hilltrek

With the second half of the summer being particularly unsettled weather wise then the chances are you will have been walking a lot in the rain recently?  Especially on longer distance walks, I head in to Glen Tanar from Aboyne the other weekend and it rained for 3 of the 4 hours I was out walking.  It was a muggy and humid day and the Fungle, felt more jungle like but my CragHoppers and t-shirt were keeping me cool enough, but on leaving the tree line behind the open heather moorland brought steady and heavy rain, and a bit of wind, nothing to strong but enough to dramatically lower the temperature.  A few years back I got a pair of made to measure water proof over trousers.  With no lining they are light to carry and easy to roll up into a pocket, zipped at the bottom to save you taking off your boots, but you still need to have good balance to get them on quickly.  I also had a shell outer jacket.  I was wrapped up from both the wet and the cold wind.  I had not been for a long-ish walk in the rain for ages, no views to take in or Buzzards soaring in the sky to watch but it was enjoyable enough, especially guessing when the could might break.   Then it came time to descend and the valley bottom was a lot warmer, the rain became more showery and I could remove the over trousers.  The day became warm before a big shower ensured I finished my walk in the rain as I returned to Aboyne.

If  you spend any length of time hill walking at this time of year in Scotland, then you know how easy it is to pick up ticks.  When the bracken stands tall and invades the paths it is all too easy to brush past it allowing the small insects their opportunity to latch on.  Here is some tips on hill walking at this time of year to avoid picking up ticks.

• if possible avoid single track paths, especially on lower hills where the bracken and other plants have bushed out
• Wear long socks – helps prevent abrasions from brittle heather too
• Regularly check for ticks during your walk
• Full tick screen, probably in the shower after being out in the hills.

Ticks carry some nasty infections so it is well worth the effort.

The summer solstice has come and gone, the count down to winter is on.  Not that the skiers on Cairngorm Mountain were waiting, they were out in force yesterday.  Still cool enough for the need for an outdoor ski jacket for some, though a kilt was seen on the slopes too.

The calendar said 15th June but high on Ben Avon and in its gullies winter was still hiding.

The walk to the summit of Ben Avon is best characterised as three long plateau walks, the valley floor walk-in, then the moderate climbed through Fairy Glen to the moorland plateau before things get a lot steeper as the gully climbs the side of Ben Avon to the long flat top of Ben Avon.  I found it a gentle and less threatening walk compared to those around Ben Macdhui however, there was a still a lot of risk around.  Mainly, whether to trust the snow bridges that were clearly being used by other hill walkers?  There were three occasions where the path took a snowy turn.  The first couple looked safe enough as the main stream was some distance way, but I did get a ‘post hole’ on the way down.  However, the last snow bridge was a straight burn crossing.  Plenty of foot prints and boot dirt stretched over the snow but I opted to follow the stream up a side gully and to cross on some expose bare granite, no fear of that collapsing.  Safety first. The weather on the summit was OK but it started to rain and add in the wind, it was not a day for hanging around in the great outdoors.  I could have opted to put on my rain jacket on but I decided for a quick descent to the mid plateau.  I wore my Hilltrek made to measure venture trousers that were ideal for the walk up and half the way down but the lower valleys had heated up a lot.  A quick change into the CraigHopper shorts made for a more comfort.  A 20 mile, 7 hour summers day when winter thinking was still required.

This Saturday I set off on my bike to explore the compact network of forestry trails that wind their way through the Blackhall Forest near Banchory. These trails struck me as a quieter, albeit less spectacular alternative to those in Glentanar – often highly populated with local walkers, hill runners, and mountain bikers – and a convenient practice ground for bikers in the Banchory area who don’t fancy the trek up to ‘Tanar. In Blackhall Forest, recreational bikers have the option of keeping it short and sweet by sticking to the forest tracks, or extend their ride by including Scolty hill into their circuit. I also happened upon some smaller woodland trails designated for walkers only, whose root and rock riddled paths provided some fun technical relief from the sometimes monotonous forestry roads. Readers be warned, however: these paths are designed for walkers, so prepare to put their safety before your daredevilry!

As luck would have it – as we know it too often doesn’t in these parts – the day started off bright and mild. As a safety measure, I stuffed a light waterproof jacket in my Deuter Speed Lite backpack, a favourite of mine. A basic, no-frills design, it does exactly what it says on the tin, its 10 litre variation coming in as one of the lightest sports backpacks on the market. With a few necessary embellishments to accommodate a sports bladder and a pocket for essentials, it’s perfect for long runs and short to mid length rides. As for an upper layer I risked attiring myself in a decidedly skimpy selection, since I wasn’t going far: the Paramo Cambia reversible t-shirt and my Helly Hansen Stripe hoodie. Both indispensible staples of my outdoor sports ‘wardrobe’, the Paramo t-shirt and HH technical midlayer (made from Lifa Stay Dry fabric) are, on a mild Spring day, all it takes to stay cool, dry and wind-chill free. I often wear them for longer runs and rides, slinging the midlayer around my waist or into my backpack once I’ve warmed up. I particularly relish the knowledge that, with my hood up, I look like a cross between Mary Quant and Billy Murray in The Life Aquatic – if a little redder in the face.

 To get there: from the old military road between the Potarch Hotel and the Feuchside Inn, meet the well-marked trails at the Shooting Greens car park. From here follows a mild, untechnical climb up to the shoulder of the Hill of Tillylair, from whose vantage can be glimpsed to one side the Mains of Potarch and the woodland flanking the Dee as it snakes its way through the valley, and to the other a more dramatic assembly of low hills surrounding Clachnaben. The road continues until it reaches a fork – to the left the road loops back onto the sign-posted Forest Trail, to the right it is possible to follow the track over to Banchory, and up on to Scolty Hill.

(All the gear mentioned above is sold by our very fine selves at Hilltrek in Aboyne. For more information and technical specs, why don’t you come in for a natter with our approachable and experienced staff?)

The new year brought a lot of new snow with it.  A local Hilltrek customer got on his made to measure ski jacket and gators and hiked up the Fungle, through the trees and on to Carnferg, 1700ft (often referred to as the highest point in Aboyne but over 4 miles away!).  The video shows how powdery the conditions were.. .

There is superb skiing conditions at the local ski resorts for Aboyne, The Lecht and Glenshee at present.  A customer sent in a video of their 1988 made to measure ski jacket still doing the business in cold conditions on the Buzzard piste at The Lecht.