Wearing my Nevis Partnership hat for a moment the Friends of Nevis are looking for folk to help with footpath repair work, with full training, on the Ben this summer.

The Friends plan to carry out repairs and maintenance on sections of the path from John’s Wall to the CIC hut and path construction expert, Bob Brown, has agreed to lead volunteer work parties and offer training and insights into this fascinating area of work.

This is a great chance for anyone looking to “put something back” into the Ben in a hands-on/practical and outdoor environment, with all equipment and plenty of support provided, while also learning valuable skills.

A minimum commitment of one full day would be required – but more would be very welcome!
At the moment the weekends planned are:

July 19/20
August 9/10
August 16/17
August 23/24
September 6/7
September 13/14

Further details from www.friendsofnevis.co.uk

I’m told the next Adventure Show will be on BBC Scotland next Tuesday - July 8 - at 7pm. The programme features World Cup mountain biking from Fort William and my Wild Walk is to the two western Mamores, Stob Ban and Mullach nan Corein. For viewers outside Scotland the programme will be on Sky Channel 990. After that the next Adventure Show will feature this year’s TGO Challenge and that should shown sometime in early August.

Meanwhile, BBC Scotland have been trailing their 6-part series called The Real Monarch of the Glen which takes a look at species introduction, including Paul Lister’s controversial plans to turn his Alladale Estate into a pay-to-view Safari Park, complete with 9-ft high electric fence to keep the great unwashed outside. I’ll be making my usual rant about access etc.

I mentioned in my last diary entry that I was just about to head north to start work on a new BBC television project.
I’m just home for a few hours before heading north again so I thought I’d stick up a couple of images to give you an idea of the kind of terrain the television programme will take me through. I’m sure you’ll all know the image above is Suilven, and that’s the starting point of a seven-day journey. The other image is of a very special place I’ll be visiting en route.

]]> http://www.cameronmcneish.co.uk/blogs/332/feed/ http://www.cameronmcneish.co.uk/blogs/331 http://www.cameronmcneish.co.uk/blogs/331#comments Wed, 18 Jun 2008 07:51:09 +0000 cameron http://www.cameronmcneish.co.uk/blogs/331 Apologies for losing a couple of the posts on this diary, and also losing much of the content of my new image Gallery. It seems that someone hacked into this site and for a couple of days I lost all the content. Fortunately it had been backed up from a couple of days previously so I didn’t lose a lot.
I’ll get the image Gallery up to speed in the next few weeks with images of Scotland, Jordan, Mount Ararat, the Himalaya, Morocco and the Alps. I haven’t quite decided at this moment how to categorise them - I might just stick to geographical area or I might list them per trip eg, the GR20 in Corsica, the Cape Wrath Trail etc.
Just about to head off north to do a batch of filming for a television project I’m working on. A couple of weeks in the far north of Scotland in some of the most sublime landscapes this country has to offer. I’m basically taking a long journey by foot, by sea kayak and by mountain bike, interviewing some fascinating people along the way. More details later.
Meanwhile, many thanks to everyone who came along to my recent AV presentations in London and in Nairn. The London event was arranged by the Wilderness Foundation, an organisation that’s really going from strength to strength with a strong emphasis on getting youngsters out on week long wilderness trails. The other event was part of the Nairn Book Festival and the new community hall in Nairn was a superb venue, without doubt the finest community hall I’ve ever used. Had its own full size screen, digi-projecter and great sound system. I was really impressed. And, of course, a wonderful audience…

By all accounts this year’s TGO Challenge was one of the best ever, no doubt due to the fantastic weather. I managed to get out and about a bit more this year, under the pretence of shooting video for our podcasts and the up and coming BBC television programme, and it was great to spend time with some old friends and meet so many new friends in Mallaig, Inverie, Melgarve, Glen Feshie, Braemar, Glen Callater and Tarfside.

I’ve managed to put together a couple of podcasts of video snippets, to try and give viewers a little taste of the atmosphere of the event and what it means to those who take part. I think what comes across most strongly is that the ingredients for the success of the event boil down to two main constituents - the magnificent Scottish landscapes and the Challengers themselves.

