Back in the saddle

Hey, it's great to be back in the saddle!!! I didn't know how much I'd missed it until I got out on the road again - twice in the past week. The sensation of speed and the great feeling of breathing in clean country air on Route 7, a well-worn track to and from Castle Semple Cafe via the Blair estate. Admittedly, getting out today was more to do with not being able to get out in the mountains (again, arrgh!!!), so on this occasion cycling was just another way of getting outdoors. I would do anything that involves getting outdoors (reminds me of a Meatloaf song), even golf! Well, maybe that's stretching it somewhat.

Anyways, me and the Gavster (or should that be: "Fat Lad" - of which, more later) found ourselves heading up that old familiar track for a morning coffee at Lochwinnoch. Only problem was, with the wind at our tail we got there rather quicker than expected and found the shutter still down, as it was still only 9.45am. Luckily the kind folks in the cafe know our faces (more evidence of the habit) and took pity on these sweaty superstars in lycra, letting us in early for a window seat and a nice soft couch. Oooh - a very nice and most welcome soft couch, after a hard saddle! Bums take time to adjust after such a long spell on the sidelines - last time out on the bike was late Sept/early Oct (I think some Assos cream is required!).

So, what is it about cycling that's so fantastic?

Adrenaline; buses (well, racing buses through town anyway); Cube - my trusty steed, duuuh!; energy gels; fast; getting places under your own steam; hustling through heavy traffic when two wheels are faster than four; interval training, ouch!; jumpers...of the cool and stylish variety, of course; kit - I must admit, I'm rather fond of bright, gaudy colours; lycra - it's a MAMIL thing!; mental; new gear; outdoors...obviously!; positivity - I feel good, mentally as well as physically; quicker than running; racing; Shimano - they seem to make everything; The Tour; up - yes, up - because then it's down, and that involves speed; Vuelta - go figure!; weight - the lighter the better; xtra time outdoors; youth, or the prolonging of it; zooming along, in the zone!

So, there we are, what good reason could be found not to be oot an' aboot on a Saturday mornin'? Absolutely none! Yeeha!

What about this Fat Lad stuff, then? Check out the photos to find out...nice jumper by the way, Gav!

Finally, the other thing about a tail wind is that usually you'll have to face it at some point. And face it we did - all the way back to Kilwinning. Me in front, Fat Lad at the back. Ah well, you win some, you lose some - good resistance training, so it is.

The Chronicles of Narnain

Well, what incredible weather has been battering the country over the past few months! Record flooding on the Somerset Levels, railway lines washed away in Dawlish, waves crashing over huge buildings, flood debris on promenades across the country. This island has been shown to be particularly vulnerable, as the jetstream does it's dastardly deeds and we batten down the hatches and the nation goes into hibernation.

But, what stalwarts the British people are! I give you: The Battle of Britain. The Blitz. Clyde shipbuilding. The Arctic Convoys. Shackleton (okay, so Shakleton's technically Irish, but we'll let him off - he was a Brit at heart). Robert Falcon Scott. Douglas Mawson. The Great Escape. Ranulph Fiennes. Hamish MacInnes. The Victor. Trafalgar. James Bond. Alexander Fleming. Barnes Wallis. Churchill. Oor Wullie! Queen Elizabeth II. What a great nation! And Alex Salmond looks to divide us? Right!That's it - hairstyles at dawn - Salmond and Trump - a fight to the death. Trump's combover versus Salmond's coo's lick. Or how about Sugar Ray Leonard versus our illustrious First Minister, in a fight to the death. Bare knuckles! Wishful thinking.

You may wonder where on earth I'm going with this? (don't worry, so am I!!!). The point is, we Brits are a hardy, long suffering, get on with it bunch of people. We dig deep. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. And in case you hadn't realised by now - I'm firmly in the No camp for the coming independence referendum.

