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Thursday, February 24, 2005
Snow fun like sledging!
Well, we went for the third option yesterday - sledging. Out with the sledge and up to Crieff Hydro Golf Course. It's got some great hills for sledging, especially with the baby - out on his second sledging trip yesterday, he's becoming a seasoned pro and will probably take up bobsledding when he grows up.
Today was going to be the day for skiing, but contrary to the weather forecast, there was no more snow and anything that the sun could reach has melted. I think I'll stop praying for snow and instead save enough money for a ski holiday to france next year. Posted by bigcrags @
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 Wednesday, February 23, 2005 It's snow time
Finally it has arrived. Oodles of deep deep snow in Crieff. It'll probably melt soon so I better bag work this afternoon and head out. Question is do we go sledging with the boy, get out the backcountry skis and big telemark boots, or pull out the lightweight nordic skis and shoes from the quiver.
Decisions, decisions Posted by bigcrags @
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Tuesday, February 22, 2005 Land reform musings
I've been mulling over the land reform act that has become law in Scotland now. At first it seemed like it was going to just solidify the access privelages we already had, but on thinking about it more, it really does give some great benefits to people who may not have had them before.
So now we can walk, cycle and even ride horses over pretty much anywhere within reason - but we could almost do that anywhere (except the cycling, where some nutter just north of Crieff had put up "no bikes" signs all over the place). We can also go wild camping pretty much wherever we please, as long as we respect the land that we use. It's great news for canoeing and kayaking in Scotland because it means all water is now accessible, where previously paddlers had pitched battles with landowners to get access to the rivers. Power kiting and kite buggying, kite boarding etc are now fair game everywhere, just find a big enough expanse of grass - no longer do you have to head to the beach. I'm sure paragliding companies will be happy they don't need permission to run their business from some greedy landowners hill, they can now fly from any hill they choose. And on a more gentle level, that family picnic can be organised for wherever you please - no-one can chase you off the land. And if they do - call the police. Find out more about the land reform act at www.outdooraccess-scotland.com Posted by bigcrags @
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Monday, February 21, 2005 Bolted climbing in Scotland
Well, so much for the snow over the weekend. We had rubbish weather - it was sunny and lovely all weekend.
So in a surprise twist, rather than skiing we ended up at Bennybeg crag just outside Crieff, where a number of short sport climbing routes have been bolted and chain belays added at the top. It wasn't warm enough to hang about all day, but it was pleasant for a wee while. This Perthshire climbing spot has got to be a great place to learn to climb and train, and I can see a few warm summer evenings spent there. It's like an outdoors climbing wall, if that makes any sense. You'll find a topo guide to this crag at www.scottishclimbs.com Posted by bigcrags @
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Friday, February 18, 2005 Weather for cross country skiing
Looks like there's some seriously chilly weather on it's way over the weekend and into next week. When the wind blows in from the east in winter, we get our coldest times, and by monday it'll be coming straight from Siberia - says the Beeb.
So keep off the hills and stay in the pub? Not a bit of it. Now's the time to dust off the cross country skis and head out in the snow. We love xc skiing - all the fun of skiing, none of the crowds and absolutely no control. While it's easy to learn XC skiing, learning to stop is a matter that perplexes most people and aiming for a soft looking patch of snow and falling over seems to be the favoured option. We bought out cross country skis off a guy on ebay, but even buying new in the shops, simple kit costs a fraction of the price of downhill ski kit. Where can you cross-country ski in Scotland? If you're in the north-east, and there is snow, the Huntly Nordic center has miles of track in the forest, including bashed trails - a rarity in the UK. You can hire cross country and nordic skis in Aviemore and Braemar - quite a few of the shops stock them. Us, we've got our own gear so we'll go wherever it looks whitest, no crowds, no lift queues, just swish swish swish. Oh and for the shameless outdoors gear plug, we'll be wearing these waterproof fleece gloves - perfect for xc skiing. Posted by bigcrags @
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Wednesday, February 16, 2005 Mountain weather forecasts in Scotland
We've recently been made aware that a few of our links from our Scottish mountain weather forecast page are a bit rubbish - in particular, snow report and accuweather. It appears that the good scottish content they used to have has disappeared and they now provide very little Scottish weather.
Not to worry though. There are only two indespensable forcasts you need: Mountain weather information service and Scottish Avalanche Information Service Between those two links you'll have the best forecast you can get. Posted by bigcrags @
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Tuesday, February 15, 2005 Easy ice climbing in Scotland
Well, it's not the ice climbing that's easy, but the getting there is certainly a little more gentle these days. My mates spent the day yesterday climbing on the east face of Aonach Mor - that great hulking beast of a hill almost next to Ben Nevis.
