Hillwalk Scotland

Crash Site

I've written before about the number of aircraft crash sites in the Scottish mountains. There's a surprisingly high number of them and when I come across these sites I always like to find out a little more about what happened.
I recently came across this article on Walk Scotland which tells the story of a SuperFortress that crashed in the hills above Loch Goil in 1949 kiling 20 men. I wasn't aware of this tragedy before and the article provides lots of information. If you've come across this wreckage on a walk and would like to know more, have a look.

Fly Like an Eagle..

I first realised I need glasses a number of years ago when out hillwalking. Friends would refer to something - a path or someone on it - and I  was struggling to see what they were talking about. I got my eyes tested and sure enough I needed glasses to help sharpen up things at a distance.

I was reminded of this at the beginning of September when I nipped out from Glasgow for a quick jaunt up Ben Vane in the Arrochar Alps. I was at the top of the mountain, tucked behind a stone in the lee of the hill enjoying my lunch when I heard another solo walker talking rather loudly into their mobile. I couldn't help but overhear them telling someone that they were on top of a Munro in Scotland and that the view was wonderful. He then said something along the lines of

'Oh I can see an eagle soaring now. It's wonderful, absolutely beautiful'.

He waxed lyrical for a bit longer and then there was an embarrassed pause, followed by

'Hang on a minute. It's actually a helicopter'

Sure enough the mountain rescue people were out training. While it was pretty funny I did sympathise given my own experience. So if the person concerned does happen to be reading this, please follow this link.  (Also, click on photos for a better view!)

New URL

I'm pleased to say that my new URL, www.hillwalkscotland.com is now working. Don't worry if you have my old Bagger address in your favourites or newsreader as it will still work. In fact thanks for the welcome back comments in the post below from some people who were obviously subscribed to Bagger and had noticed that the blog sprang back to life yesterday.
I hope to start posting about hillwalking tomorrow and I'll shortly be outlining how I hope to develop the site.

Update on Bookcrossing

Just over a year ago I posted an entry about bookcrossing - the practice of leaving a book in a public place to be picked up and read by others, who then do likewise. Someone was doing it on the Scottish hills and bothies. Well a year on Sheila from Inverness came across my site and has got in touch to update me on what she does. I've copied what she wrote below.

Hi! I could start my message to you in the same way as your blog message…

“Doing a Google search on something quite unrelated, I came across….” (your blog)

I’m the daft woman leaving books on our Scottish Munros and lesser hills and in mountain bothies. I’ve been doing so for 3 years, but don’t get out in the hills nearly as often as I’d like. As far as I know, I’m the only bookcrossing member leaving books in the Scottish hills, but a few bookcrossing members do likewise in the Alps and the US. See here. The vast majority of the 413,000 members leave books in city centre cafes or park benches, but I have great fun leaving mine (in polybags) on our Munros and lesser hills. A few of these have been picked up, journalled at the site and left on other mountains by hillwalkers, so you may find one somewhere other than where I left it. As you say, I try, to leave books relating to mountains, but as I read a wider range of books and pass some of my favourite mountain books to a walking friend, I leave other books too.

I had an article published in the Bookcrossing newsletter last week, with a few of my favourite releases, including one which found it’s way to Mt Kilimanjaro (not by me, unfortunately).

Happy Munro bagging

Sheila aka swan-scot

I think bookcrossing is a great idea so keep up the good work Sheila and I hope to strike it lucky next time I'm on the hills.

Bagger's Back

I've finally found some time to get Bagger back online after an extended break in Canada. I was there on a family holiday with my young children and I also visited relatives who live there. With a three and six year old on tow, serious hillwalking wasn't possible but I still had time to enjoy the mountains and fulfill a long term ambition of driving across the Rockies - in fact I did it twice! I don't intend to write 'what I did on my holidays' type entries but I will be musing on some of my experiences and impressions and adding a photo album of some of the mountain photos I took.

