I came runner up in the landscape category of the competition for my entry “Woods” (above) and part of the prize was to participate in a group tutorial session with local professional photographer Robert Kerr. This took place last Sunday morning. I got a head start on the group by heading out early to photograph the sun rising above the North Sea. Unfortunately a young guy had gone missing on the cliffs the night before and so the coastguard, police and search and rescue helicopter were all out combing the coastline. I went instead to Nigg Bay where I spent a good hour photographing the changing light as the sun rose on a beautiful Sunday morning.

At 9am I joined my fellow competition winners, and the photographer Robert Kerr, at the agreed meeting point. We took the coastal path a short way south to the headland below Nigg Bay. Here Robert split us up and assigned us some locations where our challenge was to put together a “mini portfolio” of six shots that captured something of Scotland in Miniature. Amongst the rocks and pools it was our task to discover and shoot lochs, mountains, glens and forests. We spent a good twenty minutes here, making the most of the bright morning sunshine, before moving further around the headland to a small cove where we repeated the task This time though the weather was a bit more inclement with occasional rain showers sweeping in. Once everyone was happy with what they had captured we headed back to the cars for a debrief. By this point the rain was falling steadily so it seemed a good time to head back to respective houses to see what results we had come up with.

After a little bit of tweaking in Apeture here is my mini-portfolio of Scotland in Miniature:

The morning was very enjoyable and it was good to work alongside other amateur photographers, as well as chatting to a professional about the challenges of landscape photography. A Flickr group has been created to gather together the different photos taken during the morning.

Andrew Greig is an author, poet, mountaineer and fisherman who struck up a long though somewhat distant friendship with the Edinburgh-based poet Norman MacCaig. MacCaig (born McCaig) is known for his short poems revolving around places and creatures inhabiting the North West Highlands, and the area of Assynt in particular. His poems have a stark beauty and simplicity that belies – or perhaps even sidesteps – their geo-social context. In them though is something of the history of a land and a people which is anything but black and white.

In At The Loch… Greig has constructed something very special; the book is part biography, part auto-biography, it is a book about the North West Highlands of Scotland as much as it is a book about poetry or a poet. As Greig says towards the end of the book, Norman MacCaig is the reason for the book, but not necessarily who the book is about. It is also a book a little bit about fishing; not really the technical how, but the emotional why.

It revolves in the main around a four day trip to fish the eponymous remote loch, nestled below Glas Bheinn, a peak to the east of the winding road between Inchnadamph and Kylesku. It gets to this the long way around with the walking, camping and fishing interspersed by fireside stories and recollections of trips to the Himalaya, encounters with London record agents and all sorts of other things in between. It stretches back into dim and distant childhoods, and follows the courses of relationships and lives, of passions and careers. It touches on the geology of Assynt, as well as issues over land ownership and the long shadows cast by the Jacobite uprising and the subsequent Clearances. It is a celebration of Gaelic culture and people. It is also sad and bittersweet, touching on deep-rooted personal issues that give it a cathartic feel. However, it never gets bogged down by these deeper, more melancholy passages, and often the next page sparkles with the bright light bouncing off a clear loch or a distant mountain. It reverberates throughout with jokes and anecdotes, the fug of good whisky and pleasant company.

Told in lyrical language it follows a hundred different threads during its 300 pages but Greig never gets lost or tangled. It is bound together by a celebration of place and of the Gaelic culture and features several of MacCaig’s poems, printed in full, that are echoed throughout the text.

It is a book I feel I will return to again and again, and one that has set me off on a number of different routes of further enquiry.

Storms that push the auroral oval sufficiently far south are quite rare and so it was with great excitement that I moved the few degrees north to darker skies of Aberdeenshire where I hoped to be able to repeat the viewings but on a much more dramatic scale. Of course since then we have been stuck in the gloom of a long and particularly low solar minimum and only now are activity levels on the sun really picking up again.

Whilst countries further north enjoy views of the Aurora Borealis throughout winter, here in Scotland it is a more temperamental affair. Not only does the solar wind have to be strong enough to push the auroral oval sufficiently far south (usually a Kp value of 5 or more), but you also need dark and cloud-free skies. Getting all three conditions together on the same night can be tricky and it is only when the sun is particularly active (around solar maximum) that we really get a good chance.

That being said I’m always on the lookout for potential aurora viewing opportunities and on 19th January 2012 satellites monitoring the sun detected a number of events, culminating in a Coronal Mass Ejection, which hurled a barrage of solar particles out into interplanetary space. Initial predictions were for the storm to hit Earth on the night of the 21st January 2012 which was a Saturday, with a new Moon and no clouds forecast. All three conditions for aurora viewing? Check!

A couple of flasks of tea were made, cameras were charged and packed and we journeyed west into Aberdeenshire to a site just off the main road near Midmar kirk. The wind was ferocious, lashing the trees and rocking the car quite substantially. We got out and although there was a brightness to the northern sky there wasn’t any structure or colour to be seen. Low clouds carried through by the wind also didn’t help with the northern horizon partially obscured for much of the time we were there. After waiting about half an hour (mainly in the car to avoid the chilling effects of the wind) we called it a night and came home. On inspecting the photos it was clear some faint Aurora had been there (see below), unfortunately it hadn’t been particularly apparent to the naked eye.

The next morning it was clear from the charts (see below) that the storm’s arrival had been later than predicted. Around 8am the dials were climbing into the red and it was clear something was happening. Of course it was broad daylight so no chance of a view. Would there be residual activity that evening though?

All Sunday evening I sat with half an eye on the space weather sites, and another on Twitter (both #aurora and #aurorawatch were useful search terms). Gradually activity on both picked up with people reporting views of aurora along the Moray Firth, in Shetland and even above Edinburgh. At 8:30pm I eventually decided to head out, this time without the hot tea.

By 9pm I was parked up again outside Midmar kirk and almost bounced out of the car as a green arc had been clearly visible in the northern sky since leaving Aberdeen. The sky was stunning. Inky blackness peppered with stars everywhere except the north where a bright band of ghostly green light stretched from beyond the hills in the west around to where it was lost in the glow from Aberdeen to the east.

