All Quiet Before Storm Eowyn

The summit of Meall a' Bhuachaille

The first named storm of 2025, Storm Eowyn (love the Tolkien reference!), is due to arrive late tomorrow with very strong winds, rain and snow. Of course we had a big storm early in January that brought masses of snow and bitter cold but apparently that wasn't stormy enough to have a name. 

Before Eowyn arrives I decided it was time for my first hill of the year, an old favourite, Meall a'Bhuachaille. A bit later than usual this year for a variety of boring but pressing reasons. The day was calm and cloudy as I set off through the forest to the Ryvoan Pass and Lochan Uaine. Occasional shafts of sunshine pierced the greyness and lit up strips of trees or hillside but mostly the light flattening shroud stayed in place. 

View from Ryvoan Bothy

Lochan Uaine was rich and green, living up to its name, the only ripples on the water coming from swimmers, canine and human. Smoke was pouring from the chimney at Ryvoan Bothy. There was almost a clearance to the east with sunlight on the side of Carn Bheadhair, the clouds almost lifting from the top, and patches of hazy blue sky. It didn't last and when I looked back from the lower path on Meall a' Bhuachaille the brightness had gone and the cloud was locked firmly on the summit.

Into the mist

Big black bags lined the long path up Meall a' Bhuachaille, bags full of rocks and gravel. The path, steep in places and well-used, is being repaired. As the trees thinned out I reached the mist and was soon enveloped. Soon damp too as it was quite wet.

The dark summit cairn appeared. I stopped for a drink and a snack. No need to shelter. There was no wind.  Chilly enough to don hat and jacket though, the temperature just 1C. There were skims of ice and tiny tendrils of frost on the stones. 

A brief view from the summit

Then a golden glow appeared out to the west as the setting sun cut briefly below the clouds. A shoulder of mountain appeared then vanished. it was a welcome touch of colour before I was off down to the woods, finishing the walk by headlamp. 

With this first hill the year feels like it has really begun. Now to see what Storm Eowyn brings.

Favourite Photos I Took In 2024

Sgor Gaoith, Cairngorms, March. Sony a6700 + Sony E 18-135mm lens at 135mm, ISO 100, 

                                                                      1/500 sec at f8.

Belatedly here are some of my favourites from the 4500 or so photos I took in 2024. Or at least those I like most at the moment! I’ve hummed and hawed about quite a few, putting them in, then taking them out. As I said last year it’s a pleasant if time-consuming task.  It's also a useful way of analysing my photography looking at themes and changes from past years, if any.

As always, I took many photos of camps, my favourites of which can be seen in this post. Several of them could have featured here. 

Stac na h-Iolaire, Cairngorms, January. Sony a6700 + Sony E 18-135mm lens at 48mm, ISO 100,  1/50 sec at f8. 

As it has been since I bought it in 2019 my most used lens by far is the Sony E 18-135mm. I did use the Sigma 18-50mm a fair bit though. The extra reach of the 18-135 makes a huge difference and if I only take one lens that’s it. However at F2.8 the Sigma is faster and so better for low light or throwing the background out of focus. It’s also smaller and lighter weight. I do like it very much. 

Foxglove, July. Sony a6600 + Sigma 18-50 lens at 50mm, ISO 100, 1/160 @ f2.8

Generally I carried just one camera body, my Sony a6700, though sometimes I took the a6600 as well.

Campfire at Amethyst Lakes, Canadian Rockies, 1988. Scan from Fujichrome 100 film with Sony a6700 + Sony E 30mm macro lens, ISO 100, 4 seconds at f8.

Having dabbled with film photography again a few years ago and realised why digital is such a relief I ended up spending more time in 2024 working on old Fuji film transparencies than on digital images. That was because I needed to scan over 100 of them for the new edition of my book High Summer about my walk the length of the Canadian Rockies in 1988. I spent many hours and days going through sleeves and boxes of slides selecting ones for the book and then photographing them on an old lightbox with my usually little-used Sony E 30mm macro lens.

Dawn on the Graham River, Canadian Rockies, 1988. Scan from Fujichrome 100 film with Sony a6700 +Sony E 30mm macro lens, ISO 100, 1/4 second at f8.

I always shoot raw files and much of my processing is now done in DxO PhotoLab. The latest version, PhotoLab 8, is the best yet. PhotoLab was wonderful for processing my photos of my old photos and getting the best out of them. 