I would also add that another important factor is the organisation of the event and for that we have to thank our co-ordinator Roger Smith. While most of the Challengers will be taking a break and might begin to think about next year’s event in a few month’s time Roger has started work on the 2009 event, the 30th TGO Challenge, already. The entry form will be in the October issue of TGO Magazine and I have a sneaky feeling that the 30th event could be heavily oversubscribed.

I’ll let you know what date the BBC show goes out - probably sometime in early July.

I travelled to Mallaig on Friday in the company of a BBC film crew who were filming the start of the 2008 TGO Challenge. Needless to say the 50 or so Challengers who started their 2-week odyssey were in great form and there was a party atmosphere on Bruce Watt’s ferry that runs across Loch Nevis to Inverie in Knoydart.

The film crew took the opportunity to chat to several Challengers and, not to be outdone, I took the opportunity of videoing some chat too for a TGO podcast. Thanks to everyone who gave us their time and especially to Kate and Tim Wood, Gus McKinnon, Mark Alvarez and Di Jerrard and Ngumu who delayed their start slightly to talk to the BBC. It was obvious they were all itching to get started, although it was also obvious there were a number of Challengers lingering with some intent in the Old Forge Inn at Inverie. Still, it wouldn’t be the TGO Challenge if there wasn’t a considerable amount of alcohol consumed on the way!

In the next few days I hope to get and about a bit meeting up with some of the guys and gals at various points on the way and I plan to get across to Braemar next weekend and find out how everyone is getting on. Keep your eye on this website for more news…

The image above is of Kate and Tim Wood being interviewed by Lindsay Cannon of the BBC at the start of their 10th crossing and the image below is a bunch of happy Challengers en route to Inverie.

]]> http://www.cameronmcneish.co.uk/blogs/295/feed/ http://www.cameronmcneish.co.uk/blogs/291 http://www.cameronmcneish.co.uk/blogs/291#comments Fri, 02 May 2008 12:47:56 +0000 cameron http://www.cameronmcneish.co.uk/blogs/291 This time next week over 300 intrepid souls will step out from various points on the western seaboard of Scotland intent on crossing the country to Montrose on the east coast. The TGO Challenge is the world’s biggest organised backpacking event and is grows from strength to strength. Approaching its 30th year the event is even more popular today than it was in 1979 when it began and I think that’s largely a reflection of the superb organisation of the event. Roger Smith, the co-ordinator, was one of the founders of the event and his enthusiasm, passion and knowledge of the Challenge is unsurpassed. He does a fantastic job every year for us.
Next Friday I’ll be with a BBC camera crew seeing some of this year’s Challengers head off from Mallaig/Knoydart. Some of the guys will be picked up at various points on their route by the camera crew and the film will eventually be broadcast on BBC Scotland’s Adventure Show later in the year. So, if you’re heading off on the Challenge this year, and you bump into a television crew at some point, have your stories and tall tales ready!
I’m looking forward to meeting some of you new Challengers next week, and of course, some old friends too. Best of luck to everyone!

Unfortunately I didn’t get the chance to see the programme but from what many of you tell me it was something of a “hymn to Paul Lister”. Interesting enough one senior BBC producer telephoned me to say the programme makers had ridden roughshod over the BBC’s own producer guidelines, in that they didn’t give equal opportunities to the supporters of the plans and to those who opposed them. Indeed, from what I gather, only a couple of us got the chance to make a few comments.

Later on in the year the BBC are also broadcasting a 6-part series on Lister and his plans, so look out for that. From what I’m told there is a fairer treatment to those who oppose the electric fence scheme (Lister plans to keep the wolves, bears etc in an enormous fenced-in area of about 35-50,000 acres. The fence will be 3m tall, electrified, with no access points. Walkers, he says, should be prepared to make this small access sacrifice so he can charge people £50 a day for the privilege of a Land Rover tour).

It’s probably only fair to point out at this stage that I think Lister is doing some great work at Alladale. His woodland regeneration scheme is great; he is trying to keep deer numbers down and I congratulate him for all of that but if the reintroduction of wolves is dependent on him creating an enormous zoo to keep them enclosed then many of us will fight any fence proposals that come along. And I should also point out that no official planning proposal has been made yet regarding a fence. Be assured as soon as a planning proposal is made you’ll read about it on this website.

