Fraser Mackay

The Outdoors Show – Excel, London & other activities - 12th – 15th January 2012

2012-01-26T11:57:00.000-08:00

Friday 13th January 2012 saw me at the Outdoors Show once again. As well as the Outdoors Show you also gain entry into the Bike Show, the Boat Show and the Active Travel Show. I went round all shows and very much enjoyed my seven or so hours there. This year I did resist the temptation of buying a new bike!

Saturday 14th was a visit to Borough Market, look round the very busy Market (I think the biggest in Europe) and I had a pint in The Rake. It was then a walk by the Thames to the Tate Gallery and a walk across the Millennium Bridge to St Paul’s where I looked at the now established “camp site” and listened to some of the speakers on the Cathedral’s steps.

Staying in Islington (a great part of the City) I was able to try out some of the many bars and restaurants. A new experience was trying out the Kurdish Restaurant - Gem - at 265 Upper Street. I found it excellent value with good food, wine and service. Quatme (bread) with various fillings (e.g. onion, herbs and parsley) was a starter and Incik (lamb shank with vegetables) being the main course. I also tried a portion of Bulgur Pilva (cracked wheat) and enjoyed it. A complimentary sweet of ice cream and sweet cake followed.

I discovered a good bottled Ale (brewed in Chicago, USA) – Goose Island Honker’s Ale. At £4.60 for a standard bottle you must not drink the contents too fast!!

Sunday morning saw four of us bound for the Chiltern Hills, an hour’s ride on a train out of London. We were starting our walk from the village of Great Missenden with a walk of some 14.25kms through the chalk downs back to Amersham. It was a lovely sunny day all day, although cold with a white frost underfoot. We passed through the ancient village of Little Missenden and stopped at the Squirrel Pub for lunch in the village of Penn Street. I enjoyed a couple of pints of Young’s Winter Warmer – sheer nectar. At times we were on the South Bucks Way and the Chiltern Trail. What beautiful countryside. We had walked for five hours. We caught the Metropolitan Line back to Kings Cross. My very first walk in The Chilterns and I hope I will be back.

The Millennium Trilogy

2012-01-10T02:21:00.000-08:00

A few months ago I was given three large books to read (each having 700+ pages) and told to read these in the correct sequence:

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The Girl Who Played with Fire

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.

I finished reading the last book yesterday and I have to say this is as good as crime writing gets. When I started I did not think I would finish one never mind all three. All are exhilarating reads and Stieg Larsson had me totally gripped all the way through. Each time I picked up a book I new I was going to enjoy the content and at the same time giving you so much food for thought. So well worth reading.

10th January 2012

A Review of 2011 & Festive Greetings

2011-12-22T04:27:00.000-08:00

The year is about to end and we are all preparing for the “Festive Season” and welcoming in a New Year – 2012. I hope it has been a good year for you.

For me the year has flown and has been crammed with activity. This month sees me 10 years retired from the Bank and with the continuing difficult economic conditions across the world I decided to shut down my own Company due to lack of business and continuing costs and any consultancy work I do in future will be in my own name.

Highlights of the year have been many and here I mention some of them:-
*3 Coast2Coast (“C2C”) bike rides:
-Runcorn 2 Hull
-St Bees 2 Robin Hood’s Bay
-Fort William 2 Inverness (Great Glen).
*A C2C walk from Ullapool in the west of Scotland 2 Ardgay on the east coast some 55kms and thoroughly enjoyable and challenging in one day.
*I got to the top of 134 mountains across the UK/Madeira and a special delight was to finish all the high mountains in Sutherland on the top of lonely Ben Hee in July.
*I competed in two long distance races in Isle of Man:
-Parish Walk – 85miles
-End2End Walk – 40 miles.
*I competed in the Welsh 1000m Mountain Race, finishing once again but alas half an hour outside the nine hour time window. My fellow walking friends Geoff and Paul finished within the time with Paul winning the Male Vet 40 Section in a splendid time of 7hrs 24mins.
*I put a lot of effort into the Welsh 3000s Challenge (15 mountains over 3,000ft) and did this demanding walk over two days on two occasions. Alas on the day of the challenge four of us pulled out but Paul finished the route in an excellent time of 13hrs 25mins. So well done by him and encouragement for me to try again in 2012!

I hope you have a lovely Festive Season, health, happiness and continued success in 2012.

Very best wishes, Fraser.

21st December 2011

Winter Fitness

2011-12-06T15:55:00.000-08:00

With the cold weather that now abounds it is all too easy to let your daily exercise plan fall by the wayside as to a large extent happened to me last year. For some reason or other at the end of October I stopped going out on my bike? I continued with walking, the gym and swimming but the frequency of activity abated. This year, this is not going to be allowed to happen and my exercise plan follows four main fitness paths with also a careful watch on what I eat and drink:-
Cycling – continue to cycle once or twice a week with min of 20kms on each outing
Walking – continue to walk at least one a week
Walking – do a fast walk of 20kms+ once a week to prepare for 85 mile Parish Walk in Isle of Man next year
Gym/swimming – go to the gym and have workout/swim at least twice a week.

On Monday 28th November I went for a fast walk into Wales on a beautiful day. I reached Yvonne’s Café nr Connah’s Quay and called in for a bacon butty and coffee. Then it was back to my gym (Total Fitness) on a circular route by the River Dee and by the canal. I watched a large buzzard, saw two salmon jump and saw a flock of (unknown) birds going from tree to tree, as in a race with me. The winter colours all around were fantastic; silence prevailed.

Today Tuesday December 6th at 3.30pm I set of on the same route again but on my bike and while a very nice late afternoon with the sun about to say goodbye at the end of another day, it was extremely cold. I reached Yvonne’s Café at 4pm having done 12 kms but alas at that time it was closed so it was about turn and get back to Chester along the banks of the River Dee. The almost full moon was reflecting on the calm River Dee and the lights of the City could be seen in front of me in the distance. The same flock of birds were again racing me from tree to tree but they were difficult to see in the fast disappearing light. I was all on my own and my hands, especially both thumbs were freezing as I was peddling at around 20 kms+ per hour. I had flashing lights to the front and rear of my bike but I could also have done with my head torch but knowing the route I was okay. Getting back to Total Fitness at 4.45pm I had difficulty folding my bike etc and getting it into the car as my hands were ever so cold. Having camped at Gorak Shep at 5,140m/16,859ft.feet on my Everest Trek my hands had been warmer! Thus my winter mountain cloves will accompany me on my next trip. It was just magic to get into the warmth of the gym and into the steam room!

6th December 2011

Kendal Mountain Festival - November 2011

2011-12-04T07:06:00.000-08:00

We linked two days walking/scrambling with visiting the Kendal Mountain Festival for the first time. Kendal has the largest and most diverse lecture and live event programme of any mountain festival worldwide. It is a busy time in the town and you need to book your accommodation well in advance. We stayed in the lovely village of Staveley where you will find a few B&Bs, the Eagle and Child pub which has excellent beer and food and also Hawkshead Brewery with all its lovely beers.

On Thursday 17th November it was an early start from Chester and we commenced the Kentmere Horseshoe (one of the classic horseshoe walks of the Lake District) at 9.15am on a day with dense low cloud and this only clearing on lower ground around 2.30pm. We made good use of our map and compass to check that we were on the right route. At 12.45pm we safely reached High Street at 828 metres, which we also wished to take in – its summit being the highest point in the far eastern part of the National Park. The fell is named after the Roman Road which ran over the summit. We did ten summits before returning to our car at 4.30pm.

On Friday we started our walk from Rydal at 9am on a wet and windy cold morning, alas again with dense cloud. Not a day for scenery and perhaps just as well as the climb out of Rydal to Nab Scar is very steep. At 11.50am we reached Fairfield 873 metres our highest point for the two days and it was ever so wild. Getting our bearings correct we headed for Hart Crag 822 metres. Here in the dense cloud we some how or other came off the main Fairfield Round path and when the cloud cleared on the lower fells we found ourselves heading for Patterdale on a demanding and difficult route and arrived there at 3pm. We were able to get a local taxi to take us back to our car. The good thing was that we dealt with the situation in an organised way and we were able to do six mountains. Tonight it was Kendal Town Hall for 7pm as it was the Premiere of the film “Moonflower”; with Matt Helliker and Jon Bracey climbing and filming their ascent of the Moonflower Buttress on Alaska’s Mt. Hunter.

The Hall was packed and there was an “air” of excitement and anticipation as ace filmmaker Alastair Lee came on stage and gave an overview of the film and its making. The film itself I found totally inspiring with magic photography and sound effects and new technologies used to capture the amazing images of this most demanding climb. I was on the mountain every step of the way with the climbers. An interesting question and answer session was held after and I had the opportunity to meet with the climbers and the film crew. I have bought a DVD of the film and I have watched it on a couple of occasions since the event.

On Saturday !9th I had two events to attend. The first was by Nazir Sabir at 11am at The Box with the title – “Pilgrimage to the Higher Heavens.” Nazir is a renowned Pakistani mountaineer who over a climbing career that spans four decades has climbed four of the five 8,000m peaks in Pakistan, including K2 via a new route. In 2000 he stood on the top of Everest, the first Pakistani to scale the roof of the world. He described his up bringing and showed slides of the beauty of the valleys and mountains in Hunza where he was born. He was so humble and appreciative of the packed audience that listened to him. It was a great pleasure to say hello and shake his hand.

In the evening at the Brewery Theatre at 6pm Cameron McNeish and Richard Else were delivering a talk and unseen footage about a new long distance trail from the Scottish Borders to Cape Wrath in the North West corner of Scotland. I have walked on parts of this new national trail and I found the presentation very interesting and something I might try to undertake myself at a future date.

Kendal is a lovely town and I was totally impressed with the range of facilities available to facilitate such an enjoyable and diverse Mountain Festival over three and a half days. I very much enjoyed myself as did everyone I met. It is an annual event for like minded people to come together, have a great time and enjoy the wonder of wild places that the Festival shows you. To me an inspiration to do more in the years ahead.

www.mountainfest.co.uk

20th November 2011

Krakow, Zakopane and The Tatra Mountains, Poland - September 2007

2011-12-03T12:58:00.000-08:00

One of the best short breaks I had was to Krakow in Poland. The City was just excellent with lovely buildings, squares, a large café culture, good food and drink at reasonable prices. We flew from Liverpool (LPL) with Ryanair to Krakow(KRK) out 6.15am arrival 9.55am back 21.10pm arrival 22.50pm. We booked our hotel through Lastminute.com – Hotel Galicya 3* a short distance from City centre and near to a tram line.

We had the good fortune to be approached by a taxi driver who had a smattering of English. He was excellent value and we hired him for a full four days - contact details:
· Name: Andrzej (but call him Andy) Znanski
· Telephone numbers -
· Tel. kom: 662-982-844
· Tel. Dom: 012/270-3002.
I have recommended his services to friends and they have found him excellent.

Friday we mooched around Krakow, to get a lie of the land, and took in a good restaurant for lunch. Lunch is the main meal of the day and the soups are ACE (Restaurant NOSTALGIA, W. Karmelicka 10, tel 012 425 42 60, which is only a short walk from the main Square. We used it twice. Good food, service and wines.)
Saturday - we did the Auschwitz/Birkenhau/Schindler factory tour. Andy took us around and showed us more than we would have seen if we'd gone on public transport. It is a two hour journey by car. We had an English speaking guide for the tour costing us 30 zloty each. I found the experience very upsetting and will never forget it.
Sunday - we visited a flea market, supermarket and the salt mines - again Andy handled our collection etc, and made the trip so much easier as he showed us where to queue etc.
Monday - we did a strenuous, but not technically challenging walk in the High Tatra - a most magnificent mountain range. On the mountains for seven hours and we did four mountains above 2000 meters. Andy drove us to the start point of the walks near Zakopane - a good 1.5/2.0 hours from Krakow, and waited for us and took us back to the City each evening.
Tuesday - we did about the most challenging route in the Tatra - three mountains above 2200 metres, and lots of snow and ice - lots of danger too, so a wee bit unnerving. On the mountains for 8.5 hours and we got back knackered.

The Tatra Mountains are the highest mountain range in the Carpathian Mountains. Although considerably smaller than the Alps, they are classified as having an alpine landscape forming a natural border between Slovakia and Poland. They occupy an area of 750 km², the major part (600 km²) of which lies in Slovakia. The highest mountain is Gerlach at 2,655 m, located in Slovakia just north of Poprad. The north-western peak of Rysy (2,499 m) is the highest Polish mountain. I have done a separate blog on the two days spent in the mountains.

We had amazing weather (all sun, warmth and no wind) for all of the time we were there, but it did cloud over and cool down on our last day - Wednesday. The mountains can get cold if you are thinking of going there, but we were walking with just a thin top and shorts for most of the day as the sun was shinning. In Krakow, when the sun shines you can go about during the day with a short-sleeve shirt on, but take a jumper with you. In the evening, you will need a warm jacket.

The tram system is a breeze, all journeys cost 2.5 zloty and you should buy a book of tickets from the many little paper shops near the tram stops - if you buy on the tram it costs extra.

Krakow is a charming place, where you feel very relaxed and there was a good number of other things we could have done had we more time.

Food is tasty. You must try the soups - the dumplings and the pork dishes are great. There is a wide selection of restaurants to go to, and we never had a bad course.
Recommended restaurants are:
Pod Aniolami 35 ul Grodzka (Full the night we tried to get in.)
Szabla I Szklanka 22 ul Poselska.
For lunch try U Babei Maliny, 17 ul Slawkowska (opposite a church, through doors, a passage way and then round to the left and downstairs.

Shopping was about what you'd expect to pay in the UK so we didn't stuff our suitcases with goodies!

Recommend you only get a few zloty at the airport say 50/100 as the exchange rate is terrible. Then there are cash machines all around the main Square where you can use your Nationwide debit/credit card or other debit/credit cards.

Enjoy your trip.
Fraser.
2-10-07

High Tatras, Poland - (Land of wolf, bear and golden eagle)

2011-12-03T12:49:00.000-08:00

The Tatras, situated on the border between Poland and Slovakia and with 25 summits above 2,500 metres, are the highest range of the Carpathian Mountains. This is a fantastic area for mountain walking. Your base could be Zakopane or the historic city of Krakow an hour away by car. This is a classic Alpine landscape with good trails. Rysy (2,499m) is Poland’s highest peak.

