Thursday, 30 July 2009
Wednesday, 29 July 2009
Tuesday, 28 July 2009
Garden
Potatoes
At the weekend, we decided that the potatoes were ready to pull up, so we had a ceremonial potato removal moment when we unearthed them from one of the tubs. It wasn't quite as satisfying as going to dig them up, but there was genuine excitement as the first pale tubers appeared.
We had some for our tea tonight - a bit on the floury side, they tasted great with a good dollop of butter.
Sunday, 26 July 2009
Personal
Shelter vs. camouflage
It must be a tough choice: do you get out of the torrential rain or do you hide from your predators. No wonder this grasshopper was a little twitchy at me photographing him.
He'd gone for the shelter, perched upside-down under the latch of our front gate. But even there in the shade and with the help of the dark clouds above he couldn't hide his radiant green body.
(Previous grasshopper encounter was seven years ago.)
Saturday, 25 July 2009
Garden
Resurgam
When we first moved to this house, it was winter, and we weren't certain what was actually in the garden. The brown twigs which trailed up against the shed suggested that they might be interesting, but it wasn't until late summer, when it flowered, that we discovered that it was a clematis with beautiful deep purple flowers. We loved it. Then, inexplicably, it died.
Because we never quite got round to pulling it up, the withered remains stayed in the ground for two years. This summer though, we discovered a new shoot at the base of the plant, with a couple of pairs of leaves, and like attentive parents, we checked its growth each day. Once it was over five feet tall we assumed it could fend for itself.
This is the last of five flowers that it produced. Sadly, two were snapped off in the wind and rain recently, but this one survived.
Thursday, 23 July 2009
Wednesday, 22 July 2009
Garden , Memories
In the garden
This time of year, I often remember being at home from school, being with Dad in his garden. Dad grew most of the vegetables that we ate: neat rows of carrots, salads, potatoes and beans, unruly peas, thick pods of broad beans which we never really liked, and massive green cabbages with leaves like elephants' ears. We loved the garden - places to hide, tasty things to nibble when no-one was looking, and an endless source of the raw materials to make the perfect mud pie.
As soon as I came to live somewhere with a garden of my own, I knew I wanted to grow my own vegetables. It's taken a couple of years to get going, but this year we decided to invest a bit of time and effort - we now have beans, potatoes and tomatoes growing. I think Dad would be pleasantly amused by our efforts.
Tuesday, 21 July 2009
Monday, 20 July 2009
Tech
Forty years
Forty years ago today my Dad took this photograph.
The space travel thing doesn't interest me so much. What's more interesting is that back then, to document the moment and to feel part of it, Dad took a photograph of the television. A few days later he popped the film out of the camera and sent it off to be developed. Within a week or so the film returned as developed slides and he was able to show other people.
Technology's come so far since then!
For starters, colour television! TVs that warm up instantly, whose image doesn't collapse into a tiny white dot when you turn them off. Flat screens, wide screens, LCDs. Stereo sound, Ni-cam, multi-channel broadcast, satellites.
And what of the camera, the medium of capture? It's been a long time since most 35mm films were colour and produced negatives/prints rather than slides. We also now take for granted built-in automatic light meters, autofocus, zoom and macro lenses. And most High Streets can turn a film round in an hour, rather than a few days by post.
Finally there's the digital revolution: DVB (Freeview); home computers; home computers with colour displays; portable home computers; fifteen inch laptops millions of colours, gigahertz processors; terabyte disks; gigabyte memory chips; gigabit networking; a photo library in my pocket; a universal, world-wide inter-network; technologies that let me share my experiences with everyone I know in seconds.
All unbelievable things - they almost make putting a man on the moon seem quite trivial. It's wonderful to be alive amidst all these revolutions. I just wish I could chat with Dad about them.
Sunday, 19 July 2009
Coastwalk
Liverpool → Birkenhead
Distance: 4.01 miles
Ascent: 26 metres
Duration: 1 hour 28 minutes
Underground
« Hightown | West Kirby »
Here are a few things that made today's walk unique.
- Our walk was started by a celebrity (if Cheggars still counts) and a samba band
- We walked with 11,998 others (though they didn't know it was a coastwalk)
- At the end we were congratulated and awarded medals
- It rained but we didn't need coats to stay dry
- The transport back to the start inspired a top ten hit in 1965
Yesterday was the seventy-fifth anniversary of the opening of the Queensway tunnel between Liverpool and Birkenhead. To celebrate, Merseytravel opened the tunnel to walkers today. Taking a two hundred mile train journey just to walk two miles seems a little crazy, but the opportunity proved impossible to resist so at noon we entered the UK's longest road tunnel on foot.
There's not much of a view underground. Having said that, the two mile tunnel went by remarkably quickly. Every few hundred metres specially erected signs told us which landmarks were directly above; near the two underground junctions (the tunnel has four exits) archive footage was projected onto the walls.
Of most interest however were our companion walkers. A group of Scouts ran past us; families struggled with push-chairs and uncooperative children. Wheelchair users seemed to enjoy the downhill part; we didn't see how they fared on the way out. The friendly stewards waved and chatted to everyone. There were other couples too - some our age, and at least one couple who may have been around to see the tunnel opening.
It was a long way to go for a short walk. It was a walk like none other so far on this coast.
Friday, 10 July 2009
Fort William and Glen Coe
Beyond the end of the road
Anyone who's spent more than a couple of days in the Fort William area will know Glen Nevis. They'll also know that the best short walk around is to park at the very end of the glen and continue down the gorge to the meadow, the waterfall and the wire bridge.
