Category Archives: Misadventures

Covid Dreams 15: Glory and madness

Posted on May 9, 2020 by cairngormwanderer

It’s hardly seasonal but what the heck. This must be close on 30 years ago but I remember still how blown away we were by the sheer, in your face glory of it all. I don’t recall why we weren’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Misadventures, Stravaiging, Topography | Tagged | 6 Comments

24-hours on The Ben: a tale from furth of the Cairngorms

Posted on February 14, 2019 by cairngormwanderer

It was all so very long ago now. If you’d asked me I’d have ventured that it must be about 10 years ago, but a check of the guidebook shows it was longer – March 2001 in fact, when so … Continue reading →

Posted in Misadventures, Winter climbing | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

The last snow in Scotland

Posted on October 4, 2017 by cairngormwanderer

You’d think, having just passed the age of 60, I’d have a bit more sense. But no, here I was in the dripping jaws of a Cairngorm gully, boots scraping on grit, slithering on moss, chilled fingers testing protruding rocks … Continue reading →

Posted in Misadventures, Nature, Topography | Tagged , , , , | 15 Comments

Farewell to the Sea Kings – a Lochnagar memory

Posted on December 30, 2015 by cairngormwanderer

Just been reading a blogpost by Heavy Whalley, a retired legend from the RAF Mountain Rescue, writing a fond farewell to the Sea King helicopters which join him in retirement on December 31. Well worth reading Heavy’s story, but it … Continue reading →

Posted in Misadventures, Winter climbing | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

Writing the book on mountain rescue

Posted on October 2, 2015 by cairngormwanderer

There’s a perhaps morbid fascination among hill walkers and climbers with tales of when it all goes wrong. I’ve long ago given up trying to figure whether it’s for education or voyeurism and just read the tales anyway. Sod the … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Misadventures, News | Tagged , , | 12 Comments

The Fool on the Hill

Posted on March 17, 2015 by cairngormwanderer

Ach, it’s all been a bit serious on here the last few posts, so here’s a wee bit of  light relief – a tale from the early years of this century when I still thought I was a climber and … Continue reading →

Posted in Misadventures, People, Winter climbing | Tagged , | 24 Comments

Derry Burn footbridge washed away – and other flood damage

Posted on August 11, 2014 by cairngormwanderer

As of the morning of August 11th the footbridge across the Derry Burn beside Derry Lodge is no more. Torrential rain through the night and into the morning lifted the wooden bridge from its foundations and washed the remains a … Continue reading →

Posted in Bothies, Misadventures, Topography | Tagged , , , | 16 Comments

Dicing with death above the eternal snows

Posted on September 18, 2013 by cairngormwanderer

The internet is a wonderful thing. And so are guide books. But between the pair of them they were nearly the death of me. I’d had a notion to go into the Garbh Choire of Braeriach and see the ‘permanent’ … Continue reading →

Posted in Misadventures, Nature, Stravaiging, Topography | Tagged , , , , , | 13 Comments

White-out on Ben McDui

Posted on May 15, 2013 by cairngormwanderer

Complacency, eh? Get off with something 99 times and on the hundredth it turns around and bites you on the bum. When I checked the forecast at lunchtime on the first Friday in May it wasn’t promising very much for … Continue reading →

Posted in Misadventures, Stravaiging | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

Escape from the Fords of Avon

Posted on August 28, 2011 by cairngormwanderer

I was going to write something about the replacement of the Fords of Avon Refuge which went on at the weekend. But that’ll have to wait until I’ve dried out. With work on the new hut all but finished by … Continue reading →

Posted in Bothies, Misadventures | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments