Big Col

I'd do more hill walking in Scotland if it wasn't for the midgies. They are a nightmare! View from the last peak i did, 1 month ago

anc-sti

I spend a fair amount of time playing in the hills, If you want any routes for the lakeland fells pm me reckon I've done most, Helvelyns got to be my fav. Spent a bit in the western Highlands and you can't beat the Ben's north face for mountain scrambling/climbing experience. Oh and of course Skye.


See If any of you mountain goats recognise any of these wee fells
http://anc.fotopic.net/c294326_1.html

Watch those GPS's in winter the can be lethal if used blindly.

anc-sti

Top of the Buachaille across Ranoch Mor?

ozzy

You don't get any midges above certain heights. They usually stay low-down next to rivers & streams.

Never been bothered with midges above 500ft. Worst place was Strathyre and Glen Nevis and both were at the foot of the hills.

Big Col

correcto

Big Col

i used to think this too but recently I got very badly bitten over 2500ft up. We were climbing so my hands were otherwise occupied. Just had to let the wee f_ckers bite me.

SCOSaltire

id love to learn how to go hill walking.
i love the outdoors, but walking round the 'hill' here with the dog for an hr probably isnt the best practice

hedgehog

Providing you can put one foot in front of the other there is nothing to learn. There is a bit of common sense required and it's best to take it easy until you get a little experience of your chosen areas but apart from that you just get out there and do it. Take it easy and enjoy it are the key factors, don't get bogged down in gear and safety as if you have any wit and common sense these will not be issues for you.

Once you start to enjoy it and find what you like then you can think about extending yourself a little and your experience will tell you what you need in the way of gear. To start with some clothes, which you probably already have, and a decent pair of boots are all you need. Once you get a little more prone to wandering off the beaten track you might want to add a map, compass and small rucksack to carry your tea in.

Hill walking is about enjoying what you do and doing what you enjoy.

ozzy

You don't really have to "learn" anything. The most you'd need to learn is how to read a map and use a compass so you don't get lost or fall over a cliff. I always take one with me, but that's only if the weather gets so bad that I can't see where I'm heading.

I did the whole Lawers ridge in 3.5hrs in nothing more than some Nike trail shoes, running shorts, helly hanson top, lightweight fleece, camelbak rucksac, some snacks, 3l of water and (of course) my camera. That was on a perfect May afternoon with not a cloud in the sky.

Where you need skill is when the weather is unsettled or difficult to navigate in. Winter has it's own dangers usually in the form of avalanches, falls (that's when you need to know how to arrest a fall with an ice axe) and extremely cold conditions.

Some things are just down to experience e.g. what kit you prefer to carry, how to pack a rucksac, what clothes you might need, etc.. Even simple things like not wearing cotton t-shirts simply because once they get wet (through sweat) they stay wet and once you stop moving on a summit you'll get cold pretty quickly.

You don't need to spend £000's on the latest gear just the appropriate gear for the conditions. Over the years, I've started to carry less and less. Most of it I never used on the trips and you soon find out if you've the right clothes when you're either too wet or too cold.

Stefan

Les Behan

Good code - cheers mate! I reckon with a gallon and a half of Scruttock's Old Dirigible and all that chilli inside us, Sunday's going to be interesting....

SCOSaltire

i think its probably time i got off my butt and did this.
although climbing with an ice pick seems a bit extreme at the mo!
just need to find a friend who doesnt mind taking it easy - like VERY easy - at first
any suggestions on a 'hill' to start on?

ChrisB

I've been walking hills since my days in Scouts and Venture Scouts.

First off, respect nature. It can bite and bite hard but don't be scared off. A bit of planning pays off. It horrifies me to see people half way up a peak in trainers.

As Ozzy says, you don't need to spend an arm and a leg on kit. You don't need the latest go-faster GorTex boots. I've had a pair of "own-brand" Italian made leather boots from my local outdoor store for around 10 years now. Planning to replace them in the January sales but they've lasted well with simple care (ie cleaning and waxing). Something like £50 / £60 should get you a good pair to start with. A proper wicking / thermal base layer T-shirt / top can be had for £15 to £20. Helly Hanson Lifa is popular but again, don't discount a similar own-brand product that just lacks a big company logo on it.

You could get a book (example) to start to learn a map and compass. Alternatively, maybe find an route from a guide book (Ordnance Survey Pathfinder Guides are good IMO). These include a map and instructions, so you could use it as a training exercise to try bearings etc.

I've never done a walk that needed an ice-axe or crampons. Pick a good day and you don't need them:

Jye

Hillwalking lovely

ScoSaltire, depends where you are in Scotland m8, that is if you want to start here. I take it from your name you *are* Scottish

My first walk was on Arran, a nice low level walk through Glen Rosa to the saddle between N. Goatfell and Cir Mor then down into Glen Sannox. (pics below) A lovely walk through two of the finest Glens about. Much better than the tourist route up Goat Fell imo but perhaps leave out going over the saddle as it can be quite tricky to find a safe decent into Sannox. Walks like the Greenock Cut are also safe and interesting.

