Archive for Uncategorized

Ample Bimbling in Glen Ample…

June 16th, 2011 • Uncategorized

Jen, Mish, Chad and I had a nice wee Sunday adventure around Glen Ample circumnavigating Loch Lubnaig. The chat was flowing ranging from how I think butcher in Aberfoyl does the best (cold) bacon pies? in Scoltand to Jen’s latest obsession, the beauty of trees. It was probably a record for the slowest Loch Lubnaig lap ever taking us 6 hrs, a sunning average of 4km/hr ! Misha’s long cuts via slug infested military roads combined with Chads bang on map skills made it a great wee jaunt…

 

Beach heat

May 11th, 2011 • 1 comment Uncategorized

We caught the best of the recent heat wave on the beaches of wales.

From Timbuktu to Achiltibuie

August 16th, 2010 • Uncategorized

I met my friend Damien on a cargo boat floating up the river Niger to Timbuktu.  We spent several weeks kicking about around there, getting ourselves into some interesting situations.    Some 3 years later he visited Scotland, with his girlfriend Manu.  There was only one fit destination for a friendship made in Timbuktu – Achiltibuie.   Simone, James, Nicky, Adrian and my dad joined us for various parts of the adventure.

A Brave Man

March 14th, 2010 • Uncategorized

Check out this guy who was bivied out at 2000ft in Glencoe, on what was almost certainly the coldest the night of the year back in January (the date on the camera’s not set right – or else I’d be able to time travel).  We arrived at about 9am, just as he was crawling out the Bivi.  He seemed to be headed on to another high level camp that night and despite the cold was very chatty.  I don’t know – bloody Americans, always so cheerful.

Who is this sexy beast?

September 17th, 2009 • Uncategorized

robin-porn-king

Cairngorm cluster – pt. 2

September 14th, 2009 • Uncategorized

Some of Tims pics from the gorms:

Bothy X

September 11th, 2009 • Bothying, Uncategorized

There’s nothing like finding a secret bothy from time to time.  I could tell you where it is but then I’d have to to then kill you!!

Torridon gorge walking

September 2nd, 2009 • Gorge Walking, Uncategorized
Tags: ,

The river that flows down past the Torridon Inn might sometimes looks like a trickle from the road, but just round the corner it steepens up into a gorge section with a series of waterfalls.  We got a chance to head up through the gorge when we made an escape from the Shieldaig Fete for a few hours, hoping that a good dunk might sort out our hangovers from the ‘Shieldaig Sheep Shed Shuffle’ from the night before, and it did.  Hamish, who was dressed in usual walking gear, joined us for the first section hopping from rock to rock with no intention to follow us up through the gorge.  When he slipped and fell in, it seemed that he may as well clamber up through the  water with us.  It wasn’t until he was neck deep in a pool and unable to haul himself up the waterfall out of it – due to the ‘drag’ of the clothes he was wearing – that it dawned on him what was going on, and that it had gone several nothches past the ‘walk’ he’d set out on.  Tom accompanied him back down and a comunication mistake mean’t that we didn’t do the second part of the river.  Can wait for next time.

Robin/Hamish/Tom/Cathy/Misha

Photos/video to follow from robin.

Equpiment:
wetsuites
shoes/wetboots
missing: helmets and lifejackets

Peanmeanach

July 21st, 2009 • Uncategorized

Some from an earlier trip of the year.  Direction courtesy of Ross to a beach near Peanmeanach.

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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Weather

We have compiled a list of usefull weather forecasts to help with planning trips. This list is designed to work on mobile phones, so it can be used when out in the wilds. Signal willing of course...

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.