The Obvious?

Happy New year

We are off out to celebrate. Happy New Year to you all and I hope it brings you much health and happiness wherever you are.

Happy New year

We are off out to celebrate. Happy New Year to you all and I hope it brings you much health and happiness wherever you are.

Happy New year

We are off out to celebrate. Happy New Year to you all and I hope it brings you much health and happiness wherever you are.

Bringing it all back

Andy Borrows has been doing some fine writing about mountains and climbing recently.

A reference in his comments to the Aonach Eagach took me back to my fortieth birthday, three years ago, when my wife arranged for us to spend a week in the western highlands based in a chalet next to the very fine Clachaig Inn in Glencoe.

We climbed many great hills in that week but the climb that Andy's post reminded me of was going up Bidean nam Bian.

I had tried to climb it the day before with my friend Richard. There was quite a lot of snow around and although despite this we had reached a small corrie just below the summit, the snow covered slope leading up to the summit ridge proved too much for my friend, who had little or no experience on the hill, and we turned back.

The next day I woke early and arranged with my wife that I would go up and down Biddean before the others were up and about.

I got up to the corrie where we had turned back the day before pretty quickly and scrambled up the scree slope, by now covered in a fresh fall of snow, to a col between the satellite peak of Stob Coire Nan Lochan and the main summit of Bidean nam Bian. From the col at the top I turned right up the rocky ridge to the top of Biddean. There was little or no visibility, around ten feet at most, from the top and, despite waiting, I was left taking a photo of my rucksack on the summit from the furthest I could - literally ten feet.

A bit disappointed I started edging my way back down the snow covered and icy ridge.

I had only gone about twenty yards when I felt the warmth of sunshine on my neck. I looked round and saw that the clouds had miraculously parted leaving the snow covered summit backed by clear blue sky.

I literally ran back up to the top to see the most awesome view stretching miles in every direction. The cloud had thinned and separated and I could see scores of mountains in every direction.

I sat down on the summit and phoned my wife to share my experience. The phone call started off with me just being excited about what was appearing in front of me but after a time I could barely speak and started sobbing with joy as I described the view before me.

A prescious moment indded and thanks to Andy for bringing it back.

Bringing it all back

Andy Borrows has been doing some fine writing about mountains and climbing recently.

A reference in his comments to the Aonach Eagach took me back to my fortieth birthday, three years ago, when my wife arranged for us to spend a week in the western highlands based in a chalet next to the very fine Clachaig Inn in Glencoe.

We climbed many great hills in that week but the climb that Andy's post reminded me of was going up Bidean nam Bian.

I had tried to climb it the day before with my friend Richard. There was quite a lot of snow around and although despite this we had reached a small corrie just below the summit, the snow covered slope leading up to the summit ridge proved too much for my friend, who had little or no experience on the hill, and we turned back.

The next day I woke early and arranged with my wife that I would go up and down Biddean before the others were up and about.

I got up to the corrie where we had turned back the day before pretty quickly and scrambled up the scree slope, by now covered in a fresh fall of snow, to a col between the satellite peak of Stob Coire Nan Lochan and the main summit of Bidean nam Bian. From the col at the top I turned right up the rocky ridge to the top of Biddean. There was little or no visibility, around ten feet at most, from the top and, despite waiting, I was left taking a photo of my rucksack on the summit from the furthest I could - literally ten feet.

A bit disappointed I started edging my way back down the snow covered and icy ridge.

I had only gone about twenty yards when I felt the warmth of sunshine on my neck. I looked round and saw that the clouds had miraculously parted leaving the snow covered summit backed by clear blue sky.

I literally ran back up to the top to see the most awesome view stretching miles in every direction. The cloud had thinned and separated and I could see scores of mountains in every direction.

I sat down on the summit and phoned my wife to share my experience. The phone call started off with me just being excited about what was appearing in front of me but after a time I could barely speak and started sobbing with joy as I described the view before me.

A prescious moment indded and thanks to Andy for bringing it back.

Bringing it all back

Andy Borrows has been doing some fine writing about mountains and climbing recently.

A reference in his comments to the Aonach Eagach took me back to my fortieth birthday, three years ago, when my wife arranged for us to spend a week in the western highlands based in a chalet next to the very fine Clachaig Inn in Glencoe.