Meanwhile, if you can find the time this summer, visit Alladale and see for yourselves the kind of mountain landscapes Lister is suggesting walkers should be banned from. It includes the Corbett of Carn Ban and the approaches to that lovely Munro, Seana Braigh.

Sometimes it’s good to stop and smell the coffee, so to speak.

I took my old campervan down Glen Etive last weekend, essentially with the intention of climbing a couple of the Etive hills but by the time I got away from home on Friday it was getting on a bit late to climb a hill, even with the brighter nights.

So instead of rushing up a hill in the gathering gloom I drove down to the old pier at the head of Glen Etive, (above) had a wander up towards Etive’s Slabs (for old times sake), brewed some coffee in the van and lingered by the old pier as the sun went down. It was marvellous. By the time I drove up the glen again and looked for somewhere to stop for the night some stags were settling in close to the road, a skein of greylag geese flew up the glen above me and I knew why this place meant so much to the ancient Celtic princess Deirdre, Deirdre of the Sorrows.

Her lover Naoise and his brothers, the Sons of Uisneach, had built a bower for her high on the side of Ben Starav. According to the old tales she loved this place with a passion and was heartbroken when she eventually had to return to Ulster.

That understanding of Deirdre’s passion for Etive was enforced the next day when I climbed the Corbett of Beinn Mhic Chasgaig on a brilliant day of sunshine and blue skies. What a tremendous hill this is, surrounded as it is by some of the great Munros of the area - Buachaille Etive Mor and Beag, Creise, Meall a’ Bhuiridh, Stob Ghabhar, the Blackmount hills and away in the distance Beinn Starav.

The view from the summit of Mhic Chasgaig across Rannoch Moor (below) was breathtaking. I’ve climbed this hill once before, in the days when the bridge across the River Etive was like a fortification with barbed wire enforcements. Now, thanks to the Land Reform Act, the gate is open, giving way to the superb route that takes you behind the hill into a deep-cut glen that the SMC describes as of “Himalayan character.” I would agree, it’s a tremendous way to climb the hill, much better than the way I’ve climbed it before - directly up the south nose from the glen.

And, despite the glorious weather, I didn’t see another person all day.

]]> http://www.cameronmcneish.co.uk/blogs/287/feed/ http://www.cameronmcneish.co.uk/blogs/283 http://www.cameronmcneish.co.uk/blogs/283#comments Wed, 16 Apr 2008 21:05:26 +0000 cameron http://www.cameronmcneish.co.uk/blogs/283 Cameron describes a trek he recently led to Morocco’s Mount Toubkal, at 4167m/13672ft the highest mountain in North Africa

After a marvellous ten days trekking in Morocco and climbing Toubkal, the highest mountain in North Africa, in perfect winter conditions, it was back to the reality of a British spring with snow causing chaos at Gatwick airport. My flight from Marrakech was delayed by five hours (it was 37 degrees C in Marrakech and minus two in Gatwick) and I missed my connection to Scotland. After standing in an almost stationary queue for BA Customer Services I eventually gave in, caught the Gatwick Express to central London and came home on the sleeper. Thank God for trains!

I must admit that in the past couple of years I’ve found flying to be a most stressful and unpleasant mode of transport and I’ve cut down the number of flights I use. I’d love to claim that I’ll stop flying completely because of environmental reasons but the truth is that I now simply loathe the experience of waiting in long queues, one after the other - check-in, security, immigration, passport control etc. The actual flight is usually fine, it’s just all the other crap that goes with it these days.

However, I had a grand group of trekkers on Toubkal, made a lot of new friends in Morocco, and despite the grimness of the travel it was good to realise again that the mountains never let you down. Hope you enjoy the photograph of me being patriotic on the summit of Toubkal, and for those of you who don’t know the mountain, the image below gives an idea of the rugged granduer of Morocco’s High Atlas.

Hope to get a podcast about our ascent of Toubkal up on the site later this week.