We only had two days walking/scrambling in the mountains in September 2007 but these were two full days with good weather and snow/ice on the tops from the previous winter. It was the rut so many stags were roaring in the woods on the mountain slopes. Wear a bell on your rucksack to make wild animals aware of your presence. On commencing your walk you will need to pay a small fee at a hut which is normally situated at the start of the marked trail.

Day 1 24-9-2007
Our first walk was to Suchy Wierch at 1,539m. We did not do Sarnia Skala 1,377m. We turned left at the col and then walked to Suchy Wierch and then went on to do another four mountains:
Giewant 1,894m
Maly Glewont 1,728m
Malolaczniak 2,096m
Krzesanica 2,122m.
You will see the Border marking posts.

At the col before reaching Kondracka Kopa 2,005m we turned to the left and took the path down to join the path we had taken in the morning and then back to the start of the trail.
Timing
o Left - Zakopane 10.10am
o Hut - 11.10am
o Col - 12.20pm
o 1st mountain – 1pm
o 2nd “ “ - 1.30pm
o 3rd “ “ - 1.50pm
o 4th “ “ - 2.15pm
o Col – 3pm
o Hut – 4pm
o Zakopane – 5pm
Thus seven hours on the mountains.

2nd Walk
We headed for Gzamy Staw Gasienicowy Lake, a beautiful location and went up to Skrajny 2,225m. This was very steep with a lot of snow and ice with chain grips in one section. You would not want to lose your footing and crampons are needed to be worn. We went along Eagle’s Ridge to Posredni Grana 2,234m and then to Zadni Grana 2,240m and then came back down to the Lake. I would recommend that Zadni Grana is done first with a walk along the ridge to Skrajny. Here you can make a decision, do you go down to the Lake or go back to Zadni Grana?
Timing
o Left Zakopane – 9.50am
o Hut – 11.20am
o Lake – 12.20pm
o 1st Mountain – 2.15pm
o 2nd “ “ - 3.00pm
o 3rd “ “ - 3.20pm
o Lake – 4.30pm
o Hut – 5pm
o Zakopane – 6.30pm

Thus eight hours forty minutes which was a long and hard day. We so enjoyed our two days in the Tatras.

Fraser Mackay
2-10-2007

A visit to Scotland - 17th/27th October 2011

2011-10-31T04:04:00.000-07:00

I left Chester at noon on Monday 17th October and as I reached the Scottish Border the weather had dramatically changed with heavy rain and high winds. At the back of 3pm I was in Hawick and calling to see my friend Allan Graham and his wife Dot. Dot makes wonderful sandwiches. After an enjoyable “catch up” I left at 5.30pm and I was bound for Cardrona to stay for a few days with my friends Andrea and Martin Brown.

Tuesday was a wet morning so it was a run in the car to check out Glentress mountain bike trails and to check as to hiring a mountain bike. The facilities are first class and we have coffees in the new café area. Glentress is probably the best biking centre in the UK with over 73km of purpose built trails that cater for all abilities. We then took a run to Innerleithen and drove up the Leithen Valley and continued on the B709 until we where able to see Edinburgh and the Pentland Hills in the distance.

Wednesday was a nice sunny morning after a frosty night (the first frost of the oncoming winter) and at 9am we are away to Traquair and the start of our walk to Minch Moor 567m. We reached the top at 11am and we saw snow on the mountain tops in the distance. For a time we were on The Southern Upland Way (a challenge for the future!). At the back of 1pm we had lunch in Innerleithen before tackling Lee Pen 502m and reaching the top at 3pm with lovely views all around. We continue along the ridge and drop back down into Cardrona at 4.30pm. A most enjoyable day on the hills.

It was another frosty night and on Thursday I am bound for Glentress and my 4 hour mountain bike session. I started at 12.50pm and finished at 4.45pm having successfully done the Green Trail and with some stops also the Blue Trail. This proved to be very demanding with some steep climbs and some wonderful fast and twisting down hill sections. Not for wimps!! I was well pleased with my performance but to attempt the Red Trail I would need to acquire a lot more skills.

Friday 21st October saw me leaving my friends and I was bound for the Moorfoot Hills where I did Windlestraw Law 659m (2,162ft), Broomy Cleuch 657m and Glede Knowe 591m in two and a half hours. Had it been a nicer day with better visibility I would have loved to have got to the top of more hills in the area. It was dry but strong winds battered me on the tops and ridges. The Moorfoot Hills are a range of hills south of Edinburgh in east central Scotland, and are one of the ranges which collectively form the Southern Uplands. The Hills run from Peebles, Scottish Borders, in a north easterly direction to Tynehead, Midlothian. The highest of the Moorfoot Hills is Windlestraw Law.

For many a year I had wanted to call to say hello to Stewart McCullum who I knew still lived in Penicuik but alas I had never been able to find him. On this occasion I had more time and I drove around the various streets until I found Waukmill Drive. Stopping my car and walking down to a garage where I did spot a gentleman working, I immediately recognised Stewart (he had not changed – other than like myself - had “matured”) and within seconds of me saying hello, he knew who I was. Perhaps it was around 1984 (near 30 years ago!!) since we last worked together? Patsy, his lovely wife, took us in for coffee and we spent a couple of hours going over old times and what former colleagues we were still in touch with, etc. We will meet again in 2012 on one of my trips to Scotland and have a few pints.

I then went to see my friend Doreen O’Neill who was my next door neighbour when I lived in Penicuik and who I have always kept in touch with and visited on a number of occasions. Doreen was busy catching up, her daughter Lesley and family had been on holiday with her and they had left the day before. Doreen showed me her new laptop, she was now “online” and enjoying the internet and e-mails. As usual I had a lovely coffee, with Doreen bringing me up to date with her active life, family and holiday locations. Doreen left me with a wonderful quote – “Old Age ain’t for wimps!”

I was now bound for The Kingdom of Fife and Inverkeithing where I was to stay in a B&B for two nights as I hoped to walk a further two sections of The Fife Coastal Path and catch up with Wendy Smith a friend I used to curl with in Edinburgh. It was a 7am breakfast start on Saturday morning and then a drive to Crail and at 10am I was on the coastal path. On the whole it was a good walking day with periods of sunshine as I made my way along this very special coastline. Can I warn readers that this is a very demanding walk with lots of steps along the way. Make sure you also check the tides. The tide was out thus enabling me to walk on many of the beaches and watch many Saturday golfers on three pristine courses as I made my way to St Andrews. This is a wonderful walk and the high light of the day was watching gannets dive, so skillfully, to catch fish. At 4pm I arrived in the town centre (what a lovely location) where Wendy was kind enough to pick me up and take me back to my car in Crail and then catch up on what we both had been up to. Wendy is still very much involved in curling but like me is enjoying retired life and is heading for a holiday in Canada in November.

On Sunday it is another 7am breakfast at Inglewood Guest House where I did enjoy my stay, the accommodation and excellent breakfasts. Getting breakfast at 7am was also much appreciated. I drove to North Queensferry to have a look at the two bridges and the start of the first section of The Fife Coastal Path. The early morning darkness was fast receding and as it was turning out to be a nice morning I decided to return to The Pentland Hills to try to do a few more of these very special hills. At 9.30am I have parked and I am on my way to climb Castlelaw Hill 488m, it is then onto Fala Knowe 439m and up to Allermuir Hill at 493m and wonderful views over Edinburgh and in the distance The Kingdom of Fife. It was then along the ridge to Caerketton Crags and Hill 460m before retracing my route back to Allermuir Hill. It was a steep drop and then up to Capelaw Hill 454m where two vertical metal rods marked the top. It was now 12.30pm and my target of Black Hill at 501m, the highest point of my walk, seemed a long distance away. In between were Harbour Hill 421m and Bell’s Hill 406m and then a steep long slope up to Black Hill and with some fast walking and the odd trot I was there by 2pm - beyond my wildest dreams. It must have been the porridge with honey and cream I had for breakfast!! Descending Black Hill on a good track there are lovely views of Glencourse Reservoir in the distance. Gask Hill 412m is on your right as you continue to make your decent and then you meet a tar macadam road that leads you back to Flotterstone where I arrived at 3.15pm. I stopped at Flotterstone Inn for a bite to eat.

I was then on my way to stay with my sister Anne and her husband Tam for a few days and hopefully if the weather permitted I would get a couple of Munros climbed. On Tuesday I got to the top of Ben Ghlas 1,103m and Ben Lawers 1,214m (10th highest Munro) with strong wind and low cloud. This is a 10.5km (6.5miles) walk with an ascent of around 968m. I marked my way to the top as I knew I would be returning by the same route as it would have been silly to attempt more mountains in an area that was totally new to me. Ben Lawers is the highest point of a long ridge that includes seven Munros and it was ever so tempting to have gone further but due to severe weather conditions, sense prevailed. I took the time to visit the lovely small towns of Killen, Kenmore and Aberfeldy before returning home.

Wednesday saw me travelling north once again and my target was Schiehallion 1,083m (3,553ft) a walk of around 10kms (6.25miles) and an ascent of 731m. This is a famous Munro (ranked 59th out of 283) and lies totally isolated between Loch Tay and Loch Tummel, 10 miles north of Aberfeldy. When I left the Braes of Foss car park (£2 parking fee) at 10.30am there was low cloud but it looked promising that this would lift which it did as I gained height. By 12.30pm I had reached the top with one walker getting to the top before me. With breaks in the cloud on top I was able to see the beauty of the surrounding area and glimpses of the long East Ridge I had come up. It was cold on top so I was well wrapped as I stopped for some lunch and to enjoy the roll and cheese between two pan cakes my sister had made for me. As I made my decent lots of walkers were making their way to the top of this popular mountain. By 2pm I was back in the car park thus taking me three and a half hours which I was well pleased with. I went all the way to the top without a stop.

I popped in to say hello to my friends Moira and Ian in Perth before returning to my sister’s for dinner. After dinner I went to say see my friends Louise and Grant, again living in Perth.

After breakfast on Thursday it was alas time to travel south. 293 miles lay before me and my driving time was 4 hours with around an hour’s stop near Carlisle. In my enjoyable short break visiting friends I had done a total of 1,031 miles in my car, 15 mountains, a 13 mile walk on The Fife Coastal Path and a half day on a mountain bike in the UK’s premier mountain bike location. I have to say I was well pleased.

30th October 2011

“Combine Culture and the Great Outdoors” 26th/31st August 2011

2011-10-30T07:03:00.000-07:00

Our Morocco Trek re-union was held in Edinburgh over the period Friday 26th to Wednesday 31st August 2011. Our Agenda took in walking, sightseeing as well as a bit of culture in this wonderful old City. Pia had secured a flat in the prestigious New Town on Dundas Street, a stones through away from George Street and thus an ace location as well as being a first class flat.

All of us were arriving on Friday from across the UK, meeting at the flat firstly and then going out to sample the Festival atmosphere. The Edinburgh Festival is a generic term used to describe the cultural explosion which takes place in the City in August each year. It is in fact made up of a variety of festivals and events including the International Festival, The Fringe Festival, Edinburgh Book Festival, Edinburgh Military Tattoo, Jazz Festival and Edinburgh Mela. The Edinburgh Fringe is not only the largest arts festival in the world; it’s the most important, the most exciting and undoubtedly the most fun. It grows each year and in 2011 there were approximately 258 venues, 2542 shows and 41,689 performances.

We went up The Mound and down the High Street, sampling some street entertainment as we went. Our first pub stop was the Albanach on High Street which is recommended on the City’s Pub Trail and here the beer was ever so good. We turned to the right at the Tron Kirk and went into Hunter Square and down Blair Street to the Cowgate sampling the Fringe Venues such as The Underbelly. The atmosphere was magic. We were soon in the famous Grassmarket and somewhat peckish we stopped at Mamma’s for a light meal. The Grassmarket was “buzzing” as we made our way back to Dundas Street at a late hour and we were well aware we had an early start next morning as we were walking in The Pentland Hills.

What is particularly good about these hills is that there are so many walks and variations. Pia had been here before and like so many others found that it’s just not possible to tire of them. We had opted for a linear walk taking in around 10 individual tops.

We had an enjoyable breakfast at Henderson’s before we caught the No102 Dumfries Bus on Lothian Road which was dropping us off at Flotterstone at 10.15am and the start of our walk for the day. The weather was kind to us all day staying dry but cold at times on the higher hills. Our first hill was Turnhouse Hill, then Carnethy Hill at 571m and then on to Scald Law at 579m the highest point of the day. We took a slight detour from the main path to get to the top of South Black Hill at 563m, before getting to the tops of East Kip 534m and West Kip 551m. West Kip is a mountain in miniature and is perhaps the shapeliest; having a narrow and rocky summit that is gained by an all round steep ascent. Our first intention was to follow the path down to Nile Mile Burn but due to good progression we decided to do Spittal Hill 526m and Patie’s Hill at 500m before coming down near Carlops at the back of 3pm and telephoning for a local taxi to take us to Roslin to see round the famous Roslin Chapel. After a drink at the Original Roslin Hotel it was back by bus to Edinburgh.

We had decided on an Italian meal and my recommendation was to go to Bar Roma in the West End, a well established restaurant I had known when I worked in the City many years ago. We all had a wonderful time where food, wine and service were just ace in a packed restaurant with a lovely ambiance.

Sunday morning saw us up nice and early and having breakfast on George St before heading to the bus station for the X59 Stagecoach bus to Leven. We gained Fife Dayrider tickets (not five!!) and we were on our way at 10.35am on a dull but dry morning. On a Sunday the X59 changes to the No 95 (at Leven) which takes you up the Fife Coast to St Andrews.

We were off the bus (and Pia negotiating with a taxi!) before we discovered this but we were soon back on and at 12.20pm we were in Elie to walk eleven miles (17.6kms) on The Fife Coastal Path, ending our day, we hoped in Crail. The Fife Coastal Path runs from the Forth Estuary in the south, to the Tay Estuary in the north, stretching some 150kms and is part of Scotland’s Great Trails. This was just a wonderful walk passing through the small fishing villages of the East Neuk. We saw lots of wildlife and historic sites along the route. After Elie we passed through, St Monans, Pittenweem, Anstruther, Cellardyke and Crail. At Pittenweem we shared a smoked mackerel and smoked nuts, which were so enjoyable. We encountered a few light showers of rain but at Caiplie Caves this became heavier. We arrived in Crail at 5.20pm and only had a few minutes to catch our bus which we took back to Anstruther where we stopped for fish, chips and mushy peas at one of the busy fish restaurants on the harbour. At 6.50pm we boarded a bus which took us back to Edinburgh at the end of a wonderful day in The Kingdom of Fife.