As my eyes adjusted to the low light levels I could see the aurora pulsing gently as it intensified and faded over the course of a few seconds. Initially it was brighter towards the west but as my time there went on it changed and was later much brighter in the central region.

I had the camera out and was taking exposures for most of the time I was there. I started off at ISO800, taking 20 second exposures, but later increased the sensitivity to ISO1600 which produced more vivid colours and more extensive aurora, particularly into the fainter red and purple areas of the display.

Around 10pm, and conscious that it was a school night I reluctantly packed up and headed back. Clouds had been moving in from the west so it seemed like a good time to leave. The next day though it was clear that the display had been much more intense in the hours after midnight and I think this photo from Ryan Stevenson illustrates how much better the show got.

I’m hopeful that this marks the beginning of a good stretch of solar activity with increased opportunities to see and photograph aurorae. I need to do some more research into finding good sites with off road parking and a good northern horizon. Although the spot at Midmar is fine, the forest seen in the pictures does somewhat obscure lower displays.

As a postscript it appears that another CME was released from the sun on Sunday/Monday and is currently interacting with the atmosphere giving rise to aurora tonight (24th January 2012). Unfortunately it is currently very cloudy in Aberdeen.

I’m not sure whether the driver was slightly masochistic or just trying to acclimatise us to the cold we would face once we jumped off at Tarfside in Glen Esk, but it was absolutely freezing on the coach that took the Stocket Hillwalking Club away from Aberdeen for a day out. Actually, looking back, “jumped off” sounds a bit too active…. I’d met up with some work-related friends at eight on Saturday evening and finally got to bed at four the next morning. I was feeling particularly bleary eyed as I stumbled off the coach into the bright winter sunshine just a few short hours later. Water would have been good at this stage but already my hydration pipe had frozen solid so it was a cup of sweet black tea that did the job of slightly reviving me.

The rickety bridge across the North Esk (complete with liability defying warning signs) further helped the sobering up process and then there was a little bit of navigation fun to find the right vehicle track heading up the open hillside to the bealach below Garlett and Cowie Hill. We had climbed the hillside in the shade, enjoying the views over to sunnier slopes on the south side of Glen Esk so it was a great feeling to top out into the bright winter sunshine.

Here we took a brief break to take in some warmth and admire the views. Through a gap in the hills to the west we had an interesting view of Lochnagar, looking along the rim of its cliffs to the summit of Cac Carn Beag. Northwest of us Mount Keen had streaky snow on its summit flanks. All the hills shone below perfect blue skies.

From the bealach we continued roughly south following a good, wide stony vehicle track that dropped down into the Burn of Berryhill where once again we were in the cold shadow of the hills. As we climbed up over the eastern shoulder of Knock Hill we came back out into the sun and with hazy views ahead to West Wirren we stopped in a sheltered dry stream bed to enjoy elevenses.

Feeling refreshed we marched on. Our intended route took us close to the top of the Clash of Wirren, a dry cleft leading down towards Glen Lethnot. Though we had debated about the best way to climb up to West Wirren, on arrival the decision was made for us by yet another new looking vehicle track that wound its way up the north side of the hill. These tracks are far from pretty but they certainly made for good progress and we were soon heading along the plateau. Here there was more evidence of investment by the estate with newly constructed grouse butts and strange markers, presumably to aid navigation around the network of new roads.

The track took us up to the summit of West Wirren where the small cairn was briefly visited. The views had now opened up to include a hazy Glen Lethnot to the south as well as the tips of the snow-plastered Cairngorms peeking over the lower hills to the west.

The track continued, circling around the rim of the large, cold corrie separating West Wirren from the Hill of Wirren before finally climbing up onto the wide plateau of this 639m high Graham.

The trig point is reached by leaving the track and crossing what were thankfully frozen peat hags and bog. The trig stood in a puddle of water, frozen solid, commanding views across the featureless plateau and out to the neighbouring hills.

It was about lunchtime now and we could see our next target, East Wirren. We decided however to return to the track, thinking that it might well turn around the hill to eventually link up to a track we could see climbing up to East Wirren. It didn’t. We ended up circling back, almost returning to the trig point, where we found another sheltered stream bed to enjoy a break for lunch. Though the ground was still hard frozen the sunlight was warming and sandwiches were consumed enjoying the views out towards the hazy fields and rolling flatland of the Howe of the Mearns.

After lunch our way took us through a maze of peat hags until we eventually linked up with a track climbing up from Glen Lethnot and heading up to the summit of East Wirren. Another cairn commanded views that were getting increasingly hazy with mist creeping across the flat lands.

To the south the march of foothills towards Dundee stood out only as faint pencil lines against the grey-white fog. It was a strange and transfixing sight to see, though difficult to capture on camera.

From East Wirren we dropped off, initially south but then east once more to reach the Hill of Corathro where we enjoyed the last of the expansive views before dropping off to reach the first of the farms at Little Tullos.

The track led us slightly off course so we cut across via the bottom end of a small reservoir to reach it again. The farmyard was a little intimidating but largely deserted so we crept past the cows in the barn and finally found the right exit onto yet another track.

This we followed for some distance until we turned off onto a footpath that eventually brought us to a proper tarmac road. This was followed a short way before we took to the fields and hills again, climbing up over a small brow beside a cold looking coppice to join a good straight track heading for Edzell.

As the light faded we hit the main street of Edzell where the coach was waiting for us outside the hotel. There was a warm and convivial atmosphere as we enjoyed a pint or two and chatted about the excellent day out we had enjoyed. By the time we stepped outside again it was dark which only left the swift journey back up the A90 to Aberdeen, a fish supper, and bed.

With the weather continuing to threaten high winds and unpleasant conditions on the tops, Dave and I decided to try a low level walk making use of the service bus going out from Aberdeen to Braemar. The basic plan was to jump off at Crathie and then make our way back east along the river to Ballater, going over a number of small sub-600m bumps that lie along the south bank of the River Dhé. These hills don’t really feature on any lists (though I’m told one is a Marilyn) so we were assured a quiet day with plenty of pathless wandering.

