Biking near Insh

I went to explore the area south of Uath Lochan, in Inshriach Forest. I followed the Feshie south then cut back up htrough the forest for some great single track. I then followed a track up Creag Dubh - and did a bit of bush wacking cos I got lost. From the summit there is tons of single track descending back to fire roads. Definitely worth more of an explore.

Stag Rocks

Sunday. Better weather Nathan and I decided to head for Stag Rocks, working on the theory that it's south facing so should have dried out. We approached via the Cas ridge and Coire Raebert. We planned to do a severe Wigwag thinking that this would be our warm up route, and it took us all day. It was a fitting introduction to Scottish mountain cragging. Lack of protection lots of vegetation, difficult route finding and loose rock, mmmm sounds appealing doesn't it. More of an adventure climb really. We definitely got off route somewhere and ended up doing some more HVS like sections

Looking forward to Scottish VS!

Northern Corries

Saturday, Hannah and I headed up into Coire an Lochan, a longer walk in than you think looking at it through the window of the bar at the lodge! We were hoping to do Savage Slit, the forecast suggested the clag might burn off later in the day but it didn't so our optimism was repayed with wetness and slippy rock. There is still snoSw banked up under the crags almost to the base of the routes, you could probably just about belay without standing in the snow. Lesson learned!

Biking Meall a Buchaille

Today we had a bit of mountain biking training and induction with Al Gilmour. Practiced some skills on-site then went for a ride locally. We did a curcuit round Meall a Buchaille starting off around Badaguish, taking in Abernethy forest and coming back via the pass of Ryvoan.

Duntelchaig

Hannah and I had a wee explore of the crags at Duntelchaig yesterday evening. After climbing up through the undergrowth to reach the crag we found more of it growing on the crag. From where we were Pinnacle crag looked a lot cleaner so we headed over there instead. As the hour was late we couln't be bothered with ropes so we just soloed around then watched the sun set over the Loch. And very pleasant it was too

Bynack More

Today Hannah and I took a group from the Aviemore Walking Festival up Bynack More. They were a lovely bunch and seemed to appreciate all our navigaional tips. My T-shirt tan is coming on nicely.

SPA stuff

Firstly apologies for lack of pretty pictures, this is a bit tardy of me. Today I joined in with an SPA training George and Nancy were running at Kingussie crag. I already have my SPA, but was making up numbers for the pesonal climbing day. It was great to watch the masters at work! Very hot and sunny too. Hurrah, summer is here.

Wolftrax

Wolftrax rocks. Went over with Dave Strachan today. I felt like my legs were going to drop off after cycling up the fire road for the third time - after yesterday's epic - but it was worth it for the down hill. We did both the red runs. The old red run has lots of new rock slabs and the board walk in the woods is nice. The reds here seem like great confidence boosting runs for those who have done a bit of biking already, with plenty of interest all the way down. Got a tan too :D

yeeee haaa! (biking)

Yesterday hannah and I went to explore the Badaguish trails - pronounced 'ba doo ish'... (what?!?) I now know how to pronounce two Scottish place names, get in! - They were lots of fun, we came down on the road to Coylumbridge and did another loop in the forest on the south side of the road to end up at the Rothiemurchus visitor centre. Feeling like kids in a sweet shop we explored lots of random trails and single track. We planned to go back through the Rothiemurchus forest and via Loch Morlich to the Lodge. Whooping and yeeehhaaaing all the way, we got distracted by some sweet trails in the forest, and it's fair to say, got a little geographically embarrased. Having congratulated ourselves on our excellent timing, having reached the loch, we were amused to find that we had, in fact, cycled round Loch an Eilein and ended up back at Rothiemurchus visitor centre - doh- we then had to cycle about 7km further back to the lodge. So our Badaguish/ tea drinking bimble turned into a thigh burning 60km mission. oh yeah, Loch an Eilein is beautiful... you should go there, yeeee haaa!!

Lots going on!!!

After a couple of weeks induction (which included a visit to the Balvenie factory, and other taxing things) the Nightwatch have been out! We spent a day a Cummingston with Eric Pirie which was awesome. Eric gave us some helpful tips and amused us with stories of other climbers. We did Stegosaurus, the route everyone goes on about... it was good. On Wednesday we Kayaked on the Spey with Shaun and Dave went for a swim, he he :) On Friday I was a mock client for a Level 3 open canoe assessment. We went tandem all day, which is always a challenge, but a really productive none the less.