With two of our party having to go back to London in the evening Monday was designated our culture day. It was a very relaxing breakfast in a café in Stockbridge before a walk by the Water of Leith to Dean Village. We then went on to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art to see Tony Cragg’s first museum show in the UK for more than a decade. This proved a very enjoyable experience seeing the fascinating work by one of the world’s greatest living sculptors. We decided to have lunch in the gardens of the Gallery. It was then a stroll back to the City Centre and through the Grassmarket up to Chambers Street and we were bound for the National Museum of Scotland. Our first target here was to get to the roof garden to see the “jaw-dropping” views over the City – we were not disappointed.

What a wonderful experience in this unique building with some 20,000 objects, displayed in 36 galleries grouped in five collection themes – Natural World, Art and Design, Science and Technology, World Cultures and the history of Scotland from its beginnings right up to the present time. You do need a map of the various floors to help you get round and to enjoy this wonderful place. I came away totally amazed that between the 1820s and the 1920s more than 2 million people left Scotland for a new life in Canada, America, Australia, South Africa or New Zealand. On exiting the Museum we headed for Greyfriars Bobby and a welcomed drink and to discuss the highlights of our Day of Culture.

Our day was far from over as we were now heading by bus to Ocean Terminal and Leith to see The Royal Yacht Britannia and to have our evening meal in one of Leith’s fish restaurants. Entrance to the Yacht was sadly closed but we were able to look down on the vessel from Ocean Terminal. It was then a short walk to look at the various restaurants and we chose to eat at The Shore at 3 Shore which we very much enjoyed before getting a taxi back to our flat. Another full, active and enjoyable day had passed.

Tuesday after another delightful breakfast on George Street, we needed to run for our train to take us to Dunbar and with major structural alterations at Waverly Station we only managed to get our train with a couple of minutes to spare. We commenced our walk at the harbour at 10.45am and it was out intention to follow the John Muir Way and then walk on the lovely beach as the tide was out. It was a lovely morning with a good breeze and surfers were enjoying themselves amongst the large waves as we headed for the River Tyne estuary. We had our lunch on the beech and not another person was to be seen. We decided to rejoin the John Muir Way and walk as far as the end of the estuary before making a decision as to what route we would continue to take. While we did think about going as far as North Berwick this was not going to be possible so rather than walking back to Dunbar on virtually the same route we decided to follow the John Muir Way (well waymarked) to East Linton and from there we would get a bus back to Dunbar or indeed Edinburgh.

We arrived in East Linton at 2.45pm and took the first bus back to Dunbar after a brief snack in a local café. We just caught the train at Dunbar (it was 10 minutes late!) bound for Edinburgh and we were back at Waverly at 4.20pm. It was now time for individual shopping and we agreed to meet back at the flat for around 7pm. We had drinks in The Dome on George Street, enjoying the special ambiance of the place and the smell of lilies. We reckoned the building must have been a former bank. It was then on to an Italian Restaurant called Caciopepe on Hanover Street for an enjoyable meal before a night cap in our flat.

Next morning after breakfast we were all going our separate ways to London, Chester and Geneva. This had been a wonderful break and one that is going to be hard to beat. We all loved our few days in this wonderful City. Various suggestions were tabled as to where we would meet next year but no decisions were made. Munich is high on the list. A massive thank you to Pia for organising the Edinburgh get together and the very special accommodation.

2nd September 2011

“The Ultimate Cross Country” St Bees2RobinHood’sBay 11th to 15th June 2011

2011-10-30T06:35:00.000-07:00

Saturday 11th June
At 10.15am we set off from St Bees on a lovely sunny morning, having arrived there with our bikes being carried by our Carrier – Packhorse. We had come from Kirkby Stephen where we left our cars.

As we were following much of the route taken by the Master Fell walker, crossing three National Parks (the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and North Yorkshire Moors) over five days we were having our kit thankfully carried for us. On day one we needed to get to the scenic village of Troutbeck, so we opted for a quiet route that took us through some lovely villages such as Eskdale Green and over two steep passes (Hardnott and Wrynose) to Little Langdale. It is then onto Skelwith Bridge and Clappergate and up a very steep hill for the last mile or so to the Youth Hostel at Bridge Lane, Troutbeck where we are staying. We arrived at 4.45pm having covered a distance of 65kms. After our meal we took a walk higher up the hill and enjoyed a couple of pints at the Mortal Man pub. The Youth Hostel was first class as to accommodation, food and service.

Sunday 12th June
We had breakfast at 7.30am and we were away at 8.30am on a nice sunny morning and today we were bound for Kirkby Stephen and the small village of Soulby where we are staying with Jane and James at their B&B at Cross Bar View Farm. We had stayed there on the Friday evening and found out what an excellent establishment it was. Jane’s breakfasts are just wonderful.

By 10am we were on the top of the Garburn Pass, a very hard off road section and by 10.45am we were in the village of Kentmere. At 1.30pm we were on the top of Shap when we discovered our first light rain of the trip. We had done 40kms. By 2.30pm we were in Crosby Ravensworth and now it was very wet as we crossed the moors and at 5pm, having done a total of 77kms we arrived at our B&B. Coffee was immediately brewed and by a roaring fire we ate some of Jane’s unique home baking once again. Our wet cloths were taken away to be dried by the large aga in the kitchen and after wonderful showers we had fully recovered.

Over the two days we had seen two red kites, an owl, curlews and roe deer along with many other animals.

Monday 13th June
After another excellent breakfast (Jane’s home made sausages are to die for) we left at 9am on a dry but dull morning. In the first few hours we encountered a number of steep hills and on the moor we encountered a short period of rain. At the entrance to the Yorkshire Dales National Park, it was another photograph opportunity, and soon we were at Tan Hill, the highest Inn in the UK at 1,732ft. It was noon and we had done 22kms. From here on it was mainly down hill for most of the way with spectacular scenery as the weather continued to improve. I was able to reach a speed of 56kms (my fastest ever) but my friends Glyn and Dave (“professionals”) recorded speeds of 48mph on their mountain bikes – imagine the speed they could have got to on a road bike!!

At 1pm we stopped by The CB Inn for lunch, we had travelled 36.6kms. Here we spotted our first and only cuckoo although we had heard their unique calls all along our route which in itself added to the great ambiance of this special adventure we were all sharing. We had a brief stop in Reeth to watch the world go by and with easy cycling we were in Richmond at 3pm having cycled some 60kms. Here I took advice from Glyn and got new brake blocks at the town’s cycle shop –Arthur Caygill Cycles. We met the owner, a very keen cyclist, and we were all impressed with his setup.

It was a lovely sunny evening as we arrived at our hotel the – Shoulder of Mutton Inn at Kirby Hill – at 5.50pm, having travelled a total of 69kms. After a shower and getting our bikes and kit ready for next day (we adopted this discipline each evening) we walked down hill to a pub called the Bay Horse Inn in the village of Ravensworth where we had another excellent meal and a couple of pints of real ale. Glyn and Dave were introduced to Haggis for the first time and did enjoy it.

Tuesday 14th June
Today was to be an easy day as we were travelling to the Youth Hostel at Osmotherley. We would have liked to have gone further along the route but we could not find suitable accommodation. We were all very conscious that we had a long ride on the last day with the added pressure that Packhorse were picking us up at 4pm in Robin Hood’s Bay!

It was another mild sunny morning as we left and we stopped in Richmond for sandwiches etc. By 11am we had done some 20kms and we were at Ellerton. By noon we were at Danby Wiske (29kms) and we stopped at the White Swan for drinks of coke to have with our packed lunch. For the first time we saw a good number of other walkers and cyclists. At 2pm we did arrive at the Youth Hostel, having done 51kms, but reception was closed so we did make ourselves comfortable, had a shower and locked away our bikes.

We walked into the village and had drinks and a meal at the Queen Catherine Hotel. We did as best we could to work out the start point on the Cleveland Way. Tomorrow was going to be a hard day so an early night was on the agenda.

Wednesday 15th June
We were up at 5am and away by 6am on a nice quiet morning but later on the sun came out and it was a perfect day for cycling. The Cleveland Way as we did expect proved very hard off road cycling in stretches and we had no alternative but to walk with our bikes and carry these over a number of stiles. At 9.45am we had reached Ingleby Greenhow but had only done 20kms! At 10.50am we stopped for tea at The Hayshed Shop before going off road once again but this proved a good fast section. A welcomed drink was had at the Wheatsheaf Inn near Egton and we had done 57kms. At 2pm we were at Sleights some 65kms along the route and at 3.30pm we finally arrived at Robin Hood’s Bay and went down to the water front to have our photographs taken. This had been a hard day and we had come some 84kms.

At 3.50pm we were on the bus and heading for Kirkby Stephen – the massive adventure was over. It took us 5 days and we did a total of 346kms - magic memories will last forever.

16th June 2011

Scotland - July 2011

2011-08-29T10:41:00.001-07:00

Every year I love to return to Scotland, the land of my birth, and undertake a number of challenges. This year was no exception and taking the advice of my cousin Joyce to visit early in the year for longer and better days, I did visit in July 2011. Returning home also gives me the opportunity to visit and stay with some relatives and friends which I was also able to do.

My round journey was 1,205 miles and I needed to plan my route and at this busy time of the year also book my accommodation ahead as best I could. The first three nights I spent with my sister Anne and her husband Tam in Luncarty, near Perth, and I also stayed with them on my return journey.

Fort Augustus was my base for two days and my first challenge was to cycle the Great Glen Way cycle route. This is a Coast 2 Coast (“C2C”) Route from Fort William (Loch Linnhe) on the West Coast 2 Inverness (Moray Firth) on the North East Coast. Over the two days involved I had lovely weather which made the challenge easier if that is indeed possible? The first day saw me depart Fort Augustus at 9.30am, and pass through Invergarry, Laggan, Clunes, Gairlochy and on to Corpach, arriving at 2.10pm having done 50kms. This was a well sign posted delightful route through forest gravel roads, some minor public tarmac roads and along canal paths all with spectacular scenery. Looking on to the Ben Nevis massif from Corpach was a delight. After a light lunch it was on my bike once again and by 6.40pm I was back in Fort Augustus having done a total of 100kms. The second day saw me once again leave Fort Augustus at 9.30am and tackle the East Side of Loch Ness on my route to Inverness. The first 6kms is very steep and at Suidhe View Point you are at 400m (1,312ft) with breath taking views all around. You travel through small loch side hamlets of Foyers and Inverfarigaig before coming to Dores and then a journey into Inverness (what a delightful City) by the River Ness and I made my way to Carnac Point and the Moray Firth. It was 2pm and I had come 58.45kms. Going back I followed the Great Glen Way which took me through Drumnadrochit, Lewiston and Grotaig with some steep climbs and down hills which saw me having to walk with my bike on a few occasions. At Invermoriston I decided to take the main road back to Fort Augustus, arriving at 7pm and having travelled 115.5kms. All in all this was a hard cycling day but ever so many happy memories of what I had seen along the way. While I did look out for Nessie on both sides of Loch Ness, alas he/she was not to be seen, although having been sited by some people the day before. I had now to travel to my Cousin Joyce’s home and arrived to her kind hospitality at 9pm.

At 6am next day I was up again and with a good weather forecast I was bound for the West Coast of Scotland and the sea weedy shores of Loch Broom at Inverlael for the start of a C2C walk to Ardgay and the Dornoch Firth on the east side of the country. Joyce was my back up, driving me to Inverlael for 9.30am and was to pick me up at Ardgay in the late evening. Armed with my OS sheet and compass I set forth at 10am.

I had wanted to do this walk for a long time and I had an intimate knowledge in my head of the route I wanted to take. Looking across to Loch Broom, an enormous sea loch, I realized the enormity of the day/evening ahead of me. Stopping at Glenbeg Bothy overnight was something I did consider but alas I did not have the time as I was on a tight over all schedule for my visit to Scotland. I had to make the most of the day in this remote and beautiful wilderness and the best way to record all that I would see was to take as many photographs as possible to record this spectacular scenery that abounded all around. There would be so much to see, to stop to admire and then record, adding of course to your walking time. With so many places in the world to see I would not be doing this mainly low level walk again.

For the first kilometer or so you are on a good forest road but then you join a narrow up hill path which terminates after Lochan a’ Chnepaich. As I came out of the forest I could see Beinn Dearg’s 1,084m (3,557ft) cloud covered top a long way in the distance. The River Lael to my right was in good spate which did indicate to me that it had been wet weather and once on the open moorland, peppered with peat hags, stony outcrops, heather clumps and long grass, lots of ups and downs, I would need to be careful as to where I placed my feet as deep holes and stones are often hidden and the last thing you want to do is twist, sprain or break an ankle or leg. Thus constant vigil would be necessary all the way along the trackless section of this C2C walk.

Above Lochan a’ Chnepaich, at approximately 800m (2,625ft), you are at the highest elevation of the day. I had promised Joyce there would be no diversions to do the four main mountains on the route. This would be a day’s walking on its own. These high peaks were cloud covered at times but then clearing which made for spectacular vistas of magnificent, immense and large landscapes. I was entering a short downward valley of around three kilometers which would eventually join Gleann Beag. I tried to set a route as direct as possible but on numerous occasions I had to change my route due to stone boulders, extremely soft ground, numerous peat hags and small burns flowing down from the high ground to my left.

I was following an integrate water system (source waters) that would eventually become the River Carron with hundreds of little burns feeding into a growing river as it meandered its way through isolated valleys to eventually flow out with mystery into the Dornoch Firth. How I wished I could have stopped and fished on a number of occasions but these are private waters.