As the bus left Aberdeen a glorious sunrise lit the sky up with all sorts of shades of gold, yellow and orange. As we headed further west though we ended up under increasing cloud cover such that by the time we got off the bus at the Balmoral car park, opposite Crathie kirk, the sky was a dull, pale grey. After waving to a couple of policeman in their fancy Range Rover, we set off to the Dé, crossing it by the wide public footbridge near Easter Balmoral. Our way then took us up the steep hill to the Royal Lochnagar Distillery (closed) and then on a good vehicle track which led us to the blustery moorland below the heathery lumps of Tom a’ Chuir and Tom Bad a’ Mhonaidh. We enjoyed good views back to Deeside where the hills close to Braemar had plenty of snow on their southern flanks. Culardoch stood out in particular though we spent some time debating exactly which hill we were looking at.

After passing a small shooting range the track gently climbed over a low brow which brought us views across the head of Glen Girnock towards the distinctive Coyles of Muick. Away to the south the Corbett Conachcraig was just below the scudding dark clouds which seemed to be lowering as we dropped through the small tract of forest to the ruins of the farm at Bovaglie.

After nosing around a few of the buildings we had a sit down in the courtyard for a drink and some food. All the while the light over the hills was changing with rays of sunlight occasionally cast down between gaps in the dark clouds. Conachcraig appeared again from its cloud cover and there were hints of the grand cliffs of Lochnagar.

From the farm we backtracked to the top of the forest and then followed the edge of the trees up some boggy ground until we reached the heathery upper slopes of Sgor an h-Iolaire. This diminutive hump stands at one end of a lumpy ridge which is pock-marked with cairns, some grander than others. Though only 544m high we still enjoyed the views out across the hills and in particular those towards the Cairngorms which were increasingly free of cloud.

Deer tracks came and went, along with some traces of a clearer path, but we largely picked our own way along the lumpy ridge, visiting each of the cairns in turn (though I think we missed at least one out). Once on exposed ground the wind was ferocious, knocking us around and making standing still to take photos very difficult. By the time we reached the final cairn the sun was well and truly shining and the views all around were glorious. In particular Ben Avon and Beinn a’ Bhuird were splendid in their white winter costumes.

We dropped steeply down, passing through small areas of bog and scattered pines before scrabbling up the steep, vegetated cone of Creag nam Ban which enjoys a fantastic view over the Mains of Abergeldie and the castle there besides the Dé.

The summit was again incredibly windy and exposed so without much hesitation we turned east again, cautiously descending steep and very heathery slopes to reach the quiet glen between Creag nam Ban and Creag Ghiubhais. Here, in the lee of the hill, we stopped for a well earned lunch break.

After the energy boost we headed across the soggy glen floor, passing by a few toppled trees (signs of recent storms and high winds), and then ascended the rocky slopes of Creag Ghiubhais.

Unusually for a hill in the Highlands there is a wood on top of this one so the cairn was reached by wending our way through Scots pine. On the ascent there were glimpse of views back towards Conachcraig and Lochnagar.

Sticking to the hills east ridge for a descent was difficult in the trees but we came out only slightly off course. A little bit of scrambling brought us back onto the ridge which presented an interesting few moves to get down onto a shallower gradient. We then dropped through more thick growing heather to reach the track that runs through Glen Girnock.

A quiet walk through the woods brought us to the South Deeside Road which we followed a short distance east until we took the turn off to Polhillock. This led us through quiet woods that protected us from the wind until we came down to the River Dhé, full of churning water and running very high. We crossed over via the bouncy footbridge at Polhillock and then paused to investigate the river monitoring station on the far side. Here the last of our food and drink was consumed.

It was only a short walk to the A93 which we crossed and then followed the waymarked trail which runs just above the main road around to the crossing over the River Gairn. After this you cross the road once again and pick up a riverside track which took us around the base of Craigendarroch and into Ballater itself.

After checking the bus times back to Aberdeen we decided to use the hour’s wait wisely and headed to the pub for a couple of pints and some salty snacks. It had been a great winter’s day out. Though there had been the occasional spot of rain and flecks of snow and sleet we had stayed mainly dry and our route had kept us out of the brunt of the wind. Not having to use the car meant it was all very relaxed and the bus got us back to Aberdeen just after 6pm.

For anyone who has walked in this area (and the popularity of Eas Dé (known as the Linn) and the Central Cairngorms means that this will be many) the website is a trove of wonderful knowledge, photos and history and well worth spending some time exploring. It has sketch maps (with corrected place names), photographs, videos, articles on geological features, as well as critical reviews of books that concern themselves with the area, such as the writings of the Scottish naturalist Seton Gordon, and much more.

Though now largely owned by the National Trust for Scotland, the upland of Mar was a former vast estate owned by the Earls Fife and has an interesting history both where human habitation is concerned, and in terms of the geology, with the landscape still bearing the scars of ice age glaciation. The website is concerned with all corners of this part of the country; from the River Dé through to the ruins of places like Geldie Lodge.

The book which has been titled Lowdown on the upland of Mar is a distilled version, a field guide, that brings together the detailed information contained within the website. As such, if you are familiar with the content of the website, then you will find much of the same material repeated in the book. Joe principally structures the book by following major geographic features, the rivers and glens of the region, pursuing each one as it cuts its course into the high Cairngorm mountains. He covers prominent features – including farms, shielings and lodges; the rivers, streams and lochs; and bridges and dams – tracing their course and development through historical writings taken from a diverse range of sources, as well as more recent scholarly studies. Historical maps, including the first Ordnance Survey maps of the area are also referred to. Using these he builds up a rich and detailed picture of this fascinating part of Scotland that many hillwalkers, mountain bikers and climbers will be familiar with.

Joe has chosen to publish the book via Amazon’s Kindle platform, though you don’t actually need a Kindle to read it (Amazon provide apps for several of the major operating systems and mobile platforms). The ebook is just over 100 pages long and includes a selection of photographs and illustrations from the website, the reproduction of which is good on my 3rd generation Kindle (see the photos accompanying this review). Whilst the sketch maps are in black and white, the clarity is excellent and the black and white photographs are clear enough to provide illustration for the book. Full colour, higher resolution versions of the maps and photographs are available on the website should you need better reproduction, as well as in the Kindle desktop and mobiles versions.

