Flotterstone by night

After getting in a bit of night nav practice in on Saturday evening, I was feeling quite good about the technical aspects of the SML assessment next week. Richard T and Richard G said that they would take James and I out one evening this week for a bit of night nav, just to make sure we were ready. Both of them were ML qualified so I was very grateful for any help, advice and guidance that they could offer.

Tonight, we met at the Flotterstone Rangers Centre car park at 6:30pm and headed off into the darkness with our head-torches. The Richards put James and I through our paces and ran the evening a little like a mock-assessment. I felt very comfortable finding the features and taking them to exactly where they wanted to go. I was also surprised at how well I was able to follow where we where, when it wasn't my turn to lead - I felt ready.

The only concern I had was that I didn't have enough 'Quality Mountain Days' logged to qualify for the assessment. But there wasn't much point in dwelling on this now, as it was booked and we were heading to Fort William on Sunday evening.

Pentlands Night Nav

For some crazy reason, I had agreed to sign up for my Summer Mountain Leader Award assessment. A colleaugue at work, James, had signed up for an assessment that was one member short, so I stepped up. The only thing was; the assessment was less than 2 weeks away!
I wasn't sure if I was ready for it, as I had only just done the SML training in April this year, but I was certainly going to give it my best shot. I had been out in the hills a fair amount recently but it had been a long time since I had done any night navigation so I thought it was best to brush up on this again. I wanted to wait until the weather was bad before going out to practice; my thinking was that if I could cope with it in the worst conditions, then I should be able to cope with any conditions when it came to the real thing.
It just so happened that Saturday was a real dog of a day and the wind and rain worsened as the evening drew in - perfect. I wanted to go somewhere that was completely unfamiliar to me but I didn't want to drive too far either. I decided to head towards West Linton and up the road towards Baddinsgill. I parked just before the entrance to the farm and geared up in the comfort of the car. The wind was now howling and the rain was lashing down - I must be mad; going out in this on a Saturday night. But it would be worth it, I told myself. After layering up I pulled on my hat and turned on my head-torch, then I opened the door and stepped out into the night.
I headed back along the road before turning West into Dipper Wood and got a bit of shelter from the wind and the rain. It really was an awful night, but that seemed to simply spur me on. I had soon exited Glen Ely and was clear of the last of the trees and out onto the open hillside. It was pitch black and I only had the strong beam of my trusty Petzl Myo RXP for company. By now, I was already quite wet, so I wasn't hanging around: trying to move as quickly as possible up the grassy slope without loosing count of my paces. I wanted to practice my pacing and timings, as well as my general navigation - I knew that all of these would come under scrutiny on the assessment. I was soon at the top of Byrehope Mount where there was absolutely no shelter from the elements! Not wishing to hang around here, I headed on, into the wind, and followed the features and the fence to the summit of Craigengar.
Now damp and quite chilly, I decided that was enough for tonight so I made my way back down to the farm, using the features of the land to find my way. I have to say, I was rather pleased to get home and to get warm and dry again. But I was very pleased with how the evening had gone. I hadn't forgotten how to navigate in the dark and my pacing and timing were pretty much bang on so this gave me confidence, for sure.

No pictures, sorry... it was far too wet for my camera!

Torridon & Gairloch Reflections

After a fantastic few days exploring Torridon & Gairloch, I had time to reflect on what a successful trip it was. I know felt much better about leading the 2010 Torridon Project and was confident that I knew the area well enough to formulate some plan Bs.

It really highlights just how worthwhile it is going to check out a specific place before taking a trip/group there.
Here's a wee video I made to sum up our time in Torridon & Gairloch:

Torridon - October 2009 from Chris McMorris on Vimeo.

Torridon & Gairloch Climbing

Loch Torridon from the road to Diabaig

We are heading home tomorrow so today is our last full day in Torridon before making the long drive back down to Edinburgh. I was pretty happy with the hills that I wanted to take the group up on Projects but I wanted to check out some of the potential crags to take the group climbing and abseiling. A colleague, James, was part of my staff team for Projects next year and he was SPA qualified, so he would be in charge of those activities. However, he had asked me to check out a couple of crags that he had spotted in the guidebooks.

