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.

Macavalanche

March 5th, 2011 • Mountainbiking • No comments •

A few weekends ago No Fuss Events and MTBcut were up at Glencoe Ski Hill filming a promo for the Macavalanche race, due to be held on the ski slopes this spring. The event is a spin off of the popular Alpine Mega Avalanche, a mass of bikes, riders, snow, rocks and mud.

The images below were shot on medium format film.

A link to No Fuss/MTBcut promo for the event: http://vimeo.com/20511084.

 

 

Weekend in the cloud for 20 minutes out of it.

February 15th, 2011 • Mountains, Winter climbing • 1 comment •

Finally manged to peel myself away from the desk and with Ewan’s help made it out to the wild lands round the back of Ben Nevis.  A nasty accident on the A82 on Friday night almost killed progress altogether, as did a seized brake caliper, with further progress only resuming after hitting it with an ice axe.  But coming down off Aonach Beag, the clouds opened and it all became obvious.

8.5mm on the Ben

January 24th, 2011 • Mountains, Winter climbing • No comments •

rescued beautifully from falling down the Ben by Ewan and his rope. cheers for that one. Same rope came in useful for rescuing two other stranded cats with their claws stuck in the ice. Even the thunderbirds used it when we got on the blower for backup. The bellychopper was useful but the rope in the right hands (Ewan’s) came out tops, all 8.5mm of it.

Aye to the Hills in a year that is new…

January 5th, 2011 • Mountains • 3 comments •

1st of the Season

December 11th, 2010 • Mountains, Ski-ing / Boarding • 2 comments •


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

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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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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.