Mend our Mountains: Make One Million campaign comes to Scotland

Posted on November 20, 2017 by Helen Webster

Mountaineering Scotland and the Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland (OATS) are leading a campaign to raise £100,000 to support two essential Scottish mountain path projects – joined by Walkhighlands as offical media partner. The path restoration projects are one in each of Scotland’s two National Parks, and are part of a GB-wide initiative, Mend Our Mountains: Make One Million, coordinated by the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) in collaboration with 15 National Parks. Sponsorship is provided by Cotswold Outdoor and Snow+Rock, two of Britain’s leading outdoor retailers. In Scotland, the first target is one of the nation’s most heavily eroded mountain…

Posted in Access issues, Nature, News, Walkhighlands news

Scottish Avalanche forecasts to start 15 December

Posted on November 11, 2017 by Helen Webster

The SportScotland Avalanche Information Service will start publishing its detailed forecasts for the Scottish Mountains on Friday 15 December. The six mountain areas covered are Northern Cairngorms, Southern Cairngorms, Lochaber, Creag Meagaidh, Glencoe and Torridon. Each report covers snow, avalanche, and climbing conditions. The reports are available from the website or via mobile phone. The SAIS is also asking any walkers or climbers who see an avalanche to report it to them. This can be done on line from the SAIS website. As well as the forecasts, the website also contains a wealth of information about snow and avalanches generally…

Posted in News

Winter returns to Scotland’s mountains

Posted on November 8, 2017 by Helen Webster

Hill walkers and climbers are being urged to stay safe as they prepare to enjoy what for many is the most rewarding season of the year. With winter now starting to bite, many hillwalkers and climbers will be looking out their ice axes, crampons and headtorches. But mountaineering experts have stressed that it takes much more than this to be ready for winter. Mountaineering Scotland has highlighted the high quality of online information which can be easily accessed before heading for the hills. Mountain Safety Adviser Heather Morning said: “There are some excellent resources for mountain weather information. Check out…

Posted in News

Breeding success for re-introduced red squirrels

Posted on November 6, 2017 by Helen Webster

A project by Trees for Life relocating red squirrels to their old forest homes in northwest Scotland has been boosted by evidence of breeding and natural expansion by the new populations. The conservation charity is reintroducing squirrels to suitable native woodlands in the Highlands, from which the species has been lost. Because reds travel between trees and avoid crossing large open spaces, they can’t return to these isolated forest fragments on their own. “Early indications are that this could be a real wildlife success story. The new squirrel populations are not only flourishing and breeding in their new homes, they…

Posted in Nature

A82 daytime road closures by Loch Lomond

Posted on November 5, 2017 by Helen Webster

Motorists are facing a 55-mile detour next month amid plans to close part of the A82 for nearly two weeks. The A82 between Tarbet and Crianlarich will be closed between 8am and 6pm on weekdays from Monday 6th November to 21st November. The road will be open outside those times, and at weekends. Road crews are gearing up to begin a major package of road improvements worth over £1M starting next week. Starting on Monday 6 November, works teams totalling over 90 operatives and associated plant and delivery vehicles will complete a number of schemes on the route over a…

Posted in Access issues

Get Ready For Winter In The Mountains: Facebook Live Q&A event

Posted on October 31, 2017 by Helen Webster

Next week Mountaineering Scotland is hosting a live Facebook Q&A session when an expert panel, led by Mountain Safety Adviser Heather Morning, will answer questions on mountaineering in winter. The panel will answer questions sent in both in advance and while they’re live ‘on air’, and offering essential advice to help people get the most out of Scotland’s mountains this winter, whether they’re venturing out into the hills under snow for the first time or could just do with a refresher or a particular piece of advice. The panel will be drawn from mountain rescue team members and experts from…

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Review: Osprey Tempest 30l women’s backpack

Posted on October 31, 2017 by Helen Webster

RRP Price: £100 Weight: 86g Osprey’s Tempest 30 litre pack has been my all-year rucksack of choice for the last 4 years, except when carrying a tent. It has seen me through numerous hill and lower level walks, my Munro compleation in the Skye Cuillin, a 10 day Tour de Mont Blanc, and a number of other Alpine hut trips and Scottish bothy multi-days involving walking and scrambling. Whilst it probably has a couple more years wear left, my old pack had abrasion holes in the bottom requiring DIY duct tape repairs and a few holes in the mesh on…

Posted in Gear reviews, Magazine, Rucksacks

Strathfarrar Winter Access Arrangements

Posted on October 30, 2017 by Helen Webster

November 1st marks the start of the winter vehicular access arrangements for Strathfarrar. Since 2014 vehicular access (anyone can walk or bike along the private road) is only permitted for Mountaineering Scotland members for the purpose of hillwalking or climbing. Everyone in the car must be a member and walkers and climbers are required to give details of their contact details and objectives for the day which will be passed onto the Glenavon and Braulen Estates who own the road in Strathfarrar. Access through the locked gate is not allowed before 8am. To get the combination for the padlocked gate…

Posted in Access issues, News

Heavy Whalley to deliver Mountain Aid ‘Step Up to Winter’ talks

Posted on October 29, 2017 by Helen Webster

Mountain Aid have announced Heavy Whalley as speaker for their Step up to Winter talks series which will be held this November in Dumbarton, Kilmarnock, Dumfries and Cupar. Heavy was a member of the RAF Mountain Rescue team for 36 years and has been involved in over 1000 Mountain and over 80 Aircraft incidents in mountainous areas. He will present an evening of winter walking tales and tips that will leave you ready to get out into the hills this winter. The talks are open to all, and free of charge thanks to funding from Mountain Aid. No advance booking…

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Mountain bothy book that might save a life

Posted on October 26, 2017 by Helen Webster

If you chance upon one of the 103 bothies in Great Britain that are maintained by the Mountain Bothies Association you might find a new book hidden amongst the mountain shelters – a 66-page newsprint publication that might just save a life – even if it means setting fire to it. 46 artists and writers, led by Edward Summerton, Senior Lecturer at the University’s Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, have created 200 copies of ‘Shelter Stone: The Artist and the Mountain’ and dispersed it among bothies and shelters in England, Scotland and Wales, as well as Iceland…

Posted in News