Monthly Archives: March 2012

Three families go away for the weekend

Euan’s relatives kindly let us go to their house in Boat of Garten for the weekend.  The Cartlidegs, Smiths and Burnetts all went en mass with children to spend the weekend in the Cairngorms.

On Saturday, we all departed on bicycle to go for a ride around Rothiemurcus forest with our children tucked up in the trailers being pulled by the dads.  It was Fin’s first time in a trailer and he took to it like Ellis and Sophie did…. he slept!  We rode for an hour until we found a great spot by a river and had a long lunch there.  The kids ran around (not Fin, give the poor wee fella a chance!!!) whilst we all had lunch.

Was a lovely spot and the weather was kind and warm to us, no midgies yet either – Superb stuff.  After lunch we carried on going and rode for about another hour

Once back to the start we found a coffee shop and sat and had some well earned cake, Lara and Scott went off for a further burn whilst we stayed and played with the kids. Once we had eaten our body weight in cake we all went back home.  Euan and I decided we would bath the girls and give the mums a bit of time to relax and have some wine.

Sophie and Ellis in the bath together is rather funny they both just splash each other and laugh.  Euan and I sat on the floor throwing things into the bath for them in which they would shortly re-eject them back out.  We both thought we were doing great until lainie came in and casually asked “ok, who shat in the bath”  Euan and i thought it was a joke until we sat up and looked in and one of them had!!!!!  We both jumped up and grabbed respective daughters out and inspected for and traces left on.  Won’t mention the culprit it would be nasty to name sophie as the bath pooper……

Little Fin, to young to really join in with have a bath with two nasty girls was happily lying on his belly making all sorts of weird and wonderful noises.  Never heard a baby make so many different noises.

He just lies there ” bbababab, grrrrrrrvum, bladddhaagagag, etc….”  he really is a little noise box.

Once all the kids were out for the count the adults sat around and ate dinner and enjoyed chopsing around the fire until it we were tired and all went to bed.

In the morning we all got up as and when respective children dictated with their screams.  The day had dawned another cracker and this time we decided we would go for a walk around Loch Eileen.  This time carrying the kids on our backs.

We walked around until we found another suitable spot to stop for lunch and again sat for ages playing with the kids.  The warm weather invited Scott and I to decide a swim in the Loch, so down to the smalls we went and in we went.  ‘Invigorating’ is how i would describe it.  We lasted all about 20 seconds before we couldn’t take it any more.  It was bloody freezing

I think we will have to wait a few more months until the Lochs are a bit warmer to think of swimming in them again.

A lovely weekend was spent and great to all get together and go away with the kids.  The rest of the pics can be seen by clicking here.

Lets play hunt the snow

Lara has just come back form a weeks skiing in the alps waxing lyrical about how much fun skiing is.  Unfortunately at the same time Lara was in the alps having fun, the temperatures had risen massively into double figures for the last few weeks unseasonally and taken the snow with it.  I was desperate to have at least one more day skiing this season – and so the snow hunt begun.
I received an email with a picture from Scott Muir showing Coire Sputan Dearg from last weekend with some good poissibility for some skiing.
That was enough for me, and Scott and I emailed each other back and forth and made a plan to go skiing on Saturday.  It was an early meet in the Linn of Dee car park and skis were mounted on our rucksacks and then slung onto our backs.  A slight wobble and swear at the weight of our rucksacks and we were off.  It is a fairly long approach to the Corrie, just under three hours.  but it was not a bore as I hadn’t seen Scott for a while and it was a good time for a catch up.
On arrival we looked at the lines and there was definitely enough to go at.  We decided that we will use Glissade gully as the route up.  but we would also ski it for the warm up.  So off up we went.
On getting to the top, we dug a small platform and put our skis on.  I had not been skiing since Xmas in Gap, so was more hesitant than normal.
Above is Scott about to set off down ‘Glissade Gully’.  The snow was pretty good, maybe just a tad on the hard side but soft enough to slow us down.  A good descent, got to the bottom of the snow line, big smiles. Below is me coming out of the steeper part of the gully.
Skis back on the back, and off we went to climb up Glissade gully (you will see a pattern forming).  Next we were going to have a go at Anchor Gully.  From below there was a narrowing in the gully that looked maybe too narrow to ski.
The entrance was pretty steep and was ‘concentrating’.  half way down the gully we came to the narrow bit.  Scott went first and we can confirm that it was 190cm wide.
As you can see above, Scott had about 7cms either side of his skis so not that wide at all!
Me just after the narrow bit.  After this it widened out and larger faster GS style turns took us down to the bottom of the snow line, once again smiling!  Again skis were mounted on the backs and off we went up Glissade gully,  this time our goal was Narrow Gully.
Once at the top we had to wonder around a bit to find the opening of the Gully.  The top was a little thin so we had to down climb a nasty little crumbly bit to get to were we could ski from.
From here Narrow gully didn’t really live up to its name.  It was no were near as narrow as Anchor gully, but it was still pretty steep and good fun.
Above is Scott setting off down Narrow Gully.  It was another good descent inducing smiles, graded Scottish I for climbing.  All the way to the end of the snow line we went, then had a small traverse back to the bottom, part of this was rocks so skis were on and off.  I had the misfortune of having my right leg disappear into a hollow.  only stoppingonce my groin had hit the snow.  3 -5 minutes later, the nausea stopped and I carried on my way albiet with a slighter higher pitch voice.
We sat at the bottom and contemplated our options, was that enough for the day?  Did we have enough in us for one more?  We decided a sandwich was needed and after that we thought we had better do at least one more.
The old favourite and now very familiar Glissade gully was our path up.  We headed left to find the top of ‘The Ramp’  not an actual winter climb but would be in the Grade I range if it was.  when we finally found the top, there was a very steep entrance into the line.  Scott had been up before and had seen it in good weather.  I hadn’t, all I could see was an awkward entrance and a very steep slope then cloud.  I was not convinced I had the minerals to do it. 
Eventually we decided on using a deadman (like a stake you stick into the snow to use as an anchor) and Scott had a bit of rope in his rucksack, we lowered ourselves to the bottom of the rope (10m) and then from there skied the rest.  Once I was at the end of the rope it was obvious that it was not as bad as I thought it was, but that was with the hindsight of being able to see further down to where it was not as steep.  Never mind.  The rest of the line was great, the snow had softened up a bit and the turns were opened up and some fast carving turns out the gully were enjoyed.
That was use knackered, the weather was pretty nasty by now as well so it was time to head out.  The same route out was taken, but it was a little faster as it was more downhill.
Back to the Van after 10 hours out on the hill.  A great day skiing, and hopefully not the last of the season.  but is it getting a little desperate!