The first one, that we headed to, was Beginners Slabs. This was very easy to find; we parked at the viewpoint on the road to Diabaig and had a very short walk to the southwest. The massive 35 metre slabs were rather obvious and easy to find. As we geared up at the bottom of Long Thin Slab D, we laughed once again about how glorious the weather was. As I set off up the warm and grippy Lewisian Gneiss, I was struggling to spot were my first piece of gear would be... and the second... and the third... hmm. It didn't really matter, as the climbing was easy and the rock was very dry so the friction was excellent, but it turned into a solo with a heavy harness and dragging a rope attached. The anchors were also a country mile away at the top but luckily there was a massive boulder close by that I used as a single, bombproof anchor to bring Emily up safely. The climbing was excellent and I could see how it would be great for beginners, hence the name of the crag. I then ticked off Pink Slab D and Right Slab D and Emily, once again, followed me to the top of each. From a group point of view; a top rope would work well on Long Thin Slab and Right Slab is well suited for rigging an abseil.

Beginners Slabs, Torridon

Beginners Slabs, Torridon

Beginners Slabs, Torridon

After a lovely morning climbing in the sun, we headed along the road to Kinlochewe. Along the road from Torridon, we spotted a couple of stags rutting near the Beinn Eighe car park. It was an amazing sight so we got out for a closer look and to snap a couple of pictures. We headed on to Gairloch and to Grass Crag. We had climbed at Grass Crag not too long ago and James thought it looked like a very easy place to rig for a group, being a sport crag. As I hadn't been climbing that hard recently and hadn't much experience climbing outdoors, I didn't fancy trying anything to hard so, as before, I lead Third and Final F5+ and then bottom roped Kick Ass Yoga F6a+. It was quite hot in the afternoon sun, so we called it a day there and headed back to Gairloch for an afternoon coffee. It was an ok group venue, but I had my concerns that it might be quite hard for the kids.

Hanging out with the locals in Torridon

Red Deer, Torridon

Grass Crag, Gairloch

A great day and it felt good to have some idea about possible climbing venues in the area - a very successful scouting trip to Torridon. Very lucky with the weather also.

Red Point

Sand left on top of rocks by the tide, Red Point

After a fantastic day up Beinn Alligin yesterday, we opted for something less energetic today. Another plan I had for Projects next year was to walk the group from Diabaig to Red Point via the coast. I already knew where to start at Diabaig, but I had never been to Red Point before and experienced the magnificent beach. We had a bit of a long lie and a late breakfast so it was midday when we turned off the road to Gairloch and headed towards Badachro on the single track road. As was the same as yesterday, the weather was mild, dry and sunny - almost like summer!

Beinn Alligin from Red Point

As we rounded the headland at Port Henderson, the stunning red sands came into view. We parked up at the car park, just before the entrance to Red Point Farm, and headed down towards the beach on the path following the stream. We headed straight for the massive sand dune in front of us and then ran down it onto the golden sand. It really didn't feel like we were up North in October; it really was mild. We carried on round and explored the coast to the Southwest over boggy, grassy farmland. This was a pleasant and interesting stroll and was a great way to walk off some of the stiffness in the legs after yesterday's epic. Progress was slow and it was a good while before we reached the second beach; which is even more impressive than the first. Here was where I wanted to camp with the kids; just behind the sand in the shelter of the deep sand dunes. I was hoping to get permission from the farmer to drive a van down to the second beach - but I would have that conversation another day.

Red Point

Red Point

Happy with the camping spot, we headed back along the coast again, as I had spotted a stoney beach on the way that had some potential for some bouldering. Emily sat in the sun as I messed around on the small outcrop at the shore - great fun.

