Páramos’s lightweight Nikwax Analogy clothing was designed for use in warmer conditions  however it’s light weight is appealing for moving quickly in winter especially for cross country skiing.

I decided to put Quito jacket and Quito trousers to test on a recent trip across local hill Craiglich in sleet at temperatures around zero.  I wore a new Páramo Grid base layer under the Quito Jacket  but packed a Torres Insulator Gilet in my backpack  just in case.

In conclusion the Quito Jacket and Trousers combination kept me warm and dry despite the conditions. Standing still even for the obligatory cup of tea at the summit was cold,  however the Torres Gilet kept me warm.

Robbie Simpson of local running club Deeside Runners won the Lumphanan Detox 10K Run on 2nd January for the 4th successive year in a time of  31min 51sec.

Sam Burgess of Aboyne and Deeside Runners was second with a time of 35.30. Nicola Gauld was 4th and the first female home with a course record of 35.44.

Robbie from Banchory is making a name for himself in hill running circles (Fell Running in England) having won the Snowdon international hill race, the youngest ever winner of the race.

Hilltrek Prize for first local man went to Mark Clark  and first local woman to Clare Sutherland.

Hilltrek customer Ruth Mckenzie  was first in the female 41 to 50 section with a time of 43.46.

This year there were  322 runners and the conditions were excellent.

I pose this question because I looked at today’s weather forecast for Deeside and Lochnagar and it was awfull both on MWIS and the Met Office websites-snow showers, white out conditions, low cloud at around 700m, winds of 60 mph with gusts up to 85 mph, windchill at -15 degrees C. 

There were promises of good visibility.

A great day for a hill walk up a small hill.

I chose Cairn Leuchan,  a 700m summit near Ballater with a track to the top, with great views to Lochnagar – but not today.

In these conditions normally there is no-one fullhardy enough to walk up there but to day I met three others – two wearing Páramo- both Hilltrek customers – the other wearing Mountain Equipment.

Therefore when I was on the hill 75% of the hillwalkers were wearing Páramo.

Now why is that? Are Páramo wearers a mad, full-hardy, decrepit old bunch with no sense or do they trust their gear to work in all conditions. Perhaps it  is just a plain love for the outdoors.

My Páramo gear certainly worked – Alta Jacket, Velez Adventure Trousers, Grid baselayer, Core Insulator – despite sleety rain lower down, snow on top all being driven by a 60 mph wind.

Apologies for the lack of a photograph from the day , although I had packed in my camera the visibility was too poor.

Here is one I prepared earlier.

A made to measure Dee Cotton Analogy Wading jacket has been won Richard Ashby from Peterborough who caught the second heaviest salmon on the Glen Tanar Estate on the River Dee in Aberdeenshire in North East of Scotland.

Richard, who has been a regular visiting angler to the Estate for the last five years, caught a 25lb salmon on the Craigendinnie beat in May. 

Richard was just beaten to the first prize by Mark Slight  who caught a 25.3 lb salmon.

Glen Tanar Estate wildlife manager, Colin McLean, said : “Thank you to everyone who took part in Glen Tanar Estate’s heaviest salmon competition and congratulations to our three winners. Salmon fishing on the estate has always been very popular, and the anglers seemed to enjoy the added good natured competition.”

All fishermen who cast their lines on one of the Estate’s four beats at Headinch & Cambus O’May, Deecastle, Waterside and Ferrar and Craigendinnie were eligible to take part in the competition.

Made at our workshop in Aboyne, the Dee Wading Jacket uses Cotton Analogy fabric to keep the salmon angler dry and warm in the worst conditions on the river.

Khardung La  claims to be the highest motorable road in the world and we biked down it. 

It is in Ladakh in northern India  and is a historical pass between Leh and the Nubra valley.

It was a great test for the  Braemar Ventile Smock as we started at below zero at over 5350 meters and ended at Leh village 39km and 1000m below at 20 degrees C.

The pass was extremely rough for the first 15km and we were held up by a bulldozer clearing rockfall which was knocking rocks on the track below. On the way down we had to avoid Indian army trucks on their way to the Siachen Glacier.

The paved road on the lower half of the pass was made for speed and some of the others took off into the distance while the rest of us took it easy.

We will have a stand at the Aboyne Highland Games this Saturday featuring

our Hilltrek Ventile and Cotton Analogy Ranges  and Páramo.

On production of your games catalogue, you will receive 10% off normal retail prices on Games Day.

For more on the Aboyne Highland Games see their  website.

Hilltrek Customer Liz Culshaw compleated her final Munro recently. Liz is seen on her final Munro Sgurr A’ Chaorachain wearing Paramo shorts she bought from us.

Liz Culshaw on her last Munro

Liz suffered from ME for many years therefore her achievement is even more significant.

Well done Liz

Dr Chris Fenn will be at Hilltrek on Saturday 26th May between 2 and 4 pm to chat about the impact of nutrition on hillwalking and other outdoor activities.

Chris is a well known nutritionist who has advised expeditions such as Rebecca Stephens, the first British woman to reach the summit of Everest, and Pen Haddow, the Polar explorer.

Many will know Chris from her columns in the TGO and the Trail magazine however she has also has achieved her own personal goals using her expertise in sports nutrition such as climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling across America.

At the event Chris will sign copies of her new book ‘Forget the Fear of Food’

To learn more about Chris take a look at http://chrisfenn.com/ and read her blog post on nutrition for hillwalking