jackets have been found to be harmful to the environment. With this jacket Fjallraven has used a different eco-friendly treatment and also recycled polyester. The design is good too with a wired hood and large chest pockets. I’ve used the jacket in heavy rain and found it comfortable and breathable.

 

Sea to Summit Ultralight Insulated Sleeping Mat

Sea to Summit mats have an unusual dimpled appearance as the air chambers are small and circular rather than the usual long tubes. These chambers deform individually when weighted to conform to your body. The Ultralight Insulated version weighs 462 grams and has synthetic insulation inside. There’s also an innovative valve that makes inflating and deflating the mat easy.

Rab Paradox Pull-On

Designed as a midlayer this insulated top is very breathable as the shell fabric isn’t windproof. That makes it very comfortable to wear under a waterproof jacket. The filling is Polartec Alpha which, like the shell, is very soft. The Paradox weighs 360 grams.

PHD WaferLite

 

Down clothing has become lighter in recent years but this vest is just ridiculous as it only weighs 84 grams. It’s still warmer than a midweight fleece though. Packed size is minute of course. I find it very comfortable and at this weight and size it need never be left at home.