On reaching the start of Gleann Beag I decided to cross the river where a herd of red deer, I had earlier startled, had crossed the river and I did follow their tracks, one hundred or so feet up from the river but often very wet in places and once again strewn with peat hags and in places dense reeds. I knew I was not far from Glenbeg Bothy and this would be a welcoming sight and perhaps other walkers staying there. At 2.30pm I reached the isolated Glenbeg Bothy. There was alas nobody here, with the last entry in the visitors’ book being two days before by a lone gentleman. In bad weather this bothy is a very welcomed refuge to walkers. From here there is no path and I made my way for the Weir marked on the map approximately two and a half kilometers further on and arriving there at 3.30pm but having a short twenty minute break for lunch. I am now on what I would describe as a service road for the Weir and what appeared to be water storage systems around it. The road has an excellent surface. I am coming to the end of the U shaped glacial valley of Gleann Beag which I so enjoyed and in the distance I could see the narrow entrance into Gleann Mor which again is U shaped and very steep on both sides. The unfolding vista before me just got better and better and Deanich Lodge suddenly came into view, giving me so much comfort that I was indeed on the right route. At 4.30pm I am outside Deanich Lodge. What a beautiful valley and location but total silence and wild red deer, small frogs and one herd of highland cattle have so far been my only company. By 7pm I have reached Alladale Lodge, nine kilometers on and the Lodge, not visible from the track, but the high quality of this Estate and its grounds would indicate the Lodge will be a very nice place. It is not long before I am on tarmac road and some houses are seen for the first time and at 8pm I am on the bridge at The Craigs and the start of lengthy Strath Carron. This is a long Glen with houses mainly to the left hand side of the single track road with passing places as you make your way to Ardgay. Not long after this I got my first mobile signal and I was able to communicate with Joyce to let her know I was alive, well and doing nicely after having a great but hard day’s walking. At 11pm I arrived at Ardgay, head torch on and with a red flashing rear warning light; locals must have thought that an UFO had arrived from outer space!!

I got my walking boots off and Joyce had a bottle of beer for me – sheer nectar after a hard lonely walk. Yes at last this C2C had been done – what an achievement. I wondered to myself could this be the shortest C2C in mainland UK and Europe? I have read that the distance is 53kms/33miles from Inverlael to Ardgay which I need to accept but the route I took did feel a little longer. OS Landranger Map Sheet 20, essential to take on the walk, takes you to the start of Strath Carron but alas not all the way to Ardgay so I have so far not been able to accurately measure the length of the walk.

From Joyce’s at Hill of Fearn I travelled on to Kinlochbervie to stay with my Cousin Rhoda and here my challenges were to walk/climb three mountains, Ben Hee 873m (2,864ft), Cranstackie 800m (2,625ft) and Beinn Spionnaidh 772m (2,533ft) thus completing all the high mountains in Sutherland.

On a dull morning with low cloud on the mountain tops I left my car at Karbrek at 10am and set of to climb Cranstackie firstly. I had studied the route I was to take carefully as there are no well defined paths. By 1pm I had reached the steep rocky top as the cloud was lifting and sunshine was taking over. At 1.45pm I was back down to the coll (I am in Scotland so I should say Bealach) between Cranstackie and Beinn Spionnaidh and I had a short lunch break by a rock boulder in lovely warm sunshine. Sky larks sang sweetly above me. By 2.24pm I was on the top of Beinn Spionnaidh with splendid views all around. I made my decent down to Rhigolter Hill Farm and then using the access road, crossing the River Dionard, and I was back to my car at 4.15pm. Another two of Sutherland’s lovely mountains had been captured. Being so near Durness I popped in to give a surprise visit to my Cousin Barbara and her husband John.

Ben Hee at 873m is the highest summit amongst a group of rounded hills in this empty and lonely part of Sutherland. Having walked throughout this wonderful former County of Sutherland when I use the word “empty” I must stress that there are no people living or communities in these remote locations. People would have lived in these parts once and there is evidence in the form of various former habitations to confirm this. The Highland Clearances during the 18^th and 19^th centuries (the Sutherland Clearances were the most notorious of these, taking place in the early years of the 19^th century) were forced displacements of the population of the Scottish Highlands during the 18^th and 19^th centuries. They led to mass emigration to the sea coast, the Scottish Lowlands and in particular to the North American colonies where these poor hard working and honest people had to start a new life which they successfully did.

Tenants were evicted in favor of sheep runs. Otherwise you have every thing else; wonderful scenery , influenced by the ever changing weather of the day, you see different animals, birds and plants, constant changing sweeping landscapes, the lovely noise of running water with different levels of sound at times and unique smells.

I worked out that the best way to climb the mountain would be from West Merkland on the A838 road to Lairg and firstly up the gravel road that links Merkland with Hope. A kilometer or so up this road there is a cairn of stones on the right by a small river (Allt Coir’ a’ Chruiteir) which marks the path you take. It is a lovely hot sunny morning as I make my way by the south side of this delightful river (erosion has taken away parts of the path) and gradually gaining height. I left my car in a parking area at the west edge of Loch Merkland at 10.15am and I am at the top at 1pm. The views all around are staggering of what is a mountain panorama, and in particular as you look north to Ben Hope 927m a Munro I had climbed three years ago, seeing absolutely nothing due to low cloud and yes, very wet rain and stags roaring – yes it was the rut. What a beautiful mountain with lots of others to look across to. I remained on the top for half an hour taking in the unique ambiance of being on top of this special and lonely mountain. Such clarity prevailed that I could see for miles in all directions. Rather than take the same route again I traversed along the top of the ridge and then coming steeply down to join the gravel road I had used in the morning. Being attacked by hungry clegs I was back at my car by 3.30pm. This was a good time to get back as I wanted to do a spot of sea fishing before I went back to Rhoda’s kind hospitality and I was pleased to take back a good sized mackerel with me!! Weather wise it was the best day I had spent in Scotland mountains for many a year.

My adventure to Scotland had been short but very successful and enjoyable. Roll on my next trip to this very special area of the UK.

8^th August 2011

“Mersey 2 Humber C2C” - Bike Ride 18th April to 21st April 2011

2011-04-25T12:41:00.000-07:00

CYCLING WITH MIDDLETON

“Mersey2HumberC2C” - Bike Ride

18^th April to 21^st April 2011

Introduction

A lot of planning went into this trip and not being hardened cyclists we gained a lot of good advice from Gordon Short owner of Cyclone Cycles at Winsford, Cheshire. He also serviced and upgraded our bikes to deal with this 261Ks trip over four days. We were blessed with good weather.

We used National Cycle Routes: 5, 62, 6, 67, 62, and 65 with an overall Difficulty of 5 (but each day was different with day 1 and four being a 1 or 2 (easy cycling), day two being an 8 (over the tops of the Pennines), and day three an easy 4).

Day One – Sandiway 2 Runcorn and onto Stockport – Total Ascent 411m

This was a most enjoyable day making our way along the pretty banks of the Weaver River and into Runcorn to cross the Runcorn Bridge where we picked up the well sign-posted and delightful Trans Pennine Trail (“TPT”) via Fiddlers Ferry and onto Stockport. At 12 noon we were passing under the M6 near the Thelwall Viaduct and at 2pm we were crossing the M60 at Trafford. By 3.30pm we were in Stockport where we got the train back to Cuddington. We did a total of 81.3Ks and having left Sandiway at 9am we were eighteen minutes outside our estimated time.

Day Two – Stockport 2 Wortley – Total Ascent 1,329m

We were on the 8.30am train bound for Stockport and on a sunny morning we left the station at 9.20am, once again picking up the TPT signs. We knew we were in for a hard day as we were to pass over a lot of mountainous terrain. At 10.16am we passed over the M60 ring road and we were out into lovely countryside with spring bloom in abundance everywhere. By 1pm we arrived at the first Reservoir of five in the Upper Longdendale Valley which is very picturesque and surrounded by high moorland. By 2pm we reached the Woodhead Tunnel where we had to push our bikes up a long and steep hill which we thought would never end. By 4pm we were in Penistone and a welcomed stop at a café for coffee. At 5pm we arrived in Wortley (here you need to take the Timberland Trail (“TT”) off the TPT if you wish to continue West to East, as the TPT goes South towards Sheffield) and were welcomed to our great value B&B by Su and Tony owners of Wortley Cottage Guest House. This is a lovely village with two excellent hostelries – The Wortley Arms (where we ate) and the Men’s Club. Again we were only 8 minutes over our estimated time of seven hours, thirty two minutes! The trail today, totalling 71Ks, was reasonably well sign-posted but was badly pitted throughout the route, making for a bone-shaking, if enjoyable ride. The section from Penistone was much better, and with a long gradual downhill section was a joy towards the end of a hard day (we still had a bit of a climb to Wortley, but it was worth the effort).

Day Three – Wortley 2 Thorne – Total Ascent 265m

After an enjoyable breakfast from Su, we were away at 9.25am. We envisaged this was going to be a difficult day with navigation as a number of trails cross each other and the prominent TPT goes in different directions (N/W as well as W/E). On seeing the M1 ahead of us and knowing we had to go under it we were nevertheless outwitted by the numerous prominent TPT markings and we found ourselves on the outskirts of Chapeltown, heading south for Sheffield!! We soon rectified the position by plotting a route back to the TT. We were warned that trail markings were confusing in this area and we can verify this. By 11.30am we stopped for a well-earned coffee break at the RSPB Centre at Old Moor and were impressed with the facilities afforded to visitors.

Along the entire route we found there were very few eating and accommodation facilities (close to the trails) so you do need to have your own supply of water and food. We had another stop at a small roadside café in Braithwaite before arriving in Thorne at 5pm. We had done a total of 69.7Ks on the hottest day of our trip. We were well out with our expected time of 5 hours and lost around half an hour in going off route but we also had two coffee stops, met and chatted to loads of interesting folks and were held up at around 4 railway crossings.

To get to Thorne, we had to go off the TPT, for about three miles – not a lot to recommend Thorne to the traveller; despite some interesting people we spoke to, sorry Thorne. We had booked (and paid for) two rooms at the Thorne Central Guest House but they had double booked us (caused they said by the booking system or internet connections being faulty). The owners of the B&B paid for us to stay at the Belmont Hotel, which is about as basic as it gets, and was the low point of the whole trip.

It is key that you plan your route carefully.

Day Four – Thorne 2 Blacktoft – Ascent 22m

After a reasonable breakfast at The Belmont (where you had to ask for everything), it was a misty morning when we left Thorne at 9am and we were to be on side roads for most of the morning. By 9.30am we went under the M62 for the first time and rays of the sun were filtering through as the mist began to lift. We were in for a major surprise as we arrived to cross the river Ouse by bridge at Boothferry – but disaster, it was closed for essential repairs. A notice we finally spotted advised that a bus service every hour took you across the M62 viaduct – we had five minutes to find and catch this “lifeline” which we were able to do. It was then onto Laxton, Yokefleet and to Blacktoft and we arrived here at 11.20am after doing 33.5Ks and well under our estimated time of 2.47hrs.

Our goal had been attained and our first C2C bike ride was achieved.

It was now a further 5.9Ks to Gilberdyke for the train to Doncaster where we would change for the Manchester train to Stockport and then onto Cuddington, our final destination. Leaving Gilberdyke at 11.45am we were back home at 3.30pm and the first thing we did was clean our very dirty bikes and allow them to dry in the sun.

Thankfully, we had no problems in taking our bikes on the various trains we did use. As it was the day before the long Easter break, we envisaged there would be demand for the very limited bicycle spaces on the trains, so we had contacted the train operating companies to enquire about reserving our bikes on the trains. We were informed that they didn’t do that – however we met someone on one of the trains who did just that, so we would insist on booking for the future.

Conclusion

This was a wonderful trip and around 90% was off road, passing through the Pennines, alongside rivers, canals and reservoirs and through villages and towns. We saw breath taking scenery and met a lot of lovely people along the way. You need to train for such a challenge and you need to be “bike fit”. Attention needs also to be paid to your bike to make sure it is in good working order, and you have all the spare kit with you that you may need. Our strongest tip would be to ensure the tyre pressures are checked (on our mountain/hybrid bikes we inflated to a pressure of 50psi) – which helps to cope with the sometimes very rugged terrain. While you want to travel as “light” as you can, here again you need to carry essential clothing, all adding to the weight of your bike.

Fraser Mackay

21^st April 2011

Ho Ho Ho!

2010-12-22T23:39:00.000-08:00

Greetings of the Season and loving wishes too,
for all the joys of Christmas are being sent to you,
then looking to the year ahead and hoping you will find
every day turns out to be the very happy kind.

Best wishes for a lovely Festive Season, Health, Happiness, and Success in 2011!

Fraser

December 2010

Scotland Tour – October/November 2010

2010-11-29T13:16:00.001-08:00

Leaving Chester on 22^nd October and returning on 12^th November was a round trip of 2,000 miles by car but saw me attend a 60^th birthday party, visit and stay with relatives, visit friends, mountain bike in the Cairngorms, get to the top of some twelve mountains and do part of the Sandwood Trail from Blairmore to Cape Wrath and back again.

Weather on the whole was good to me but due to severe winds I had to crawl to the top of two mountains and was in a snow blizzard for an hour or so on another mountain top.

Hotels, Lodges, Inns and Bunkhouses I stayed in all turned out to be good but at this time of year not many visitors are about and in the North I found a lot of hotels/restaurants closed up for the winter.

Highlights

I spent two days in the Cairngorms staying at Braemar Lodge Hotel where the hosts are just excellent. I cycled as far as White Bridge on Tuesday 26^th Oct and then walked into the mountains. On Wednesday 27^th I cycled to Derry Lodge and then walked. Alas the tops of the mountains I wanted to do, Monadh Mor 1,113m and A’Choinneach 1,017m, were too far away to be able to return to Braemar in daylight.

Thursday 28^th October saw me spending a day in The Highland Wildlife Park in Kingussie to see the Deer Rut, the Amur Tigers, the Polar Bear, the Wolves and other wild animals. If you have not been to the park I would recommend it as it is a great day out.

The mountains of Sutherland were my main challenge and here I managed to do the following over six continuous days of walking:

1. Ben Klibreck 961m

2. Cnoc nan Cuilean 557m

3. Ben Loyal 764m

4. Conival 988m

5. Ben More Assynt 998m

6. Conival (you do it again on the way back!)

7. Beinnan Fhurain 806m

8. Cul Beag 769m

9. Meall Dearg 657m

10. Breabag 815m

11. Glas Bheinn 776m.

My accommodation was at The Crask Inn and Inchnadamph Lodge both being excellent. On the day I got to the top of Breabag I visited the Inchnadamph Bone Caves. Nearly 1,000 fragments of reindeer antler have been found and some of these have been aged at 47,000 years old.

Perhaps the biggest challenge of my holiday was to walk from Blairmore to Cape Wrath Lighthouse and back again on the same day. On Friday 5^th November I was wakened at 6am by my cousin Rhoda and after a sumptuous breakfast and flask of soup in my rucksack and other goodies I left Blairmore at 8am and was walking on Sandwood Beach (4.5miles distance) at 9.20am but no mermaids were to be seen!! Crossing the river from Sandwood Loch at the north side of the beach was tricky as this was in spate. A further five rivers had to be crossed and under foot conditions was extremely wet. At 1am I did reach the Lighthouse and it was an immediate turnaround as it had taken me five hours to get there, so it would take another five hours (at least) to get back. By 4.15pm I was back on Sandwood Beach in the darkness. I had again safely crossed all rivers and now there was a recognised rough track back to my car.