Though it is primarily intended to be used as a guide whilst out walking and exploring in the area, the book itself makes a good stand-alone read. It includes an interesting introduction as well as notes on some of the Scots and Gaelic language used throughout. As an avid Cairngorm wanderer, I am familiar with many of the places covered by Joe’s book, and I enjoyed discovering more of the history of the area including some entertaining “tall tales” associated with people and places. I feel that even those who aren’t familiar with the area, but who enjoy the history of people and places, would gain something from reading this book, particularly if they have the OS map spread out in front of them to follow the contours of the land. It is a book as much about local history as it is about local landscape. It does however concern itself with the minutiae of the area, and details individual crofts and side streams as they are encountered.

The book is well written with Joe easily combining different sources, as well as his own voice, to create a coherent narrative and the only area of criticism is that often the lists of place names and translations get to be a little repetitive (though this is symptomatic of Gaelic place names in general, rather than anything Joe has done). As with any Kindle book it is somewhat time-consuming to flick back and foreword to refer to the maps. I have found it easier to read the book either in conjunction with the website, or with the relevant OS map to hand. Though arguably the same content is largely available on the website, it is nice to have it presented in a book-format where the information flows naturally from one area to the next without the constant clicking that website navigation involves.

I did come across a couple of strange formatting issues (titles spread across a couple of pages) which I have let Joe know about and which should should be addressed in the next revision of the book (that is, if they are a widespread issue and not just confined to my own copy). These do not detract from reading the book and I have come across no issues with the text itself.

If you are interested in purchasing your own copy of Lowdown on the upland of Mar, or trying out a sample chapter, then please go to Joe’s website which has links to the book’s page on both Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com. Currently the ebook retails for £7.99 on Amazon.co.uk and Joe notes on the website that proceeds from the sale of the book supports the continuing research into history and geography of the upland of Mar.

As a footnote I must admit that I am as guilty as anyone else of simply repeating the Anglicised and corrupted spellings used by the Ordnance Survey on their maps. My blog reports cover the Lairig Ghru (Làirig Dhrù), Glen Lui (Glen Laoigh), Glen Ey (Glen Eidh), the River Dee (Dé) and many, many more. Reading this book has made me want to try and improve this aspect going forward, as well as revisiting old reports to get the names right!

With my car on the fritz and an uncertain weather forecast I decided to do a local walk to kick-start 2012. Mount Keen is the most easterly Munro and can either be accessed from the south via Glen Mark (the more popular route) or from the north via Glen Tanar (as well as more adventurous and less trodden routes coming in from either the east or west if you prefer). I’ve done both the northern and southern approaches in the past but must say that I prefer the delights of the Glen Tanar approach which also has the benefit of being slightly closer to Aberdeen and on better roads. In his Christmas special Coast to Coast from Aberdeen to Knoydart, Cameron McNeish came by way of Glen Tanar to Mount Keen and the time he spent there demonstrated the attractions of this particular glen. The estate are working to regenerate the Caledonian Forest and they maintain good tracks through the woods and upper, wilder parts of the estate as well as providing a walkers car park at the entrance.

As the sun broke above a blanket of clouds sitting over the North Sea I left Aberdeen, travelling down quiet roads until I passed Aboyne and wound my way down to the car park in Glen Tanar. I paid my £2 and was soon off. I was the only car in the car park and didn’t see anyone for quite some time. I wended my way along the estate tracks until I crossed the Tanar and passed the small fishing lochan.

The forest of Glen Tanar was wonderfully still, only the chattering of the river off to my left and the occasional birdcall broke the silence. With a firm track under my feet I made good progress and soon the sun had risen above the hills, bathing the woods in golden, wintry light. It warmed the air noticeably.

As the Tanar tumbled down a series of small falls and rapids I dropped down the bank to take some long exposure photos. Regaining the track an estate vehicle rumbled past me – the first people I’d seen all day! A little further on I reached Half-Way Hut, a traditional point to stop for a brew. With sunlight spilling through the pines I enjoyed the sit down and munched on some food as I drank a couple of cups of very bitter tea (never get distracted whilst making up your flask!)

Once on the move again I soon left the welcome cover of the trees and was out in the exposed upper part of the glen. Although it was still bright I could immediately feel the wind blowing into my face and could see impressive looking snow clouds looming above the distant hills. Within ten minutes I was engulfed in the shower. Though the snow wasn’t that heavy, the ferocity of the wind reduced visibility to near zero. I stopped to stow away the camera and get out my ski goggles.

I plodded on through the snow, enjoying the bite of the wind and feeling the excesses of the Christmas period being blasted away. However, by Etnach farm the sun was again out and though the world was a little whiter, it looked like nothing much had happened. With blue skies overhead I could see another bank of snow clouds amassing above the hills.

I now had good views of Mount Keen which for a few moments had an Everest style cloud plume coming from its conical summit. At the end of the track I caught up with the cyclists who had passed me at Half-Way Hut (I guess cycling into a headwind isn’t much faster than walking into one!) They turned round and were heading back towards the forest (a good plan). I meanwhile crossed the new bridge and made my way steadily up the lower slopes of Mount Keen.

The track was a little snow covered but the crunchy gravel offered up plenty of grip. I enjoyed the views down an icy Glen Tanar but pushed on as there was a chill wind starting to blow and the effort was keeping my temperature up. I made good progress and was soon drawing level with the grand northern corrie which you skirt around to reach the final summit slope. Ahead of me just for an instant I thought I saw someone but by the time I reached the plateau they were gone, engulfed in a fresh shower of snow.

Once out of the shelter of Mount Keen’s lower slopes the wind was ferocious, blowing snow horizontally from the south. Luckily this meant it was largely a crosswind as it was certainly strong enough to knock me off course a few times. I didn’t waste any time and was soon tackling the final steep pull up to the top of the hill. The strong winds had blown off all but the thinnest layer of snow so the track was easy to follow. I shouted hello at three people who were descending and then pressed on to reach the deeper snow that lay on the more sheltered northern side. Here the low temperatures had consolidated it down to a hard ice and so I put on my microspikes for the last few slithery steps up to the trig point.

At one point I came out on the ridge proper and found the wind to be incredibly strong. Everything was shaking and vibrating as it ripped past me and a single gust would have me reeling around, struggling to stay upright. I ducked back down and half crawled to the trip point which I embraced like a long lost friend. After a couple of seconds I had had enough and dropped down to the thankfully sheltered north-eastern side where I could stop to catch my breath and look around.

