Here’s some photies of Alexander at last.

These would have been up before now if I was a better blogger. Nice comments only for this particular set of photies, eh, or Tracy’ll rip your lungs out. ;O)

Had one of those greyish-damp-but-okay-really days on Schiehallion with Paul from which there are a few photos as ever.

Pretty dull hill really – certainly won’t be rushing back to do it by the main path again.

Nice to see your pals and blether even if it’s raining though, eh! :O)

Went to Aviemore at the weekend to play in the snow and clearly everybody else had the same idea because the road up to the ski centre was locked up with bastard skiers on both days.

Still, the Craigellachie Nature Trail and Loch an Eilein were fine alternatives and it was good to meet some new folk and put the world to rights over a few beers. It’s been a while since I found myself in the pub for three nights on the trot!

Snowy photos.

Finally got around to putting up some photos from the weekend.

What happens to time in bothies?

You sit by the fire, dozily enjoying a dram after dinner then *BANG!* it’s three in the morning and the only subject that hasn’t come up for discussion at some point between now and then is what time it is!

So, an early start and a bit of a drive to do the first hill of 2009.

It was one of those clear but overcast days – lovely when you’re there but the photos don’t come out so well. I forgot the memory card anyway and I can only fit five photos on the camera’s built-in memory.

Starting at Elleric, we walked a fair old way up Glen Ure (to just over half a kilometre from Airigh nan Lochan) before turning south to an obvious wee top at about four hundred metres. At this point a good (if highly inaccurate) debate started about which hill was which in the Glen Coe/Glen Etive direction. I think they were all Ben Starav at one point or another. ;O]

Almost doubling back on ourselves, we headed up an easy slope towards Stob Gaibhre and opted to go straight up the corrie from there instead of going around the shoulder. It’s a bit of a walk up Glen Ure but you gain a bit of height without a lot of work. It’s a nice way to do the hill.

We took a direct route down to Glen Ure on the descent which was pretty steep and slabby in places but nobody died. At one point I did find myself half-way down a stone chute before realising nobody fancied it and they’d all scattered to find another way down, but it was only the once. It was okay but it cannae be the best way off the hill.

Barely managed to stay awake long enough after dinner to watch half a film and drink most of a can of beer.

Had to cancel a wee camping trip yesterday fur being seek but felt fine today so went for Ben More. Now, it turns out doing Ben More from Crianlarich is a bit of a slog – start from Inverlochlarig next time methinks – but it was well worth the effort today!

Fluffy cloudy photies. :O]

Went for a post-Christmas waddle up Beinn Mhanach with Scott, Steve, Jamie and Elaina yesterday.

Nice weather, sunshine, views, blah, blah. I’m off to the pub.

Here’s the photies.

Some numpty had managed to take up most of the parking space for Benvane by awkwardly parking their car and muggins here got stuck in a lovely snow/ice/bog combination trying to squeeze into what space was left. Finally managed to acquire traction and claw my way back onto the road after an hour and a half with the help of a stack of logs I had in the boot. I knew they would come in handy one day.

I was less enthusiastic about the whole enterprise by that point so I did Ben A’an instead and then bought an assortment of tasty beers at the Lade Inn beer shop. Steak pie for tea. On the whole, not a bad result.

This dug is willing to go without biscuits for charity. If that’s no worth a donation then I don’t know what is!

I’ve been putting off Ben Vrackie for ages for some reason. It’s no’ much of an expedition but it’s a nice enough wee hill, even if there is a —ing staircase up it.

Photies as usual.