So, there he is, this hard as nails (British) mountain man (that's me, by the way), sound asleep, dreaming of Lancaster bombers and Manchester United's poor form. And the alarm goes off at an unearthly 6.30am. At this point I roll over, thinking "Beinn Narnain (or, is it the kingdom of Narnia???) is only about 75 minutes drive (or,  through the back of an old wardrobe) - I can afford an extra half hour." After all, the days are starting to stretch. Have you noticed? Half five before it was dark yesterday? So, half an hour later and I fell out of bed - bring it on! The hills are alive!

Today's weather was incredible. Well, not exactly in the way that it's been recently. Arrived at Arrochar   - 8.45am. Ready to head for hills - 8.55am. And, do you know what? Not a breath of wind. I had chosen my day well. A couple of hastily arranged work appointments and some jiggery pokery later, and here I was again with some good conditions forecast between two nasty ridges of low pressure familiar story). More storms to come. More flooding - the Somerset Levels cut off from the outside world (Davie Cameron, get your act together!). But all's well with the world when I can get some mountain time.

It must be at least 10 years since I last ventured out onto Beinn Narnain, or the Cobbler for that matter. And things had changed - there's a new path from Succoth (on which the bold Stewart steamed ahead without a second thought), taking the walker up a series of zig zags and along some contours to the Buttermilk Burn. Only problem is, if you're heading for Beinn Narnain you will need to contour back along to just above the site of the old Sloy Dam rail track, before hanging a left and heading straight up the bog-fest that is the lower slopes of Cruach nam Miseag. Drat and double drat! (Dick Dastardly - another great Brit! I rest my case). I resolved to find the old path later, on my descent.

One of the Arrochar Alps, Beinn Narnain is Gaelic for Hill of Notches - aptly named and descriptive of the false summits encountered, when a short descent is required before a steep uphill section. In profile, these appear as notches cut out of the eastern shoulder of the mountain. This is a steep and rocky wee hill, much like Ben Vane. However, in my book it trumps (not Donald again!) Ben Vane, as it has a fine section known as the Spearhead, part of a couple of fine rock towers standing sentinel just below the summit.

I must say that the weather at this point veered between snow flurries, whiteout, azure blue skies and bright sunshine. But oh how rewarding mountaineering in these types of conditions is! The amazing views are all the better when glimpsed briefly through parting clouds and spindrift. The same spindrift that was presently blowing wee, sharp needles of ice into my eyes and up my nose - ouch!

To the north, a fine rocky ridge connects Narnain with A' Chrois - a worthwhile jaunt I once traversed in summer as part of a Cobbler/Narnain/A' Chrois trio. What a great day that was! To the south, The Cobbler, or Ben Arthur. To the east, Ben Lomond, from this angle a fine snow-capped pyramid. And now, for the third consecutive trip, I found myself having to don crampons and wield an ice axe, as I gingerly made my way across a fine, firm snow field with drops away down into the corrie, far below. A slip, at this point, could prove challenging.

Ice axe arrest is a skill that's usually practised on a short, smooth slope with a nice, safe run-out at it's base. Using this technique for real is not for the faint-hearted, and I had no great desire to employ it today.

The big notch before the summit is an impressive sight in winter, looming as it was today, out of the cloud and rimed in snow and ice like a giant fridge freezer. I stood transfixed, awestruck with it's icy grandeur and then reached for a wee energy gel to fire me up to the top. Once gained, the summit plateau certainly ain't as impressive as it's rocky ramparts, and exhausted from the effort of the climb, I just about managed to plant one foot in front of the other as I made my way to the the ice encrusted trig point pillar. Lunch time: tuna sandwiches, cheese and onion crisps followed by a Cadbury's Caramel, all washed down with copious amounts of steaming hot tea - fantastic!

Then, suitably rested and refreshed, I took a compass bearing from the trig point and headed downhill for the Bealach a'Mhaim, and found myself sinking deep into soft snow - completely the reverse of the leeward side of the hill. I glimpsed a party of climbers weaving their way up the northern flank of the Cobbler, and for a moment considered following their lead. However, in full winter conditions, the mountains are very demanding on these old legs and I resolved to leave it for another day, heading off down to the Narnain boulders and down the long and winding road back to the car. At which point the weather really shut in, as the snow started falling in earnest. I reflected on my decision to leave the Cobbler for another day as one of the better decisions I've made. Another amazing mountain day in my wonderful winter playground! The Odyssey continues.

