Review: Osprey Hydraulics Reservoir and Insulated Delivery System

Posted on March 11, 2018 by Helen Webster

Osprey Hydraulics Reservoir RRP: £34 Weight: 21g (2 litre) I switched to using hydration bladders over bottles about 10 years ago and despite the faffing involved with cleaning and drying I wouldn’t go back. I drink more, find the reservoir is more comfortable in my rucksack, and they are generally easier to fill from streams than bottles. In recent months I’ve been testing a 2 litre Osprey reservoir and as it’s been winter, the optional insulated tube and bite valve cover that goes with it. The resevoir is made from BPA and PVC-free flexible thermoplastic polyurethane, which despite feeling thin…

Posted in Accessories, Gear reviews

Walkhighlands’ Paul wins Scottish Landscape Photographer of the Year

Posted on March 6, 2018 by Helen Webster

Walkhighlands founder Paul Webster has been announced as this year’s winner of the prestigious Scottish Landscape Photographer of the Year Award. Based in the Cairngorms National Park, Paul beat off strong competition from thousands of entries submitted by photographers from across the globe to win the prestigious title. His winning portfolio comprised of 3 magnificently evocative images shot in the mountain ranges of the Lochaber Geopark and Glen Affric with his Fujifilm digital camera. They included ‘Dreams and Nightmares’, a shot of light breaking through to light up Aonach Eagach whilst two ravens circled overhead; ‘The Mamores’, capturing the mists…

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Review: Black Diamond Revolt headtorch

Posted on March 1, 2018 by Helen Webster

RRP: £45 Weight: 100g (including batteries) Headtorches have improved in leaps and bounds in the last few years and now come with an array of different light settings and features. I’ve been testing Black Diamond’s updated ReVolt on my weekly night runs, a couple of short night walks and an impromtu hill descent as darkness fell. Having been used to a basic Lenser headtorch with one light and two options for adjusting the brightness and field, I was a bit flummoxed by the options on the ReVolt. It features a main triple-power LED which comes on when you click the…

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Line up announced for Braemar Mountain Festival

Posted on February 16, 2018 by Helen Webster

Organisers of the Braemar Mountain Festival today revealed they have doubled the number of events and venues following the huge success of the inaugural event last year. The four-day celebration of the mountains in winter will take place from Thursday 1st – Sunday 4th March 2018 at Braemar, located in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park. New events for 2018’s expanded programme include mountain bike skill sessions, film making classes with award winning adventure film producer Chris Prescott and a special series of talks and films highlighting the feats of inspirational women in adventure sports. The Braemar Mountain Festival…

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Mountain experts warn against magnets in clothing

Posted on February 15, 2018 by Helen Webster

Mountain safety experts have warned against a worrying trend in the outdoor clothing market. Magnetic closures on gloves and jackets are being marketed as the modern alternative to Velcro or poppers. But magnets are well-known for deflecting compass needles, and there is already evidence that this may have been the cause of a recent Mountain Rescue call-out. Heather Morning, Mountain Safety Adviser for Mountaineering Scotland, said: “We have reviewed the circumstances of a recent incident in the mountains east of Glen Shee, which involved hundreds of hours of rescue personnel hours and police time. “A group of walkers were caught…

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Black Diamond Distance Carbon Z Poles

Posted on February 13, 2018 by Helen Webster

RRP: £120 per pair Weight: 285g per pair (110cm length) I had thought my previous go-to trekking poles were lightweight until I picked up these carbon poles from Black Diamond. Weighing in at a mere 285g for the pair the weight is truly featherlight, you genuinely don’t notice them when stowed in a pack and barely notice them in use or carrying them in one hand. I was therefore very interested to find out how these spindly-lightweights would perform in Scottish conditions. The main trade off on the weight v. features is the lack of adjustability. These poles come in…

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Police Warning and Mountaineering Scotland advice following rescue callouts

Posted on February 12, 2018 by Helen Webster

Police Scotland has issued a warning to hillwalkers and people pursuing outdoor activities in the mountains of the dangers that inclement weather and the terrain can present. In the last week Mountain Rescue teams have been called out over 13 times and police are reminding people to bear in mind that the weather can change very quickly. Chief Inspector Neil Anderson, Operational Support Division and Land based Search and Rescue lead for Police Scotland, said: “Unless you are an experienced hillwalker or mountaineer I would advise against venturing into the hills if there is any likelihood of the conditions becoming…

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Hillwalkers needed for Upland Path Survey

Posted on February 12, 2018 by Helen Webster

Do you know of a hill path in need of repair? Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) is seeking the views of hillwalkers about the current state of paths and routes in order to determine how much money will be needed to undertake the longterm care of upland paths. The results of this new audit will build on a recent user survey which gathered views about the condition of Scotland’s upland paths and how they could be managed in the future. This audit is focussing on those paths and routes most damaged or in need of urgent repair. The information is needed…

Posted in Access issues, Nature, News

Walkhighlands/Mountaineering Scotland Navigation Courses

Posted on February 5, 2018 by Helen Webster

Following the success of the joint Walkhighlands/Mountaineering Scotland navigation courses over the last few years there will be a further 4 courses this summer. These single day courses will be held in the Lomond and Arrochar hills on 28 and 29 July based in Drymen and on 4 and 5 August based in Arrochar. This is the chance to brush up on your navigation skills while meeting other Walkhighlands users on a fun and friendly day. Each course will begin with an hour of work indoors and then the rest of the day will be spent on practical navigation skills…

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Cameron McNeish wins Mountain Culture Award

Posted on February 1, 2018 by Helen Webster

The well known hillwalker, broadcaster, author, broadcaster Cameron McNeish has won The Scottish Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture. The award – which is presented as part of the Fort William Mountain Film Festival – celebrates acheivements in the outdoors and promoting the “sprit of adventure”. Nominations are made by the public; previous winners have included Dr Adam Watson, Myrtle Simpson and Jimmy Marshall. Cameron McNeish is the author of a regular column on Walkhighlands, which has has often used to campaign on access and conservation issues, though his work in these areas goes back many years. He lives in…

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