Spring Training – Isle of Arran April 2008

At last some sunshine. We had planned a testing ridge walk between Glen Rosa and Goatfell. The day started well and we were on the hill for 09:00, feeling fit (sort of) and ready. As we gained altitude the views over Broddick Bay were stunning, but the wind was picking up speed. The early climb was over marshland, much to our disgust. Still, motivated by lunch at the top we pushed on through and eventually made it on to more solid ground. By this time the wind was pretty strong and remaining upright was beginning to be more of a challenge. Staggering around trying to stay on your feet may be fine after a good night out, but did not make for pleasurable walking. Within 50 metres of the summit we turned to push for the top and were immediately flattened by the wind. Lying on our stomachs clinging on to the ground to avoid the swiftest descent of Glen Rosa in history, we decided our climb was over for the day. Not even the might of Mark’s packed lunch would steady us if we continued to climb. From that point on the day was transformed into a distance rather than climbing challenge. We descended back to Broddick Bay, took on sustenance (I do love Magnum ‘lollies) and took the scenic coastal route to Lamlash.

Sunday is traditionally reserved for biking and we set off for the trails. With the sunlight glinting through the trees we picked up some excellent trails around Whiting Bay. The kind of morning you can really enjoy. Tree felling soon brought us back to earth with a bump. Almost literally. Stuck in woods trying to pick your way over felled trees only leads to frustration and scratched legs. After half-an-hour of this accompanied by Alun’s winging we emerged and pushed on to Clauchlin’s Point. Here we enjoyed a blast for home down this cliff side path, always wary of the sheer drop to the Atlantic on our left hand side. Bliss. It was time for a well-earned beer (or two).

Spring Training – Boat of Garten April 2008

Waking up early on the Saturday morning we were greeted with a rather unusual site. Snow. With Easter well behind us, you don’t expect to be packing the winter gear for a day in the hills. The route had been planned the night before so we set off to tackle our first objective, Bynack More. With a strong tail wind we made good progress. As we gained altitude the northerly wind gained more bite and visibility was getting poorer. Horizontal hail and deep snow contributed to the all-white landscape. Making our way over the rocky outcrops on the way to the summit offered a good workout. Moving over slippy rocks and snowdrifts was particularly hard work as we were continually peppered by hail. Poor Lex, our four-legged companion looked the worse for wear, as his jet-black coat was now as white as a dog four times his age. A brief hot coffee at the summit was sufficient time to decide to call it a day. Having turned into the wind the descent was every bit as challenging as the climb. In situations like this it is easy to understand how people can get lost on the hills. We had the relatively simple task of a northerly descent, I am glad to say our map and compass work were up to the challenge. As we escaped the cloud we came across the mountain rescue team as they searched the hills for a downed light aircraft. It was a chilling reminder of how dangerous the picture postcard view from Aviemore could be.

Sunday was intended to be a day on the bike trails. A day I was looking forward to, as it was my first opportunity to ‘play’ on my new bike. Little did I know that this bike was to become a source of much amusement for my simple-minded teammates. I would like to state, once and for all, for the record, that it is not a ladies bike. The snow had stopped falling but there was at least four inches lying on the ground. Blue skies provided the perfect backdrop for a slippy blast around the woods of Boat of Garten and into Aviemore. A good day was completed by a (compulsory) visit to the Mountain Café for a late lunch.

Spring Training – Ben Narnain April 2008

Here we were, the last weekend in April and it felt as if all thirty days of April showers were falling from the heavens at once. This was actually the first training session where all members of the Cringe and Hackett Team managed to attend. Despite the weather the new team spirit was apparent and we set off into the gloom. Ross gave an excellent demonstration of have not to use satellite navigation. His catch phrase has to be, “it worked fine in the car park”. Despite this hitch traditional navigation methods got us to the top. Later, during the descent, we discovered that following the path was an even better way to operate. It just shows that not matter how much you know, there is always something new to learn.

It was so wet that even Mark didn’t want to have lunch at the top. Instead we decided to get back to the cars and eat in relative comfort. Much to our annoyance we enjoyed lunch in the sun baked car park. Not normally a complaint you will hear from me, but after more than three hour of walking in the rain I felt rather annoyed. The day had changed into a beautiful spring afternoon and we had completed our objective for the day. Our final hope was that we would not experience a similar situation the following week on the Maggie’s Monster Bike and Hike Challenge.