]]> http://www.cameronmcneish.co.uk/blogs/278/feed/ http://www.cameronmcneish.co.uk/blogs/275 http://www.cameronmcneish.co.uk/blogs/275#comments Mon, 24 Mar 2008 09:11:54 +0000 cameron http://www.cameronmcneish.co.uk/blogs/275 Could someone tell me who decides the date of Easter each year? Is it the Government, is it the Church? Whoever it is they screwed up big time this year.
I was in Ullapool on Friday and Saturday, a lovely west highland town that relies on tourism. The chap who runs the campsite there looked across the site where there less than half a dozen caravans, one tent and one camper (mine). He shrugged and told me it was the quietest Easter in Ullapool he had ever known. “There’s going to be a big long lull in business now until the summer season starts,” he lamented.
The weather, of course, was foul. Arctic blasts all weekend, which had been well documented by the media, so people obviously decided to stay at home and sit by the fire. Even the schools have been more sensible than those who decide the dates of Easter. Many schools have decided to have their week-long holiday sometime in April when, hopefully, the weather might be a little better.
I bit the bullet and went on the hill on Easter Sunday. I chose a short day in view of the weather - Meall Cuaich near Dalwhinnie and boy, was in wild. Gale force winds, stinging pellets of snow and hail, mixed visibility and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Isn’t it curious how we can distance ourselves from the nasties of the weather, wrap up well, and simply enjoy the physical challenge? I went out feeling faintly depressed at the prospect - I came home almost euphoric.
Later this week I hope to swap the vagaries of the Scottish spring for sunshine and snow in Morocco. I’m leading a trek to Toubkal in the High Atlas so while I hope there’s enough snow to make it feel like a winter ascent, I’m hoping there will be plenty of North African sunshine too.

The two days couldn’t have been more different and as I lay in the hazy spring sun near the old building at Dalballoch (see below) in the Monadh Liath it was interesting to reflect on the two days that represented two dimensions of my life as an outdoor writer.

Two days earlier I had wandered round the stands and stalls, the presentations and the demonstrations of the OS Outdoor Show at the NEC in Birmingham. I think this was possibly the sixth or seventh of these shows I’ve attended and I didn’t feel any more comfortable with this one than I did with the first. It was probably great if all you wanted to do was buy gear at knock-down prices but I would, personally, rather support my local retailers. It was nice to meet a few old friends, but within a couple of hours I felt a familiar depression settle on me, the discomfort that comes when cooped up indoors with crowds of people. This wasn’t adventure, that wasn’t outdoor experience, this was a kind of simulated, commercial and celebrity driven contradiction in terms. An outdoor show indoors. The closest I came to an outdoor experience was my eventual escape.

Wind on 48 hours.

I left my home, walked up the length of Glen Banchor in spring sunshine delighting in the sound of skylarks, oystercatchers and the first curlew calls of the year. As I climbed higher the character of the land changed, from spring back to winter, into the Arctic monochrome of the secretive Dubh Loch and the broad swathes of the snow covered plateaux. I felt the warm sun on one side of my face and the bitter north wind on the other. Ptarmigan still wore their white coats of winter as I climbed to Carn Dearg, the most shapely of the rounded Monadh Liath summits, and followed its ridge back to the old cottage at Dalballoch where I lay against a sweet smelling grassy verge by the burn and thanked God that I didn’t have to rely on the simulated adventure, high-octane promotion and celebrity culture of outdoor consumer shows to get my fix.

While the indoor outdoor show is so obviously a contradiction in terms I couldn’t help reflect the same contradictions in my own life. The all-too-short experiences of the hills, mountains and trails, buttressed against the long spells of office work, writing, lecturing and travelling. As I lay there in the sun by Dalballoch I promised myself a new resolution - a better balance. It’s time to give up some of the time-consuming add-ons in life, to make way for more experience, more of the real stuff, more of the mountains. When I eventually lie in the last throes of life I know I certainly won’t be wishing I had spent more time in the office! Perhaps, just perhaps, I might take some satisfaction from having made the decision to spent much more time in the wilds.