Sandwood is a very lonely and eerie place at the best of times and with the ruins of a house said to be haunted I was on my guard for ghosts roaming about in the high reeds. At 4.45pm I was on the hill above the beach and in the distance the Lighthouse was dispatching its strong rays of light. I said goodbye to both and thought to myself perhaps I will never be back again? It was around forty four years since I was last at Sandwood Bay. “Time or tide waits for no man.”

At Loch Mhuilinn at 5.15pm I switched on my head torch and at 6am I was back at my car. What a sense of achievement, I was buzzing. Around twenty four miles was the total distance without a stop!!

On Saturday I was travelling to Shiel Bridge and staying at Kintail Lodge Hotel which was excellent in every way. On Sunday 7^th November I visited Eilean Donan Castle at Dornie and went across the bridge from Kyle of Lochalsh to Skye and visited Kyleakin and Broadford. On my way back I went to see the lovely village of Plockton. The challenge on Monday was to do The Saddle 1,010m and perhaps the finest of the Kintail peaks and one of the most magnificent in the Highlands, on the south side of Glen Shiel. It was a windy morning when I left my car at 10am. This got much stronger as I hit the snowline at 11.20am and at 12.20pm on reaching the top of Sgurr na Sgine 946m in very high winds coming in severe gusts, deep snow in places and poor visibility I took the decision to turn back. By 2.15pm I was safely back at my car.

If you are keen to bag a Munro or three you couldn’t find a better area to be in with some thirty Munros being situated within reachable distance from the hotel which has a bunkhouse as well as a trekkers lodge. I will be back to this very special part of Scotland. Knoydart to the south is another area I would love to visit.

I had a wonderful time and I would like to thank all the nice people I met on my travels.

12^th November 2010

Cleveland Way

2010-11-24T09:06:00.000-08:00

The Cleveland Way is a designated National Trail starting at the historic market town of Helmsley. The 110 mile/176 kilometre walk skirts the upland ridge on the edge of the North York Moors National Park before reaching the coast at Saltburn-by-the-Sea and ends at Filey. It is often described as two walks in one with the first section being beautiful heather moorland and the second part being of outstanding coastland. The trail was opened in 1969 being the second official National Trail to be opened. The trail is waymarked along its length using the standard National Trail acorn symbol.

We arrived in Whitby on the afternoon of Saturday 13^th November and once registered at our accommodation, Larpool Hall Hotel, we were away to discover the quaint streets, alleys and ghauts of this historic fishing port and to sample some of the fish caught by the active fishing fleet out of the harbour.

At 10.30am on Sunday 14^th November we left Skinningrove on a lovely sunny morning, stopping for lunch in the unique fishing village of Staithes. Soon after we were up high again on the cliff tops looking out to the ocean and down onto deserted beaches where big waves were constantly breaking, just breath-taking. Other nice small villages were passed and as it was getting dark we arrived in Sandsend. It was time to put on gloves, a hat and a head torch. At 5pm we arrived back in Whitby and after a welcomed shower we opened a bottle of champagne to celebrate my birthday. Alas another year older, but the question asked – any wiser? We ate in Cosa Nostra Ristorante were we enjoyed a lovely meal with good food and service.

After a most enjoyable breakfast on Monday morning we started our walk at 10.15am from Ravenscar. Again a warm sunny morning with excellent visibility permitting us once again to enjoy the many delights of this Heritage coastline. We stopped for lunch at Robin Hood’s Bay, which is as picturesque a village as you could ask for with fabulous views across the bay back to Ravenscar. It is a very steep climb out of the village onto the cliff tops again. By 3.30pm we were back at the magnificent ruins of Whitby Abbey. Today alas we were going home and leaving behind this lovely part of the world.

15^th November 2010

Sierra Nevada/High Alpujarras, Andalucía, Spain

2010-10-23T01:37:00.000-07:00

Introduction

Since reading Driving Over Lemons by author Chris Stewart many years ago I always wanted to visit and stay in one of the High Alpujarras’ whitewashed villages, on the southern slopes of the Sierra Nevada Range (75km from west to east), and soak in the very special atmosphere that was outlined in the book.

With flights, hotel, village house and car hire all booked over the internet we left Manchester on Friday 23^rd April 2010 and arrived 10 minutes early with Ryanair at Malaga.

Malaga

We were staying at the Hotel Guadalmiar for two nights and this turned out to be an excellent hotel. The ambiance of the City was enjoyable during the day and at night time. Malaga is one of the most atmospheric and historic cities of Spain.

On Saturday morning we did a leisurely four hour bike tour around the City with Malaga Bike Tours – www.malagabiketours.eu – and this was ever so enjoyable, hearing about the City’s history and culture as well as lively local anecdotes. On a bench in the Plaza de la Merced we sat beside a metal sculpture of Pablo Picasso, the world’s most famous artist.

On Saturday evening we enjoyed a lovely meal at the restaurant – Comepizza

On Sunday morning we were away to the airport to pick up our hired car for our journey to the Las Alpujarras and our village House in Capilerilla, a hamlet Nr. Pitres, a whitewashed village at 4,450ft above sea level.

High Alpujarras

Jane Garbutt the owner of the house had given us excellent directions and we arrived at 2pm, unpacked and then went for a walk up the mountainside to the rear of the cottage. In the evening after some beers and tapas we ate at La Oveja Verde. We wisely took our head torches to light up our way home. The house is 500+ years old and is delightful and well equipped inside and outside on the flower-filled terrace you can saver the beauty of this lovely part of the world. Particulars can be found on -

www.ownersdirect.co.uk

Our main holiday activity was walking with the target being to get to the top of Mulhacén at 3,478 metres (11,411 ft) the highest point of continental Spain and in the Iberian Peninsula. The mountain has two tops with Mulhacen 11 being 3,362 metres. While not of exceptional height by European standards, Mulhacén is the highest peak in Europe outside the Caucasus Mountains and the Alps. It is also the third most topographically prominent peak in Western Europe, after Mont Blanc and Mount Etna, and is ranked 64^th in the world by prominence. The south flank of the mountain is gentle, and presents no technical challenge, as is the case for the long west ridge. The shorter, somewhat steeper north east ridge is slightly more technical. The north face of the mountain, however, is much steeper, and offers several routes involving moderately steep climbing on snow and ice (up to French grade AD) in the winter.

After some shopping on Monday morning for groceries we were walking on the GR-7 and reaching the snow line and were able to look down on the villages of Pampaneira, Bubion and Capileira (Poqueira Villages). The European long distant footpath E-4 begins in Athens and ends in Algeciras. The GR-7 long distance runs the length of Spain from Andorra in the north to Tarifa in the south and is part of the E-4. Way marking is not the best we found. However being at the 2,000 metres line was good acclimation preparation for the higher reaches of Mulhacen.

On Tuesday we launched our first attempt on Mulhacén parking our car at Capileira but with rivers in flood from melting snow, this did prevent us from crossing above the Hydro Station so we had to turn back and take a higher route with another difficult river crossing before reaching Las Thomas (2,100 metres) at 3pm. Even though a lovely sunny and hot day it was too late in the afternoon to tackle the steep and snow covered slopes that took you firstly to mountain refuge at Refugio Poqueira (which is open all year round but book in advance tel: 958 24 33 49) and then up to the top of the mountain. After eight hours of hard walking we were back at our car. We had made the right decision.

Wednesday was another lovely hot morning so we firstly went to Pampaneira to do some gift shopping and we also called in at the Information Centre for the National Park of the Sierra Nevada and we took advice as to the best route to get to the top of Mulhacén. It was then back home as we were to undertake “The Seven Villages” circular walk of 8km which was ever so enjoyable and relaxing in hot sunshine. We discovered “Alhambra Reserva 1925” beer at the Café Bar Aljibe in Mecina. At 7.30pm we took Jane out for dinner in Mecina.

Thursday we were up early to discover a duller day and by 9.30am we had parked the car high up at Hoya del Portillo on the snow line. At 1.50pm we reached the top of Mulhacen 11 in deep snow and at 2.18pm we reached the top. It was a wonderful vista with snow covered mountains as far as the eye could see. On the way back we did a further two mountains:

· Alto del Chorrillo – 2,727 metres

· Prado Llanc – 2,578 metres.

At 6.30pm we were back to the car after nine hours of hard walking much of it in deep snow. We saw some six people all day but singing sky larks accompanied us all day.

I dedicated the walk to Kathleen sister of Caroline Macdonald (a friend of mine) who had died after a long battle against cancer.

In the evening we enjoyed drinks and tapas at Jane’s home having our meal out in the garden.

Alas on Friday 30^th April it was a road journey back to the airport and then a pleasant flight back to Liverpool.

We had a great week in this spectacular part of Spain.

Completing the Hadrian Wall (Coast to Coast) walk

2010-07-17T08:55:00.000-07:00

At 6pm on Friday 16th July 2010 we reached Segedunum Fort and the end of the walk! A little tired and sore but a wonderful experience.
We left Bowness-on-Solway at 9am on Monday 17th July 2010 and enjoyed five days of beautiful scenery and good weather conditions.
Day 3 (Gilsland to Chollerford) some 20 miles was the hardest section with many ups and downs, but the finest views and the most complete sections of the Wall.

Fraser Mackay 16th July 2010

Hadrian’s Wall Walk Monday 12th – Friday 16th July 2010

2010-07-12T08:54:00.000-07:00

Introduction

My research into this walk on two previous occasions splits the walk into five sections and while most people seem to walk from Wallsend to Bowness on Solway my view was that with prevailing winds in the UK tending to blow in from “The West”, thus the wind will be at your back if walking from west to east. Another factor influencing this decision was a Friday night out in the City of Newcastle to sample Newcastle Brown Ale!!

Walk Details

84miles/135kms say 35/45kms per day
• Bowness on Solway – Carlisle 14.5miles
• Carlisle – Gilsland 19miles
• Gilsland – Chollerford 19.5miles (hardest section)
• Chollerford – Heddon On The Wall 16miles
• Heddon On The Wall – Wallsend 15miles.
Hadrian’s Wall Path is an unbroken 135km (84 mile) signposted footpath stretching from coast-to-coast across England. The 2003 opening of the National Trail made the full length of the Wall accessible to the public for possibly the first time since the end of the Roman occupation of Britain in the early fifth century.

The Passport scheme

The Passport scheme operates May-October. Prove that you have walked the Trail by collecting seven stamps in the Trail's own Passport. Stamping Stations:
• Segedunum Roman Fort (Wallsend)
• Robin Hood Inn, (B6318 Military Road)
• Chesters Roman Fort (Chollerford)
• Housesteads Fort * NEW in 2010 *
• Birdoswald Roman Fort (Gilsland)
• Sands Centre (Carlisle)
• The Banks Promenade or The Kings Arms Inn or Tide Boards at entrance to village (Bowness on Solway)

There's an exclusive Completion Badge & Certificate (£3.95) when you've collected all seven stamps. (Order your Passport on the internet.)
The Solway Coast - how to predict the tide times The sections of Trail between Dykesfield, west of Burgh-by-Sands, and Drumburgh, and between Port Carlisle and Bowness on Solway, are at sea level. For several days of the year it is prone to tidal flooding so it is vitally important that you understand, before you set out, whether or not you will need to allow for extra time while the route is impassable. Tide prediction notice boards These are sited at Bowness on Solway (at the eastern end of the village) and Dykesfield (cattle grid). The present and following month's tide times and heights are posted on the boards.

Using the Easytide website

This is an Admiralty website and gives a free seven-day prediction for a series of ports around the UK coastline.

1. Go to the Easytide website (Related Links)
2. Click on 'free predictions'
3. Click on the 'Search' tab on the 'Predict Select Port' page, then type in 'Silloth'; then click 'Predict'.
4. On the next page click 'Predict' which brings up a seven-day prediction for the net seven days only. You are interested in the high tides of nine metres and above because this is when the affected parts of the Trail may flood.
Now for the tricky bit The predicted tide times and heights are for the port of Silloth, so you need to convert them to the Solway section of the Trail.

If you are walking during British Summer Time (BST) add on TWO HOURS. If you are walking during Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) add on ONE HOUR.
Finally, allow for an hour either side of the adjusted high tide when the sections affected should be avoided. Do remember that the tide tables are predictions only and that many conditions, for example wind speed and atmospheric pressure, can influence the likelihood of the Solway marshes flooding. The estuary can look an entirely benign place, but the water can rise very quickly.
On the day - 12th July - my calculations reveal we should be okay but we need to be away early – say start walking by 9am or 9.30am at the latest.

Accommodation

In April 2010 Martin kindly provided an Itinerary to all of us received from Kath Henderson from Macs Adventure Ltd. The accommodation booked for Stuart and Martin mirrors the sections of the walk I previously detailed.
In having booked campsites, camp barns and bunkhouses (trying as best as I could to gain accommodation in the same locations) I have finally succeeded with a lot of difficulty:

• Monday 12th July – Bluebell Camping Barn £12 pppn. (Owner – Mark Harper) This is located in the village of Crosby on Eden, a couple of miles past Carlisle and is a new facility. There is a good pub in the village called the Stag Inn which does breakfasts and evening meals. There is a bus stop outside the pub so Steve and I can get the bus into Carlisle or Stuart and Martin can get the bus out! I wanted to get through Carlisle rather than do this the following morning.

• Tuesday 13th July – Holmhead Camping Barn. This is at Thirwall Castle Farm, Greenhead. £12.50pppn and I paid a £5 deposit. The owner Judy Clark was ever so helpful and can provide a carry out lunch with prior notice. The Greenhead Hotel (10 minutes walk) provides evening meals and breakfasts. There was no camping facilies in Gilsland but Greenhead is only 2 miles further on and like Bluebell is on the wall – essential for those carrying all their gear.

• Wednesday 14th July – Greencarts Campsite, Camp barn (£8pppn) and Bunkhouse (£10pppn), Humshaugh. Here we are booked in with a choice of camping (£5pppn), camp barn or bunkhouse. If the weather is good the lady owner was happy that we camped. The village of Humshaugh is beside Chollerford.

