A homepage for my hillwalking photos
As usual, I headed to the Highlands for the long Easter weekend. An awesome few days in the hills with sunshine every day, snow on the high ground, and probably the best air clarity I’ve seen in Scotland. Hills were mainly chosen based on the others’ bagging needs this time, but I did tick off a couple of new Corbetts and a Munro Top!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/8Demd1aUrqz5dVVaA
This year’s Duffers’ New Year trip was to Kingussie, where fifteen of us rented a spacious and comfortable ‘cottage’, the former posthouse. This proved to be an excellent base for walks in the Cairngorms and Monadhliath, and we managed to reach a summit every day, despite strong winds all week. A few of us spent a couple of days in Aviemore before the main trip started. I ticked off three new Munros (281 down, 1 to go!) plus five that I’d done before, two Corbetts and two smaller Marilyns, plus a few Tops.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/fTRksb68RZLBXV9NA
DC organised a well-attended Duffers’ weekend on Dartmoor, staying in a comfy bunkhouse just outside the National Park at Galford Springs. We had reasonable weather both days, with sunny spells and just the occasional shower, which allowed for two pleasant horseshoe walks: from Meldon around the West Okement valley, and from Belstone around the Taw valley.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/oAvB6XiHPyGdN5bc9
I spent a long weekend in the Southern Highlands. My rather complex itinerary comprised a weekend in Glen Etive (with Alison, and variously joined by Will, Peter and Alex!), followed by dinner in Edinburgh on Sunday evening, and some solo Munro-ticking on Ben Lawers and Ben Lomond on Monday and Tuesday.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/sU6VmhHnEnMnWxuK7
As part of her holiday in England, Emily organised a Duffers’ weekend in the Lake District, staying at Ambleside Backpackers’ hostel. Except for a little low cloud first thing on the Saturday, we had excellent weather for our walks from Grasmere up to the Langdale Pikes, and from Ambleside up Loughrigg Fell.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/FLAnS7U9wqTNhMGU7
Tom and Helen got married in the Temperate House in the attractive Jephson Gardens by the river at Royal Leamington Spa.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/MJz6QSqgA9ssVkdg6
This year’s main summer holiday was to the French Mediterranean island of Corsica, where six of us from CUHWC tackled the famous ‘GR20’, regarded as Europe’s toughest trail. For extra challenge, we completed the route in twelve days rather than the standard fifteen, taking all the high-level variants and adding ascents of Corsica’s three highest peaks along the way! An awesome fortnight, with great company and truly spectacular scenery from start to finish.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/yEmCxbKJCNcvkwTu9
I spent Spring Bank Holiday week Munro-bagging in the North-west Highlands, where the weather was excellent: far better than elsewhere in the UK, in fact! We spent the first few days on Skye, ticking off all the Munros on the island, including the most difficult of them all: the Inaccessible Pinnacle! Thanks to Will for his help with the ropework.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Yy4qJa1ERY3GDiqj9
I spent the Bank Holiday weekend with Will and Ruth in southern Snowdonia, staying in Dolgellau. We enjoyed good weather and excellent visibility for walks taking in many of the nearby hills, including Maesglase, Cadair Idris, the southern Rhinogs and the Tarrens.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/QciAE6j9cxpXipYS6
I joined Ruth, Michael, Alison and Alex for a few days in the Cairngorms, based at Braemar SYHA. Though the weather was rather grey, we climbed Munros every day, and I managed to tick off eight new ones, taking my total to 245.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/AVfyrAfEkoiE3J1i7
I joined the Duffers’ for a weekend in the Northern Fells of the Lake District, staying at the Hudscales camping barn. We walked on Blencathra on Saturday and on High Pike and Carrock Fell on Sunday, which also allowed me to tick off three nearby Nuttalls. Ruth and I also popped up nearby Faulds Brow and Sandale Hill before heading home.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/D7mhSsgjgQtg5pwAA
This year’s New Year trip to the Highlands was to Roybridge, where we rented a couple of cosy cottages just outside the village. Very poor weather throughout the week somewhat restricted our hillwalking options, but I still managed to visit five Corbetts and sub-2000′ Marilyn!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/rzR8KZZ5o9QuK8Zq7
I went down to Kent for the weekend for Di and Ben’s wedding. The ceremony was held at the Church of St James the Great, in East Malling, with an evening reception at Dorton House in nearby Seal. That left plenty of unfilled hours, so I also took the opportunity to bag a few of the local Marilyns and HuMPs! Then on the Sunday I met up with Alex P for a longer walk to Leith Hill and Holmbury Hill.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/1Ub2jC11RqW7SFKo8
The Old Duffers gathered for a weekend in the Lakes to celebrate Alison’s completion of the Wainwrights. Her completion walk, on the Saturday, was the Newlands Horseshoe from Scope End round to her final fell, Catbells. On the Sunday, a smaller group of us climbed Skiddaw via the Ullock Pike Ridge, taking in a couple of Nuttalls (Sale How and Little Calva) on the descent.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/LsLWG7kaHEjQirtw6
After the disappointment of the cancellation of the CUHWC trip to Fort William this week due to the severe weather, I was keen to head to the hills for at least the weekend. Ruth, Michael, Mark and Sara joined me for two nights at Ambleside Backpackers Hostel and two walks in the Southern Fells. On the Saturday, we climbed Glaramara and Allen Crags (and their many Nuttall summits) from Seathwaite. On the Sunday, we did a linear walk from Broughton Mills to Coniston village via some Wainwright Outlying Fells.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/JM3nqTFL4VJrpSmNA
Alison and I went to the North Pennines for the Bank Holiday weekend. On the Saturday, we met up with Ruth and Sarah for the Hadrian’s Wall section of their expedition along the Pennine Way. We then stayed at the campsite in Alston for two nights, bagging a few Nuttalls west of Alston on the Sunday and a few more above Burnhope Reservoir on the Monday – nine in total but it should have been ten (as we carelessly failed to bag Harwood Common!).
https://photos.app.goo.gl/51EzUsVUYadV9Ccc6
We broke the drive home from Switzerland wth an afternoon exploring Strasbourg.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/uFBgcDbEwsuFbz6Z7
We then transferred to Grindelwald, in the Bernese Oberland, for a few more days of walking and sightseeing. My two major walks were along the Eiger Trail (below the famous North Face) and to the Faulhorn.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Fqr15fyvbRpxnHy58
Ian, Emma and I then spent four days mountaineering, while Jon and Amy went to Lago Maggiore (not far away in Italy). Spending two nights in the Dix hut and one at the Vignettes hut, we enjoyed excellent weather and spectacular scenery on three peaks: La Luette, Pigne d’Arolla and L’Evêque.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/mySvypo19d4Dofg6A
For this year’s main summer holiday, I went to the Swiss Alps with Ian and Emma, Jon and Amy. For the first week or so, we based ourselves in Arolla, in the western Valais. We started with a few day-walks from the village, to acclimatise to the altitude and explore the area. N.B. Jon and Amy don’t feature in many of my photos as they were recovering from knee injuries and so had a less energetic holiday!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/RwiLKDi5QkB3upAS7
David Pettit's photo blog 