Fort William – World Cup DH 2011

June 7th, 2011 • Mountainbiking • 1 comment •

Here’s a few from the World Cup DH. By all accounts the race was a close one and shook up the established names a bit, with two young riders – Danny Hart and Brook MacDonald making it into the top 3. Experience won out in the end with South African Greg Minaar sealing victory. With the next race in Austria next weekend it’ll be interesting to see who makes the podium, it seems certain that the new blood are finding their way to the top, should be an interesting season.

10 under the Ben 2011

May 22nd, 2011 • Mountainbiking • No comments •

Rain and Wind dominated, Lochaber stamped it’s authority over people and land. It seemed at points that everything might turn to liquid and get blown away. The course was brutal, long uphill fire roads with and against the wind, natural rooty wood sections that got dug deep with each passing lap eventually turning into a curious mud river, which was likened to lava.

With survival mode engaged The Crank Addicts, a team of 4 (Rushworth, Jen, Spad & Somhairle) rode well as did all associated teams. In all 12 medals amongst the lot of us. A monumental feat of heroism from SPAD got us on the podium and top ten in class.

Big thankyou to the BARR and all who chipped in on an amazing after party / recovery and No Fuss for running such an insane and enjoyable event.

‘

Beach heat

May 11th, 2011 • Uncategorized • 1 comment •

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

Sgurr na Lapaich

May 9th, 2011 • Hill walking, Mountains • 1 comment •

Running Up That Hill

May 8th, 2011 • Mountainbiking • No comments •

For the last couple of seasons I have been working on an art based project at glencoe ski hill, researching its story and visually documenting the industry and surrounding landscape.

On Saturday 30 April 2011, No Fuss Events & Glencoe Ski Hill organised and hosted a race called Macavalanche, a downhill mountain bike race like no other that’s been held in the UK before. The event, a spin off of the popular alpine Mega Avalanche, started at the top of Meall a’ Bhuridh after more than 100 mountain bikers were dropped off near the summit of the 3,635ft “Munro” by helicopter.

Weather was superb, if not a little windy (almost gale force). The event was well planned and ran smoothly.

I wanted to capture the beginning of the race rather than the end and had a vision of 100 perfectly lined up bikes & competitors on crisp white snow. I didn’t get that shot but did manage to capture the first leg of the race – the run up the hill. For a brief moment it felt like I was taking part!

It was a great day, congratulations to the winners and all who took part. Thank you to No Fuss Events for the helicopter ride! and to Glencoe Ski Hill and Ski Patrol for another epic season.

A link to MTBcuts edit of the race can be found here.

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

 

May 8th, 2011 • Mountainbiking • No comments •


An arty experiment with super slow motion, shot at Carron Valley jump park.

Cambu for the new.

April 22nd, 2011 • Mountainbiking • No comments •

Great life change on the turn of the season had left the mtb hanging; the rat race was undertaken in an youthful fervour through the medium of bmx. Going the distance on a bmx was slow and hard wearing but with perseverance the speed has come and skills and fitness have grown.

It seemed right and just to mark the first trip out in the woods to be marked with something that would test the ability and get the juices flowing so after a dose of rush hour traffic and jakey spotting, Cambusbarron came in to sight with Kenny a super talented, local randomly waiting at the trail head. Jen introduced us, the craic flowed and Kenny led us out into the magnificence that is Cambu. Following Kenny was a revelation, skill and class oozes from that man and following his lead brought me down lines and over jumps that in usual company would be considered before attempted. So hats to Kenny and the other locals that build the trails, the whole place from forest to quarry is truly outstanding. For pushing limits and just hanging out in the woods nothing in range comes close.

over the hills and far away

March 18th, 2011 • Mountains, Ski-ing / Boarding • 3 comments •

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/

Some drawings

March 16th, 2011 • Mountains • 4 comments •

So after many months of taking photos of everything and drawing nothing I finally transformed some of my photographs into some illustrations. It had been my intention to use the camera as a tool for creating new drawings but the bug has bit big time and taken a massive chunk of creative energy away from the scribbling. So enjoy, and looking forward to some fine adventures in the spring.

 

Point 5

March 14th, 2011 • Winter climbing • 1 comment •

Some pics from Point 5 Gully on the Ben – possibly the classic Scottish ice climb.

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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.