Like most people today, I was suposed to be somewhere else, but all the snow and blocked roads have prevented any distant travel. So after doing some chores around the house I realised that the weather was really OK so at 2.30 pm I put away my DIY shelf buiding tools and donned my ski-touring equipment and went up the glen behind the village. It was wonderful although on the summit of A'Chailleach (930m) the cold was intense. I am certain that frostbite would soon effect an exposed finger and i took great care removing my skins from the soles of my old and well worn but trusty Rossignol skis! On the way up I disturbed a covey of seven Grouse and then further up the Alt a Chaorainn another one or two isolated grouse rose up and sounded their call. Mountain hair tracks marked the snow and eventually I spotted two making it look easy to run through the deep snow. Their tracks led me up some perfect skinning snow. Further up and nearing the summit I met a group in descent. It turned out to be the local TV and Radio stars Cameron, Lindsay, Paul and Kathy (the SAIS avalanche lady and my fiancee on a day off) . I actualy thought they had gone to film on Schiehallion 1083m, but they had to review their plans too- British weather- its ace eh and of course"The best laid schemes of mice and men gang aft agleigh" ( apologies for the spelling Robbie!) .Anyway, they were filming for the Adventure show and while I enjoyed the banter I must admit one half of my tiny brain was thinking.....that's these wonderful folks were going to be giving away the secrets of the wonderful glen at the back of my house! But, being a mountain guide I better keep my reality hat firmly and squarely on my head and I am sure that if you do venture this way you too will take as much care to preserve our glen for future generations as past generations have already done!
Like most people today, I was suposed to be somewhere else, but all the snow and blocked roads have prevented any distant travel. So after doing some chores around the house I realised that the weather was really OK so at 2.30 pm I put away my DIY shelf buiding tools and donned my ski-touring equipment and went up the glen behind the village. It was wonderful although on the summit of A'Chailleach (930m) the cold was intense. I am certain that frostbite would soon effect an exposed finger and i took great care removing my skins from the soles of my old and well worn but trusty Rossignol skis! On the way up I disturbed a covey of seven Grouse and then further up the Alt a Chaorainn another one or two isolated grouse rose up and sounded their call. Mountain hair tracks marked the snow and eventually I spotted two making it look easy to run through the deep snow. Their tracks led me up some perfect skinning snow. Further up and nearing the summit I met a group in descent. It turned out to be the local TV and Radio stars Cameron, Lindsay, Paul and Kathy (the SAIS avalanche lady and my fiancee on a day off) . I actualy thought they had gone to film on Schiehallion 1083m, but they had to review their plans too- British weather- its ace eh and of course"The best laid schemes of mice and men gang aft agleigh" ( apologies for the spelling Robbie!) .Anyway, they were filming for the Adventure show and while I enjoyed the banter I must admit one half of my tiny brain was thinking.....that's these wonderful folks were going to be giving away the secrets of the wonderful glen at the back of my house! But, being a mountain guide I better keep my reality hat firmly and squarely on my head and I am sure that if you do venture this way you too will take as much care to preserve our glen for future generations as past generations have already done!
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