A Solo Hill Walk As The First Autumn Storm Rolls In

Buried in cloud: the Cairngorm Plateau

The first autumn storms have blasted in, ending any lingering thoughts that summer might hang on a little longer. As the weather changed I headed out for a short hill walk. The incoming storm was forecast but I really wanted to go out solo, something I haven’t done for a while as recent trip have all involved being with others. Not that I dislike being with other people but solo walking is different, a chance to clear my head, think, observe nature and relax. A chance to stride out too without being constrained by the needs of filming or a group. I wanted to feel free.

The forecast storm did make me think about where I should go. The Cairngorm Plateau was tempting but I could see it was buried in cloud and the winds were predicted to be storm force. I also had limited time. So instead I headed for Meall a’Bhuachaille, that fine little hill on the edge of the Cairngorms that is a superb viewpoint. The walk through Glenmore Forest past Lochan Uaine to Ryvoan Pass before the ascent is lovely too, especially at this time of year with the birches and aspens vivid splashes of yellow and orange against the dark green pines. Lochan Uaine was living up to its name – the Green Lochan – too. Pausing on its shores I spoke to a walker heading back down the path. He’d been on the summit of Bynack More, where he said the wind was gusting to 45mph and he couldn’t see anything in the dense cloud.

Lochan Uaine

On Meall a'Bhuachaille, concentrating on holding the phone steady

Climbing the steep path up Meall a’Bhuachaille I could see the thick layer of cloud settled on the Plateau. Above it there were touches of blue sky and streaky fast-moving thinner clouds. The wind was picking up, keeping me moving and barely warm enough in just a shirt and thin windproof. Once the summit was reached it was quickly on with an insulated jacket, the first time I’ve worn one since the spring. The wind was gusting to 40mph. Another walker arrived, clad in a T-shirt, though he soon donned a fleece. This was his 48^th ascent of Meall a’Bhuachaille since May, when he’d made a vow to climb it 50 times before the winter. He was looking forward to his last ascent.

View over Loch Morlich

Descending I looked out over the silvery waters of Loch Morlich, its surface shimmering with wind driven waves. All around it the forest was dark while above the touches of blue sky were fading. 

The wind continued to increase in strength and I was woken several times that night by it banging round the house and down the chimneys. The trees outside roared. This kept up all the next day and then as the wind eased the rain came and continued all the next night and day and into this night. There is flooding along the coast and the rivers are swollen. The dryness of September is forgotten.

Coming Soon!

Strathspey Autumn Colours ... and the first dusting of snow on the mountains

Strathspey

The colours of autumn are developing fast now. The birches are more yellow than green, the aspen leaves pale and almost translucent, the bracken a rusty faded orange. The woods shimmer and shine in low afternoon sun creating an Impressionist-like wash of colour. In the meadows the grasses are yellowing fast. 

High above a skein of geese called, one of the wild sounds of autumn. They were heading south to lochs and stubble fields. A lonely buzzard mewed overhead, a roe deer darted from meadow to woods as I approached. The air was cold even in the sunshine and a breeze swept the land. Away in the distance the high mountains came and went in waves of cloud. The first dusting of snow was visible on Cairn Gorm, the start of winter up there. 

A dusting of snow on Cairn Gorm

There is no doubt now the season has changed. Summer is gone. Winter approaches. And for a month or so there will be a final burst of brightness and glorious colour before nature sinks into winter greyness that will only be enlivened by frost and snow.

This time the rain came: filming Backpacking In The Lake District with Terry Abraham

Camp on Seathwaite Fell

Our luck with the weather had to end sometime. This was my third trip with Terry Abraham to film Backpacking in the Lake District. The previous two trips, involving five camps and seven days walking, (see posts for June 22 and September 6), had been in fine weather with much sunshine and warmth, no rain and little wind. We could film anywhere, sit outside in camp and sleep with the tent doors open. Indeed, we could have managed without tents at all (and Terry did use just a small tarp on the first trip). For this final trip it all changed.

View back down Grains Gill

 

We set off from Seathwaite to head up beside Grains Gill and Ruddy Gill to rejoin the route near Sprinkling Tarn. Clouds swept across the sky and there were hints of rain and only brief touches of sunshine. As we climbed the breeze changed to a cool gusty wind. 

 

Terry catches the quad copter after its flight

 

Tony assembling the quad copter

At Sprinkling Tarn we found Tony Hobbs and his friend Claire who’d passed us on the way up while Terry was filming. Tony had brought his quad copter, as I believe it’s called ('drone' is the popular name - Tony calls it a chopper). This was the first time I’d seen one of these devices though Tony had already done some work with Terry for the forthcoming Helvellyn with Mark Richards video with it. Demonstrating how the copter works Tony launched it into the air above the tarn. I was startled at how fast it shot into the sky and how quickly it was almost out of sight. I was also impressed at the views from the camera, relayed onto a screen, and how easily Tony could direct it. I was less impressed by the loud buzzing noise, like a giant wasp. I wouldn’t like to encounter this in the hills very often. I wonder what the local ravens, which were never very far away, made of it. 

The quad copter successfully brought to earth Tony and Claire set off for Styhead and descent back to Seathwaite. Terry and I headed on a faint sometimes boggy path across Seathwaite Fell in search of campsites and, hopefully, somewhere sheltered from the wind where we could record me talking about backpacking and the route. Campsites were soon located with grand views down Borrowdale and of the surrounding fells, especially Glaramara and Great End. The wind was gusty but not strong enough to be a concern. The hints of rain had so far come to nothing. We were not successful in finding anywhere to record where the wind wasn’t too noisy though (planes passing overhead didn’t help either) so we abandoned that idea. Just in time too as it started to rain as we returned to the tents and the wind began to strengthen. I recorded gusts up to 26mph before retreating under cover and getting the stove going. The rain and wind both increased over the next few hours with some ferocious blasts and heavy showers rattling the flysheet. I slept intermittently until late in the night when the wind eased and I fell more deeply asleep. 

Camp on Seathwaite Fell with Great End in the background

Waking at dawn I peered out to mist drifting past the tent and a fine drizzle falling. Everything was damp. At 600 metres we were just in the base of the clouds and the views came and went. We now had a plan for doing the recording – in a quiet room in the Rohan shop in Keswick! The wonders of mobile phones had enabled Terry to contact Rohan and arrange this from camp – we could after all see Keswick so a signal wasn’t that surprising. A quick breakfast and we packed up and headed down the steep slopes of Seathwaite Fell. The rain came on stronger and waterproofs were needed as was care not to slip on the wet grass and greasy rocks. Down in the valley we strode down the track to Seathwaite and then the road to Seatoller and the bus to Keswick. Dripping and damp we stumbled into the Rohan shop where hot mugs of coffee awaited us. Thanks folks! Two hours later our work was complete. Now Terry has all the editing and production work to do and then the video will be complete. It should be available later in the month.

View from the tent at dawn

Questions and Answers for Six Moon Designs

In Glen Quoich on the TGO Challenge with the Six Moon Designs pack as a backrest

Following my use of the Fusion 65 pack on this year's TGO Challenge, a pack I really liked (other than the colour!), Six Moon Designs asked me to take part in their Ten Questions series. My answers have just appeared and you can read them here.