Also the Merrick in Galloway is a good easy beginners walk as is Ben Lomond if you want to bag a Munro, I guess it all depends where you stay, I mention these as I'm staying in Stratchclyde just now. I spent a great deal of time between Arran and Galloway when I first started as there are literally hundreds of walks between them. Do a quick search on Google, always a great way of finding out interesting walks in your area.

GL

Brendan Hughes

I hadn't been to the Lake District for 12 years - I did an Outward Bound Course in 1991 - and then for 10 years before that. Yet we went there this summer, walked into the nearest shop, bought an OS map, a Silva compass for a tenner, a whistle for a quid, and a walking guidebook (10 favourite walks) relating to the same area as the OS map. There seemed to be so many different 10, 15, 20 Best Walks books you couldn't miss them. Pair of decent shoes, trousers and shirt that weren't natural fibre so they dry out quickly, and a waterproof jacket - hell, you can get perfectly good stuff from Millets just for walking for 3-5 hours. Litre of water, couple of bars of Kendal Mint Cake and something more filling to stop your stomach rumbling - and we're off! Had a great time for a week.

hedgehog

Don't get to fixed on finding hills either, just walk where you enjoy and if it happens to take you up a hill then go up there. If you find that you enjoy something about getting to the top of hills then you can start to seek out likely "targets." Some of the ground I walk to get to trout lochs in virtually flat but I love it and it is a huge challenge, more so for me than getting to the top of something. You might want to start out on paths in local forest areas for example as there is no need for map reading etc. there. Then you can work up to other things you fancy trying as you spot them.

Many of the more famous and popular areas (Scotland's mountain motorways) can get pretty crowded so if you like to get away from it all you might find your own "secret" areas that might not be as high or as far as the famous ones but are more rewarding for you. On the other hand you might find that you like to achieve all the well known spots and don't mind a few people around.

I walk probably on average 3 days per week in a good year and maybe half that in a bad year (though sometimes am only on the hill for an hour or two on some days) and I've never needed an ice axe, parachute, emergency life raft or anything vaguely similar. In saying that I have considered an ice axe for dealing with peat hags and pulling myself out of bog holes and I do have a prehistoric GPS unit for walking alone on the Lewis bog :-)

Get out and enjoy yourself and walk things you fancy, even in remote areas there are sometimes paths you can follow that give you a "simple" walk in a remote and interesting area. The track in this map out to Loch Bhoisimid is a great walk, easy going, sees only a few anglers or stalkers (wave it might be me) and offers views like this:

http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.c...x=286&down.y=5
No need for any fancy gear other than legs if you stay on the track and plenty of scope to explore when you get confident and happy.

Jolly Green Monster

iTrader: (4)

Did Snowdon last month with my wife and my 3year old Daughter




Daughter walked to the top without any physical help from us!!! some coaching was required when she wanted to rest forever at the side of the track.. lol and we stopped for lunch halfway up.
It took a fair amount of time (3hours) going the longer miners track route..



and so I felt I could carry her on the way down if she decided she had had enough and she wanted to try walking down..

she proceeded to walk all the way back down again, this time via the Pyg track..

So our only assistance was a holding of her hand on some of the larger foot steps and when we were nervous due to the sheer drop to one side

Oh and to top it off the wife is 4.5months pregnant so the next offspring has walked it already





Simon

ozzy

Phil,

If you still live in Perth, then the closest Munro is probably Ben Chonzie. Not much to look at, but it's a very easy one to start you off as there's a huge feckin path about 3/4's of the way up so you shouldn't get lost.

I have some pics and a route on my website

Did that one months ago, again in trainers and shorts so there's no rough ground or rock faces to climb up - just a big round hill that happens to be over 3,000ft.

Piece of pi$$ and shouldn't take you longer than 2-3hrs if you take your time. I think it's about a 6-mile walk all-in.

Stefan

ozzy

Phil,

There's also Ben Vorlich and Stuc a Chroin next to Loch Earn. Here's me on top of Ben Vorlich, with Stuc a Chroin right behind me.



I did them both again later that winter and lost my favourite red beanie in 50mph gusts. Great fun when you have to crawl on your hands and feet to reach the summit Don't let that put you off

Stefan

mattstant

[QUOTE=hedgehog]Interesting about the GPS stuff, I have one and it is very old and has no mapping function or anything, basically it just gives you the coordinates of where you are. It is utterly worthless without a map.

