Big Strand in the Rain
Out for a walk along the big strand from the airport to the Laggan. Wet & windy best describes it. The rain was driving onto my back the whole way along to the end and then stopped! The photo is from the north end (near the Laggan) looking back south with the bay curling round to the right. Nothing of value washed up unfortunately.
Apart from the two hour walk the other reason for braving the elements was to try out my new Mountain Equipment goretex xcr shell jacket. Definitely watertight and breathable but the verdict is not back on the pockets zips. Touch light for my heavy hands perhaps. The side pockets are also high - ok with a harness on but a nuisance otherwise. The surprise find of the lanyard attached to the jacket whistle in the inside map pocket was considered a good idea. Pity they hadn't included a compas, gps, mobile telephone, altimeter and torch as well. That would have made it real value for money. The old Berghaus rucksack was of course not watertight, but I already knew that. When the officer at Glasgow Airport recently asked me if my passport had been in the washing machine I was able to reply 'no, just in my rucksack up to Lochan a' Choire in Coire Ardair (Creag Meagaidh) and back in a thunderstorm'. Same thing. Perhaps it is time to buy a goretex one.
More photos of the loch
There are people there....first person to give the correct number gets a prize
Coire an Lochainn again...
Went off up the hill on the last day when of course the weather had changed for the worse and eventually decided to stay off the plateau (low cloud and strong winds) and dander up to the loch again to see what was happening. A lot of people there as usual in groups - Glenmore Lodge by the looks of it - on mountaineering courses. Quite icy in places and quite windy but nothing drastic. Not a lot of fun though. If it wasn't for Glenmore Lodge and their hords of fee paying students the hills would quite often (in poorer weather anyway) be pretty empty around there ..... which wouldn't be a bad thing at times. Having said that I intend using their teaching facilities to improve my winter skills sometime convenient so musn't complain.
The Cairngorms .....Bynack Stable
Back to Aviemore the first week in january and after my first day regular 'tour de Loch Morlich - now a 45 minute gentle jog- went later in the week for a jog in the very late afternoon from Glenmore Lodge to the bridge at Strathnethy and back. Bynack Mor is in the distance. The Bynack stable isn't where it should have been of course as it had blown down in the gales this time last year and been totally removed (I knew that so wasn't surprised). As I arrived back in darkness at the Lodge two walkers to my surprise were heading off fully kitted out for an expedition. I didn't ask them where to but if they didn't head for the RSPB Ryvoan bothy at the foot of Meall a' Bhuachaille (on the way to Nethybridge) and instead, as I had, turned right towards the wilderness, they wouldn't (any more since the stable blew down) find shelter until the stepping stones near Loch Avon - which is about half way to Linn of Dee which is about 6 miles from Braemar. Quite a long way across the hills in low cloud in the dark and cold in the middle of the night (would have been motn by the time they reached it). They didn't look like twitchers. Perhaps they were going climbing about Loch Avon the next day and wanted an early start.
The Bird
Learning to fly. Not saying much yet but that shall no doubt change. It's thinking of learning how to surf too. Busy bird. Just like its boss.
Landrover Meets Subaru
First meeting of the high and the low in the Hague. The Subaru is a lot faster on the open road but couldn't negotiate Calmac's renowned exhaust busting ramps. However it is alot easier to park in the city. Apart from length and wheel lock, most multi storey car parks in the Hague have a height limit of 1.90 metres. The Discovery doesn't look at that - not a problem in Inverness funnily enough where every third vehicle is a 4 x 4 and the car parks are built to suit. I normally park here and take the tram into the city centre. I'm standing on the tracks to take the photo.
Christmas Time in the Waldorpersvlaakte
Across in the Hague for Christmas. Got a few jogs in in the dunes and on the beach. The longest started in Meijendael and going anti clockwise round the perimeter fence continued into the Waldorpersvlaakte past the Remembrance Bell in the dunes and on to the TNO building and then back along the fence above the hockey pitches and the landscheidingsweg to re-enter Meijendel and return to the starting point. The circuit is hilly and varies from open grassed sand dunes to narrow paths through woods - very pleasant and normally quite quiet away from the vehicle entry locations.
The bell is located at an area in the dunes close to where members of the Dutch resistance (and general public) were executed by firing squad during WW2. It is a very quiet spot. The bell rings on Liberation Day (bevrijdingsdag) when a service is held in the dunes to commemorate those lost in the war.