Bouldering at Red Point

Bouldering at Red Point

Bouldering at Red Point

Bouldering at Red Point

Bouldering at Red Point

Bouldering at Red Point

Beinn Alligin

After a great few days in the Northern Pennines, I arrived home on Monday evening and had to pack up the car again in preparation for our drive to Torridon yesterday. I had been asked to lead the GWC Torridon Project next year and I had happily agreed to this - on the condition that I would need to go and check out the area first (having only been through there briefly in the past). So, Emily and I made the long drive North yesterday and got ourselves settled into the highly recommended Torridon Hostel. Today, I wanted to check out Beinn Alligin. I had a few other hill in mind that I wanted to do with the kids but the one that concerned me the most was Beinn Alligin so I thought it was best to explore it and make a decision afterwards. From a variety of research and much reading, it seemed that the 'normal' route circles the entire mountain in a clockwise direction, leaving The Horns of Alligin until last. Given my experience, I wasn't comfortable about taking a group over The Horns so the other option seemed to suggest returning to the summit of Tom na Gruagaich after Sgurr Mor and back down Coire nan Laogh - the route of ascent. However, I've never been a fan of descending the same way as you came and much more prefer circular routes, as I'm sure many others do also. With this in mind, I had read that there was a possible 'escape' route down to the west of the coll at Fasreidhnean Beinn Alligin. This route descends down towards An Reidh-choire and then follows the deer fence back to the beginning in an anticlockwise direction. The books say that this is an extremely long and unpleasant way down but I was curious to check it out, as it may make for a more entertaining route with the kids.

Beinn Alligin in the clouds

Looking South from Alligin across Loch Torridon

We were up early and made the short drive through Torridon village to the car park by the waterfall on the Abhainn Coire Mhic Nobuil. As we left the car and gazed up at Alligin, we couldn't see the summit of Tom na Gruagaich and the mountain was completely covered in mist. Despite this, it was a fine day and we weren't complaining, as the forecast for the UK this week was really quite horrendous. However, on this occasion, it seemed that Torridon had found itself in it's own wee weather bubble; and as we made our way up the initial steep incline on the excellent path, we joked about how mild it was for this time of year. The going was swift on the good path with the big steps and we were soon at a height of around 400 metres, where the incline levelled out somewhat. Here, we paused and took the opportunity to gaze up at the summit and the entrance into the spectacular Coire nan Laogh. As the cloud had now lifted, the air was very clear so we had great views of Beinn Dearg, Liathach and through the Torridon Forrest to the mighty Beinn Eighe. After pausing to catch our breath, we pressed on and rounded the corner of Na Fasreidhnean and into Coire nan Laogh. Here, the path is still excellent (clearly a great deal of work went into laying it) and winds it's way up to the top of Coire nan Laogh following the stream. On entering the corrie, I had spotted a steep gully on western wall that seemed to lead all the way to the head. On closer inspection, it looked even more interesting and inviting and it certainly had more appeal than stepping up the path. After a brief chat we simply headed straight up and were rewarded with a most enjoyable, easy scramble to reach the grassy plateau with no one in sight. We sat in our t-shirts to have a bite for lunch, so that gives an indication of how still and mild the air was today.

Looking into the magnificent Coire nan Laogh, Beinn Alligin

The mighty Na Rathanan, The Horns of Alligin

Looking East through the Torridon Forrest from Coire nan Laogh

Emily scrambling up the steep side of Coire nan Laogh, Beinn Alligin

Loch Torridon from the top of Coire nan Laogh, Beinn Alligin

The Skye Cuillin from the top of Coire nan Laogh, Beinn Alligin

On the grassy slopes of Tom na Gruagaich with Loch Torridon behind

After lunch, we had a short stroll over to the large summit cairn of Tom na Gruagaich, where we took in the breathtaking view of Sgurr Mor and The Horns of Alligin (Na Rathanan). I can't really describe how much there was to take in: stunning views in every direction and even the Cuillin of Skye were clearly visible. I was sure that this must be one of the most amazing views I have seen to date - what a setting. It was also a special moment as it was Emily's first Munro - very well done, Mily!

We headed North down the narrow ridge towards Fasreidhnean Beinn Alligin over a couple of tricky steps but nothing that wouldn't be 'manageable' with a group - great fun actually. On reaching the col, we looked up at the summit of Sgurr Mor and The Black Notch (Eag Dubh). It was tempting, but I wasn't too fussed about going to the top of this one, as I knew I would be back in the near future so I thought it better to save it for another day. Instead, we headed down the steep grassy slopes to the West towards An Reidh-choire. As we started the descent, we looked back and spotted a large heard of Red Deer above us - what a day!

