Archive for Ski-ing / Boarding

over the hills and far away

March 18th, 2011 • 3 comments Mountains, Ski-ing / Boarding
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On wednesday 16 March 2011 I dropped into the back corries at Glencoe Ski Hill with Jamie from Clan (clanskates.co.uk). Conditions were perfect & this line was a first for me – last time Jamie dropped in was 10 years ago (thereabouts). I only had three shots left on the camera, so i’m pretty pleased I got something! There was a half hour hike out at the bottom which allowed us to take in the scenery. Everyone on the hill had a smile on their face that day.

http://www.jenniferwilcox.co.uk/

1st of the Season

December 11th, 2010 • 2 comments Mountains, Ski-ing / Boarding
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I didn’t think I was gonna get out on Cairngorm Mountain that day as the winds we’re high and the tows we’re initially closed… I had to walk up from the bottom car park as the access road was almost impassable – unless you had a 4×4… Whilst I was waiting for them to reopen, I sat in the cafe with this wee tune going round in my head. I’ve always loved coming to this part of Scotland, no matter what the conditions are. The variations in weather make any place you’ve been before seem totally different… By the time I’d finished coffee, the train was in operation again so I thought Id take the new camera out for a slow motion trial. My ‘wee tune’ features in the video’s accompanying music, which i’ve aptly named ‘Minus’.

SPAD

Wild Through a Pinhole

January 27th, 2010 • Ski-ing / Boarding
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Having watched Jen carry about  cameras made out of matchboxes on recent trips to the backlands, you’d have to have thought she was slightly mad.  The results, however, speak for themselves.  Here’s a couple that she sent me and I’m hoping she’ll add some more later.  She’s been taking the pictures as part of a project focusing around the Glencoe Ski centre, which has recently been given a new lease of life under new management.    We were up there on Sunday for a slide, and I would certainly say that it’s retained a friendly charm that you might not get to the same extent at other ski centres – well worth a visit.

About High-8

High-8 is a loose gathering of like minded adventurists who document first person, on the ground experiences with words, photos and film. The hope is to form a rough guide to outdoor adventure sports in Scotland and provide a warts and all, honest representation of what we find. No sport is excluded from mountaineering and mountain biking to gorge walking and kayak all are welcome and encouraged.

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The Code

The Country Code, which most of us learned in school (and we probably haven't read since!), was updated in 2004 when it became the Countryside Code. Here's the updated version:
  • Be safe - plan ahead and follow any signs
  • Leave gates and property as you find them
  • Protect plants and animals, and take your litter home
  • Keep dogs under close control
  • Consider other people
In Scotland, where there is a more general right of access, there also exists the Scottish Outdoor Access Code:
  • Take responsibility for your own actions
  • Respect people’s privacy and peace of mind
  • Help farmers, landowners and others to work safely and effectively
  • Care for the environment
  • Keep your dog under proper control
  • Take extra care if you are organising a group, an event or running a business.
There's obviously a lot to to be learned from these - it's amazing how many people get out to enjoy the countryside but are still happy to leave it in a mess. Even with the recent updates, the Countryside Codes seem slightly outdated when considering the wider issues involved when lots of people get out into the countryside. Some places just can't handle high volumes of people, no matter how they behave and publicity, no matter how interesting or well-done , has the potential to attract lots of people to an area. Blogs including video, pictures or words, form part the the wider media which could easily contribute to tipping the balance, and so we as bloggers have to consider the implications of what we decide to post. Can the place we're writing about take more people, and if not, it might be wiser to leave maps, place names or grid references out of posts. In Scotland, the Mountain Bothies Association has been careful to protect the location of some Bothies due to mis-treatment and, in some cases, even malicious vandalism. That is not to say they would not advocate people using them - in fact, a well used, maintained and loved network of bothies exist, and the MBA as an organisation is there to encourage this. Some bothies are busier than others but generally it is the less remote places which are more susceptible to abuse - something which might be worth considering when deciding whether to post information. It must be said, in most cases it's obvious what should or shouldn't be publisiced, but it's worth taking these considerations to mind.

Please note: The Code is constantly being revised and added to. If you like to add something login in to the discussion on the forum.