Tayside Mountain Resue - Training Sunday 26th April 2009

Training Day at Glen Clova. Three search Scenarios, two with SARDA; and Cas Care training. All in all a very productive day.

An Caisteal/Beinn a'Chroin - Sunday 19th April 2009

What a fantastic day! With a Group of 9, we ascended An Caisteal via the aptly named Twistin' Hill, along with a multitude of others. The weather was amazing - Summer had come early - T shirts and sun cream the order of the Day!!. View over to Ben More and Stob Binnean was clear and the walk became a great day out for all those involved.

Climbing - Benny Beg, Crieff - Saturday 11th April 2009

Great climbing area for all abilities, bolted grades from 3 to 6, with great sunny aspect all day. Dave and I had the place to ourselves pretty much from 9 in the morning and the climbing was good and challenging - good , large holds - but quite smooth and a lot of thinking needed.

Navigation Day - Beinn Dearg - Sunday 5th April 2009

Navigation day around Blair Atholl and Beinn Dearg. Eight particpants from a local Walking Group, we looked at pacing, timings, bearings and map to contour interpretation.
Good, clear day, if a little cold, but gave an excellent day on the hill practising very important skills.
Still a little snow hanging about in high pockets, but not enough for any 'fun and games'.

Yorkshire Dales Weekend - 28th/29th March 2009

Starting from Horton-in-Ribblesdale on a windy Saturday morning, the first peak to ascend on our 23 mile journey was Pen-y-Ghent. The team of 6 quickly ascended and after a short stop at the cairn, started the log walk through a great deal of boggy ground to the second peak of the day - Whernside, via Ribblehead viaduct. After a long drawn out climb then following the ridgeline we summitted Whernside.

There was a little snow on Whernside's ridgeline and the wind was begining to get stronger. The views to the Lake District and beyond were extensive and it made the long, hard slog a little more worthwhile. We dropped off the ridge, and moved onto the last of the Three Peaks - Ingleborough. This climb was by far the hardest, especially at the end of a tiring day. The summit was reached and it was then the long hard slog back to Horton within the 12 hour time limit.

Paul and Kevin completed in 9 hours 55 minutes; Martin and Richard in 10 hours 38 minutes; Mick took a little longer; and sadly Scott dropped out after Whernside. All in all, a difficult but pleasurable day.

Sunday was a great, clear, sunny day with a little breeze. We spent the day wandering around Buckden Pike and the Ribble Way.

Glenshee - Sunday 22nd March 2009

Very cold and windy day compared with the previous few days. With a local Hillwalking group of 9, ascending Glas Tulaichean (1051m). Started out from Dalmonzie Hotel in Glenshee and ascended via a dismantled railway path, then well constructed path to ridgeline, which was being battered by the wind, then onto the summit of Glas Tulaichean. Little pockets of snow, here and there, and some sleet and rain blowing through.

Still some snow on Beinn a'Ghlo, and looked to be getting a good downpour later in the day - be it snow or rain.