I'd previously skied in Banff/Lake Louise and in Whistler but those trips hadn't really prepared me for the sheer scale of the Rockies - there are hills and mountains everywhere - the trip from Calgary to Vancouver is 420 miles. In comparison Glasgow to London is a mere 344 miles and with the Canadian trip it's mountains nearly all the way. And of course the mountainous strip of the Rockies is considerably longer than its width! The idea of 'bagging' the Rockies just doesn't enter the mind. What they do offer is serious mountaineering, long distance trails, day hikes, sightseeing and a serious opportunity to enjoy a wilderness experience with all that means for seeing wildlife and plants. Even the tourist 'honey spots' with the exception of Banff seem to easily absorb a large number of visitors.

Of course it's not just walking, there are opportunities to indulge in all sorts of adventure sports with rafting particularly prominent amongst them. And for Brits the whole thing is relatively cheap - with current exchange rates the pound goes a long way.

I'm afraid that’s all I've time for at the moment but I'll add further thoughts in due course and I'll also be doing my best to find time to resume normal service and blog about what is happening in Scottish hillwalking.

Visit to Canadian Rockies

Apologies to regular visitors but I'm afraid that my blogging (and bagging) has been a bit lax of late. I've just been incredibly busy getting things cleared up at work and preparing for a trip to the Canadian Rockies.  Along with my family, I fly out to Calgary on Friday to spend three weeks in Western Canada. After taking in some of the Calgary Stampede and meeting up with my uncle who lives there, we intend to meander over the Rockies to Vancouver and then back again via Jasper.

I know how wonderful the mountain landscape is there as I have skied in the Rockies before. However I haven't been in summer or done any walking. I'm really looking forward to it although the amount of walking I actually get done will be limited because of the age of my children. Nevertheless just being in such a wonderful environment will I'm sure be therapeutic. However, I was somewhat taken aback earlier today when I logged onto the website for Jasper National Park - the headline was a cougar warning - not something I've ever had to give any thought to on my Scottish walks!

I am taking my laptop with me and do hope to do some blogging - although that will be dependant on time and access to wireless hot spots. Even if I don't manage to blog I'm sure there will be plenty to write about on my return.

Online Directory for North West Scotland

If you're planning a trip to the far north west of Scotland you might want to take a look at the online directory at camusnagaul.biz. It provides lots of useful material and links  about Wester Ross including hillwalking and accommodation. There's also some excellent photos giving a flavour of the area.

Mountain Weather

I'm going hillwalking this weekend and have been browsing the online weather forecasts in the hope that they will tell me what I want to hear! I was impressed by the mountain pages at Accuweather which offers a high level of localisation - although given Scotland's climate I'm not sure how accurate this can be. I also like to use the Mountain Weather Information Service which offers a lot of detail but over a wider area.

I'll hopefully have time to post tomorrow about what is going to be a big weekend!

Summits On The Air

Munro baggers are well used to the uninitiated finding the activity a bit bizarre so I'm sure the group of people known as 'Mountain Goat' and 'Shack Sloth' have a similar experience. They participate in a mountain activity that I'd never heard of until I stumbled upon  Summits on the Air.

According to the site it's

'an award scheme for radio amateurs and shortwave listeners that encourages portable operation in mountainous areas. SOTA has been carefully designed to make participation possible for everyone - this is not just for mountaineers! There are awards for activators (those who ascend to the summits) and chasers (who remain in the warmth of their radio shacks!)'.

It has an international membership and has guidelines to encourage participants to respect the environment and not interfere with the enjoyment of other hill users.

One participant, gm4zfz, has an excellent blog of his activities in the Scottish mountains. As I said, this is a new one on me but good luck to all participants and I'll keep a lookout for people fiddling with wires and ariel's and shouting into microphones!

The Mountains Beckon

The weather is poor and the forecast is for more of the same. Nevertheless Bagger is happy  - no family or work commitments mean that tomorrow, for the first time in ages, I'm going hillwalking. The build up is for me part of the pleasure - looking at my mountain books, pouring over maps, discussing where we should go with friends and tracking down all my gear that mysteriously never seems to be where I thought I left it. I'm even looking forward to waxing my boots!
We're not going to finalise where we're going until we see what the weather is like tomorrow. It'll probably just be a favourite in the nearby Arrocher Alps but if the weather is going to be better in the east, we could head slightly further afield.
Whatever the conditions I can't wait.