]]> http://www.cameronmcneish.co.uk/blogs/274/feed/ http://www.cameronmcneish.co.uk/blogs/270 http://www.cameronmcneish.co.uk/blogs/270#comments Sat, 15 Mar 2008 14:47:32 +0000 cameron http://www.cameronmcneish.co.uk/blogs/270

Our plan had been to climb Bidean nam Bian in Glen Coe and film it for my Wild Walks series on BBC Scotland’s Adventure Show but the weather, as it has done so often this winter, spoiled the party. Gale force winds, gusting to 90mph, snow and cloud made the thought of traversing between Stob Coire an Lochan and Bidean a nightmare so we settlede for a shorter walk in the Cairngorms.

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve climbed Meall a’ Bhuachaille, the Corbett that dominates the head of Glenmore, but familiarity has never distracted from the appeal of the hill. High above the historic Ryvoan Pass, we decided there was enough to talk about, ever though the hill of the shepherd may have lacked the drama of the highest mountain in Argyll. Lochain Uaine, the green lochan, Ryvoan Bothy, and the ancient Cateran’s Trail, or Thieves Road, will all feature in the clip.

Curiously enough I’ve had a request from the editorial team on the Sunday Herald to widen the scope of my weekly walks in the paper. In the past I’ve concentrated purely on hill ascents but there’s an enthusiasm now to embrace some lower level walks too, to widen the appeal to those with families and those who perhaps lack the ability to climb the Munros or Cobetts. I’m certainly not going to abandon the high tops - that’s where my heart lies, but I’m looking forward to broadening my knowledge of Scotland, its history and wildlife my embarking on a number of lower level sorties in the months to come.

As well as my regular slots on BBC Scotland’s Adventure Show I’ve recently been invited to contribute some walking films to another BBC series. Can’t say the name of the programme just at the moment - we’re still in negotiation - but suffice to say it will add to my knowledge of walks south of the border!

The photo is of Ryvoan Bothy.

BLJAT

A few weeks ago I had the great pleasure of a long telephone chat with Ron Craighead of www.backpackinglight.com, probably the world's number one website for ultralight backpackers.

Well, the kernels of that conversation have now been published as a Podcast on the backpackinglight website. We ranged wide in our conversation but essentially we were discussing the emotive side of wilderness. Have a listen, see what you think...

www.backpackinglight.com

I’m writing this with my chair of The Nevis Partnership hat on, and we need your help!

Every year over a hundred thousand people climb to the summit of Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest summit, and for many of them that achievement represents their own personal Everest.

Ben Nevis and its surroundings mean a great deal to a large number of people from all over the world. Protecting and safeguarding the area, while making it accessible and pleasurable to visit, is a real challenge and for the past few years The Nevis Partnership has taken on that challenge.

Now, the Partnership has launched the Friends of Nevis, to encourage individuals, families and organisations to help support and manage Ben Nevis and the surrounding Nevis area.

This magnificent environment includes mountains, wild land, the glen and the River Nevis and a range of visitor facilities such as a visitor centre and numerous low and higher level walks. Friends of Nevis can help through subscribing, donating or contributing time and resources on a range of practical projects such as path maintenance, wildlife monitoring, fundraising etc.

The main concept underpinning Friends of Nevis is to give as many individuals or organisations as possible the chance to demonstrate their support for this fantastic corner of the UK. While donations and subscriptions will always be welcome no-one no-one should feel excluded because of a tying requirement to give money; so a large part of Friends of Nevis will be concerned with recruiting and organising volunteers to help with the many strands of the Nevis Partnership’s work in the Nevis area.

Projects include path maintenance and repair on and around The Ben, and a wide range of environmental and visitor management initiatives in the wider Nevis area, as well as initiatives to work with residents and the local community to facilitate enjoyment and appreciation of the region. By joining Friends of Nevis, whether as a subscriber, volunteer, donor or a combination of all three, you can be assured that your time and money will be put to good use on the various projects and not expended on unnecessary paper work or gimmicks. Similarly, any proceeds from Friends of Nevis merchandise will be put directly into supporting the Nevis Area.

Can you help us protect and safeguard the wonderful qualities of Ben and Glen Nevis for the next generations? For more information contact: Friends of Nevis, The Nevis Partnership, 101 High Street, Fort William, PH33 6DG

www.friendsofnevis.co.uk

It was Ronald Turnbull who suggested to me some months ago that it’s a good thing to combine Munros with Corbetts and I have to agree with him.

