I did Liatach in August. Climb up at eastern end steep but on a great path. The descent to the glen after the 2nd munro is bloody brutal and very erroded in the upper section. Pinnacle wise I went over everything but you can always pick a line to suit yourself. The bypass path looks straightforward but a stumble could be fatal.

Have any of you guys done Baosbheinn?

It looks great from Alliginn

Have any of you guys done Baosbheinn?

No, but spied it across Sheildaig Forest on a road out and back to Lower Diabeag. It went on The List, looks rather nice.

Just been looking at buying the Graeme Uney book when I noticed Amazon have the Wainwright Guides box set reduced to £29.99 from £99.99. I guess lots will have them already but seems a bargain price.

The bypass path looks straightforward but a stumble could be fatal.

And has been in the past. Not trying to put anyone off with that, just a fact!

Gowbarrow ticked, was mega to be back out in the hills. Fairly busy, zero viz at the top, but the main shit point was the pack of hounds that had lost whatever hunt it was with ffs. I thought that NT had banned all hunts on their land now?!

Went to Keswick afterwards….busiest that I’ve ever seen it ffs! Picked up a good deal on crampons and ice axe for my girlfriend from Needle Sports.

Heading up over the border tomorrow, so will get another one maybe two days in the mountains before heading back home.

Did you survive the night @nobeer? 😳

Needle Sports

I luuuurve Needle Sports, proper old fashioned gear shop run by climbers for climbers. Not like bloody George Fishers (aka ‘the electric penknife shop’). That used to be a fabulous multi floored eclectic gear emporium but is now just a souless lifestyle store… :-\

I luuuurve Needle Sports, proper old fashioned gear shop run by climbers for climbers.

Stephen Reid (owner for those who don’t know) is a real enthusiast. I was in touch with him about some new routes he’d done in the Fannaichs and he was super helpful.

Needlesports is one of the few outlets I buy from even if they are more expensive. Within reason of course. 🙂

Just been looking at buying the Graeme Uney book when I noticed Amazon have the Wainwright Guides box set reduced to £29.99 from £99.99. I guess lots will have them already but seems a bargain price.

Thanks for that.
A mate of mine lost his Grandad last year, he had lots of Wainright books, some very old and well used. I mentioned to my friend that I would like to take them and use them (saves me buying them and I know his mum would love it). Unfortunately his uncle was in a rush to get his flat on the market and binned the lot.

I recent got some Miendl Bhutan which fit great, but when I walk downhill the inner sole slides forward and crumples at the toes.

Is this common? Do you have any tips on how to avoid?

I asked Miendl but got no response.

inner sole slides forward and crumples at the toes.

Get a decent pair of aftermarket insoles. Anything slightly firmer than the current ones will work.

I have a pair of La Sportiva winter climbing boots that came with the most shockingly shit insoles. Initially I thought I’d made a mistake and the boots just didn’t fit me but new insoles sorted them out a treat.

Get a decent pair of aftermarket insoles.

Deep down I knew that was always going to be the answer, but not the one I wanted after dropping £200 on a pair of boots.

Did you survive the night @nobeer? 😳

Lol, aye, just about! Was stunning, amazing light on the big 4000’ers at sunset, more stars than I’ve ever seen, then at 2am some bugger switched on the wind! 😬🤣

My mate Robin has a YouTube channel, I’ll post up a link to his vid when he drops it, should be a good yin.

So many good pics, too tired to post them, so…

https://www.instagram.com/p/CYE4AvSs-tm/?utm_medium=copy_link

Needlesports is one of the few outlets I buy from even if they are more expensive.

@spin Agreed. If you speak to him again, pls let him know the shop is appreciated. We had one in the local town run by Mal Duff’s climbing partner and a bloke off the Antarctic Survey. It was like Needle Sports but in the Fens 🙂 I’d rather spend money there than any Cotswold type formulaic lifestyle shop – even at a premium. Having written that, I get most kit off t’Internerd now so it’s a bit of a moot point.

The stuff that I got from Needlesports was all cheaper than anywhere I could see online. I bought some climbing shoes from there years ago and they just knocked 10% off at the till (after I’d tried on nearly every pair of shoes in the shop!)

Definitely post up the video link @nobeer. Think we’re going to.do some low level stuff in the Cairngorms tomorrow…..hoping the forecast for the weekend is slightly better!!

The road out Glen Tromie was sheet ice pretty much the whole way (5 miles), it was actually worse at the lower lying sections Tom, I’d imagine much of the tracks about could be similar.

Sounds like the perfect place for the better half to try out her new crampons 😂😂

Because it was just a couple of rounded hills we were doing, I left mine, but thank god I lifted my wee microspikes, they were a godsend!.