Sgurr Mor and The Horns of Alligin (Na Rathanan), Beinn Alligin

Tom na Gruagaich Summit, Beinn Alligin

Red Deer on the side of Sgurr Mor, Beinn Alligin

The slope was steep, pathless and boggy in places. It was not fast, easy-going or in any way a pleasant route to take. It turned into a relentless bog-slog that was never-ending and it was very late when we eventually made it back to the car with our head touches. I certainly wouldn't recommend this route to anyone, unless they had no other option but even then I can't see why you would go that way - in winter it would be a serious undertaking. The way down the good path back to Tom na Gruagaich and down Coire nan Laogh is by far the more sensible and better option. On the plus side, we were treated to a spectacular sunset to the West and despite the epic journey down, it was a great day and well worth exploring as I now feel great about taking the kids up there... bring it on!

Sunset from An Reidh-choire, Beinn Alligin

Sunset from An Reidh-choire, Beinn Alligin

Sunset from An Reidh-choire, Beinn Alligin

Sunset from An Reidh-choire, Beinn Alligin

Sunset from An Reidh-choire, Beinn Alligin

D of E Assessing - Northern Pennines 2009

This week I have been helping with Duke of Edinburgh for GWC in the Northern Pennines, based at Ninebanks YHA.

I arrived late on the Wednesday night and only Jamie was still up when I arrived at Ninebanks. After a brief bit of banter and a catch up, we headed to the bunks for a good nights rest. The next morning I met my group for the first time; a Gold Qualifying group of sixth year lads - a nice bunch. The weather that morning was rather dreich; perfect for some micro nav so we set out from the hostel over Mohope Moor. We spent the morning 'finding' various features in the landscape using the 1:50k map. The boys quickly discovered that fences and walls are not marked on these maps... and that there are a lot more of them about down here compared to Scotland! Usually in the D of E groups there is one pupil who is the navigator for the group, so I was keen to try and get them all up to speed and not just be relying on one person all the time. We also looked at pacing and different types of bearings and how to use them. After messing around, we met Jane and her group for lunch on top of Hard Rigg. After a bite to eat, we gave both groups the challenge of leading us all safely to Alston for some afternoon tea. A gentle first day.

Looking South down the track towards Townhead, Pennines

On Friday, the lads left around 9am and the mist was still down. They were heading to first but not across the moor this time. I took the opportunity to grab a cooked breakfast in Alston before seeing them through the village safely - their spirits seemed high, despite the drizzle. Once through Alston, their route took them South and then West, over the river to Leadgate. Here, they joined the A686 for a short time before turning off and heading South along the Maiden Way to Townhead (Camp 1). I saw them join the main road at Leadgate, and then I drove round to introduce myself to the farmer at Townhead. Once I had established which field the lads were to camp in, I dropped off the jerry cans and headed up Muska Hill. By now the mist had all burnt off and it was a glorious sunny day so after Muska, I headed over to the summit of Brown Hill to see if I could spot the lads coming towards me. However, as I gazed across Srony Rigg and along to Melmerby Fell, there was no trace of the group. A little puzzled, I pushed on to the summit of Melmerby to look right along the Maiden Way; but still nothing. Even more confused by now, I re-traced my steps back to the campsite and waited in the car for a while. Just as I was starting to get a little anxious, the lads appeared coming up the road in front of me: the complete opposite way to what they were meant to be doing. They looked shattered, but smiled broadly as they greeted me. After a quick chat, and helping them put up tents, it transpired that they had come down off the ridge too early and ended up in Melmerby - but they understood where they had gone wrong and found their way to camp without difficulty. Pleased by how they were performing and that they were now settled, I left them to it and headed back to Ninebanks for a late supper and a good sleep.