The world was one of shifting shapes and shadows, half-seen hills veiled behind sheets of billowing snow. It was eerie and mysterious and I was quite glad to be on the summit on my own. Nevertheless the strength of the wind made me feel a little tense as I pondered my next step. Rather than face the gale back on the exposed western flank I decided to make a loop of the walk and drop off the more sheltered eastern side.

Here the snow was less firm and made for a quick descent down to the bealach between Mt Keen and Braid Cairn. Rather than ascending Braid Cairn (which I did last March) I contoured around, occasionally picking up a faint animal track which helped in the continuing poor visibility, until I picked up a more substantial track coming down from Braid Cairn and on to Gathering Cairn. I followed this through the snow-spattered heather until I reached the prominent cairn.

Here again I was exposed to the wind but the loss of a couple of hundred meters had reduced its intensity. I stood and marvelled as the snow showers ripped through, eventually clearing to reveal Mount Keen, Braid Cairn and much of the surrounding landscape. To the east there were blue skies and the hills of Aberdeenshire such as Bennachie stood out, bathed in golden afternoon sun. To the north the far eastern march of the Cairngorms stood with Morven brooding under grey, sullen skies.

With time moving on I dropped off Gathering Cairn, making for the clear land rover track I could see winding its way below Clachan Yell and back towards the forest of Glen Tanar. I realised I hadn’t eaten since Half Way Hut so as soon as I reached the reassurance of the track I stopped to have a sandwich and a cuppa. Behind me Gathering Cairn and Braid Cairn briefly made an appearance against a grey sky but as I moved off once again they were engulfed by yet another snow shower. This one caught me before I reached the forest but provided some atmospheric views of the hills to my right.

Once back in the forest I was on familiar ground and with a clear track made good time. I hadn’t noticed how much the constant wind and snow had chilled me, even through some substantial winter layers, so I employed my hand warmers to good effect. These, combined with the warmer air in the forest revived me and by the time I had once again reached the Water of Tanar I was enjoying the walk. As the twilight grew I passed the main house and crossed the fields to return to the car. It felt a very different world to the high, snowy and windy place I had been just a few hours before.

A great way to start the year and the earliest I have made it to the top of a Munro. My third ascent of Mount Keen brings it to the joint top place on my list of summits…

After a great 2011 which featured some very enjoyable trips I’m already looking forward to 2012 with plans to extend my trips into multi-day routes, and with hopes and dreams of getting into Knoydart, to Fisherfield and returning to the Far North (a post I still have to finish).

I blog mainly for my own sake but am always incredibly pleased and humbled when people take the time to leave a comment or retweet a photo on Twitter, so thank you to everyone who has taken a look at my posts and photos this year, and especially to those who have left a comment.

Hill Bagging

2011 was a little disappointing in terms of new Munros climbed, although my focus has turned more to wild camping and exploring the hills. Nevertheless, my aim at the start of the year had been to get to the half way point of my round (142) – as it stands I have only made it to 115.

I climbed 15 new Munros in 2011 but also did a good number of repeats, revisiting some favourite peaks, and finished the year with a total of 29 Munros climbed. Of the new Munros my favourites were the Five Sisters above Kintail and the Lawers range in Perthshire which I headed to on two separate occasions.

In addition I really enjoyed finally getting to the top of Carn an Righ, a fabulously remote mountain in the Grampians, south of Braemar.

Probably the biggest disappointment was yet again climbing to the top of Braeriach in mist and rain. Perhaps in 2012 I can finally get a view from this one!

Of the other hill categories I did quite a few Grahams this year, and added a batch of new Corbetts. Of these Ben Cleuch in the Ochils was the high point of a fantastic winter’s walk near Stirling, whilst the round of the two Strathconon Corbetts was a real challenge with high winds, rain and snow – not bad for the end of May.

A memorable moment early on in the year was standing on top of Carn na Drochaide above Loch Callater in a whiteout that cleared to give an amazing winter evening, the sun blushing the snow and the views north to the Cairngorms being superb. Although the weather was less amenable, the Hogmany Hoolie up the Coyles of Muick certainly blew out a few cobwebs with great views to Lochnagar and Glen Muick.

Of the days that didn’t feature hills, my girlfriend and I had a really good day doing a round of Loch Kinord and a stretch of the Deeside Way. It was a beautiful summery day and worked out really well as a relaxed wander. We also finally got our outdoor barbeque sorted for my birthday, enjoying the delights of Loch Lee on another blustery but sunny day.

Wild Camping

After my single successful wild camp in 2010 I wanted to try and get out camping every month between April and October in 2011, a total aim of seven wild camps. I made it just over halfway towards this target, taking the tent out in April (twice), June and October. Each of these trips was memorable for different reasons and are summarised briefly below in both words and pictures.

The trip to Carn an Righ was a great route walked under magical conditions with a great campsite besides a bubbling river below the very remote Munro that had brought me to this quiet corner of the Grampians. I really enjoyed the great path alongside the infant river Tilt as well as the grand views of the snow-rimmed Cairngorms. The next morning under unblemished blue skies I headed up Carn an Righ and then enjoyed a wonderfully relaxed bimble back to the car via Carn Iutharn Mor and Glen Ey. I had a good chat with some visitors from America and came across my first ever Scottish adder. Though the full moon had washed out the stars those few minutes spent in the cold, cold early morning air were some of the best moments of 2011.

The second trip in April took me along the entire North Clunie/Shiel ridge including a camp near the summit of the first of the Five Sisters of Kintail. Whilst the weather was hot and sunny the wind played much more of a factor this time and in fact that night was quite restless with the tent (a Scarp 1 obtained from Martin Rye) taking quite a battering. I do have great memories of eating my dinner looking out to Skye and Knoydart as the sun sank into a ruddy haze. Although the plan had been to continue on for another night and day and return via the South Shiel ridge the restless night had left me exhausted and the rivers were very dry causing me to bail out at Shiel Bridge. Nevertheless it was a glorious ridge-walk in some of the best Scottish landscape.

