Lucy Wallace

January 30, 2017

Adventures

High Stakes on the East Ridge of Carn Dearg Meadhonach

Lucy Wallace

January 30, 2017

Adventures

A personal mountaineering day for us yesterday, on the East Ridge of Carn Dearg Mheadonach. Its a stunning ridge, on the north side (facing Aonach Mor) of the horseshoe that includes in the Carn mor Dearg Arete and the summit of Ben nevis. The route was not in great condition. In fact, thanks to the recent mild weather and only a cosmetic covering of snow, it was a tottering pile and a great deal of care required! A thaw is due tomorrow, and then hopefully a return to more wintery conditions. Fingers crossed for a bit of consolidation up high. The mountains (and those that love them) need it!

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I knew, as soon as I saw this on the horizon, that the garden was going to be important. “Seeds. We need some seeds.” We stood in Morrisons in Fort William, trying hard not to panic buy. There was no pasta, no paracetamol, no loo-roll, no soap and no hand-sanitiser. We were coming to the end of our planned time in the Highlands, and heading back to Arran soon. We’d realised that if we didn’t hurry up, we might no make it back at all. Staring blankly at the carousel of Mr Fothergill’s finest, I was trying hard to remember what I’d had success with before. “Gardener’s delight, they are supposed to be good, lets get those… We can’t afford to go mad, £5 worth of seeds, that’s our max”. In the end we spent £4 on tomatoes, beans, rocket, cavolo nero, and some perpetual spinach that would fail to come up. When we first bought our little house, we put time and energy into a small veggie plot that was surprisingly productive. It’s a narrow strip, that slopes steeply from the wave cut platform on the shore up to a strip of woodland bordering fields on the moor above. We have a tiny square of lawn behind “first shed”, followed by the veggie patch, which nestles under a rowan tree and the “second shed”. Above shed number two, is a jungle of trees and nettles, as well as infuriatingly persistent invasive species, including Himalayan balsam and rhododendron. Amazingly, we have almost eradicated a virulent patch of knotweed. As work and our business picked up, we became victims of our own success and before long both of us were too busy, working all over the place, to really care for the garden. The best we could do was keep on top of the invasive species. Our loss was the wildlife’s gain, and an enormous bramble patch took hold where once I’d proudly grown potatoes. Returning home this spring, lockdown happened within days. Work evaporated. Suddenly we were as time rich as we were cash poor. But we still had to hurry- it was a race against the seasons to clear the brambles and get seedlings in the ground. (This is a piece I wrote for the #neadaireacht writing course. Continued in the comments!)

Drifting, chatting, a little bit of paddling and some swimming...

Sunshine and wheels with @wallyswheels 😁.

Headspace. 🌤 Sunny and breezy weather, ideal for a bike/hike combo to Urie Loch and then on to Tighvein, the highest summit in Arran's South End. Thank you @wallyswheels for the company ❤. #RoamSweetHome

A story in four frames... 🐳

Hot and muggy walk up to Glenashdale falls, felt like the Amazon rainforest today! Hayfever at Defcon 1 😵. #RoamSweetHome

Loving these still mornings and high tides. 🐳 Thank you @wallyswheels for joining me this morning 🙏. #30dayswild

Perfect still morning and a high tide. Gorgeous silky seawater. Saw a crab 🦀 scuttling about on the seabed during my dip. 💙 #30dayswild

Cloudscapes, walking in the woods with @kirstiesarran and some pink, blousy foxgloves. These are a few of my favourite things. 🤩 #30dayswild #RoamSweetHome

Sucking the oxygen down deep with a big smile. My plaits are flapping in the breeze like I'm still a kid. I feel free (I am) and fast (I'm not). Riding a bike is joy on wheels.

Lovely wee ride out with @wallyswheels. Saw a magnificent male hen harrier hunting on The Ross 🤩. #30dayswild

I missed these three, esp the human one 🦊👸🦁. So good to get out today, chew the fat, laugh, squelch about in the bog and the heather, all the while looking at the big hills and hoping we can be in them soon. Till then we #staylocal, but at least I can meet my besties for a stomp on the hill. We went up to the Sithein, "fairy hills " above Lamlash, views forever. 🤩 @kirstiesarran @search_dog_caileag @dearg_der

Reset. Getting outside is so essential for my wellbeing. Its obvious really but today I was in a fug and didn't really understand why or how. Then I went for a walk, and the clouds in my head melted away. Before the walk if you'd asked me, I'd have said that I was fine. I'd probably have believed it too. But it wasn't until I started to feel better that I noticed how rubbish I'd been feeling before. This is the power of the outdoors. Everyone should have access to this. #30dayswild

Evening light in Lamlash. I was so busy today I nearly didn't make it out the door, but I forced myself after tea, and was rewarded for my efforts. #30dayswild #RoamSweetHome

Third day in a row in the water and a great way to kick off June's #30dayswild 🐳. Water felt warmer today 😀. Definitely making the transition from type two to type one fun! Feels good! 🦑🦀🦈🐠🐚

Cycled to Kildonan this afternoon and lingered long on the shore. 💙🌸🌼🏵🌺🌻

Good morning from Lamlash Bay. This was a nice way to start the day! 🐳

Glen Rosa. How I have missed this place 💚. New guidance from the Scottish Government, @scottishmountainrescue and @mountaineeringscotland as we move in to phase 1 of lockdown, meant that for the first time in months we ventured in to Glen Rosa. Cycling from home made for a truly rewarding journey. We will return to the mountains slowly and carefully. Today it was really good just to rest at their feet.

Vivid colours to savour on todays #lockdown walk. #RoamSweetHome

Female orange tip butterfly filling her boots. 💛