Glen Morriston

I spent a few days with Chris Dickinson at his new house in Glen Morriston.

 The first day we headed up Creag a'Chaorainn with the intention to climb the grade II East Ridge. The going was slow wading through the fresh powder so one on the top we managed a shorter grade III climb,

The second day was a bit warmer so we decided to explore the potential of a nearby quarry for some dry tooling.  We top roped various problems and experimented with ramming the axes in the rock in as many way as we could imagine.

Avalanches, Sleeping under stones and Powder swimming

It was great to catch up with Max Hunter for a day in the Cairngormes. We attempted The Seam, however bailed as the route was super snowy but turfs very unfrozen!

Max on The Seam

I then met up with Annie LE and Huw for a two day winter mission in Glen Avon. Naving across the plateau went very well however our descend down Diagoanal Gully turned pretty scratchy. Whilst testing the stability of a side cone, it avalanched, wiping Huw off his feet carrying him a good 10m down hill. This put us on edge so we made a hasty decent and out the way of the unstable windblown snow.

Descending Diagonal Gully

Once in the Glen, we were short on time so headed straight to shelter stone to sleep.  This is a huge boulder with a space for 5-6 people to sleep.  As expected it was a super cold night with snow blowing onto us through the build stone walls.

Glen Avon

The next day, we tried to climb Castle Ridge on Shelter Stone wall.  Poor gear and bad route finding meant we didn't get very far before bailing and wading up 1m powder back onto the plateau and straight to the Skiing-du.

On the third day, we managed a climb!  The Hastons Line, III, on Mess of Pottage was super snowy but we all had a lead and finished slightly later then hoped...

Annie (Green blob) leading off on The Haston Line

Topping out in the dark before naving across to 1147 and down to the Ski Center car park.

Winter "train" in

I have wanted to do this for ages. Catch a train from Fort William to the Corrour station on Ranoch Mor then hike into the bothies and climb some hills. On top of this adventure it was winter and I was told that there were 20 soldiers on a training mission watching the vallies goings on.

Over looking the Mamores from the Grey Corries.

The Grey corries was my first target, so after an early start, I headed up the glen and started wading up on the the tops.  After two summits, an enormous amount of buffeting and with two very tired legs, I decided to bail off the ridge back to the bothy for a well earned rest.

The Grey corries from Stob Ban

For day two I adjusted my ambitious plan of two Munros to climb Stob Ban instead.  The climb was really nice, strong winds but perfect skies graced me all day with no one else around,

Stob Ban during a beautiful winter day

Work experience at Gordonstoun

With time before I head out to Japan I decided to get some work experience at Gordonstoun School near Elgin.

The school has very impressive facilities with a strong emphisis on Outdoor Education.  The kids study duing the morning then attend activity session and services in the afternoon rangeing from roler skiing session to Art classes to the fire bragade.

BASI Level 1

I spent the week staying with Emily Grey in glasgow for my BASI Level 1 course. 

 

It was a really challenging week with lots of personal improvement required and loads of new coaching techniques to master.



Somehow I passed but have alot to practice before I feel confident with my newly gained skills.

ML Assesment

The time had come for my winter M. I had soend a month practicing fior it so was confident but also very nervous.  The frist day we looked at nav, river crossings and emergency procedures.

The team on fiacaill ridge

The second day we went up onto Fiacaill ridge to do security on steep ground.  It was a fun day in the sun and all went well.

The expedion went really well. We started up the North ridge of Cairngorme then drioped down to the saddle and camped at the stepping stones.  Day two we nav'd over Bynock mor then camped above Strath Nethy.

Night nav was freezing cold and snowing but all went well.

We walked out past the reindeer and Green Lochan back to te Lodge for lots of food and a good de-brief.

A week with Laggan Lia

 I spent the week befor my ML assesment with Annie LE and the other Laggan Lia trainees.  They had a personal development week so we spent it walking.

The first day we climbed Fiacaill Ridge with lots of snow on it.  On the top, in a total whoteout we practiced night nav in the snow with went supprising well so we decended off the plateau in the right place back to Laggan Lia for tea and cake.

 

On the second day we headed up Bynock Mor and Bynock Beag for some naving practice.  Vis was really short so after loads of bearings and pacing we arived at the top of the ptarmagan lift to walk back to the Lodge for a pint.

On the third day we headed up Creag Meagaidh for a bit more nav practice with all the traionees and a few of their friends as well.  We had a great day looking at all the flora a fauna which was great practice for my looming ML assesment.

The day befor my ML assesment I was still not confident about my pacing so biked up Glen Feshie to climb Sgoran Dubh Mor and really blitz the pacing.  All wnet well and i then felt ready for assesment.

First winter climb

On arriving in the Cairngormes it looked like winter was here to stay.  David and I walked into Coire an t-Sneachda to be greeted buy a very snowy crag.

David at the base of Aladdin's Couloir.

 We started on Aladdin's Couloir and the snow was prtty good.  Lean in a few spots but enough to get up.  This was my first winter experience so I was so excited to be on the snow.

Aladdin's Couloir

 The climbing was pretty easy and all the ice on the surrounding rock made it a pretty special place.

We arrived at the top and took time out to stand next to the awsome pinacle.

 

We then decended into the Corie and climbed Jacob's Ladder.  A grade 1 with a slightly trickyer finish.  By now the lower part of the climb was becoming slightly slushy however higher up the snow became more solid making for another great route.

A few days with Chris

Chris Dickinson invited me to stay with him for a few day in Spean Bridge.  So I hitched down to his then spent two days practicing security on steep gound techniques and night nav.  In return I spent a day working with Chris to lay new laminate flooring in his Glen Morriston house.



