Ski Touring in Austria

Alastair BegleyAustria, Ski Touring Short Link

After first ski touring four years ago in Scotland I decided that I wanted to go to the alps. This year it finally happened thanks to now having a friend who lives in Münich. The week could not really have been any better, as there was plenty of fresh snow in the weeks running up to my arrival and then an excellent stable, sunny and cold forecast for the week of my trip. Combined with this the air remained extremely clear so we had brilliant views into the distance in every direction. On the first day we headed to Hochfügen so that I could remind myself how to ski and it turned out to be a great day with quiet pistes, excellent snow and plenty of sun. We did get a bit carried away and managed to ski 37km downhill with 800m of descent. The next day we headed over to Küthai for two days of day touring as a more gentle introduction before we headed up into the mountains. Schafzöllen Monday was our only day of bad weather, but as the forecast improved we decided to head out for. Read the full article…

Cycle Touring the Devon Coast to Coast

Alastair BegleyRoad Cycling Short Link

With a surprising early spring weekend Becky and I decided to get back on our bikes by jumping in the deep end and cycle touring the Devon coast to coast. The route was from Ilfracombe to Plymouth via sustrans route 27, which is mostly off road due to old railway lines and follows the Tarka trail, Granite way and Drake’s Trail. After the initial shock at how heavy the bikes were when loaded up with our gear the initial climb out of Ilfracombe went surprisingly well. We were soon well on our way and made reasonable time to Barnstable where we stopped at a bike shop for some warmer gloves! The rest of the first day was mostly enjoyable cycling on good cycle paths, with some road at the end of the day. We didn’t quite make it as far as we had planned but managed to find a good spot to wild camp before Okehampton. In the end this turned out to be an excellent idea as it meant we were sheltered from the wind which was fairly brutal the next morning. The next morning we woke up to. Read the full article…

Glen Strathfarrar Munros

Alastair BegleyScotland, Walking Short Link

Having joined Mountaineering Scotland specifically so that we could get access to the Glen Strathfarrar Munros it was great to get the conditions to enjoy this classic remote walk on such a stunning day. We woke up to a hard frost and a cold van due to an unexpectedly clear morning. We drove up the Glen as early as we were allowed to, and it was a beautiful morning as the sun was rising over the mountains. We dropped a bike at the end of the circuit to enable a 6km cycle back down the road to the van, rather than having to walk down the road. The ascent was very warm in the morning sun and out of the wind, but we soon climbed up into the wind. The views throughout the day were fantastic and we could see massive amount of Scotland. To the north we could see Ben Wyvis, Beinn Dearg, the Fannichs, the Fisherfield, Torridon. To the south we could see the Cuillin Ridge, the Affric hills, the Mullardoch hills, Ben Nevis, Aonach Mor, Creag Meagaidh and over to the Cairngorms. The walking along the ridge. Read the full article…

Cùl Mòr

Alastair BegleyScotland, Walking Short Link

After flying up to Inverness on Friday afternoon we headed over to near Ullapool with a plan to climb some of the Fannichs the next day. Unfortunately after driving west the forecast somewhat deteriorated as the wind got stronger and the amount of precipitation increased. Due to this we had a lie in in the morning and headed into Ullapool for breakfast. We decided to head slightly further north to the fine Corbett of Cùl Mòr which is an isolated hill in the Assynt Mountains with fantastic views in every direction. The ascent was fairly windy at times, but the views to the north were spectacular which made the ascent interesting. After we got to the col between the two summits we were greeted with a fantastic view towards Stac Pollaidh and the Achiltibuie peninsula. As we made the final ascent to the summit the wind increased and made walking extremely arduous, I was very glad to only be spending a short period in the full force of the wind! I was hoping to get fantastic views on the descent of Suilven, Quinag and Canisp in the afternoon sun, however. Read the full article…

Sunset from Mynydd Troed

Alastair BegleyLandscape Short Link

I had a weekend planned in the Brecon Beacons to celebrate a friend’s 30th birthday, and given the beautiful forecast on the Friday afternoon I decided to leave work early and head up Mynydd Troed for sunset. I was hoping for a fantastic view of the Dragon’s Back on the Black Mountains, but it just looked a bit rounded from high up and would have lost the sun too early. Thankfully the more classic view over Llangors Lake and the Pen y Fan massif was excellent. I still haven’t done much sunrise or sunset photography, so I feel like I learnt lots. The key things being that I don’t need to arrive so early, and that I should definitely stay later! The sunset turned out to be lovely, with a small bank of cloud on the horizon, which was thin enough to allow the sun through. Just after the sun had set I descended as I was cold and it was a bit later than I was expecting, but as I got back to the car I realised how much the sky had improved so shot a few more frames.. Read the full article…

High Raise from Grasmere

Alastair BegleyLake District, Walking Short Link

Due to a short walk on Saturday we planned a long walk on the Sunday due to a better forecast. We decided on a circuit up to High Raise from Grasmere, which turned out to be an amazing walk as the views were constantly changing in every direction. We started up Castle How and Blea Rigg which gave us excellent views of Wetherlam and the mountains around Langdale valley. It was great to look down Langdale from above, although it was a shame that the light was very challenging photographically. As we climbed up our views over Stickle Tarn and Pavey Ark improved until we got to the summit of Sergeant Man. At this point we had views over to Helvellyn, Fairfield, Crinkle Craggs and Bow Fell. After the short walk over to High Raise we then had views to the north up towards Skiddaw and Borrowdale. The descent then took us down into a beautiful glacial valley and then along a final ridge as the sun light was fading. The final ridge did go on a bit with plenty of undulation, and unfortunately we got soaked in the last. Read the full article…

A Windy Wetherlam

Alastair BegleyLake District, Walking Short Link

Due to a very windy forecast we elected to have a short walk on Saturday which enabled us to have a lie in and then head up to Wetherlam after enjoying brunch in Coniston. We walked through the Coppermines and up to Levers Water. The cloud base was hovering around the summits during this walk which gave us some lovely views, however the light was very challenging for photography. Unfortunately the weather closed in as we approached the col before the final ridge up to the summit. After a quick summit selfie in the strong winds we made a hasty descent back down the other side of the mountain. As we dropped below the cloud base we have fantastic views over Coniston Water and the southern Lake District.

Waun Rydd from Talybont Reservoir

Alastair BegleyWinter Walking Short Link

After the recent snow we were keen to get out into the mountains. With an excellent forecast we decided to head over to the Brecon Beacons and climb up to the Waun Rydd plateau. We decided on this route as we hadn’t climbed up this side of the Pen y Fan massive before, so thought it would provide some new viewpoints. After a slow start which involved ascent on a road and then through a forrest, we were treated to a lovely climb up to Pen y Bryn with fantastic views back towards the Black Mountains and of our descent route. Once we got to the top of Pen y Bryn we had a brilliant view of Fan y Big and Cribyn. This view just kept getting better as we climbed up to the plateau. As we climbed the wind kept getting stronger, and it was a very cold wind! After traversing the plateau via the crash memorial site we found a cairn to hide behind to provide some limited shelter for some lunch. The last bit across the plateau to the descent was a bit of a slog, but. Read the full article…