Aonach Mor winter climbing has become a lot more popular recently due to the fact you can lop off the first couple of thousand feet sitting on your bum in the cable car at the Nevis Ski Range. From the top station it is a much shorter walk to the high cliffs on the east side which, due to their aspect and higher altitude tend to be in condition a lot more regularly than some of the old ice climbing haunts of Scotland. Anyway, the guys had a great day's climbing and even made it back to the cable car 5 minutes before it shut down for the night. Did they take any OutdoorScotland.co.uk gear? Well yes, E is the proud new owner of a survival bivi bag and an emergency whistle - the ubiquitous orange one. That shows some confidence. Click here for the cable car at Nevis Range Posted by bigcrags @
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Monday, February 14, 2005 Highlander All Weather Camping Stove v's Trangia
So what do we think of this alcohol cookset from Highlander? Well, for a start it's got a rubbish name - all weather alcohol cookset hardly sets the heather on fire. Or maybe it does, depending on how careful you are being. Apart from the name though, that's where the rubbish stops. We really can't see any performance difference between this camping stove and Trangia camping stoves. It looks great and packs up just the same as a Trangia. The little burner is happy running on meths from the chemist. The whole camping stove is light and easy to set up. When using this meths camping stove, turning the ventilation holes in the base into the wind means it burns hotter and faster - just like a Trangia. So how much does it cost? This little camping stove comes in at just £32.50 which is not too shabby in our books.
Click here to see the meths camping stove. Posted by bigcrags @
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Friday, February 11, 2005 Scottish Mountain Safety Seminar, Fort William
The Nevis Partnership have contacted us about the Scottish Mountain Safety Seminar to be held in Fort William this year. Here's what they had to say about it:
FROM THE NEVIS PARTNERSHIP Fort William will be hosting the Scottish Mountain Safety Seminar from March 4-6th 2005. The event is being organised by the Nevis Partnership, The clinical staff of the Belford Hospital and the Mountain Rescue Council of Scotland. In addition to these organisations there will be inputs from a number of the UK’s most respected experts on issues as diverse as avalanche education, navigation issues on Ben Nevis , hypothermia management and an opportunity to for Lochaber to lead in the important subject of accident prevention as well as taking the opportunity to demonstrate best practice when it comes to dealing with mountain accidents and the transfer of casualties from the mountains to the appropriate hospital facilities. The weekend begins with a talk from Duncan Tripp on Friday night starting at 20:00Hrs in the West End Hotel. Duncan is from Fort William and is a winch man/paramedic with the RAF Search and rescue flight from RAF Lossiemouth. The main event is being held at the Nevis centre on Saturday 5th March starting at 0830 and finishing at 1700. There will be two main audience subjects to choose from. The first will be to do with accident prevention and key speakers include local expert Roger Wild, the safety officer for the Mountaineering Council of Scotland and member of Lochaber MRT, Blyth Wright from the Scottish avalanche information service and from Bob Barton the head of safety for the Outward Bound trust across the UK. These events are open to members of the public and will be of particular interest to outdoor guides and instructors residents and accommodation providers across Lochaber. The cost for the day is £10.00. The second audience is more specialised and is aimed at those people with an interest in Mountain medicine. There will be presentations from the clinical staff of the Belford hospital and experts from across the UK with regard to issues such as the treatment of mountaineering casualties once an accident has occurred. There will be a review of the current UK guidelines for the treatment of casualties suffering from hypothermia. On Saturday night there will be a seminar dinner at the West end hotel. Tickets for the dinner are available at £15.00 per person. For further details or to book onto the seminar please contact Caron Dunlop on 01397-702110 or by email on cdpromote@aol.com. Alternatively you can access further information by going to the seminar website at: www.nevispartnership.co.uk/mountainsafety To discuss the event further you can contact the Nevis Partnership on 01397-701088. Posted by bigcrags @
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Tuesday, February 08, 2005 Walking Holidays in Scotland
Our friends John, and Fred at Kindred Spirits in the Great Outdoors have just had their website updated with their 2005 programme of walking holidays in Scotland.
Walking holidays with KSGO involve lots of friendly banter in a relaxed enjoyable atmosphere. Accommodation is provided and the holidays are extremely well priced. So if you are looking for a walking holiday in Scotland, go to www.kindredspiritsgo.co.uk Posted by bigcrags @
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Monday, February 07, 2005 This LED headtorch looks just like the Petzl Tikka
We've just got some of these 3 LED headtorches delivered and to all intents they look just like the Petzl Tikka headtorch. The main difference seems to be that:
a - these headtorches weigh in at a paltry 55g b - this headtorch is selling for just £11.50 LED torches have virtually indestructable bulbs compared to normal torch bulbs, whilst the low current drain on batteries means they last forever on a single charge. This headtorch takes 3 AAA batteries and will last for 70hours or more on a single charge. With a 55g weight, this headtorch could sit in the corner of your rucksack right through the winter just incase you misjudged the time it takes you to get off the hill, and you would never notice it was there. Posted by bigcrags @
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Dry bags continue to float
Dry bags have got to be one of the better inventions of recent years for the outdoors enthusiast. Rucksacks leak, polybags get punctured, but more and more we've got people buying dry bags to store their gear in because they are durable and waterproof.
