Ben Lomond 18th December 2011

Just over a month since my first walk up the easy side of Ben Lomond in the blistering November sunshine, the opportunity arose to head up the Ptarmigan ridge in winter conditions. This was going to be a good test not only for me, as it was my first walk requiring crampons and ice axe, but also for my new boots. I'd finally taken the long overdue decision to replace my ragged old Karrimor KSB's with a pair of Scarpa SL M3's and this seemed like as good a way as any to break them in properly.

The drive along Stockiemuir road was a quick and easy affair but from Drymen to Rowardennan the road got a bit on the hazardous side so we arrived at the Rowardennan car park slightly later than planned at 11am. I'd tried and failed over a year ago to head up the Ptarmigan ridge; an embarrassing combination of the heat, the dreaded midge and my severe lack of fitness at the time. So there was a third reason to head up this route, I had a point to prove.

I'm prone to overheating so I always perform better in the cold anyway. This time round we were climbing at an excellent rate and in no time we had finished the initial steep climb and the path had flattened slightly as we approached the ridge itself. We were high enough to need to get the crampons out. A good chance to stop and take in the view of the Loch we'd left behind.

The Loch looks particularly beautiful at this time of year as it's waters are so undisturbed. Gone are the wakes and sounds of speed boats and jet ski's. Couple that with the quieter route on Ben Lomond and you get a real taste of tranquillity.

The Arrochar Alps were looking spectacular in the distance, I'm hoping I get the chance to get up them over the festive period.

The entire day was beautiful, clear blue skies, views for miles... And then the blizzard started. The picture above was taken just before visibility dropped to zero. The remaining climb was great, the crampons and axe came in very handy on the last push to the summit. I'm glad to say both myself and the SL's passed the test and the latter were well and truly broken in by the time we made it back to the car park.

Beinn Ime and Beinn Narnain 20th November 2011

Ben Lomond 12th November 2011

Wester Ross September 2011

The Calm After The Storm, 26th of August 2011

Crinan 14th of August 2011

A short drive up the west coast this morning turned into a slightly longer drive than expected and before I knew it I was back in Crinan for the first time since I was about 7 years old. I'm happy to report it hasn't changed a bit and I can't believe i've left it so long. Had a great lunch in the Crinan Hotel and then took a walk around the harbour to get a closer look at the Vic 32, the last seagoing Clyde Puffer not to be converted from steam engine to diesel. I've always been a fan of the Vital Spark and Neil Munro's Para Handy Tales so arriving at Crinan Harbour to be welcomed by the smell of the coal burning on the Vic 32 was a great experience.

Sun Setting on The River Clyde 29th of July 2011

Ben Nevis via Carn Mor Dearg arete 1st of May 2011

After years of walking around the Kilpatrick hills and taking in views towards the Highlands from the top of Duncombe I finally got my act together and took in my first two Munro's on the 1st of May. I arrived in the north face carpark and set off with my friends Kev and Owain. As the experienced climber of the group, Owain acted as our guide and kept us motivated on the way up Carn Mor Dearg as our legs quickly began to give way from underneath us. The other main influence that helped us drag ourselves up CMD was the imposing frame of Ben Nevis towering above us and Owain's promises of the buzz we'd get from scrambling over the Carn Mor Dearg arete on our way to the Ben.

Several wheezy water breaks later we made it to the top of our first Munro for the day and the first ever for myself and Kev. We took a short break for lunch and spoke to a couple of small groups passing by on their way to the ridge including an older couple with a very small but equally energetic dog. This immediately made me feel extremely guilty as i'd left my Cocker Spaniel Alfie at home for the day.

Of all the days to begin bagging Munro's I don't think we could possibly have chosen a better one. Visibility was perfect and while the searing heat didn't help us on the initial climb up CMD it did make the views even more spectacular than they were already.

Without a doubt the best part of the day was the scramble across the ridge towards Ben Nevis. If I hadn't caught the bug before that point I was well and truly hooked by the time I reached the Ben. I even had a huge grin on my face the moment a powerful gust of wind caught me off balance at the most exposed point of the ridge!

We made our way up the final punishing ascent to the summit of Ben Nevis for a mid afternoon snack and a contemplation of our day's achievement.

I had been warned in advance of the deflated feeling of reaching the top to meet the swarm of cotton clad, trainer wearing, Morrison's carrier bag toting tourists on the plateau but to be totally honest I was too busy basking in the sunshine and the view to take any notice.

Also, the smug feeling of knowing something they didn't after taking the CMD route far outweighed the loss of tranquility. Everyone on top was clearly in awe of their surroundings and as long as they carry off everything they carried on and respect the mountain enough to avoid putting a strain on the mountain rescue service then they  should have no less of a right of access than anyone else.

The walk back down the tourist path was brief as we left it just after Lochan an t-Suidhe and cut across the burn between the two mountains before rejoining the path back to the North Face carpark.