We have so many “twin” Munros in Scotland - think of Ben More and Stobinian, Ben More Assynt and Conival, Ben Vorlich and Stuc a’Chroin to name just three but there are many, many more. A cursory glance at any of the Munro guidebooks will show many more of these Munro “twins”.

I like the idea of climbing Corbetts along with Munros and it gives a completely new perspective on climbing these hills. Let me give you an example. In the past I would never have thought of climbing Stuc a’ Chroin, in the Southern Highlands, without tagging on its neighbour, Ben Vorlich, and vice versa, but at the weekend I climbed the Munro along with its southern neighbour, the Corbett of Ben Each. The lovely knobbly ridge between the two hills gave me a completely different perspective on both the Corbett and the Munro, two hills I’ve climbed many a time. I’m now looking for more. Any recommendations?

The image is of Stuc a’Chroin from Ben Each.

I’m looking out at pouring rain and clouds being whipped across the sky by ferocious winds. I’m just preparing the little weather forecast item I’ve been doing for BBC Scotland’s Adventure Show radio programme and this weekend’s weather looks hellish, going on bloody hellish! Gale force winds on the tops, heavy rain and low cloud. Mmm, might be the weekend for doing those chores my wife has been hinting at for some weeks.

Shouldn’t complain too much I guess, the weather over the past couple of weeks has been wonderful - cold and frosty with clear blue skies here in the Highlands. I took the opportunity of going down to the Lakes last weekend to hike with some old friends, Jimmy, Aiden and Peter from Sunderland and Rowly from Ambleside, guys I met when I led a trek to Everest Base Camp a few years ago. I always enjoy heading out with these guys, we laugh as much as we walk, they’re fit and play hard and are just great characters to be with in the hills. For someone like me, who spends a lot of time walking alone, it’s always a delight to find company like that.

Anyway, we wandered - or should say raced, round the Fairfield Horseshoe in magnificent weather. It was bitterly cold on the summits but clear enough to get some good shots of neighbouring Hellvelyn. (see above) A lot of people were out enjoying the conditions and it was, as usual, great to see people enjoying the hills in all their glory.

So, I guess I’ll have to relive those fine hours this weekend as I plod through the mists, or battle the winds. For what it’s worth, incidentally, the best of the hill weather in Scotland looks like being the Lammermuirs this weekend. If you can tune in to Radio Scotland check out the programme tomorrow morning - The Adventure Show, 7-8am. It’s the last of our little stint of four weeks and Ewan and Mark will be back next week.

I feel a little guilty admitting this, but what the heck!
I was on Carn Mor Dearg and Ben Nevis today on one of the most magnificent days I’ve ever had on these hills. But we cheated. We went to both summits by helicopter…
It’s not something I do habitually but we were making a film for the Nevis Partnership, of which I’m chairman, and over the past few weeks we’ve managed to shoot nothing but cloud and rain. With high pressure forecast for today we went for it and used the helicopter for the aerial shots of the Ben. My sincerest apologies to anyone who was on the hill and had their peace disturbed - we did try and keep the disturbance to a minimum.
I was surprised by the amount of snow that was still on the hill and the gullies were busy with climbers. The views south, down Loch Linnhe, to Mull and the distant Paps of Jura were magnificent, but I think the best view of all was over the Carn Mor Dearg Arete to the Mamores, some of the loveliest hills in the country. The glens were hazy with mist but the tops were clear and the sun shone hot from a cobalt blue sky.
The NP film will be previewed at the Fort William Film Mountain Festival on Feb 19 and I reckon the clips we shot today will make it look quite spectacular. Apologies again to anyone whose peace was disturbed.

As well as a lot of support there is also a lot of hostility going about but I think folk tend to forget that the petition doesn’t mean automatic legislation - it’s only a means to begin a discussion which may, or may not, get some political support eventually.