• Thursday 15th July – Belvedere Campsite, Harlow Hill, Heddon On The Wall. £4.50pppn camping. Pub two miles away for evening meal/breakfast but many local take-away operators deliver food to the site. Pat Carr the owner - ever so helpful.

• Friday 16th & Saturday 17th July – The Jesmond Hotel, Jesmond, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne.

• Sunday 18th July – 1.35pm National Express Coach leaves Newcastle for Chester (direct £10.80).

Hadrian’s Wall Bus

Bus AD122 runs along the length of the wall. Running through the summer between Newcastle and Carlisle and stopping at visitor attractions, towns and villages along the way, the Hadrian's Wall Bus is the best way to explore the wonders of Hadrian's Wall Country.

Conclusion

This is an adventure we are all looking forward to as Hadrian’s Wall Country is a walker’s paradise with stunning scenery and which is immensely varied. We will be following the footsteps of the Roman patrols that guarded this wall against attacks from the North. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1987) and this famous wall is the best preserved frontier of the entire Roman Empire. It is unique and is one of the wonders of the world and among the most important archaeological monuments of the last 2,000 years. The Wall was constructed over a period of six years by the order of the Emperor Hadrian who came to Britain in122AD. It was built “to separate the Romans from the Barbarians” – a feat it achieved for over 250 years.
Next week we too are “invaders” but with peaceful intentions to walk and take in a fistful of knowledge and scenery as we walk the length of this monumental structure.

I do hope you all enjoy yourselves.

Fraser Mackay 10th July 2010.

Hadrian's Wall "Coast to Coast" Walk - Kit Needed

2010-07-12T08:52:00.000-07:00

Introduction
Kit is a very personal matter but some items are essential if you are to enjoy your “Coast to Coast” walk over five days. One thing you are unable to determine is the weather and after the good hot recent days we have been enjoying the weather forecasted for the week ahead is perhaps best described as “indifferent”.
A lot of tactics has gone into our route planning and timing thus it is important we also get our kit right. On the food front we are always passing through villages and small towns (we have identified stopping places each day) so other than small treats, water and energy drinks we should be okay.
The walking Group is split into two with two having their kit carried for them from B&B to B&B while the other two are to endeavour to carry the kit on their backs, stopping at campsites, camp barns and bunk houses. Essentially everyone will have their kit split in the following ways:
• Staying in B&Bs - 1) Daily rucksack 30lr and 2)kit bag
• Backpacking – 1) Large 80lr rucksack and overnight bag for stay in Newcastle.
Walking Equipment and Clothes etc.
Kit Bag/overnight bag
Ruck Sack
Walking Poles (optional)
Boots – (make sure these have been water proofed)
Approach Shoes for camping
Waterproofs (Jacket & Trousers) – (again essential these are good quality and recently water proofed)
Waterproof cover for rucksack
Walking Shorts (1)
Walking Trousers (1)
Walking Socks (3)
Lining Socks (3)
Gloves (2)
Hats (2)
Sweat Towels (3)
Wet wipes
Shower Towel (1)
First Layer (3) – wicking with one long sleeved and the other two short sleeved
2nd Layer (Light fleeces) (2)
(Have all clothes in stuff bags to compress)
Water Bottle
Head Torch + batteries.
Sun cream
Insect repellent
Toiletries (personal)
Mirror for shaving
Hand washing gel
First Aid Kit (personal)
Food (treats)
Camera
Looking Glasses (optional)
Sun Glasses
Clothes line + washing liquid
Stuff Bag for dirty washing
Waist bag for money other essential items
Map and route book
Ipod
Clothes for evening wear
Trousers (1)
Pants (2)
Socks (1)
Shirts (2)
Shorts (optional)
Tee shirts (optional)
Sandals (B&B)
Shoes (B&B)
Camping Gear
Light one/two man tent + ground sheet
Tharermarest – (self blow up)
Sleeping bag (2/3 season) with silk liner (If very warm weather you can sleep in silk liner
Pillow (The listing is a personal one and others may differ in what they would take). Fraser Mackay 10th July, 2010.

Parish Walk 2010 - Isle of Man

2010-06-29T14:20:00.000-07:00

The Challenge this year attracted an all-time record entry of 1,710 but the hot day and evening took its toll. At 7.22am on Sunday 27th June I crossed the finishing line, it had taken me 23hrs 38mins of constant walking.

Only 133 people finished the grueling 85miles and I am so glad I was one of them.

Fraser.

Raising Charity funds for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research

2010-06-12T10:54:00.000-07:00

Please help me raise much needed funds for The Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research, a most worthwhile charity which is entirely funded through donations.

My charity activities in 2010 involve:

Climb Mulhacen in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the highest mountain in Spain at 3,478M (11,415 feet). This was successfully completed on 29^th April, taking nine hours of tough walking.

Compete in the Welsh 1,000M Peak Race. This is a grueling challenge over 32kms and 8,000ft of ascent. Completed on Saturday 5^th June 2010.

Train and then lead a wonderful Team of youngsters from Grant Thornton, Manchester Office in The National UK Three Peaks Challenge, who are all fund raising for Leukemia & Lymphoma Research. The mountains of Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon need to be climbed on 19^th/20^th June; this being attempted over a continuous twenty four hour window. Another massive challenge in walking around twenty five miles, the height climbed is around 10,000 feet and the road distance to be covered between the mountains is some 450 miles. This is very much a TEAM effort.

Participate in the Parish Walk on Isle of Man over 85 miles (within a 24 hour window) on 26^th/27^th June 2010. There are 1,693 entrants this year and last year I was one of 185 people to complete the race within the twenty four hour period.

·Hadrian’s Wall Path 12^th to 16^th July. With three walking friends, Stuart, Martin and Steve we are walking from Bowness-On-Solway to Wallsend. Steve and I are carrying our tents and camping while Martin and Stuart are staying in B&Bs.

Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research need to raise £120million over the next five years to continue their life-saving research into better diagnosis, treatments and cures for all those with blood cancers. Around 28,500 people of all ages, from newborn babies to grandparents are diagnosed in the UK with blood cancers every year.

Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research has made great progress with childhood leukaemia. When the charity started in 1960 children with leukaemia had virtually no chance of survival. Now thanks to their research nine out of ten survive the most common form of childhood leukaemia. The aim is now to ensure people of all ages are given the best possible chance of survival and of living a normal healthy life after treatment for blood cancer.

The Charity’s achievements are all the more remarkable given that they rely entirely on voluntary support and receive no government funding. Research takes time and there is much more to be done which needs all our support.

All my challenges this year are in memory of my late walking friend Graeme Whittaker who so sadly died on 30^th September, 2009 from cancer.

To donate to this worthy charity click on this link to be taken to the JUSTGIVING website.

Thank you.

9^th June 2010

Walking in The Sierra Nevada and La Alpujarra, Andalucia, Spain

2010-05-06T04:24:00.001-07:00

After reading “Driving Over Lemons” by Chris Stewart in 2001 I always wanted to go and visit the Las Alpujarras in Andalucia, Spain, one of Europe’s most beautiful regions. The story told was relaxing, funny, a real portrait of their area, its people, its weather, food and culture.

I am due to fly out of Liverpool Airport bound for Malaga on Friday 23rd April for a week and I will inform you of my latest adventure in the hills and mountains of Spain.

Best wishes, Fraser.
22 April 2010

Car Accident Scotland - Sat 29th August 2009

2009-09-01T03:45:00.000-07:00

I am driving from Glasgow to Fort William on Saturday 29th August and at 2.30pm (approx.) I am hit by a car which is came at me on my side of the road. The car had overtaken a caravan on a bend and the driver was making an escape from a police car.

The head on accident happened at Onich and I was thank fully driving at around 35mph in a 40mph limit section of this twisty road. A red car is seen on my side of the road coming round a corner at speed and I know there is no way I am going to avoid it. I remain calm break and try to move to the left but I just know it is going to hit me and I say "silent goodbyes" to the world. The next minute there is a large bang and my airbag is in front of me but I am still alive. There is a terrible smell and I see a car spinning to my right hand side and then another green car lands by my door blocking any escape through this door.

29-8-09

I see a lovely lady rushing to my rescue (she has come from the caravan) and she is in the car beside me helping me to get out of the crushed driver's compartment. This is not at all easy and with smoke around I am apprehensive of fire but there is no fuel smell. With her great assistance and encouragement I get out but my rib cage is sore.

I realise the enormity of the accident with the front wheel of the offending car lodged beneath my door which made my car look as if it had two wheels. I was alive and I have been ever so lucky.

Munich, Germany - July 2009

2009-08-24T02:25:00.000-07:00

I was on the 8.30am flight out of Stansted on Tuesday June 30th 2009 and bound for Munich (7th largest airport in Europe) and arrived there at 10.50am (local time) on a lovely hot morning. It was a €10 ticket to take me on the S-Bahn 1 into the City and then the U-Bahn 6 (underground) to Harras (a lovely quiet area of the City) where I was staying at the K+K Hotel am Harras. All went according to plan and a lovely room at this four star hotel was ready for me. With some 47,000 beds available the City offers a wide range of accommodation for all tastes and budgets.

Travelling on public transport in Germany is a sheer delight as every thing is so efficient and clean. As the underground was immediately outside the hotel I got the train to Marienplatz and had a look round the City and its lovely buildings. Louise and Grant were travelling from Edinburgh and were due to arrive at the airport at 4.50pm and we were to meet up at Marienplatz after they checked into their hotel.

In July last year I had stayed a few days with Louise and Grant in a flat they had rented in the City and had a great time in this lovely City and a days visit to Tegernsee where Grant and I got to the top of Mt. Wallberg at 1,722m. Grant is to be in the City once again to “worship at the alter of hops” and make an in depth study of beer halls, gardens and monasteries!! He is an expert on Bavarian beers so here again I was hoping to “sup a few”. While waiting I did decide to visit a couple of our old haunts to try out the beers.

Grant and Louise are to be in the City until Tuesday 7th July when they return home and I leave on Sunday 5th July for three days in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, returning to the UK on Thursday 8th July. We are in the City to have an enjoyable and relaxing time, visit some of our old haunts and find new ones, in the City and out with. Tollwood Summer Festival 2009 (18/6 – 12/7/09) was on at the Olympiapark and we did enjoy a lovely evening there on Thursday 2nd July. Our visit to the Marrakech Tent (part of the festival) was very memorable. The park was created for the 20th Summer Olympic Games in 1972. This is a beautiful sports landscape with sweeping roofs, a 290 metre high tower and an artificial lake. On Saturday 4th July we started at the Waldwirtschaft Großhesselohe (Wa-Wi.) beer garden, above the ISAR Gorge, south of Munich, famous for its Jazz. We wandered down stream to visit Grant’s mate at the Seehaus Hinterbrühl and went to watch rafts (the Bavarian pastime of Floßfahrt) race down the River Isar where lots of people were having ever so much fun. The Isar River comes down from the north mountains to flow through the city to the south. The river’s banks and floodplains are ideal for walking, bicycling, jogging, relaxing and sunbathing.

Munich and Bavaria is a great place to visit all year round but May to September is the main tourist season. More than 60 million people from all over the world visit Munich, the capital of Bavaria, every year. It is the most visited city in Germany. Bavaria is Germany’s largest and most southerly state (sprawls over 70,550sq.km.) – “the land of Lederhosen and laptops.” Munich has a population of 1.5million people and is one of Europe’s busiest and liveliest places – “Munich Sparkles”. High quality art and music offered by internationally renowned museums and world famous orchestras attract enthusiasts of all countries. Few cities in the world offer so many star-studded classical concerts. Shopping facilities are wonderful with such a relaxed atmosphere. It boasts 58 theatres, 46 museums, 82 cinemas and 130 libraries and is a powerhouse of the IT and film industries, BMW, and Siemens but its centre retains a small-town feel. Munich is twinned with Edinburgh.

In Munich or in Bavaria you are never far away from a jar of amber ale. Internationally Munich is undoubtedly the Number One beer metropolis. Beer is Germany’s favourite drink and German brewers turn out around 4,000 distinctively different beers from some 1,300 breweries. More beer is consumed in Bavaria than anywhere else in Germany. German beers enjoy a loyal following around the world.

Most towns and larger villages have a brewery. There are spring and autumn beer festivals in virtually every town in Bavaria. ‘Prost’ is the toast. The Mass is a tankard that holds a litre. Beer has become an art form and is served with the greatest of care in specially designed elegant glasses for different styles of beer, suited to gracing the most sophisticated of dining tables. Beer in Germany may only be brewed using barley, hops, yeast and water. Brews are broadly divided into two categories – bottom fermented or top fermented – which simply means the yeast works from the bottom or at the top. Most German beer is bottom fermented.

Munich Oktoberfest began in 1810 and is the world’s “biggest keg party” for 16 full days between Sept and October each year. It starts on the 3rd Saturday in September, 19th this year. There are some 3,000 “Sister” – Oktoberfests spread out all around the world. If you cannot make the festival, you can still enjoy beers by the City’s six local beermeisters in a boisterous beer hall or a convivial beer garden.

Monasteries have produced some fine quality brews since medieval times and today’s monks very much continue to hold this tradition. Eleven German monasteries continue to produce beer. Kloster Weltenburg nr. Kelheim, north of Munich is the world’s oldest monastery brewery. Benedictines in Andechs nr. Munich produces Doppelbock Dunkel which is among the world’s best. Grant says it is the best although he does have another favourite - Augustiner. Founded in the 10th Century this lovely hilltop monastery has long been a place of pilgrimage, although more visitors come to “slurp” the Benedictines’ fabled beers. The nearby Braustuberl is the monks’ beer hall and garden. There are six varieties of beer on offer from the rich and velvety Doppelbock dark to the fresh unfiltered Weissbier. We enjoyed our visit here last year and again this year. Grant had such a thirst that he got to the hilltop (having walked from the station some three quarters of an hour away) ahead of me.

The world’s oldest brewery established in 1040 is the Weihenstephan Benedictine monastery in Freising, which is believed to be the oldest working brewery in the world. It is now part of the University of Applied Sciences, where the brewers go to get trained.