Autumn woodland, October. Sony a6700 + Sigma 18-50mm lens at 28.7mm, ISO 400, 1/30 second at f8.

I like many of these images because of the complexity. I can see new details every time I look at them. 

Roe deer bucks facing off, May. Sony a6600 + Sony E 70-350mm lens at 350mm, ISO 400, 1/1600 seconds at f6.3. Cropped.

I'm not a wildlife photographer but I do take wildlife photographs when the opportunity is there. On this occasion I was at home looking out of the window when two roe deer bucks appeared in the field in front of the house and started fighting. I rushed upstairs, grabbed my camera and took a series of photos through my study window. This arguably the best one, though none of the heavily cropped images are technically very good. I like them because it was such an exciting event to witness. You can see the others and read the whole story here.

Dusk over Loch Poulary, Cape Wrath Trail, May. Sony a6700 + Sony E 18-135mm at 33mm, ISO 100, 1/100 seconds at f8.

Most of my photos were taken around home and in the Cairngorms. I did make two trips further west when I walked most of the Cape Wrath Trail. Whilst conditions weren't often ideal for photography I did take some images I'm pleased with.

The Stack of Glencoul, Loch Beag, & Eas a' Chual Aluinn (waterfall), Cape Wrath Trail, October. Sony a6700 + Sony E 18-135mm lens at 34mm, ISO 100, 1/200 second at f8.

Birch tree, August. Sony a6700 + Sony E 18-135mm lens at 43mm, ISO 100, 1/250 at f8.

Every year I take many photos of a birch tree in the field outside our house. The dramatic sky made this my 2024 favourite.

A squall sweeping across Strathspey, April. Sony a6600 + Sigma 18-50mm lens at 50mm, ISO 100, 1/640 second at f9.

Dramatic clouds feature in many of my favourite images of 2024. I do like them!

Clouds streaking over Cairn Toul in the Cairngorms, September. Sony a6700 + Sony E 10-20mm lens at 10mm, ISO 100, 1/320 second at f8.

Rain sweeping over Bod an Deamhain, Cairngorms, June. Sony a6700 + Sony E 18-135mm lens at 88mm, ISO 100, 1/160 seconds at f8.

Thicker clouds and rain can make for interesting skies too. The photos above and below show different aspects of this. Both were taken only a short distance apart though five months apart in time. 

View down the Lairig Ghru from Creag an Leth-choin, Cairngorms, November. Sony a6700 + Sigma 18-50mm lens at 18mm, ISO 100, 1/1000 seconds at f5.6

Cairn Gorm Weather Station, October. Sony a6700 + Sony E 18-135mm at 38mm, ISO 100, 1/320 seconds at f8

Structures on mountain tops other than summit cairns or trig points are not something I like or generally approve of but I must admit that the Weather Station on the summit of Cairn Gorm has become a favourite old friend, especially in winter conditions. On this occasion I was alone on the summit on a bitterly cold day when another walker arrived to gaze up at the frozen mast.

Sunset, Tom Mor, Cairngorms, December. Sony a6700 + Sony E 18-135mm lens at 30mm, ISO 800, 1/80 seconds at f8.

Another favourite structure is a huge cairn on a local hill Tom Mor that I can see from home. The view along Strathspey from there is superb but on this December trip it was the sunset that was glorious.

For those interested in cookpots for hiking! A new Fire Maple Petrel pot.

Fire Maple G2 on the left, Petrel G3 on the right.

Recently Fire Maple launched a new pot with a heat exchanger (HX) on the base called the Petrel G2. It’s bigger and wider than the original Petrel, now called the Petrel G3, with a 750ml rather than 600ml capacity. I received one in the post yesterday and on first look I like it a great deal.

The Petrels are, so far, unique amongst heat exchanger pots as they have slots in the base in which you can fit the pot supports of a stove with 120° between them. This brings the burner inside the heat exchanger and closer to the base of the stove, which increases wind resistance and makes the unit more stable. It’s also meant to increase boil times and improve fuel efficiency though my tests with the G3 suggest there’s no significant difference with standard heat exchanger pots as long as a windshield is used with the latter.

G2 left, G3 right.