The Grey Corries

The last day, I left Chris and hitched down to the Nevis range car part to explore the Grey Corries.  I walked up under the cable car then up onto Aonach Mor then East along all of the Grey corries before being picked up at The Lairig by Chris.

Glen Shiel

I hitcheda lift with Stewart, a paramedic from Hull visiting Scotland on holliday.  As we still had daylight when we arived in Glen Shiel, we decided to climb Am Bathach.  There was a beautiful rainbow on the way up and we saw loads of rutting dear on the walk back dowen the glen to the car.

Rainbow above Stewart on Am Bathach

I camped in some trees next to Loch Cluanie then hitched down to Invershiel to start the 5 sisters ridge on the next day.

The five sister from Sgurr a'Bhealaich Dheirg

The day was incredible.  Beautiful skies and little wind in a magical place made the long walk along the ridge to the Clunie Inn worthwhile.

Campsite below Am Bathach

For the second day in Glen Shiel I decided to climb the south ridge.  This was equally long and the views across to Knoydart equally stunning.

Cluanie Forrest ridge on the south side of Glen Shiel.

Glen Coe

The next stop on my tour of Scottish hill walks was Glen coe.  I based my self in Glen Coe village and spent 4 days walking solo.

The river Coe guarded by the Pap of Glen Coe.

The first day, I hitched down the road to Ballachulish to walk the Beinn a'Bheithir horseshoe.  The ridge upto Sgorr Dhearg was spectacular and the scree decent into Gleann a Chaolais was great fun.

The Aonach Eagach ridge appearing out of the mist

Day two I was a little nervous to head to the Aonach Eagach rideg on my own however once on the ridge i relaxed and enjoyed the whole experience.  There was one other team that I met fairly ealry on.  The ridge appeared and dissappeared into the cloud throughout the day and I was amazied to see a Brocken spectre.

Brocken spectre on the Aonach Eagach ridge.

In the evening I got a call from the St Andrews Mountainearing Club saying that there were heading over for the weekend.  I met up with Byron and Natalie and had a great day on Buachaille Etive Mor.  We assended the "Chasem to Crowberry Ridge" traverse which was horible, loose and wet but the views from the summit were superb.

Jonny, Natalie and Byron on Stob Dearg.

The decent on Curved ridge was superb and the bash across the heather back to the car was soon forgotten aftre a couple in the Clachaig Inn.

Decending Curved Ridge.

Glen Nevis with Will

 Will and Stewart came up from Henley to join me for a few days in Glen Nevis.  We started by clibing the Ben, decending into Glen nevis for the night.  Luckyly we met 3 chaps heading to the hut at Steall so they invited us in for warmth and wine.

Up the motorway on the Ben.

A tired team heading to the hut in Glen Nevis.

The Ben Nevis day took it out of the boys so rather than heading over to Kinlochleven we decided to retreat down the Glen for a warm cup of tea and a shower.

The incredible Steal Waterfall

We spent the next day chilling in Fort William and as the rain lashed down and we hatched a plan for the final day.

For the final day we hopped on the "Harry Potter" train to get some classic Scottish views and then explore the hills in Arisaig.  We climbed a small hill overlooking the village with great views of the coastline and all it's beaches.

North wales with Giles

After a week of work in South Wales at woodlands OEC I headed up to N wales for a week of walking with Giles.

The grade 3 scramble onto Carnedd Filiast



We had a great day on the Glyders.  We took a great grade 3 scramble onto Carnedd Filiast, the furthest NW summet then headed SE along the ridge over Y Garn and Glyder Fach to decend befor Tryfan.

Decending Mynydd Du in the sun at the end of the day

We parked near Bethesda on the second day and walked round the Carnedd LLewelyn horseshoe battling with strong winds and little vis on the tops.

Battling the winds on Crib Goch, Snowdon.

On day 3 the weather took a turn for the worse so we decided that Crib Goch would give us enough of a challenge.  The side winds, sleppery rock and exposure gave for an exciting assent.  After a quick tea in the summit cafe we decended in the pooring rain via Y Lliwedd.

Classic Adam and Eve summit pose

With the wind increasing and rain intensifing we wanted a greater challenge for our final day.  The N ridge of Tryfan seemed ideal.  The wet rock and strong winds made the assent challenging but the summit even more satisfying.



Lake District

After lots and lots of sea kayaking with my ML assesment fast approachiong it was time to get out on the hill.  So i headed to rthe lakes with Dad's old saunders 1 man tent for a 4 day solo mission.

The first day was spent walking from Hird Wood to Poolybridge along the amazing high street ridge.  On Day two I hiked from Pooly Bridge to Grassmere via Helvelyn and Fairfield.  It was a huge day but the wonderfull views and swim in a river at the end made it all worth while.

By day 3,  I had done 2 long days so was knackers and planned moere than the weather and body allowed.  The walk up Great Langdale was aweome wiotha nice scramble up ontop the summit.  The weather then turned so I vias Northe then down he vally into Borrodale before hitching into Keswick to the campsite.

The final day was spent up Skidaw then looping round via an old YH and up onto the Blencathra ridge before running down into town to catch the train to N wales.

Circumnavigation of Scotland

This summer I was joined by a few friends to sea kayak round Scotland.  It took 40 days, the first 20 of them were with friends and the final 20 was a solo mission.

 

Here is the blog with loads of other photos and stories - www.circumnavigatescotland.com/blog

 

                     
                  Circumnavigation of Scotland by Sea Kayak 2012 from Jonny Hawkins on Vimeo.

Birthday weekend

On Saturday we headed to the Garry for a day of playboating to get our eye in for the falls on Sunday.

Team Falls of Lora.

Jonny on the main wave

After a great day on the Falls we headed to the Etive for a quick bash down.  This was Raffa's forst waterfall so he was stoked after paddling it.