We take enjoyment in visiting beer halls and beer gardens and here are some in the City:
• Waldwirtschaft (Grobhesselohe) – a favourite with Grant and here top Jazz bands play all summer.
• Augustiner Braustuben (Hackerbrucke) – This is a very enjoyable beer hall with roof terrace selling Augustiner, one of Germany’s best beers and the food is traditional, tasty, plentiful, well priced with excellent service. My second visit and I look forward to going back.
• Andechser am Dom
• Braunauer Hof
• Hofbrauhaus (Marienplatz) – one of the few bustling beer halls left in the City. This is a traditional beer hall and beer garden for up to 3,000 guests. Probably the most famous beer hall in the world. I found the food good and if you want to dance this is the place to go.
• Hirschgarten – seats some 8,300 drinkers at one time.
• Augustiner-Grossgaststatte
• Hofbraukeller
• Augistiner Ustiner am Platz - another favourite in the centre of the City.
• Ayinger am Platzl (also just opposite the Hofbrauhaus)
• Viktualienmarkt - a good beer garden selling good beer in the City Centre Market area by Marienplatz.
• Löwenbräukeller
• Augustiner Bräustuben, part of the brewery complex, no 1 beer hall.
• Paulaner Keller
• Paulaner Bräuhaus
• Zum Flaucher
• Menterschweige
• Michaeligarten
• Fasanarie
• Hinterbruhl
• Franziskaner Keller
• TaxisGarten
• Weisses Bräuhaus
• Jodlerwirt
• Franziskaner Garten
• Harlaching Einkehr

This year we spent a day in the Englischer Garden, the biggest City owned park in Europe. Created around 1789 it stretches to 373 hectares (900 acres). Here there are a number of beer gardens:
• Chinesischer Turm – very famous beer garden and restaurant and enjoyable. The Chinese Tower was built over 200 years ago.
• Aumeister
• Seehaus – viewed by many as a tranquil island in midst of the pulsating city district of “Schwabing”and located on the shores of Kleinhesseloher lake.
• Hirschau – our first visit and very enjoyable.
• Osterwald-Garten
Further a field there are:
• SchloBgastatatte Leutstetten
• Waldwirtschaft GroBhesselohe
• Bräustüberl Tegernsee

Giant Breweries in Bavaria are:
• Paulaner
• Lowenbrau
• Hofbrau

As already mentioned there are over 4,000 different types of beer but here I mention a few:
• Pilsner (Pils) - most commonly drunk beer. Fermented beer of the lager type. Light coloured with a strong hoppy taste and aroma and a long dry finish.
• Hell or Helles – delivers a mild hop character with a touch of malt sweetness and is pale or light in colour.
• Weizenbier
• Maibock – spring beer. Actually called Starkbier in Munich, brewed for lent. The best is brewed and sold at the Paulaner Keller.
• Doppelbock – very alcoholic, smooth and complex and can be light or dark in colour.
• WeiBbier – a wheat beer. Available in two varieties – Hefe (cloudy) where the yeast is retained and Kristall (clear) when the yeast is removed. Both are full flavoured, spicy with a complex taste.
• Weizenbock – strong winter wheat beer with malt and fruit flavours.
• Berliner Weisse – white beer.
• Dunkles Weiß
• Dunkel – dark lager beer and brewed using aromatic malts. Tawny to black in colour, it has a full bodied flavour that is refreshing, enjoyable and full of character. Consumption, if slurping rather than sipping, needs to be watched!!
• Festbier – amber appearance and full flavour with a delicate malt sweetness.
• Bockbier – smooth, malty and warming – a delicious winter beer.
• Schwarzbeir – dark beer top fermented.
• Rauchbier – light smokiness.
• Spezi
• Kellerbier
• Alt – like the UK ales being amber in colour, smooth and well balanced.
• Kulmbach (nr. Bayreuth) comes up with the strongest beer in the world at 22% proof.

If you have not been to Germany then I would recommend that you do give it a try. Berlin is another City I would like to visit.

10th July 2009

Exploring New Zealand

2009-08-16T04:45:00.000-07:00

Stuart and I came to New Zealand with a sight seeing plan plus a number of activities to undertake. We would like to share these with you.

The accommodation we choose, all done over the internet, was all wonderful as was the generosity and friendliness of all the proprietors. We made Evans Bay Homestay and Leisha in Wellington our “base camp” for exploring the North and South Islands. Our car hire worked out well and the two ferry crossings on lovely calm days were wonderful. We travelled some 1,200kms on the South Island and a further 1,000kms on the North Island. Our scenic air travel was 225kms, our tramping 220kms and our two ferry crossings a further 184kms, making a total of 629kms. All along the way we saw some wonderful scenery as we travelled on some 13 State Highways. We had sunshine everywhere we went. We saw very little rain and experienced a fresh fall of snow on the high mountains in Torgariro National Park, which only added to the unique beauty of this stunning area which had a massive impact on us.

The kindness, friendliness, helpfulness and honesty of all the people were tremendous and everyone is so proud of their country/adopted country.

We did ever so much and here I am only recording our main activities and sight seeing and putting these in my order of preference; which I want to say was very difficult to do. Perhaps on another day I might well change the order!!

Activities/Sight Seeing

1 – The Tongariro Alpine Crossing ("TAC")
The TAC is known widely as “The Best One Day Walk” in NZ and is a world-renowned trek. The 18.5 kilometre track starts from Mangatefipo car park 6kms off the SH47 and from here it is a gentle introduction up the Mangatepopo valley and then it is a steep climb to the saddle with Mt. Ngauruhoe 2,387m to your right.

The Crossing is a superb full-day walk, taking in spectacular volcantic terrain – an active crater, lava flows, steam vents, and emerald lakes. The route traverses rough ground and a harsh environment for colonising plants.

It is so difficult to describe the beauty and great inspiration of this alpine crossing. Hundreds of people accompanied us on the crossing and two full busses left the National Park Backpackers on the morning of 10th April 2009. This is described as one of the best one day alpine treks in the world from alpine meadow to mountain summit with stunning volcanic features along the way. We did it in 6hrs. 40 minutes, starting the walk at 7.50am and finishing at 2.30pm. Along the way we chatted to people from all over the world who were here, like us to do this famous tramp. A bus took us to the start of the walk and at 3pm took us back.
It is a challenge, an adventure and an unforgettable experience. The vivid memories of these magic vistas will remain with me always and will be cherished.
2. – Scenic flight around Mt Cook and Mt Tasman and over the Franz Joseph and Fox glaciers It was on a lovely sunny, clear and calm day on Monday 20th April that we were fortunate to do this trip with an experienced and skilful pilot, Murray Bowes. We left Hokitika at10am and we soon rose to11,500 feet on this 140 mile journey at speeds of between 80/100mph. We were back at 11.30am. The views were staggering to say the least as was the experience. It will never be forgotten.
3 – Abel Tasman Coastal Track Here we took a jet boat from Kaiteriteri to Medlands Beach (Bark Bay) and then walked back on the Abel Tasman Coastal Path to Marahau taking us four and a half hours to walk some 25kms. The views were magic all the way along.
4 – Day’s Fishing on Ngongotana Stream, in Rotorua With Graham Butcher as our guide we fished for some six hours on this wonderful stream on Tuesday 14th April which was full of big trout but as Graham said, “very difficult to catch.” Four were pulled out between 2.5lbs and 4lbs. It was a beautiful day and we had a packed lunch and beers cooling in the water – what more does one need? We were in heaven.
5 - Interisland Ferry between Wellington and Picton and the return journey. This must be one of the most spectacular ferry crossings in the world. We were fortunate to experience the crossing twice with good weather on both occasions. A lovely experience.
6 - Huka Falls A natural phenomenon. The mighty Waikato River, NZ’s largest, gushes through a narrow chasm not long after the outlet from Lake Taupo. 300,000lrs of water per second hurtles through the narrow channel that makes the waterfall the most visited attraction in NZ.
7 – Arthur’s Pass and the two track walks – Devils Punchbowl Track & Bridal Veil Track On a wet morning in Greymouth on Sunday 19th April we crossed Arthur’s Pass to Arthur’s Pass Village and into sunshine where we did two short track walks. The first, the Devils Punchbowl took us to a most beautiful waterfall and the second; the Bridal Veil was through mountain beech forest. Tracks from here can take you as far as Mt.Tasman and Mt. Cook. The grandeur of this vast and austere mountain and river landscapes holds you in awe.
8 - Drive from Wellington to Wanganui and then to Tongariro National Park Before Wanganui and after the town we were fascinated by the numbers of small and large glacial mounds we saw; miles and miles of them. Trees were shedding their leaves and lovely autumn colours were in view. Numerous poplars were seen, many planted in straight lines but others having grown wild. We were now on the SH4 by the mighty Whanganui River and this timeless river finds its origin high on Mt Tongariro, starting as an alpine stream and gathering waters from Mt. Ngauruhoe and Mt Ruapehu. As it descends through the central volcanic plateau it sweeps in a huge northern arc towards Taumaranui, then winding its way to its exit into the Tasman Sea at Wanganui. It is the first big river we see and we are fascinated by it.
9 - Pancake Rocks We pass through the beautiful Paparoa National Park and stop at Punakaiki and here we view the unusual volcanic rock formations known as the “Pancake Rocks” and the blowholes formed by the lava tubes. Shoots of water fly high up into the air from these tubes at high tide and we did see this happening.
10 – Hangi Feast and the Geyser A night at ‘TE PUIA’ in Rotorua where we had an in-depth experience of the customs and traditions of the Maori people, a hangi-cooked feast and contemporary Maori dishes. The evening ended at 9pm after a visit to view POHUTA, the famous geyser on the site.
11 – Wai o Tapu Thermal Park This is NZ’s most colourful and diverse volcanic area and here we walked round the stunning geothermal activity and unforgettable vistas.
12 – Walk to Tama Lakes Due to snow and ice conditions (we did not have winter gear) our attempt to get to the top of Mt Ruapehu (at 2,797metres is the highest point on the North Island) on the morning of 11th April was abandoned and we headed for the Tama Lakes which is a 17kms tramp which we did in 4.45hours. The track takes you between Mt Ngauruhoe and Mt Ruapehu and the two lakes, lower and upper, occupy several old explosion craters on the Tama Saddle. The views all around are stunning.
13 - Drive down the Buller River Valley to Westport and the West Coast Highway to Greymouth We pass through vestiges of the Great Southern Rainforest, some wonderful views of mountain tops and deep valleys and gorges. The swift flowing Buller River provides you with superb vistas at every turn. We see large cattle and deer farms along the route. At Tiroroa we marvel at the framed old photographs of the Lower Buller Gorge where it is still the same single track road carved out from the stone cliffs above you and down to the river some 20/30 feet below. When this large river is in full flood the water level can rise to, and above the road level, a sight that must be very frightening to see. You then come to the full beauty of the West Coast which is rugged and storm ravaged. This must rank as one of the best Coastal Drives in the world.
14 – Walk in Redwoods We chose the Tokorangi Pa Track at 11.5kms. We started our walk at 11am and we were finished by 1.45pm. This was ever so enjoyable. The forest is famous for its magnificent stands of towering Californian Coastal Redwoods at around 219ft. They were massive and everywhere through the forest, hence the name "Redwoods". (In America their lifespan is 600 years and they grow as tall as 360ft). Here you are able to experience some of the finest walking and mountain bike trails in the world.
15 – Polynesian Spa, Rotorua This was just a wonderful experience as we tried the four Lakeside Pools at temperatures of 36, 38, 40, and 42c. Yes we were able to stay in the 42c and Stuart had a brief nap in the 38c pool until a bus load of Japanese ladies came along and took over the pool!! We were here for two enjoyable hours on the evening of Tuesday 14th April looking up to the star lit sky.
16 - Drive along the Queen Charlotte Driveway between Picton and Havelock This was our first introduction to the South Island and we found the scenery spectacular. We stop for a quick walk at Cullen Point. We have lunch in Havelock, the green lipped mussel capital of the world. It is a seaport, tucked away in a sheltered cove at the head of the Pelorus Sound. It was once a thriving gold-mining town but now thrives on riches from the sea. We have lunch at The Clansman as it is flying the Scottish flag and the taste of the mussels is superb.
17 - Reefton (Town of Light) A delightful place with such clear visibility of all the mountains that circle in the background.

Food and Drink
Best Beer – Mac’s Black & Monteith’s Hearty Black.
Best white wine – Brightwater Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2008- makes you mouth zing.
Best red wine – As to reds our favourite was Pinot Noir, which exudes freshness, oozing charm with generous cherry and raspberry fruit, a silky mouth-feel and great length of flavour. Here a favourite was Rimu Grove 2005. (We only drank NZ wines and beers as they were all so good.)
Best lunch – Boat Shed Café & Restaurant, Nelson with views to Tasman Sea and Abel Tasman in background. Nelson scallops and blue nose cod was washed down with Sauvignon Blanc on a lovely hot day.
Best Pub – Sprig & Fern Tavern, Nelson
Best Dinner – Hopgoods, Nelson but the Station Café Restaurant at National Park Village takes a lot of beating. We had two meals in both. Bistro 1284 in Rotorua was excellent as were all the other restaurants we visited.

Any Downside
Absolutely none.

27th April 2009

Bavarian Alps - Garmisch-Partenkirchen

2009-08-13T07:57:00.000-07:00

It was 9am on Sunday 5th July 2009 and I was on my way to the nearby railway station to catch the S 7 to Hauptbahnhof Central Station and my main line train to Garmisch- Partenkirchen. I caught the 10.32am train and was in the town at 12.05pm (trains run on time in Germany and this form of travel is very enjoyable) and a five minute walk took me to the Hotel Roter Hahn where I was to be resident for the next three nights. Julie and Stephan Emslander were the owners (Julie was born in Vancouver, Canada) who were extremely helpful and I did enjoy my stay at the hotel with excellent breakfasts, a lovely indoor swimming pool and sauna. The town itself and surrounding countryside is beautiful. People are ever so nice and all speak good English.

By 12.30pm I was out of the hotel and as it was a sunny day but alas heavy clouds were also to be seen, I was on my way to try to get to the top of The Wank at 1,780m. The paths up to the top and at the top were excellent. I had hoped to do a lot of walking at the top but this was not possible as heavy cloud descended and it began to rain. I took shelter in the Café at the top of the mountain and enjoyed two beers as I studied all the great mountains and valleys all around me. It was a beautiful sight and Garmisch-Partenkirchen could be clearly seen below.

Looking across to The Zugspitze, Massif, 2,964m (Germany's highest mountain) I was totally amazed at the sheer bulk of this mountain. To get to its top was my target and I had only Monday and Tuesday to do this. Another target was Scheinbergspitze at 1,926m but this would be a bonus.

Bus services in the town were free to visitors and in the evening I did explore the town with its many lovely shops and restaurants/bars. I was away to bed early after preparing my clothes and walking kit for Monday.