Last year I wrote a post about heat exchanger pots and why I was now using one year round (see here). In mild, calm weather they don’t make much difference. It’s when it’s cold and windy that they come into their own, especially when used with a stove with a regulated burner like the Soto Windmaster or the MSR Pocket Rocket Deluxe.

As part of my testing I tried the two Fire Maple HX pots then available, the Petrel G3 and the 1-litre FMC-XK6, and preferred the latter, although it’s a little heavier, as it’s wider and so easier for stirring when simmering, with less chance of food at the bottom burning, and easier for eating from – my pot often doubles as a bowl.

From the left, FMC-XK6, Petrel G2, Petrel G3

Back in November when it was winter in the hills, unlike now (mid-January), I had a camp where I needed to melt snow for water. The FMC-XK6 proved excellent for this (see this video). I think the narrower, taller, smaller Petrel G3 would not have been so good.  The FMC doesn’t have slots in the base though and the handle and lid aren’t as easy to use as the ones on the G3. I’m hoping the Petrel G2, which is as wide as the FMC and has the same type of handle and lid as the G2, will prove as useful for snow melting. I just need winter to return to find out.

The G2 is slightly lighter than the FMC, 187g rather than 195g, and a bit heavier than the G3, which weighs 166g. That’s with lids. For some reason Fire Maple has decided to give the G2 a hefty lid weighing 46g. The FMC lid is 24g, the G3 28g. Without lids the G2 is only 2g heavier than the G3. Of course 20g or so difference is irrelevant for most people. Only dedicated ultralighters will change the G2 lid for a lighter one. I just wonder why Fire Maple have put such a lid on a pot they’re promoting as ultralight. Other than weight it's similar to the G3 lid with a big rubber knob that makes it easy to lift off and made of transparent Tritan plastic.

The G2 measures 127.5 x 126 x 147.5mm with the handle folded over the lid. The pot itself has a height of 100mm and a diameter of 120mm. A 234g gas canister will fit inside but there isn't room for a stove as well.

The design of the G2 is similar to the G3 with the same snap-in-place folding handle that holds the lid on when closed. The G2 has a small pour spout, unlike the G3, and a single drain/steam hole in the lid rather than three slots. Of course steam can also escape at the spout, which isn't fully covered by the lid. There's only one volume mark, max 0.75L on the inside. The G3 and the FMC have incremental marks, which are useful. I wish Fire Maple had put these on the G2.

I’ve attached the Soto Windmaster Triflex and the *MSR Pocket Rocket Deluxe to the G2 and both fit OK.  The combination is slightly more stable with the PRD as the supports fill the slots on the base. The shorter Triflex ones don’t and that means there’s a slight wobble and it’s harder to centre the pot on the stove. In practice this probably makes no significant difference. I’ll find out.

*A note on the MSR PRD and the Petrel pots. There are videos and online reviews that say it won’t fit the G3 and others that say it will. I suspect this is down to manufacturing tolerances with the pot. My PRD won’t quite fit the G3 without the legs being closed slightly and then it’s awkward – I wouldn’t want to use the combination in the field. However it fits the G2 fine.

Nordic Ski Touring Video

 

A little video I made during this ski tour on January 11. 

MSR Switch Stove System review for The Great Outdoors

MSR has an interesting and unusual new stove system that has a pot with a rounded base. After testing it extensively last autumn I've reviewed it for The Great Outdoors here. 

A Look At The February Issue Of The Great Outdoors

 
The February issue of The Great Outdoors is available now. In fact it has been for a while so my look inside is a little late. Apologies! Time is flying by.

Anyway, my contribution to this issue is a review of MSR's interesting new Switch Stove System.

Also in the Gear pages Alex Roddie and Kirsty Pallas review four pairs of hiking trousers each and Kirsty Pallas and James Roddie review four pairs of winter boots each. 

There's also a guide to layering for keeping warm on the hills from Mountaineering Scotland's Helen Gestwicki and Ross Cadie and a quiz on how to avoid hypothermia.

The magazine opens with a splendid photo of Ben Nevis in winter by David Lintern. 

The main theme of the issue is life-changing adventures with four authors recalling key moments. In the Andes climber and writer Anna Fleming meets the pioneering Indigenous Cholita Climbers of Bolivia. The cover of the issue is a great photo by Anna of the Cholita women in the mountains in their colourful clothing.