It used to be just canoe and boat enthusiasts that knew the secret of a good dry bag, but nowadays more and more walkers and cyclists are realising that guaranteed dry kit at the end of the day is good for the head. With the emergence of easily damaged digital cameras and GPS units, somewhere to keep them dry is another essential. See our selection of dry bags here. Posted by bigcrags @
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Friday, February 04, 2005 Outrageously cheap North Face gore-tex jackets
I've been browsing the outdoors gear for sale on www.ebay.co.uk and have come across a number of sellers punting North Face jackets complete with Goretex XCR, removable fleeces etc. These jackets are selling at prices between £40 and £70. Now I may be wrong, but EH!!!!!??
These North Face jackets retail at between £200 and £300 in reputable shops. Just how are these sellers managing to sell them for a fraction of that? Working in the outdoors world, I know that trade prices on outdoors gear are normally about half the retail price. So a North Face jacket for £40 ? My guess is that you should go canny on that kind of deal. I'm not saying that all the North Face goretex jackets on ebay are knock-off's - there might be some genuine stock there, but I'd ask your seller some questions first, like, "how can you sell a goretex jacket at this price?" If the answer doesn't sound genuine, it probably isn't. Anyway, watch out. I'd personally spend my £70 on a less high profile fabric if I could guarantee what I was getting. Ah well, here's the link: http://search.ebay.co.uk/north-face-goretex-jacket_W0QQfltZ9 and one with gore-tex spelled properly: Click Here Posted by bigcrags @
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Thursday, February 03, 2005 Hydration pack for cycling
Don't know about you but when I'm out cycling, I'd rather have minimum extra junk attached to the frame of my bike, rattling, banging and occassionally falling off. So I took my bike's bottle cage off a while back and since than have been carrying water in a backpack. It's not ideal though as I needed to stop and take the water out the pack for a drink. Result: a headache that wont go away because I don't stop to rehydrate enough.
The solution has been sitting here on the shelves of the camping shop. The Highlander Aquapack is a hydration system much like a Camelbak. It consists of a durable bladder held inside a small backpack with a hose that sits over your shoulder for you to drink out of. Does it work? like a dream. Mine holds 2 litres so I should never have that dehydration headache again. Click here to see the Aquapack hydration system. Posted by bigcrags @
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Wednesday, February 02, 2005 Thermarest vs Thermalite
I had the opportunity to try out a full-size, full price Thermarest last night. Happily I can report that I had no better a sleep than I do on my normal Highlander Thermalite which is super comfy and cheap at around half the price of the Thermarest.
So there you go. Scientifically tested and reviewed. Click here to see our Highlander Thermalite self inflating rollmats. Posted by bigcrags @
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Winter Hillwalking
Went up to Glencoe last week with a bunch of friends for some winter hillwalking. Had a great day out on the wee Buachaille that involved sun, snow, ice axes, crampons well pretty much everything you can get hillwalking in Scotland in winter. Fantastic day out and most enjoyable.
Nice to see lots of other walkers out in the hills too. I know Glencoe is always busy, but we met two large groups of people being trained in winter skills, ice axe breaking etc, and for the most part they looked like they were enjoying it despite the icy wind. Quiet roads, plenty parking in car parks and quick service in the pub at the end of the day just makes me want to get out walking in winter a bit more. Shame the snow's on the wane now though, was hoping to get out this weekend coming. Maybe see you out there sometime. Posted by bigcrags @
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Tuesday, February 01, 2005 Adventure Food Flasks
May I point out these new stainless steel food flasks we have recently aquired. They are a superb size and have a huge mouth on them. On top of this there is a folding spoon built right into the lid. So, no reason for not having a hot pasta meal next time you are on top of the mountain.
Click here for food flasks Posted by bigcrags @
5:10 PM 0
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Welcome to our new weblog
Along with the rest of the world OutdoorScotland.co.uk have decided to get blogging. Why? well we used to keep an outdoors news journal on the site at www.outdoorscotland.co.uk but it was cumbersome to adminstrate and frankly a bit of a pain. Not so now though. Blogger is so easy to use that we thought it was time to start keeping up to date again.
So thanks for visiting, and if you haven't seen our UK camping equipment shop yet, please do click through and visit it. Posted by bigcrags @
4:36 PM
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