I’m also aware there is a lot of misunderstanding about “wild camping” and how it’s defined in the Land Reform (Scotland) Act. I happened to see the Scottish farming programme “Landward” recently and they were on about wild camping, but the whole clip was about people camping on the roadside by Loch Lomond - tourists, fishermen, bunches of youngsters and those who go camping with the sole intention of getting totally pissed. This kind of camping is NOT allowed under the Land Reform Act. The Act only permits wild camps out of sight or roads or buildings, for up to two nights only and the camper must then move on. The legislation does not permit roadside camping. It’s quite clear so I don’t know why Landward confused the issue. Curiously, many others are confusing the issue too and throwing in red herrings, like “I wild camp and I’ve never had a problem.” Well, I occasionally drive over the speed limit but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to get caught one day!

I can think of many areas in England & Wales where I’d like to wild camp and where, with the proper worded legislation, it wouldn’t be a problem. I would think, because the Westminister legislation has gone that way, that it would be in areas of mapped “access land” only and if the legislation made it clear that the law was for genuine backpackers, or people moving through the landscape recreationally, that it could only enhance the current CROW legislation. However, the important thing is to have the debate, not to talk it out of court even before this petition has been accepted. I’ll creep back over the Border now, grab my tent and go off and camp quietly for a couple of nights where no-one can move me on.

For those who believe that genuine wild camping should be legal in England and Wales, as it is in Scotland, there is currently an E-Petition seeking support on the 10 Downing Street website:

10 Downing Street

The petition reads: “We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to legalise wild camping in England and Wales.

“Currently without the landowners consent it is illegal to wild camp on the moors, mountains, National Parks and MOD land. It is time to give people the same rights as those given North of the Border in Scotland to allow them to wild camp in these places without threat of legal action”

The E-petition has only just been listed and will need all the votes it can if it is to get any serious credence.

Deadline to sign up is 24 May 2008, and you must be a British citizen or resident to sign It’s quite quick and simple to do.

Please spread the word - the petition will need all the support it can get if it’s to at least get those in power interested.

My thanks to Gibson McGeachie for sending me the above image of an avalanche. This was taken on the 12th January this year in the relatively low-lying hills of the Ochils, north-east of Stirling. I think this image well illustrates the fact that avalanches can occur in any hill range and not just on the big hills.
Only a few days before I saw this photograph I watched a hillwalker traverse below an obvious area of windslab on Ben Wyvis in Easter Ross. Thankfully he didn’t set off an avalanche but he was lucky. I recall being avalanched myself away back in the 70’s in Coire Laoigh Mor in the Cairngorms - not an experience I’d want to repeat.
I wonder if the current generation of hillwalkers are largely unaware of the potential avalanche danger, mainly because of the run of mild winters we’ve experienced recently? Here in the Scottish highlands we’ve had a return to proper winter weather and, while I welcome it, I’m aware I’ve had to brush up on some old skills. Yesterday I was making a television feature for BBC Scotland’s Adventure Show and I had to wear crampons for virtually the whole ascent, and descent, of Ben Wyvis in Easter Ross. While the cold weather undoubtedly brings risk, here’s hoping it continuous for a while longer…

So far so good. To date we’ve had the best winter in Scotland for years and I’ve been making the most of it. Last weekend I climbed Meall an Fhudair, a Corbett near Crianlarich, in pretty mixed conditions. I intended staying in the area overnight but torrential rain moved me on so I drove up to Braes of Foss in Perthshire and spent the night in my old camper van below Schiehallion. Next morning the conditions were unbelievable. Clear skies, bitterly cold and snow on the hill from tip to toe! It was fantastic. On the upper reaches of the hill it felt quite ethereal walking among the weird wind sculpted shapes and as I left the summit I was treated to a spectacular Brocken Spectre - the sun casting my shadow on the mists below creating a great multi-hued halo effect. I made a short video on that climb and you can find it on the TGO website at www.tgomagazine.co.uk. The photo is of Loch Tummel and the distant Atholl hills from Schiehallion.
Yesterday was another amazing day of clarity and snow covered hills. I went to Ben Wyvis in Easter Ross and climbed the hill in some of the best snow conditions I’ve walked in for years. There will be another video uploaded on to the TGO site later this week.
Don’t get too excited by these reports though - as I write it’s pouring with rain and the snow is being washed off the hills like suds in a car wash. Having said that, the Met Office is suggesting it might snow again during the week - and I’m off to the Lake District tomorrow for a couple of days, although the immediate forecast is for rain, not snow!