Arrochar

A' Chrois

Bring on the blue skies

Yours Truly

Yours Truly, with A' Chrois

Tantalising Glimpse

My Winter Playground

The Spearhead

Summit Trig Point

10 Things I Miss About The Great Outdoors When Weather-Bound

Yes, you've guessed it from the title of today's blog - I'm stuck indoors, grumpy as a grumpy thing with a sore head and yearning to be oot an aboot with the wind in my face (would've said 'In my hair' but I ain't got much). Sometimes I think that the desire for adventure is a yearning to get back to the home fires, but on a day like today the home fires aren't quite as appealing. I want to get away from the fire!

John Muir famously summed up the desire for nature thus:
"Walk away quietly in any direction and taste the freedom of the mountaineer. Camp out among the grasses and gentians of glacial meadows, in craggy garden nooks full of nature's darlings. Climb the mountains and get their good tidings, nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves."

And, sitting in this armchair reading an outdoor magazine to compensate for my inactivity, while the rain trickles down the window opposite, another Muir quote pierces the gloom:
"One day's exposure to mountains is better than cartloads of books. See how willingly nature poses herself upon photographers' plates. No earthly chemicals are so sensitive as those of the human soul."

Couldn't say it better myself. So, with this in mind, here are the top ten things I miss about the great outdoors when weather-bound, in no particular order:

1. Having a great new piece of kit and not being able to use it. This involves wearing/using it around the house whilst staring into the middle distance. Hugely frustrating!
2. Having already planned a great new route and then being forced to ponder it indefinitely, when all you want to do is get outside and use it! Usually, this will have involved loads of thought and research, over the course of many days. In fact, the thought process for the next journey often takes root while on the current one.
3. Getting to a decent level of winter fitness and then not being able to consolidate/advance. Mountaineering in winter requires a specific muscle set. Evidence of this can be found in aching calf muscles and sore shins. The more time spent, the fitter you are and the more you can manage.
4. The camaraderie of good company and shared adversity. Bonds forged in arctic terrain, poor visibility and challenging topography, stand the test of time.
5. There's nothing quite like the thrill of a crisp, clear winter's morning, blue skies (fleeting at best in Scotland) and hard compacted snow. There's nowhere else I'd rather be!
6. Eating as much as I like - with no consequences! Jelly Babies, Mars Bars, peanuts, Whole Nut chocolate bars, barley sugars, energy gels etc etc. Stop it! This is silly!
7. Praying time - nearer my God to Thee. Surrounded by the absolute awesomeness of His handiwork, I am nearer to my Maker and feel a closeness that's tangible.
8. Thinking time. I've solved many problems and righted a thousand wrongs on the hill.
9. Getting back to basics, I appreciate life's simplicity: I need fuel for my body to produce energy. This heats me and enables me to travel further and in more comfort. I clothe myself in multiple, thin, wicking, warm layers, which I adjust as I go along. I pay close attention to what the weather's doing and where it's coming from. I hydrate my body regularly, often with some sort of isotonic drink. I respect the wilderness and try to leave no trace, taking out what I take in. No, that's wrong - I take out a whole lot more than I take in! It's all these simple, basic things that I appreciate.
10. Exploration - seeing and travelling through a wide variety of unfamiliar landscapes and revisiting different spots at different times of year and in different seasons and weather conditions - there's always something new to experience and learn. I feel connected to and enjoy an affinity with the mountains. I also feel a Woody Guthrie song coming on..."This land is your land, this land is my land..."

Finally, in photographic form, here's what I'm dreaming of when the weather improves:

Carn Mor Dearg Arrete and Ben Nevis

Aonach Eagach

Buachaille Etive Mor