Distance: 3.72 miles
Ascent: 121 metres
Duration: 1 hour 41 minutes
Walk 5: Nevis Gorge and Steall Falls
I've walked this way three or four times in the past, but was very happy to do it again today. We walked as far as the Steall ruins and looked up towards Aonach Beag. We'll be back this way sometime and climb that hill, continuing on its ridge to Aonach Mòr which we started climbing from the other side last year.
I also know I'll return but from the opposite direction. I want to get off the train at Corrour on the edge of Rannoch Moor and walk the fifteen miles up the glen to this point.
So it's fitting that this is our last walk of the week: a walk we've done before, and a walk that points to many more to come.
We'll be back.
Thursday, 9 July 2009
Fort William and Glen Coe
On the level
Distance: 9.15 miles
Ascent: 41 metres
Duration: 3 hours 3 minutes
Walk 8: Caledonian Canal
It's not that we've had enough of the hills, but this walk along the tow-path of the Caledonian Canal from Gairlochy to Torcastle and back made a lovely change.
Wednesday, 8 July 2009
Personal , Website
Old friends
It's been nearly since three years since we last saw Hannah and Jon, so today's unexpected opportunity to catch up on a walk was a real delight.
And because you asked nicely, Hannah, here's an update to the blog. I hope more will follow shortly. Sorry for being so sporadic of late.
Fort William and Glen Coe
The head of the loch
The village of Kinlochleven (literally the head of Loch Leven) is a great base for hikers. It's ten miles round the loch from Glen Coe and geographically isolated since Ballachulish Bridge provides a short-cut across the mouth of the loch for through traffic. A one-industry town, its future was threatened when the aluminium works left recently, but it's now seeking to supplant that one industry with another: outdoor leisure.
Distance: 4.78 miles
Ascent: 296 metres
Duration: 2 hours 6 minutes
Walk 4: Mamore Lodge
This walk headed up the West Highland Way from the village to an old track 250m up the hills. A little way along the track the Mamore Lodge Hotel provided the perfect place to stop for a cup of tea and take in the view.
Shortly after starting the descent back to the village the path crossed Allt Coire na Ba, a stream it returned to 200m lower as the river tumbled over the Grey Mares Tail waterfall. The waterfall was well worth a look, but would be a disappointing day out on its own: it's set too far back in a narrow, wooded gorge to be seen well.
Tuesday, 7 July 2009
Fort William and Glen Coe , Munros
Beinn Dòrain
And so to the big question: after last year's success with Ben Nevis would we be tackling other Munros? The answer appears to be "yes".
Distance: 6.71 miles
Ascent: 923 metres
Duration: 4 hours 13 minutes
Walk 23 / M064: Beinn Dòrain
It was too close to call as we drove across Ranoch Moor whether or not we'd make it to the top. Almost all summits were shrouded in cloud and we didn't fancy spending a day walking in drizzle.
Nevertheless once we arrived at Bridge of Orchy we decided to continue.
On reaching the col to the north of the summit the cloud had cleared sufficiently for us to march on. At this point we should have consulted our route more carefully. Instead of following the easy wide path along the spine of the hill, we missed one vital junction and found ourselves on a narrow route on the hill's western edge. The views were absolutely stunning, with the terrain to our right dropping away steeply nine hundred metres to the valley floor below. I knew we'd gone wrong, but scrambling up to the ridge looked more risky than continuing on the ledge. Eventually the path looped round the southern end of the hill and made its way directly to the summit at which point we were relieved to see the easy route down.
While the view from the top was once again spectacular, a little part of me preferred the view from that narrow track a few metres below. I'd advise anyone else to take the ridge route if they are walking this hill for the first time, but if you like adventure stay on the edge.
One final tip. If you don't want to be renamed "Boggy Bogfoot", keep high just below the corrie. I didn't - but at least only one leg had to endure the squelching, and we were on our way down.
Sunday, 5 July 2009
Fort William and Glen Coe
The Pap
Distance: 6.50 miles
Ascent: 638 metres
Duration: 3 hours 36 minutes
Walk 15: Pap of Glencoe
One side-effect of my coastal walking is that I'm not accustomed to climbing hills. I find it very hard to judge height gained on a walk and consequently spent much of this ascent of the Pap of Glencoe stopping to admire the view.
There was no doubt when we reached the summit. The Pap (Sgorr na Ciche) stands proud of most other hills and commands a wonderful view from its 742m summit cairn. To the north we could easily identify Ben Nevis and Carn Mòr Dearg behind the Mamores; to the south-east were the hills of Glen Coe while Loch Leven led the eye west out to sea with Mull in the distance.
The route is fairly straightforward, although involves a tiny amount of scrambling near the summit.
Saturday, 4 July 2009
Fort William and Glen Coe
In the woods
Hurray for a week off work! Even better, hurray for a week in the Highlands of Scotland!
We're staying in a beautiful cottage in Tigh-Phuirt, a small hamlet on the shore of Loch Leven at the mouth of Glen Coe.
Walking is likely to feature heavily, so we've armed ourselves with the local Pathfinder Guide to the area.
Distance: 4.31 miles
Ascent: 135 metres
Duration: 1 hour 27 minutes
Walk 2: Hospital Lochan, Glencoe
We arrived at the cottage mid-afternoon, and headed out for this short walk to start our week.
The Hospital Lochan is hidden amongst tall pine trees between Glencoe village and the Pap of Glencoe. This evening it was absolutely stunning: there was no one else around and the glassy water reflected the surrounding mountains perfectly.
A lovely evening stroll (although somewhat more strenuous than I'd expected!) and a wonderful start to the week.