By June, heat waves and wildfires had melted away under rain and dark skies. Eventually a decent weekend presented itself (albeit the good weather was forecast for Sunday morning) so I trekked around to Cairn Gorm and walked in across the plateau to Shelter Stone crag. I pitched the tent with views looking over Loch Avon as the rain turned swiftly to snow. The next morning dawned with clear blue skies and I was able to wander over and bag Beinn Mheadhoin before returning to the car via Ben MacDui as the clouds once again gathered.

After a lacklustre September I was determined to get out in October, no matter the weather. I wasn’t sure I had done quite the right thing after spending forty-five minutes sitting in the car at Whitewell as rain thrummed off the car’s windshield. Eventually it abated and I walked up to Loch Einich were a spent a calm night in the tent. The next day the cloud was low so I returned to the car via Braeriach, the Lairig Ghru and a damp and dripping Rothiemurchas forest.

New Wild Camping Gear

After my trip in April I took up a great opportunity to purchase a TarpTent Scarp 1. Whilst this tent is a bit heavier than the Terra Nova Laser Competition I was using, it offsets this by being much roomier, particular lengthways which is important when you are 6”5’. It is a brilliant design, stable in high winds, able to deal with snow and rain, and one that maximises internal space to give you a decent level of liveability. I sold on my Laser Comp to Alex Atkinson who has had some brilliant trips with it down in the Lake District.

I finally retired a four year old, very battered pair of North Face trail shoes and replaced them with a pair of inov-8 Terroc 315 shoes. I’ve used these for most of my hillwalking this year and they have been great. They are lightweight, quick to dry and super comfortable even over significant mileage and ascent. Teamed with Sealskinz for colder conditions they have been used since the snow disappeared in April and will probably only be left at home once I’m back in my Scarpa Mantas for winter hiking.

I added to my list of options an alcohol stove setup (as well as backing the second batch of Backcountry Boilers, which I am still waiting on) going with the lightweight Caldera Cone. I took this on my Loch Einich trip and really enjoyed the simplicity, efficiency and ease of use. I’ll be continuing to use both alcohol and gas next year.

I also started using Fuizion Freeze Dried Foods which were a revelation. They prove that dehydrated food doesn’t have to be horrible, tasteless and textureless. They’ve also just announced free UK mainland postage which addresses the main gripe that people had with them.

Abroad

Just to make a change from all the tramping around in the Scottish rain I took a bike ride through the Spokane River valley in Eastern Washington State whilst on a trip to the Pacific Northwest, and finally wrote up a trip along the Rakiura Track down at the very south of the New Zealand archipelago which I tramped back in August 2007.

Weather

I think the most remarkable thing about 2011 was the awfulness of the weather. After a prolonged and really quite hot early spring, culminating in wild fires that swept through Torridon and Kintail at the end of April, from May there was a rapid descent into wet, windy and wild weather. It caught TGO Challenge people out on the infamous May 23rd storm and this trend returned later in the year with both October, November and December being very wild indeed. With milder autumn temperatures I was hoping to extend my wild camping into November but unfortunately almost constant forecasts of gale force winds in the mountains put me off taking the tent and I ended up just doing daywalks in November. December had its ups and downs with snow around the middle of the month but milder temperatures returning for the festive period.

Other People’s Trips

People continued to report some fantastic trips on their own blogs this year providing inspiration and jealousy in equal measures. Of those with a Scottish flavour a favourite was James Boulter’s trip to the far north, hopping from bothy to bothy and exploring wild glens and moors, which made for a superb three part read. Martin Rye did a great trip from Aviemore to Blair Athol and Fraser McAlister had some wild weather in the Cairngorms. The TGO Challengers met with some pretty tough May weather and I’ve updated my blog on the subject to cover reports and blogs from those who participated. Petesy pulled his usual stunning trips out of the bag including this one to Fisherfield which has definitely whetted my appetite for a trip there next year. Ness seems to do fantastic backpacking trips on a regular basis and her wander through the Grampians is still being written up. Colin Ibbotson managed a fantastic packrafting trip around Loch Mullardoch despite the changeable November weather whilst Steven Horner enjoyed a stunning cloud inversion as part of a big walk through the Cairngorms. Ben wrote a fantastic, catch-all post on the joys of camping with lots of great photos whilst David H showed how to do pack rafting in style with this trip around Torridon.

Outside the UK there were some incredible trips including this one around Greenland, whilst David Lintern’s crossing of the Pyrenees and Maz’s trip around the Classic Haute Route in the Alps are well worth setting aside rainy afternoons to read and enjoy.

Gear Highlights

Besides the wild camping gear highlighted above I didn’t buy a great deal of normal gear this year, choosing instead to get some more experience with my existing stuff. What I did buy was a success, particularly the Rab Vapour-Rise Jacket. Purchased at the end of February I wore this non-stop for both hillwalks and commuting. It is a fantastically versatile jacket, comfy, warm and able to fend off most that the weather can hurl at you (besides driving rain). The only criticism is that it is looking a little worn around the shoulder and waist strap areas which is disappointing for 10 months use.

Next Year

As mentioned in the introduction I have a few ambitious plans for next year, including turning my overnighters into multi-day treks taking in some of the more remote areas of the country, as well as a desire to visit some of the more dramatic parts of the North West Highlands and the Far North. I’ll be continuing to write this blog and enjoying reading about other people’s adventures. There seems to have been a tipping point somewhere in the last few months and it feels that blogs and digital media are now more useful and relevant than traditional magazines etc. In fact I haven’t bought a single magazine this year though I continue to enjoy reading books about the outdoors and particularly the mountains.

Thank you for reading and have a very Happy New Year!

Simple Spreadsheets to Systems

Initially I just set up a simple list using Excel (other spreadsheet programmes are available). I listed out everything as I took it out of my bag and used a pair of basic kitchen scales to get a weight in grams. It was only later that I started to come across the idea of systems, as evangelised most frequently by backpackinglight.com. They advised categorising kit by system, for example your sleeping bag and mat comprise your sleep system (I also add in a silk liner and pillow to this but obviously your particular set-up will vary). Backpackinglight also held a competition for gear list design which had some interesting entries. A leading light of the American ultralight backpacking scene, Mike Clelland, provides his own systemised gear list in the Backpackinglight forum. I took his own pretty simple and easy to use model and applied it to my own kit, changing some of the categories where it suited my own needs (I refuse to call anything “Dinky Stuff”…). I have stuck mainly to his categories but Essentials covers all those things that were in Mike’s Dinky Stuff, whilst I’ve added Luxuries to cover tech and camera equipment (which ultra-lighters never seem to include in their lists, despite having numerous pictures of their teeny-tiny packs)! Strictly speaking I consider the camera pretty essential for my trips but I think it is useful to have these things separated out.

