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Welcome to my blog

I don't always write a blog, and indeed some of the companies I work for as a freelancer specifically insist that I don't, but I do occasionally like to put my thoughts and trips into words for posterity, by way of a wee diary, and also an illustration of what I get up to with folks. I do hope you find it interesting, and would welcome any feedback or comments.
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'If Carlsberg did mountains.....'

24/7/2015

2 Comments

 
For our final day together, we decided on a split route. Colm wanted to have a crack at the zigzag route on Gearr Aonach, which is one of the Three Sisters of Glencoe, whilst Matt opted for the less technical walk up the beautiful Coire an Lochan. We planned to meet on the NE ridge of Stob Coire nan Lochan.

The plan worked a treat, and Colm and I had a blast on the top-end Grade 1 scrambling up the zigzags. The final wall has a technical move around a bulge that always gets the pulse racing, and we enjoyed the problem solving, finding the hidden undercut hold that is the key to the move.

Matt was a little chilled by the time we got to him, so we headed on up quickly, with the narrowing ridge always good fun, but never too tricky. We picked out a few spicier lines to enhance the ascent, and were soon on the summit, (which all agree should be a munro). It was then a misty descent and re-ascent onto the highest mountain in Argyll, Bidean nam Bian, which did a good line in looming views in the cloud. We rested on the cloudy summit a while chatting to some Americans, before the views suddenly revealed themselves.....wonderful. The Americans thankfully took my advice and saved themselves a very long road walk up the valley had they taken their planned route!

Buoyed by the expansive views and improving weather, we then headed for our second munro, Stob Coire Sgreamhach, before taking the eroded gully down into the Hidden Valley, as beautiful as ever. It would be fair to say the lads didn't enjoy the scree, but had a laugh trying to glissade down the snow patch (at the end of July....I mean for heaven's sake!).

The beauty of this walk just keeps on coming right until the very end, end even then you can look back up the valleys and buttresses and think 'did we really just climb those'?

Glencoe.....If Carlsberg did mountains.....

2 Comments
Colm
27/7/2015 09:12:19 am

A Testimonial.

I have just had an amazing three days in the mountains of Glencoe with Johnny Walker Mountain Leading and although my legs are still aching a wee bit, my head is still a-buzz with all the knowledge, skills, experiences and emotions Johnny opened up for me.
Johnny is a man you trust immediately. His experience in these mountains means that he knows them intimately like friends and he inspires you with confidence and the feeling that you are in safe hands. "Welcome to my office" he says expansively as we sit at the summit of Sgurr Dearg, eating our lunch. We had been developing our rock scrambling skills on the North East ridge of Beinn A' Beithir, and Johnny is such a great teacher that you feel yourself improving all the time. But it's not just the technical stuff. Johnny loves the mountains for their natural beauty and grandeur and his enthusiasm is infectious. Tiny flowers, fungi, algae and lichens are constantly pointed out and their scientific wonders and histories explained. I'll never forget the magic of the match head fungus and its symbiotic relationships, or the wonderful midge devouring properties of butterwort! And i'll always be on the look out for starry saxifrage from now on. I've walked past these wonders for years until Johnny pointed them out.
We spent a day learning navigation skills from Johnny and he is really relentless and meticulous in making sure you get the little details right. It was great fun and really satisfying to develop our skills, taking bearings, pacing distance and reading the contours of the landscape. Then Johnny let us loose on a night navigation up the Pap of Glencoe with only map, compass, darkness (and some pretty nasty weather) for company. He lets you challenge yourself and take things head on, but he is always their behind you with advice, guidance or support if you need it. He seems to intuitively know what you need before you do yourself. When i was tired and my legs placement was less than assured on the wet and dark descent, Johnny watched me, anticipated this and gave sound advice before I had a chance to make an error.
On the final glorious day we climbed the majestic Bidean Nam Bian via the Zigzags: 2 munros, an exhilarating scramble up the improbable buttress of the "middle sister", ever expanding views (all expertly pointed out and named by Johnny) and a descent into the beautiful picture post card landscape of the hidden valley. All accompanied by "chatty John's" informative and entertaining banter.
If you want to go a little bit further in these beautiful mountains, go with Johnny Walker. I cannot recommend him highly enough.

Reply
Johnny W
27/7/2015 09:36:28 am

Kind words indeed Colm, thank you very much.

Reply



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