Liitle Walks on Shetland
St Ninnians Isle – in the rain!
D: 6.33km El:111m T: 1hr 40mins
Jarlshof
D:2.2km El: 11m T: 40mins
Sumburghead
D: 1.32km El: 76m T:22mins
Up Helly Aa
Shetland Day Two
Shetland in January
Testing myself
Beinn Mheadhoin 556m (Sub 2000)
Bike: D:4.89km El:103m T: 30mins
Hike: D: 2.29 El:199m T: 52mins
Bike: T: 17.55 El: 198m T: 1hr 24 mins
Still recovering from the lime disease but I really wanted to get out and do something. This seemed a good idea. I was going to go up two weeks hills but sensibly I decided to save the second for another day. The weather was great, tracks varied and I enjoyed being out there. I was tired by the time I got back to the van. I enjoyed a cuppa before heading home.
To the Red Bothy
https://www.strava.com/activities/13388214673
D: 9.5km T; 1hr 17mins El: 137m
https://www.strava.com/activities/13388216282
D:9.57km T: 1hr El: 43m
The first bothy trip of the year was chosen as it has a gentle ride in as I have been diagnosed with lime disease so taking it easy. Janet joined Claudia Evie and I. There was quite a head wind on the way in but we stopped a few times to adjust our baggage and generally faff. Wee found the bothy empty. It is generally a quiet bothy not being a NBA bothy. We had a nice tea and took just the right amount of fuel.
Evie did a wee on Claudia’s sleeping bag…..luckily it was inside a bivvy bag.
We had a great tail wind all the way back in the morning.
Excellent. I had a new extra sleeping mat and it made all the difference.
I do t think I over did it.
First hill of the year
Ord Ban 428m Sub 2000
D: 8.56km El: 227m. T: 2hrs 11mins (. 3hrs 40mins )
Well this year will be different. I am going to write up every interesting day out! Deffo. And catch up with past missing ones….now there is a challenge.
So first hill of the year started with a bang…Anne Marie skidded on ice while driving up the road to loch an Eilean and pranged her car on both sides on the wee bridge. More of that later.
We met dot and had a lovely walk through the frozen birch trees to the top of the hill. Once at the top the higher hills just popped out of the mist and returned. Coming and going. We decided to head back the same way and then once at the bottom the day was so nice Anne Marie and I decided to continue round the loch. Glad I bought snacks and hot chocolate from my birthday box. Thanks Kai.
Once back at Anne Marie’s car it was not happy. We managed to get it back to mine but it needed the break down folk to come and take it home. I drove Anne Marie home. Temperatures were dropping freezing fog and more snow on the way……winter is here.
Scotlands Best Gravel under the Snow
https://www.strava.com/activities/13094344530
D: 36.78km T: 3 hrs 57mins ( 5hrs 37mins ) El: 576m
Well it was cold!
We had such a dilemma trying to decide where to go. The forecast was sunny but very very cold. In the end we booked Muir cottage for two nights. Being mid week we had the place to ourselves. There was plenty of wood for the fire so we were lovely and cosy. We picked a route out of the gravel book. Possibly the best gravel track in Scotland it said. As you can see it started well but ended with a 6km push! We cut the route short and headed straight down to the edge of Ballater and took the back road back to the car. It was dark when we got back to the hut.
The next day we headed home via a cake shop. As I was having a bit of trauma over my van and its rust and mot.
Van Drop Return Day Three
Van Drop Return Day Two
Glencoe to Fort William
D: 54km El: 281m T: 4hrs 45mins (8hrs 2mins)
https://www.strava.com/activities/12807331115
Van Drop Day One
Appin to Glencoe
D:40.50 km El: 302m T: 3 hrs 56 mins ( 3 hrs 55mins)
https://www.strava.com/activities/12798973965
This was going to be Claudia and my first adventure since the summer. I had to take the van to get its rust sorted. The garage was near Appin. We dropped Claudia’s car in fort Augustus and carried in the van. after the van drop we followed the cycle path all the way to Glencoe. We stayed at yha and had a meal in the clachan inn. Great day.
Mountain Days and Photo Nights 