In the process of doing this I also transferred my kit list to Google Docs, primarily so I could access it both at home or during my lunch break at work. Google Docs has really come on in leaps and bounds since it was first released and is now a fully realised solution for Word Processing, Spreadsheets and other “Office” type activities. If you are interested in using Google Docs I have a spreadsheet which you can view and copy into your own documents library for use and customisation. Click here to view it.

With Google Docs I can quickly and easily set up a gear list (usually by duplicating the previous walk and then adding or removing items) and also do some analysis (see the pie chart up at the top of the post showing a weight breakdown for my Loch Einich wild camp as an example). It’s good to see how much of your total weight the different systems take up, and to keep a track of the weights against various different seasons and conditions.

Comparing Gear Lists

As well as simply looking at my own gear lists and weights, I am always interested to read the gear lists of other people, particular those who backpack and wild camp in Scotland. Several people have “released” gear lists this year on their blogs and I couldn’t help but take a look through them with an eye to reducing my own weight. With apologies to Martin Rye, Phil Turner and Fraser McAlister, here is a graphical comparison of system weights for the gear lists they have provided on their blogs this year (two of them were for the TGO Challenge, whilst Fraser’s was for an overnighter in early spring). I’ve tried to assign gear to the systems that I use but this might not be necessarily the way they were originally intended!

Doing this provides a really useful visual indication of where I can look to save weight. In particular my shelter system is almost twice that of most other lightweighters out there. I carry a double-walled tent whilst lightweight backpackers have typically moved on to tarps, with the MLD Trailstar finding a good following in this country. My pack, though incredibly comfy, is also quite heavy for its capacity. I’m starting to research some options for next year to work on these areas. Other areas though, such as cooking and sleeping are roughly comparable with others out there and I’m happy just to tweak these rather than make any major changes.

My main aim for 2012 is to get out and do an extended backpack over 5 or 6 days in the Northwest Highlands. Whilst most of my kit is going to be fine for this I will need a larger sack to accommodate additional food and consumables such as batteries and fuel. My job therefore over the next couple of months is to go through the myriad of options, mainly from the US cottage manufacturers, to identify the best pack for my needs. Having the gear list in a systemised format allows me to experiment with proposed sacks etc and see how the overall weight changes.

Gear Grams (the gear list web app)

To wrap this up I thought I would mention one more service that can be quite useful if you want something which takes more of an “app” approach, rather than the clean, satisfying lines of a good spreadsheet. That service is Gear Grams and has been put together by another American backpacker, Aaron Spjut.

It is fairly intuitive to use. After setting up an account you need to spend some time building up a library of your gear, clothing and equipment. You can put each item into a category (system) and assign a weight. You then pull items from the library to build up a gear list for a specific trip and the programme takes care of putting together the system and overall weights (you can separate out gear worn and add in consumables). From here you can then view a report based on that list, grouping the items by system and giving you an overview by means of a pie chart.

Above is the report view of my October wild camp (i.e. the same trip as used for the pie chart at the very top of this post). It provides very similar information to that which I can get through my spreadsheet. The GUI may appeal to those who prefer to use apps, although it does take longer to initially set up the library, simply because of the extra clicking involved. Also it should be noted that it is possible to share the list via the URL. Here is my (incomplete) Loch Einich trip list on Gear Grams. Overall it is another excellent resource for playing around with your gear lists, particularly if you aren’t a big fan of spreadsheets.

Conclusion

So in conclusion, I agree with Brian Green that lists are an excellent resource for the backpacker and that there a few useful tools out there to get you started when looking at your own. Whether it is a simple spreadsheet or something like Gear Grams you might learn a few things just be listing out what you are packing in your bag.

Bright sunlight streamed through the wide windows facing onto Invercargill’s main thoroughfare. There was time to get a quick bite of breakfast and a cup of coffee whilst we waited for the minibus to come around and pick us up. People chatted amiably, the conversation largely focussed on the day ahead, the journey to Te Anau and the prospect of heading to Milford Sound. In contrast we were the only people who had taken up the option to spend three nights on Stewart Island and were slightly more uncertain of what the next few days would bring.

After the North and South Islands, Stewart Island is New Zealand’s third largest and is located off the southwest corner of the South Island, jutting out into the Pacific and the last significant landfall before Antarctica. It is famed for its wildlife and boasts a population of kiwis (the bird) several times larger than the population of Kiwis (the people).

The Kiwi Experience Bottom Bus timetable means that you have a three night stay on Stewart Island and browsing the literature this seemed like the perfect amount of time to give the Rakiura Track, one of New Zealand’s “Great Walks”, a go. Of course, this didn’t take into account the wild weather that had been just a step in front of us all the way around the country. Storms and heavy rain had recently torn across the island causing flooding and landslides. We were to find out that the track had been closed in a couple of places by the Department of Conservation.

As we pulled into the harbour at Bluff on a perfect late winter morning though we knew none of this. We bid farewell to our fellow travellers and boarded the Stewart Island Experience ferry, a small catermeran type boat which plies the choppy waters between Bluff and Half Moon Bay on the north-east side of the island. The sun was filtering through clouds that hugged the horizon and the water was fairly smooth given that this was essentially the Pacific Ocean. A polystyrene cup of coffee and a muffin later and we were stepping onto the pier at Half Moon Bay.

/// On Stewart Island

Half Moon Bay is the largest settlement on Stewart Island and on some of the maps is referred to as Oban (continuing the Far South’s Scottish heritage theme). A couple of streets run up from the fishing harbour into wooded hillsides. Houses and small businesses line these streets and there is a shop, a hostel and the Department of Conservation office.

After orientating ourselves we called into the latter to book our hut passes and get the latest information on the trail. Unfortunately this was when we found out about the track closures. Luckily the officer informed us that the track was open around to the North Arm Hut so rather than do the full three day tramp, we could do an out and back, staying for one night in the hut.

The officer also tried to get in touch with a person who was usually in a position to hire out hiking/camping gear including stoves and sleeping bags, none of which we had with us. This was to be the second minor obstacle provided by the Island. The person had left to go on holiday! Unfortunately there was nowhere else on the island to get camping gear. Reluctantly we decided to call in at the hostel we had booked into for the final night on the island. We needed to amend our booking to account for the day less on the track and see whether they had anything we could borrow. The hostel owner was sympathetic to our plight but unfortunately didn’t have any sleeping bags or other camping equipment. She was however willing to lend us a couple of winter duvets which at least would keep us warm overnight.

With these in our bags we dropped down to the shop to purchase some provisions, including snacks, some tinned food, matches and firelighters. It was all rather Heath Robinson but we finally decided we had enough to get through a single night out in the wilderness and so with our bags full and clutching our map and hut pass, we headed along Fern Gully Road to the Rakiura trail head.

I think it is testament to both the limitless supplies of optimism in the New Zealand people, and the amount of that optimism that had rubbed off on us over the past few weeks, that we decided to go for it. Faced with the same situation at home I think it would have been a weekend in front of the television!

/// The Rakiura Track

From the road end at Fern Gully Road we hit the start of the trail proper. This part of the track was constructed to service several saw mills that were built on the island in the early 20th century. As such it is broad and follows gentle contours around to Kaipipi Bay where we stopped for a spot of lunch.

From Kaipipi Bay we were now on a much narrower track that cut through the beautiful sub-tropical forest. The track follows the contours of the land, rising and falling across several small stream valleys. In many places boardwalk has been put in, keeping you above the fragile and often slippery forest floor. Whilst this makes for good progress the constant stepping up and down certainly gives your legs a work out!

The weather was good with occasional sunshine peering through the dense foliage. It was quite wonderful to be the only humans walking through a landscape otherwise almost entirely dominated by nature. The track, the occasional bridge crossing or small dam glimpsed up a narrow ravine were the only signs of anything artificial. Birds flittered amongst the branches and the damp undergrowth gave off the smell of clean, unsullied nature. Glimpses of water through the trees was an almost constant feature and the quality of the light was just incredible.

Even though this was the sheltered side of the island there were still reminders of the bad weather that had torn across the country in previous weeks. Though the majority of the track was in good condition we did come across sections where torrents of water had washed through, stripping the land and exposing bare, slippery tree roots and leaving some stretches of thick, gloopy mud.

With shoulders aching a little and the sun starting to sink towards the horizon we came around to Sawdust Bay were the track once again drops down to the shoreline. This was the site of yet more previous forestry and timber works. We dropped our packs at the campsite and had a quick explore of the beach, looking out to smaller islands and tree-drenched headlands across the Paterson Inlet.

We took some water here, purifying it with our iodine tablets and then set off on the final stretch, the track now turning north and making for North Arm Hut still some distance away. The terrain involved more slippery tree roots as we climbed up and across another couple of hillsides. Feeling the miles under our feet we were very glad to come around the corner, as the track drops down towards North Arm Bay itself, to find the excellent hut.

The hut was a large two room affair with the front room containing a wood burning stove, a table and chairs and some work surfaces, whilst at the rear was the sleeping area, just simple wooden shelves where we could spread out our duvets. Close by was an outhouse. It was all really quite civilised.

There was a good stockpile of wood outside but unfortunately it had been exposed to the recent driving rain and was thoroughly soaked. Bringing in the driest looking pieces we tried using various methods to get a fire going. I should mention here that I was never in the scouts and it showed! Despite our best efforts, each time we put a fire lighter in, though the smaller sticks would catch, there was never sufficient heat to get the larger logs going and so unfortunately we spent the night without a fire.

Outside cloud had rolled in and a slow drizzle was falling. We had an explore outside the hut and though there were definite rustlings in the undergrowth we didn’t get a sighting of a kiwi in its natural environment.

After a rather cold (though after our long, long day, a quite delicious) baked bean dinner we wrapped ourselves up in all our clothes and then wrapped ourselves up in the duvet for the night.

/// Return to Half Moon Bay (4th August 2007)

It definitely wasn’t the best sleep I’ve ever had but we survived and as a pale, watery dawn broke over the hut we got up to make our preparations for the day. Outside the cloud was very low and the drizzle had turned into a steady rain. Without much in the way of supplies left, and with no prospect of the wood getting any drier we decided to head back.

Full waterproofs were employed for the tramp back. With the track further around closed by flooding we followed our outward route back to Half Moon Bay. This time the trees dripped with constant water and the rivers were fuller, running swift and silty below the bridges. We slipped and slid our way along the muddier sections and did our best to pick our way between the slippery roots. The views were non-existent and so we pressed on, looking forward to the warmth of the hostel back at Half-Moon Bay.

Eventually we dropped back down to Fern Gully road and made the final damp tramp down to the Youth Hostel where we were able to get out of soaking waterproofs and chill out with hot food and drinks in the common room. After an exciting and adventurous night out in the New Zealand wilderness it was good to be back amongst the luxuries of modern living.

At the time, and particularly when we were struggling with the fire and later on lying in the pitch dark with just a couple of duvets for warmth, it felt quite miserable, but looking back it was an experience I wouldn’t trade out for anything. Since then I have become a much more proficient hiker and camper and have learnt a lot more about staying warm and dry when out and about. This tramp around the Rakiura Track gave me that first taste of that and I will always be glad we went and gave it a go. One day I intend to return to New Zealand and do some proper tramping, using all the experience and equipment I now own, and then, maybe then, I’ll see a kiwi in its natural habitat.

/// Epilogue

We spent two further nights on Stewart Island, and on the third day enjoyed exploring the beautiful and tranquil bays around the hostel. We spent time out under the southern stars on the final clear night and then caught the ferry back to the mainland. If anyone is planning on travelling around the bottom of the South Island I would definitely recommend taking the time to tag on a trip to Stewart Island. It is a wonderful place that feels quite different again from the main islands.

Note: New Zealand top maps from http://www.topomap.co.nz/NZTopoMap