We climbed many great hills in that week but the climb that Andy's post reminded me of was going up Bidean nam Bian.

I had tried to climb it the day before with my friend Richard. There was quite a lot of snow around and although despite this we had reached a small corrie just below the summit, the snow covered slope leading up to the summit ridge proved too much for my friend, who had little or no experience on the hill, and we turned back.

The next day I woke early and arranged with my wife that I would go up and down Biddean before the others were up and about.

I got up to the corrie where we had turned back the day before pretty quickly and scrambled up the scree slope, by now covered in a fresh fall of snow, to a col between the satellite peak of Stob Coire Nan Lochan and the main summit of Bidean nam Bian. From the col at the top I turned right up the rocky ridge to the top of Biddean. There was little or no visibility, around ten feet at most, from the top and, despite waiting, I was left taking a photo of my rucksack on the summit from the furthest I could - literally ten feet.

A bit disappointed I started edging my way back down the snow covered and icy ridge.

I had only gone about twenty yards when I felt the warmth of sunshine on my neck. I looked round and saw that the clouds had miraculously parted leaving the snow covered summit backed by clear blue sky.

I literally ran back up to the top to see the most awesome view stretching miles in every direction. The cloud had thinned and separated and I could see scores of mountains in every direction.

I sat down on the summit and phoned my wife to share my experience. The phone call started off with me just being excited about what was appearing in front of me but after a time I could barely speak and started sobbing with joy as I described the view before me.

A prescious moment indded and thanks to Andy for bringing it back.

Counting your blessings

Elizabeth Lane Lawley asks that each blogger list all of the things for which they are grateful for and trackback to her original post as a point of collation. Great Idea. I always try to keep The Obvious? focussed on the positive aspects of life, hopefully, as an antidote to all of the negativity that surrounds us.

Here is my list:

A wonderful wife who sticks with me through thick and thin and is the best thing that ever happened to me.

Two beautiful daughters who give me more joy than anything else in the world.

My health, although I do abuse it terribly.

A home in a perfect part of the world, surrounded by beautiful countryside and great pubs!

A good job with a good boss in a great organisation and the freedom to be creative and follow my instincts.

Good friends, both online and off.
(Sadly it took one of the best of them, Jon Husband, to point out that I had missed friends off the original list!)

Enough money to eat good food, travel and own a computer.

A pulse.

Counting your blessings

Elizabeth Lane Lawley asks that each blogger list all of the things for which they are grateful for and trackback to her original post as a point of collation. Great Idea. I always try to keep The Obvious? focussed on the positive aspects of life, hopefully, as an antidote to all of the negativity that surrounds us.

Here is my list:

A wonderful wife who sticks with me through thick and thin and is the best thing that ever happened to me.

Two beautiful daughters who give me more joy than anything else in the world.

My health, although I do abuse it terribly.

A home in a perfect part of the world, surrounded by beautiful countryside and great pubs!

A good job with a good boss in a great organisation and the freedom to be creative and follow my instincts.

Good friends, both online and off.
(Sadly it took one of the best of them, Jon Husband, to point out that I had missed friends off the original list!)

Enough money to eat good food, travel and own a computer.

A pulse.

Counting your blessings

Elizabeth Lane Lawley asks that each blogger list all of the things for which they are grateful for and trackback to her original post as a point of collation. Great Idea. I always try to keep The Obvious? focussed on the positive aspects of life, hopefully, as an antidote to all of the negativity that surrounds us.

Here is my list:

A wonderful wife who sticks with me through thick and thin and is the best thing that ever happened to me.

Two beautiful daughters who give me more joy than anything else in the world.

My health, although I do abuse it terribly.

A home in a perfect part of the world, surrounded by beautiful countryside and great pubs!

A good job with a good boss in a great organisation and the freedom to be creative and follow my instincts.

Good friends, both online and off.
(Sadly it took one of the best of them, Jon Husband, to point out that I had missed friends off the original list!)

Enough money to eat good food, travel and own a computer.

A pulse.

My brain hurts

Despite my three year old daughter's firm grasp of relativity it was still a considerable challenge explaining the plot in Back To The Future having joined the film on TV this afternoon half way through!