Sorry, couldn't find another thread with this title and thought I'd start one to add to the ride and run threads.


It's still exceedingly cold hereabouts, and has stayed so for longer than I can remember previously. As a result, the lochs are well frozen. Today, Mrs Routes and I headed across Loch an Eilein to the 14th century castle.









I've previously considered this wee island for a BAM visit (via packraft) but the whole island gets very overgrown in the summer.

Very nice Colin. The hound and myself had a traipse on to the hills above the forest here but not a patch on that.

Aye that is stunning.
Just got back in after an early evening stroll around Conwy with the Mrs and middle teen. I didn't take any pics even though the castle looked fantastic lit up.
Sad to see a group of young uns lighting candles for the missing fishermen on the quay.

summittoppler wrote: ↑Mon Feb 01, 2021 8:19 pm Aye that is stunning.
Just got back in after an early evening stroll around Conwy with the Mrs and middle teen. I didn't take any pics even though the castle looked fantastic lit up.
Sad to see a group of young uns lighting candles for the missing fishermen on the quay.

I walked past the Man and Boy in Brixham tonight. Still candles down for the two fishermen we lost recently. Also, a proper shipwreck. “Sea Beast” has been tamed

https://www.instagram.com/p/CKw2dGAF8vl ... z4k5xb2r06

ScotRoutes wrote: ↑Mon Feb 01, 2021 7:13 pm

That is so cool. Every time I've walked round there, I've wondered about how to get to that ruin...

I have started painting stones again, plonked this lot down, on a random footpath between villages, while a quick walk this afternoon. Hopefully someone finds them cheery...

Excellent! Love things like that. Transpose blue and green and you'd have a rainbow! Or is the mis-positioning a metaphor for something? .

I'm very keen on miniature street art too, eg Slinkachu:

RIP wrote: ↑Mon Feb 01, 2021 11:46 pm Excellent! Love things like that. Transpose blue and green and you'd have a rainbow! Or is the mis-positioning a metaphor for something? .

All you need to remember for a rainbow is ROYGBIV...

RIP wrote: ↑Mon Feb 01, 2021 11:46 pm I'm very keen on miniature street art too, eg Slinkachu:

I don't have the skillz for that kind of malarkey. If it can't be slathered on with a large paint brush, I'm out...

We have Dinky Doors in Cambridge. I used to walk passed the DFO quite a bit, amazing work[wo]manship...

K1100T wrote: ↑Tue Feb 02, 2021 12:06 am

RIP wrote: ↑Mon Feb 01, 2021 11:46 pm Excellent! Love things like that. Transpose blue and green and you'd have a rainbow! Or is the mis-positioning a metaphor for something? .

All you need to remember for a rainbow is ROYGBIV...

DOH! 'course it is isn't it. Remembered it as ROYBGIV. Well past my bedtime

K1100T wrote: ↑Tue Feb 02, 2021 12:06 am We have Dinky Doors in Cambridge. I used to walk passed the DFO quite a bit, amazing work[wo]manship...

Super duper. Great thread. I have barely ridden my bikes much at all lately and i dont run thanks to FUBARed knees. But walking. I do walking. Cheers

Re - Loch an Eilein, it is on my list for next year. Hammock possible?

I'm getting a tiny (1 metre) kids/toy inflatable dinghy £15. This summer I will be doing some swimming tours, towing it with my camping gear. Was supposed to do it in Corfu last year but.....

Rasta wrote: ↑Wed Feb 03, 2021 12:02 pm Re - Loch an Eilein, it is on my list for next year. Hammock possible?

Yep. Main problem is just how busy the track is but there are a couple of spots where you could be more out of the way. It might be better heading to Loch Gamhna.

The track? On the island? I was hoping for a castle for the night.

Ah, the island? It's very overgrown as soon as the weather changes. Not sure you'd find a couple of suitable trees.

Okay thanks. That is what I meant by towing my camping gear.

Walked all of 50m from the end of the drive to the village cattle pound and back.

Yesterdays walk....


Still loads of snow so did a wee loop up the River Dulnain.



Snow was hard work in places, knee deep frequently and more in drifts.

If I'm going to have a walk anywhere I like to make it a productive one if I can. So today: through the town, down the canal, round the old railway - and guerilla-planted the rest of the acorns that I haven't already potted up. 42 of them, all sprouting already. If just one of them makes the 1000 years I'll be satisfied.

Loving the mini stone henges KT

Oh, and just been roped in by my chum Cllr 'Mad' Victoria to go and help grit the High St this PM because the council can't be arsed to do it!

Monday is rest day so I went for a walk to the Pike. Hadn't intended to, but when I got up high the weather was so poor, I knew there would be some sort of interesting snow up there. Turns out, I was right.

Great 3000th post Greg!

Thanks.

Night nav. exercise with the MRT last night. On the highest piece of moorland, in -4 and blowing. Tried out a new winter layering combination. Was absolutely excellent, minor sweating while working hard uphill into the wind, but :)

Only covered 6km in 2 hours but had a cracking night out with my team-mate. Worked in pairs to navigate around some previous casualty sites, across the moor and over to the crags. Played around in waist deep powder - did some unintentional dancing on ice a few times, came off the hill at 2200 buzzing. Sketchy drive home with al the drifting snow but worthwhile practice.

I'm a big advocate of training in poor weather - it's when we get our most potentially lethal callouts. Those are the times you need to know you can do what we're trained to do. Was a nice bit of mental confirmation last night.

Yes I do enjoy a walk in horrible weather if you have the right gear.
Today the weather was fab. I wasn't walking per se but sort of - a fine days skinny skiing around my local hills in freshies and blue sky. I put my skis on at the front door!

Knock Hill - I skied the easy line through the gulley (leather boots) but the couloir to the left looks worth a go on the big skis (also floppy heels) that said its avalanche central up there as there is a big area of frozen snow from last week overlain by much windslab so will be keeping off the steeper stuff. If you got buried up here you'd be stuffed as no-one else goes there in these conditions....

Looks great! We've a surprising amount of windslab accumulation from the previous dumps. Not quite the volume behind it, but still a chance of it shifting if you want somewhere stupid.

Two weeks since I was last out on the bike, instead, I've been for a walk every day, and have been painting more stones.



Anyway, off to sleep in the garden...