Looking up at Brown Hill from Townhead, Pennines

Nearing the top of Muska Hill, Pennines

On Saturday morning I left swiftly after breakfast to check the campsite and to collect their rubbish - all was well and they had left me a route card to let me know that they had left on schedule. After the farmer had kindly let me fill the jerry cans, I headed up the road to Dufton (Camp 2). After introducing myself to the campsite warden, I drove up towards the radar station on Great Dun Fell. I parked the car at the side of the road, just behind Knock Pike, and set off along the side of the tarmac road. I found this road walking pretty tedious so I hopped over the barrier and contoured up through the gully above Knock Ore Gill - an interesting and very loose scramble! I passed swiftly around the edge of the radar station and joined the Pennine Way to Little Dun Fell and then on to Cross Fell. I was surprised to find a large, multi-sided drystone shelter on the summit, but made good use of it for my lunch stop as I waited for the lads to arrive. It was another fabulous day, with clear views South to The Dales - spectacular. It wasn't long before the lads arrived for lunch and by the look on their faces: didn't expect to see me up there waiting for them. A couple of them were covered in mud and they told me that they had encountered a rather large bog on the way up from Kirkland. I din't hang around long and I left them in good spirits to head back over the ridge to the car. When rounding Great Dun Fell for the second time, I spotted Jane coming around the other side. We walked on a little and had a natter, and then Jamie wandered casually around the corner, coming across the ridge from the other direction - what a coincidence! Jamie said he was heading back to his minibus and I said I would give Jane a lift back down to Dufton. When we arrived there, Tam's group were already at the campsite and all set up. Jane and I grabbed a quick coffee and a cake in the Pub across the road and watched for my lads coming into town. They were bang on schedule and after a quick 'hello' I left them to it and headed back to Ninebanks for the evening.

Radar Station on the summit of Great Dun Fell, Pennines

Great Dun Fell from Little Dun Fell, Pennines

Sunday was a real dog of a day, but not surprising after a glorious two days of sun - it had to break sooner or later. The lads were following the Pennine Way for most of the day but I was a little concerned about them navigating their way through to Cauldron Snout in the thick mist. Tam said he would check the campsite for me in the morning, so I took another opportunity to grab a cooked breakfast in Alston. Afterwards, I went and introduced myself to the farmer at Dale Head (Camp 3) and dropped off a couple of jerry cans for the lads. I then headed down the road to Cow Green Reservoir and parked up at Cauldron Snout. Now it just so happened, that I had my mountain bike with me on the back of the car; and I was very glad I did. I had tremendous fun tearing along the track to Birkdale farm. But if anyone wants any advice for the next bit... be prepared for you lungs to burst! It was a steep and technical climb up a single track with rather large stones to negotiate. Once onto the open ground, there is a nice wooden walkway over the worst of the bog. However, this soon ends and the terrain becomes pure bog and is not cycle-able. I accepted defeat at this point and waited here, hoping that the lads would appear out of the thick fog at some point - I could just about see my hand in front of my face! I had only been resting there for a couple of minutes when I heard singing coming from somewhere in the mist; it was the lads! I was quite pleased to see them and I could tell that they definitely did not expect to come across me there in the mist, much to my delight. They were in good spirits but clearly finding the conditions hard, but they were pleased to now be on the home stretch. I left them and cycled off into the mist ahead of them and back to the car to get warm and to dry off - unfortunately the lads had no such luxury. I grabbed a quick coffee at Langdon Beck before seeing the boys into their final camp and then headed back to Ninebanks.

The lads leaving the summit of Cross Fell, Pennines

On The Screes of Cross Fell, Pennines

Monday was the final day and all the groups, including mine, were to finish in Alston in the afternoon. We all went for an assessors breakfast in Alston before going our separate ways to check on our respective groups. There was no trace of the lads at their final campsite; only their bag of rubbish and the empty jerry cans. I headed back towards Garrigill, hoping to spot them from the road - but visibility was poor and I saw no sign of them. At Garrigill I bumped into Alan waiting in his car for his group to pass through. He then told me rather casually that the lads had pasted through 'ages ago' and I thought that they should be finished by now. A bit gutted to have missed them, I headed back to Alston. I found them all in the cafe happily munching on all-day breakfasts. Once fed and watered, we had a bit of a debrief about how everything went. It turns out that they had decided to get up really early and just get the last few km over and done with. I didn't have a problem with this, it was just a bit of a shame that I wasn't waiting for them at the finish to congratulate them properly. Despite this, I was very impressed with them as a group and I told them this. Sometimes I DO get the good groups after all...

Looking South towards The Dales from Brown Hill, Pennines

All of the other groups finished safely without any drama so all they could do was sit around and wait for the coach to arrive and take everyone back to Edinburgh. I headed home buzzing after a very enjoyable few days in the Pennines and I couldn't wait to go back - what a place! On the drive home, my thoughts turned to Torridon: where Emily and I are heading tomorrow!