10.12.12 Black Spout Gully

I got some new MSR Lightning Ascent snowshoes and wanted to try them out. Dan and I went up into Lochnagar with the goal being an early season ascent of Black Spout Gully. The SAIS Avalanche forcast was LOW everywhere, so we were confident. There was not too much soft snow with the freeze/thaw cycles having been in effect for a few days. But the snowshoes were awesome for getting in there nonetheless. We saw footsteps from another walker that, in places, were breaking through and looking knee-deep. Also, when we got near the gully and switched to crampons, we realized what a dream walking in snowshoes had been. We post-holed our way up to the base of the gully where it became much firmer. The wind had scoured most of the gully and in places it was difficult to kick in a step. The only difficult step came about 10 meters below the cornice. There was a 3 meter high snowdrift that had frozen hard. It was STEEP and difficult to kick in steps. Once over that, the left hand side of the cornice was naturally well-rounded and there was no need to break through. All in all, it was a great day up!


Down in the Lochnagar bowl


Entrance to Black Spout Gully


Even with the left hand branch


Looking up, even with Left Hand Branch


Almost to the cornice


Topping out

...and golf

Machrihanish Dunes was offering a two night three day all you care to golf package for a stupidly low price of 80 pounds. Impossible to pass up as one round of golf on this course is 95 pounds! The Dunes is an SSPC protected site so there was very little done to the landscape. Very natural links course. They call it "the way golf was". We played 3 rounds on it and one round on the Old Course at Machrihanish. I still prefer the old course but the new course was extreme. With a 30 mph wind all three days it was difficult but enjoyable. The greens were long and had not yet been seeded with bent, so it will be a couple of years for this course to come into its own but the layout is spectacular.


Straight down the middle.


I was disappointed not to be in a bunker until the 15th hole, then I found out just how deep they are.


None of the bunkers were dug. They are all 100% natural!


Our cottage. Livin' large!


View of town from the beach off the Old Course.


Where's my longboard when I need it!


Bathrobes and whiskey in the evenings. Oh, yeah.


1st tee at the Old Course. Hit over the Atlantic ocean.


Nice form. Aoum made par on this par three.


Someone was watching over us. The sun shone on the course and town and nowhere else in the country!

October Break - Ben Nevis and Machrihanish

We had a nice week holiday in October. We went to the west coast and had nice (relatively) weather. It rained and even flooded in Aberdeen so we made the right call. We left on Monday and drove across to Fort William. Driving across Scotland is always a treat. Long roads wind around lakes and mountains. We had plans to climb Ben Nevis up a ridge route, but the winds were up to 70 mph and we thought better of it. The clouds were above the top though and we enjoyed great views all around from the highest peak in the UK.




Monday evening. Not bad views for just showing up.


Tuesday morning.


One stone by one stone these cairns get bigger.

Frozen on the top.

Ring of Steale.

On the way back down.

Looks more like the Cairngorms down low.

Nice Day Up Clochnaben

We took our bikes and rode to the woods to get the boring walk in out of the way. It was hot
(25c), yes Scotland gets like this occasionally.




Aoum took the "short cut" through the jungle. ;)


Oh, Yeah.


Climbing in short sleeves in October no less.


Note the midges in the sunlight = no wind


Onwards and upwards

Glenshee (The Cairnwell and Carn Aosda)

Just a quick Sunday walk. After hurricane force winds (100 mph) on Saturday and the first snows of the season, we thought we'd go up and have a look. Here is what we found.


Top of the Cairnwell Chair


Cute single seaters


Hard to walk without swinging your legs


Cairn Aosda and snowy Cairngorns behind


View down into the parking area.


Top of Cairn Aosda with snowy Cairngorms behind



Steep but short climb


Beautiful day. (Can't see the wind in photos)

09.08.29 Ben Avon (Beinn A' Bhuird and Leabaidh an Daimh Bhuide)

Ben Avon is a large complex of peaks. We did two munros, Beinn A' Bhuird and Leabaidh an Daimh Bhuide. It was 15km on the bike and 25 on foot. A long day but spectacular views. My bike broke on the way bake. Good thing it was down hill. ;)


Coming down from Ben Avon


Windy pass


Up to Ben Avon in the clouds


Big Views


Come on slow pokes! ;)


Fun day out


The Cairngorns