@Tom-B as requested, vid from Tuesday night.

Ooh will pop that on in a minute…..currently on the ski car park at Aviemore, we did Ord Ban and a loop of Loch an Eilein and Loch Gamhna today….lovely little walk! Might take advantage of the ‘free’ altitude you get up here and go for a play higher up tomorrow, forecast looks reasonable.

Fantastic, defo take that 600m when you can get it!.

Up to pt 1141 and along the top of both the big coires and back down the other side of coire an lochan is a cracking way to spend a few hours.

Have you a bike with you?

We persuaded mrs_oab to let us ‘pedal’ down to the loch. That’s about the fastest I’ve ever been on a bike – iirc we hit 60kmh – on MTB tyres. 😱😱😱

Do we have a recommendation for insoles for walking boots? I have a high arch and got some Lowa Renegades for my birthday today and the insole arch support is none existent.

Go and get fitted would be my suggestion – and not necessarily at outdoor store. Running shops often have better trained staff on these things.

Right then, recommend me some walking boots, as much as you can without having the same feet as me. I haven’t had a set for years having used fell running shoes or winter climbing boots. However, I’d like to spend some money to cheer myself up and I’m doing a wee bit of stuff from time to time where they’d be useful.

I’d like something long lasting, with proper waxable leather that doesn’t depend solely on a membrane for water resistance. No need to be crampon compatible but I don’t mind a stiffer boot. I have pretty narrow feet and have got on well with Scarpa and la sportiva in the past.

I’m a bit of a scarpa fan too, got a pair of Deltas from PSA on here 7 years ago, 55 quid, still going strong!.

Bought a pair of Manta GTX last month, as I’ve a winter skills course coming up and needed a bit more stiffness for crampons, they’re actually not too bad to walk in, 5 miles of gravel road out of Glen Tromie was a decent test.

I have pretty narrow feet and have got on well with Scarpa and la sportiva in the past.

You know the answer already…

My dad has a pair of leather Scarpa’s that were already re-soled and given to me. Bear in mind he is now 76 – but they have seen well over a decade of gardening and winter walks around the local parks and woods. He just keeps throwing leather proof on, and they just keep working. He does need a re-sole again!

Scarpa Terra’s…..I lost my original pair in a rather long winded story in Kathmandu the day before setting off to trek to Gokyo Ri. Ended up with Salomon’s as a replacement, love their trail running style trainers, not as big a fan of their boot style stuff. I was eyeing up a pair of Terras in Tiso yesterday, £160 now. I got mine for £90 on sale in 2015.

@Spin – Altberg Mallerstang, comes in 5 width fittings and can take a C1 crampon. My wife has a pair and she has problem narrow feet. (They’re a nightmare, size 7narrow for one foot and a farrier for the other)

I have their 3 season Tethera boot and it’s quite stiff, like a Meindl Burma. Again it comes in 5 width fittings.

You have to try them on in a shop. They tend to run about half a size small e.g. mine are 12 wide but my feet are 11.5 on the Braddock (?) device. The extra wide are probably for people with bunions as they’re very wide.

They do other boots using different lasts and they might fit you. Have a look on their website

https://www.altberg.co.uk/the-altberg-factory/our-lasts

Also, you’re really going to struggle to get a leather boot without a membrane nowadays

☹️

Cheers for the recommendations.

I don’t mind if they have a membrane, I just want some decent leather so they’re not relying on it.

Best wishes all ye hillgoers, hope 2022 brings plenty adventures!.

Same to you buddy, and everyone else 👍

Mega fun day around Cain Gorm today, started off glorious sunshine and amazing views, ended up a white out and rain (although fairly tame by winter in Scotland standards I’d guess!)
Had a play in the snow with the ice axes, the rain and warmth meant that crampons weren’t really necessary.

Stopping at Coire na Ciste car park again tonight….must be nearly 30 other Vans here tonight, hopefully everyone else fancies an early night too 😳

Looks like winter is returning this week! If the winds die down then could be good winter conditions in various parts of the UK. Anyone got any plans?

Conditions dependant we might do a big Helvellyn loop, although guessing it will be heaving!

Last hill of the festive hols today, just a wee local loop of the North end of the Rhinn of Kells, managed 5 days in the mountains over the piece, happy with that really.

Beautiful!

25 years since I’ve walked there. I still have a real soft spot for Galloway.

On another note – I’ve just ordered a new tent. I couldn’t bring myself to splash daft money on uber light….so used a Wiggle voucher plus sale to get a silly cheap Robens Arch. Bring on DofE season.

You like a tent, eh Matt? 😉

Fuar Tholl area today.

You like a tent, eh Matt?

And a bargain. 😆