I’ve been really impressed with the Caldera Cone meths stove from AntiGravity Gear, an American company. The stoves can be bought at Winwood Outdoor in Keswick.
Many years ago I was an affirmed Trangia user and while these Swedish stoves still offer great value for money they are pretty heavy in terms of the lighter weight gear we expect today. One of the great joys of the Trangia was that you could use it in windy conditions and that it operated without the industrial roar of petrol stoves. The Caldera Cone operates in much the same way.
A sheet of aluminium is coiled round into a cone shape and clips simply together to make the windshield. The pot is then placed into the top opening (you can get different sizes of pots and cones, but they must fit each other). I’ve been using AntiGravity Gear’s 700ml non-stick aluminium pot.
The stove itself, a simple cola-can meths stove, sits inside the cone and when lit heats up a litre of water in pretty quick time. The last time I used it, the temperature was about -2C and 500ml of water took about 4 minutes to reach boiling point. You can’t really simmer with the Caldera Cone but using a pot cozy allows food to cook effectively.
This is a very lightweight unit - the stove itself weighs a mere 15g and the Cone weighs about 32g. You also really need a pot grab to lift the pot from the Cone and it’s worth bearing in mind that meths is comparatively heavy and expensive compared with other fuels, but not restrictively so.
I carry the Caldera Cone with the Cone flat against my back in the pack - I slide it down inside the rehydration pouch – and I carry the stove unit inside the pot, inside a pot cozy, inside a plastic bag.
I’m told that Antigravity Gear now sells a plastic mug in which you can roll up the Cone inside. Other developments that are on their way from AntiGravity Gear include a stove that burns twigs etc.
In short, the Caldera Cone meths stove is efficient, lightweight and simple. It burns silently and effectively and I guess it’s become my stove of choice now.

I had a bit of a global warming conscience in the past year and didn’t travel abroad too much - only a week in Jordan’s Wadi Rum in the spring, but I’m afraid I’ve badly missed my annual Autumn trek. I think I’ll be heading to Nepal next autumn – some friends are planning to climb some trekking peaks. All going well I’ll join them.

We certainly have big plans for TGO Magazine for 2008 too – more podcasts and more videos on our website, and plenty of good ideas on the go for the magazine itself. Some good new writers on board too - Dan Bailey, a young mountaineer who writes extremely well and ultralightweight enthusiast Eddy Meechan whose base pack weight is normally less than 5 lbs - and that’s in UK conditions, not the dry, warm conditions of sunny California.

On top of that lot I’m hoping to make a few DVDs featuring Scottish walks, as well as making some more DVDs in the Lake District for Striding Edge as I’ve been doing over the past couple of years. And I’ll be continuing my Wild Walks slot on BBC Scotland’s Adventure Show.

On another level I must make an effort to complete my third round of the Munros; get on with the Corbetts book project I’ve been working on for ages and, hopefully, climb a 20,000+ foot peak in Nepal. Also hoping to work on a big television project. Can’t say too much about that at the moment as it’s still at the proposal stage but it’s a project that will certainly test me in more ways than one!

The only challenge left is to keep this website up and running and on that note many, many thanks to all of you who have contributed and commented over the last year. You’ve no idea how encouraging it is to know that someone is actually reading the stuff, listening to the podcasts and watching the videos. Have a great year yourself and may all your outdoor ambitions come to fruition.

Later as I lay in the tent, sipping a dram after supper, the creaks and groans became a quivering accompaniment to the calls of owls, each sound emphasised by the silence. It really was incredible.

When I had arrived at my camp site I could barely get the tent pegs into the frozen ground. Next morning, just before dawn, a wind sprang up and soon pulled all the pegs out. I ate breakfast with the tent shrouded over me.

It was a marvellous couple of days and I was trying out some new trail shoes from Salomon, which were excellent, and the much-critiqued Caldera Cone from AntigravityGear in the States. This little meths stove was fantastic, indeed I reckon it’s possibly the most efficient meths stove I’ve ever used. I had an email from AntigravityGear just last week and they were warning me of some big developments ahead for the Caldera Cone concept. I can’t wait…