Back in Britain two story-walks by Corinne Fowler from her book Our Island Stories show how our colonial past is written into the rural modern-day. Francesca Donovan reviews the book elsewhere in the magazine.

Going abroad again Ross Brannigan describes his honeymoon spent fastpacking the Lycian Way in Turkiye.

In shorter pieces Creator of the Month is Munroist David Solomon, Andy Wasley writes about grey herons, and there's a look at recent problems in the John Muir Trust. Jim Perrin's Mountain Portrait is the Ridge of the Red Cairns (Nantlle Ridge). In recollections from her walk round the coast of Britain Emma Schroeder remembers reaching new horizons every day.

Wild Walks covers short walks for short winter days from the Highlands to Dartmoor. James Roddie climbs A' Chailleach in the Monadhliath while Alex Roddie tackles Ben Vrackie in Perthshire and the Tarmachan Ridge in the Southern Highlands. In the Lake District Vivienne Crow goes up Hay Stacks and James Forrest up Helm Crag. Ian Battersby has a snowy walk over Roseberry Topping and Highcliff Nab on the North York Moors and encounters more snow on Great Whernside in the Yorkshire Dales. In the Peak District Andrew Galloway climbs Black Hill. Over in Wales Fiona Barltrop visits Fan Frynch in Bannau Brycheiniog/Brecon Beacons. Finally Tim Gent walks over White Tor on Dartmoor.

A Local Ski Tour

View over the mist to the Cairngorms

With the snow lying deep all around I’ve been ski touring in the local area. There’s no need to go further afield and it seems sensible to make the best of these conditions while they last.

In the mist

My longest ski tour took me from the garden gate through woods and onto the low moorland at the head of our little side glen. Not high up and not very far but the snow made it wild and beautiful, enhanced by skiing out of thick mist into sunshine.

Hot in the woods!

The hardest skiing was at the start when I crossed a very rough field and went through equally rough woods. As the temperature was well below freezing I set off in hat, gloves, and fleece plus a Paramo smock. After ten minutes off came hat, gloves and fleece and I opened all the vents on the smock as I was overheating from the effort of skiing in the deep soft snow and over many tussocks.

In the woods the terrain was even tougher. I had to take a circuitous route round many fallen trees and negotiate branches and stumps hidden under the snow. Skis weren’t ideal for this. Snowshoes would have been better.

Silent and frozen

The woods were frozen and silent. Whenever I paused I could hear nothing. There were many roe deer tracks in the snow. A line of fox prints. The marks of a squirrel. But nothing moved. No rustle in the undergrowth, no bird calls.

Once I came out of the trees and joined an estate track the skis came into their own. The snow was packed harder here, especially where there were some tractor tracks, and other skiers had been along the first section. I could kick and glide on the flat and coast down the few gentle downhills.

The air was colder put in the open and I wasn’t working as hard so back on went the hat and gloves and I closed the vents on the smock. Staying comfortable – not too hot, not too cold – is important.

Leaving the mist

As I skied along the track hazy hills and trees began to appear. I was slowly climbing out of the mist. The moon hung high in the sky. Soon I could look back down at the mist-filled glen. The Cromdale Hills started to appear and then the more distant Cairngorms, lit gold by the low sun.

View over the mist to the Cromdale Hills

At the top of the track I stopped for a hot drink and a snack. Almost instantly I felt chilly and quickly donned my down jacket. Although only a half-day trip from home I had brought my usual winter hiking gear, apart from ice axe and crampons which I knew I wouldn’t need.

A welcome rest

Finding a comfortable seat with my back against a rock I decided to make a little video about the ski tour and set up my tripod and camera. As I switched on record two jets roared overhead, the first sounds other than the swish of my skis. They couldn’t have timed it better. Eventually the jets faded away and I continued the video. I’ll post it soon.

Heading back into the mist

The temperature was -5°C when I decided to pack up and head down the track. Swishing along my ski tracks was easy and delightful. A wren bobbed in a bush, a flock of fieldfares flapped overhead, the only wildlife I saw all day. Soon I was back in the mist.

At the track end I decided to return home via the road rather than back through the woods as it would be easier. The single-track road had been ploughed and gritted several days ago but not since and I was able to ski along it much of the way. Then it was up our track through the woods to a warm fire and hot chocolate.