I'm not really a gadget freak (though this is as good a reason as any for having one if you ask me) but as I mentioned I spend a lot of time walking on Lewis which is flat, but rolling, ground with absolutely no landmarks. The local horizon is usually no more than 500m away, because of the rolling nature, and this makes navigation a nightmare. One bit of heather looks much like another and they go for 30 miles in each direction. You can try holding the compass and walking on a bearing but the ground is too cut up and dangerous to get more than 3 steps in a straight line and tactical retreats of some considerable distance are common :-) I usually walk alone and so carry the GPS as a safety blanket to negate moments of self doubt. Out there with no landmarks at all it is possible to start doubting yourself and as everyone knows that is fatal in mental terms. The GPS is the equivalent of having a mate along to say "I think we are here. You agree?" and it works well in that role. So, I would recommend them, I don't need a GPS because I'm harder than you are, I need one because I'm more frightened than you are :-)

QUOTE]

i think we were being jocular as any sane person can see the benefits of GPS but too many see it as the only equipment required and dont appreciate its down sides

1. battery life
2. dropping it
3. dropping it in a river
4. lack of signal (it can happen) or poor signal giving wrong readings
5. useless without a proper map ie Ordnance with easting and northings (obviously excludes those with mapping software)
6.blindly following it can put you into trouble ie boggy ground loose shale etc

SiPie

Yeah... but has anyone cycled up it

Oooooh, that zig zaggy path

PS Admittedly had to push near the top prior to the ridge

CHRIS_D

I have just yesterday returned from two weeks hillwalking in Glen Coe and the Mamores

Weather was absolutley horrendous. Last week was bearable. i took a group over the three sisters on monday, at 1150 m we had 80 mph winds and less than 10 m visibility - not nice. GPS was our saviour beleive me (in conjunction with the map & compas off course) then we spent 2 nights out on the mamores. two groups from my unit had to come in off the hills and get hardened shelter. i was 12 km from any civilisation when the wather came in so i had no choice but to stay out, i managed to get down to 400 m and i still had a pretty rough night.

chris

SiPie

You should see it in Winter

Dave T-S

Did the Schiehallion at Easter and mountain biked 22 miles round Loch Lyon. Will be back in Glen Lyon for Christmas and New Year, and providing we aren't too drunk for most of the time will bash out a few more munros

Will also be in Pau in the Pyrenees in four weeks and will get the bike out and retrace some of the Tour stages (at a slightly slower pace than Lance ).

Jye

The main trouble with GPS when walking (apart from those listed above) is that the GPS will always look for the nearest waypoint (which if you are looking for a previously uploaded escape route to get off the mountain in poor conditions could actually end up leading you off the edge of a ridge) unless you tell the unit to 'go to' waypoint #6 or whatever. I always use my GPS with a route card and OS map/compass. Like anything else there is a bit of skill and knowledge reguired to use one competently and safely. The breadcrumb trail they log has come in handy for a few folk I know.

CHRIS_D

I only use my GPS to check my location, ie confirm my grid. this was very useful when getting down the right track from 1150 m on monday.

hedgehog

I agree Chris, that's exactly what I used mine for as well and have no maps, waypoints or other things in it. It literally puts a "you are here" arrow on the map for me. Apart from changing the settings as i change country it is probably switched on no more than once or twice per year but it is a great confidence boost when it agrees with me.

I can see, however, that under some circumstances the mapping and waypoint functions could be useful, it is just that I personally don't have a use for them. As a gadget they are great and I keep being tempted by more and more fancy ones but can just never face spending the cash when I know I will not use the features. So, I'm sticking with my prehistoric one in the mean time. However, it is the one luxury that I really feel is worthwhile if only for the confidence boost and it's always in my rucksack along with the head net for midges :-)

anc-sti

Cycled up many times better in winter more traction, as well a skiddaw which I managed to bag without a dab, nearly killed me though.

scobub

Hedgehog, is £94 a lot of money these days for something as helpfull as a good GPS?

CHRIS_D

i havethe basic garmin Etrek. cost me 90 quid new from a mate although they are in the shops for £130. im sure they are cheaper on ebay.

it takes two aa batteries, is water-proof (ie shower/rain) and has plenty of functions - in fact more functions than i need. you can also link it to a computer with an additional lead and input your route.

edit:

just found one here, £77 with under 2 hrs to go

hedgehog

To be honest, and I'm not really into carrying more than necessary on the hill, I think that a GPS is worth the cash just for the peace of mind and safety blanket effect. I'm a chicken at heart and that is who the GPS appeals to :-) It depends where and when you walk and also if you often walk with others but I'd say that in quite a few of the more exposed places and specially if you are alone a GPS is worth £100 for the peace of mind.

As Chris says you can get one that can do more things than you will ever need for £77, well worth it. All you really need is a "you are here" arrow on your paper OS map.