I was wakened by the noise of heavy rain and on drawing back the curtains I saw heavy cloud on The Zugspitze and all other surrounding mountains. Alas it was not going to be a day to walk. I finished writing my post cards and did further reading as to the best way to get to the top of the two mountains. I also went to the Tourist Information Centre and enquired as to groups going up The Zugspitze the next day and I was advised this was not happening. Previous enquires revealed a cost of E284 for a mountain guide and you would also have to pay the costs of any mountain train or cable car needed to come down. No way was I going to pay such an amount.

I went to Maronis Café Bar Restaurant and had a vegetarian lunch and two glasses of Hacker-Pschorr beer. I went for a swim and sauna at the hotel and had an early night as a hard day lay ahead.

It was dry but there was cloud high up on the mountains on Tuesday morning so after breakfast at 7.30am I was away to The Zugspitze and I enjoyed the lovely scenery. The way up is along the Rein valley going through the Partnach gorge and at its exit you continue on the right side up to the Bock hut. Cloud came and went and near the top of the mountain with lots of ski runs were the restaurant Sonn-Alpin and a lovely small church which I took a photograph of and this is included in the slide show. Here you have an option to take the cable car (Gletscherbahn) to the top. This is the Zugspitzplatt at 2,600m and this is where the cogwheel train terminates. Getting a train to this height is a marvelous achievement of engineering.

The cloud alas prevented photographs from being taken and at the top it was dense cloud with some rain and it was very cold. Free internet access (Germany’s highest internet terminal) at the top permitted me to update my blog. I visited the HIGHEST Beer Garden in Germany – “The Gipfelalm” and had soup (Festtagssuppe, Maultaschen, GriebkloBchen, MarkkloBchen) and two small glasses of Lowenbrau Dunkel.

I could get the cable car to Zugspitzplatt and then the mountain cogwheel train down or an almost vertical drop by another cable car to Eibsee. Feeling very brave I opted for the cable car to Eibsee and this took all of 12 minutes to get to the bottom. A lot of the way down was in cloud which was a shame for all who had been to the top and also saw nothing. At Eibsee there was a short wait for a train and this took me along the valley floor back to Garmisch-Partenkirchen. I had a meal at the Siagoon Express with a couple of Aktienbrauerel Kaufbeyren Helles beers and this was so enjoyable. I had a swim and sauna and got to bed by midnight. My dream of walking on the top of The Zugspitze had been accomplished. Tomorrow, Wednesday at 9.10am I would be on the train back to Munich and then on my flight back to Stansted in the UK.

8th July 2009

Great British Beer Festival

2009-08-12T09:07:00.000-07:00

Great British Beer Festival
4th to 8th August 2009
Earls Court, London

On Wednesday 5th August I left Chester on the 8.55am train bound for Crewe with a quick change and onto the Manchester train bound for Euston. I was there bang on time at 11:05am and armed with a day pass (now £5.60) I was on the underground and bound for Earls Court Tube Station and then a short walk to the Conference Centre. I was there for 11.45am but with large queues waiting to enter at Noon I thought I would go for something to eat ahead of my beer tasting activities!! Again I went to the Dragon King which serves delicious Chinese food.

My Late Aunt Jessie used to live in Earls Cross Road and the number 165 springs to mind. It was a second floor flat so I am very familiar with the area having last visited it at Xmas 2008.

By the time I entered the beer festival, at the back of 1pm, it is very busy and having paid my £10 entrance fee (£8 to members) and a £3 deposit on my pint glass I am well ready for an afternoon of “sampling”. Where do you start? I decided to go in an anti-clockwise route all around the Hall. This is Britain’s biggest beer festival and brings together a wide range of real ales, ciders, parries and international beers. (See – www.gbbf.org.uk). Some 64,000 people did attend the event.

By the back of 2pm I had sampled a fair few and was merry as was the rest of the continually growing crowd. My favourite was Tom Paine at 5.5% and brewed by Harveys and was a premium dry hopped bitter named after the radical Tom Paine who lived in Lewes, East Sussex in the Late 18th Century. Other beers I remember tasting and enjoying were:
• Midsummer Witch
• Bishops Finger
• Stairway to Heaven
• Highgate – Dark Mild
• Hanged Monk
• Flight of Fancy
• Swift One

By 4pm after my second circuit of this massive hall I did decide to exit as a third circuit could prove fatal!!

If you have not visited this great event before put it in your dairy for next year would be my recommendation. (www.eco.co.uk)

10th August 2009

Ultimate Everest Trek Get Together

2009-08-09T10:36:00.000-07:00

1st & 2nd August 2009
Hathersage, Peak District

This has been the second annual get together of the Group and a great time was had by all despite a wet day on Saturday but a nice sunny day on Sunday.

We met for morning coffee at a café in Hathersage all six of us (Steve, Roger, Geoff, Glyn, Dave and I) Stuart was to travel down by train from Manchester to join us in the evening for our meal at the Scotsmans Pack.

At the back of 10am we were away on our 12 mile walk taking in Stanage Edge and Stanage Pole and by 3pm we were back in Hathersage and at the Scotsmans Pack for our first pint, more would follow in the evening. Our bunkhouse was at Abney some three miles away so we left to check it out, have a shower and change before getting back to this nice pub at around 6pm. We all enjoyed a nice meal and it was great to catch up. Stuart had brought his photographs of the trek and this brought back so many happy memories of the trek we all enjoyed. It was back to the bunkhouse for a few more drinks, discussions, laughs and in the early hours silence at last fell!!

It was up at 7am, all packed and at the back of 8am we were having breakfast in an excellent café at the swimming pool in Hathersage. Our walk was to see the two Derwent Dams and on finishing this we all went to see the Dambusters Exhibition, in one of the Towers of the Derwent Dam. Coffees were had at a local pub and by 3pm we had said all our goodbyes and all were heading home after a great two days of laughs and camaraderie.

Dave and Glyn are to organise next year’s event in the South Downs in early June and invites will be issued to all to attend. I am attaching a small slide show of the event.

Best wishes, Fraser.
3rd August 2009

The Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge Saturday 18th July 2009

2009-07-29T09:36:00.000-07:00

Introduction

The Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge Walk from Horton in Ribblesdale comprising Pen-y-ghent 694m (2,277ft), Whernside 736m (2,415ft) and Ingleborough 723m (2,372ft) is one of the oldest established walks in the UK. These peaks form part of the Pennine range, and encircle the head of the valley of the River Ribble, in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

Despite its popularity however, The Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge Walk remains 'unofficial'. It is not marked on Ordnance Survey maps for the area and it is not marked on the ground.
By tradition the grueling 37.5km (23.5 miles) must be completed within 12 hours though the actual time taken will vary depending on the stamina of the individual and the prevailing weather conditions.
The Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge Walk is a rugged, high mountain walk over a variety of terrains and should not be underestimated. It also includes three big climbs totaling 1586m (5,202ft) of ascent with the last climb up onto Ingleborough - when the legs are tired, with perhaps a couple of hurting blisters and the spirit is weak - being particularly steep. As with all mountainous areas, the weather can change frequently and very quickly. Prior to our Group’s challenge on Saturday 18th July 2009 there was continuous heavy rain for the previous two days so we knew we were up against stamina sapping bogs and the difficulties of crossing perhaps a number of beck’s in full flood flow.

The Group

The Group and the event were skillfully organized by Anna Cross (from Edinburgh) and most members were raising monies for various charities. Gareth Williams, owner of Striding Ahead LLP., was the “Leader” for the day and here Anna did chosen wisely as Gareth knows the route “with his eyes closed” and if anyone was to get the Group round within the twelve hour window he would.
At 8.30am on a nice dry morning we set of from the bunkhouse at Horton in Ribblesdale (see Group photograph in slide show) for what we knew would be a hard walk due to under foot conditions and a number had never walked over twenty miles or attempted three mountains in pervious walking activities.
The Group got on well with lots of laughs along the way. Other groups were ahead of us and others behind, as this massive line of people made their way round this famous route. One poor man slipped on an under water boulder as he thought he had made it safely across a fast flowing and flooded stream. The only sympathy he gained from a crowd of onlookers was for all to burst out laughing and think to themselves - “I am only so glad it is not me having an early very cold bath”. Another two people were seen up to their waists in black peat bogs, being hauled out by walking friends.

The End Result

Our Group got round very much unscathed and with only seconds to go the last member crossed the line within the twelve hour dead line. Yes we had done it.
There was a pub by our finishing line and here we all celebrated a wonderful and special day. For me I completed my third challenge in eleven hours nineteen minutes and I had done this with a wonderful Group. Special thanks to Anna for coming up with the suggestion and for making all the arrangements and to Gareth for getting us all round in one piece and within the twelve hour window. Thank you also to all the great people who supported this charity raising event.
A small slide show of pictures taken along the way can be seen.
18-7-09

Remote Emergency Care Course June 2009

2009-07-11T02:36:00.000-07:00

Everyone walking or trekking in remote areas should attend this excellent course - "Remote Emergency Care" - which I attended in Manchester over the weekend of 27th and 28th June 2009. The course was taken by Will Skaskiw who is an experienced trainer and all participants very much enjoyed the two days where we did carry out live drama situations as to every possible accident situation. Active participation and discussion is encouraged by Will and he has a wealth of knowledge which he readily imparts. I came away from the course feeling good as I now know a lot more about "First Aid" and how to tackle accidents, that we all know can occur at the most unexpected of times. My view is that we all have a "duty of care" to help people who are in distress and not walk away from the situation not wanting to get involved.

Will's next course is at Hebden Bridge on 8th and 9th August 2009 - see Notice of Course which is included in the slide show. A further course on 17th and 18th October, will be held at The Conference Centre, Chancellor’s Hotel, Manchester - Address: Chancellors Way, Moseley Road, Manchester, M14 6NN. Traing Expertise is the Training Provider, Remote Emergency Care the certification body and Will Skaskiw the trainer, working for Training Expertise.

Please make contact with me should you want further information. There is a small slide show on my blog on the course.

Best wishes, Fraser.
29th June 2009.

The ZUGSPITZ 2,964m

2009-07-07T04:29:00.000-07:00

It is Tuesday 7th July 2009 and I am at the top of The Zugspitz at 2,964m the highest mountain in Germany!! It was an early breakfast and the top of the mountain is covered in cloud and there is some rain but not too cold. Alas so far no views but I need to imagine these!! I have visited the highest Beer Garden in Germany - "The Gipelalm"- "Prost" Herr Cunningham!! I have had a warm soup - Festtagssuppe, Maultaschen, GrieBkloBchen, MarkkloBchen- many apologies if I got the spelling wrong!!

This is the second challenge of my Charity Fund Raising activities complete and I want to thank all the people who have supported me and who have already paid over their money in cash, cheques, direct to the bank and over the internet through JustGiving. Just magic by all of you and thanks ever so much. Sheila, thanks for your message and donation. Did not get an opportunity to say thank you before I left 4 Germany but will send an e-mail when I get home.

The 3 Peaks Challenge now to complete with a Charity Raising Group from Edinburgh but Gareth the Leader of the Group says that I will do the walk within 12 hours!!

"Prost "to all, from Germany.

Update to The Parish Walk, Isle of Man

2009-06-22T23:50:00.000-07:00

The Parish Walk, Isle of Man
85 miles in 24 hours 20th June 2009

Yes I did it. It was so hard and it took me 23.37.11 hours. 187 people finished the 85 mile race and I was joint 181 with Paul. Some 1,620 began the race at 8am on Saturday morning and it was excellent weather for the 24 hours. This is a big event on this lovely Island where the community is totally involved. I met so many nice people along the route all giving you moral support. At Bride I passed a house where the owners where handing out mugs of green pea soup, it was fantastic as it was a late hour at night. Along the way families were handing out all sorts of food and drinks which was greatly appreciated. The streach of the walk from Maughold to Lonan -11.5 miles - in the darkness was hard but at around 3.15am on a still morning the dawn began to appear and with it the Dawn Chorus, a perfect tonic for me to continue this hard race and to finish it within the 24 hour window. My plan worked and I achieved my goal. Thank you to the Ryder family, my back up team of Michelle and Gerry whose support from Peel was sheer magic.

Thanks also to the organisors of this great walk.

I will be back next year!

My Next 3 Treks

2009-06-10T06:53:00.000-07:00

The Parish Walk, Isle of Man
85 miles in 24 hours 20th June 2009
The Zugspitze, Germany
4th July 2009
Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge
18th July 2009

The current economic conditions make it very difficult for charities to raise monies for all the good work they do and I greatly appreciate all the generous support I have received from backers for good causes over the years. 2009 is a special year for me and once again I would like to back a worthy charity in the form of The Children’s Adventure Farm Trust. Here all the money I raise will go to kids and young people who do need help in life.

Can I walk 85 miles in 24 hours? This I do not know but I have done two 40 mile walks and I have trained hard. There are some 1,600 entrants for this walk round the coast of Isle on Man so I will have plenty of company as I try my very best to get round. In July I am endeavouring to get to the top of The Zugspitze with its towering summit at 2,916m (9,720ft) on the frontier between Austria and Germany . It is Germany ’s highest mountain. Later in July I am going to attempt the Yorkshire three Peaks Challenge, walking to the tops of Ingleborough, Whernside and Pen-Y-Ghent in twelve hours.

The Children’s Adventure Farm Trust is an amazing charity based in Cheshire . They provide holidays and day trips to approximately 3,000 terminally ill, disabled and disadvantaged children each year. The children visiting The Adventure Farm have such difficult lives, facing challenges on a daily basis that most of us couldn’t imagine. The Adventure Farm gives these children the opportunity to be children – to laugh, to play and to have fun. Their aim is to give these children memories of childhood which they can treasure in their darkest times, but they can only do this with our help. The charity must raise £750,000 in 2009 in order to provide these life-changing opportunities to children in desperate need. They receive no government funding and rely entirely on donations from the public. I feel honoured to be working with this wonderful charity, and I hope you can help me to raise vital funds which will change the lives of these children who deserve the very best.

Donations can be made by clicking here

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Welcome to The World of GT!

2009-05-21T08:07:00.000-07:00

Buttermere Trip - 14-15th May 2009

I am privileged to be invited to the Grant Thornton (“GT”) activity trip to Buttermere in the Lake District over the two days – 14th and 15th May 2009. Our hosts are entertaining clients in the Bridge Hotel and Sir Chris Bonington, CBE is to address the audience on his climbing experiences before dinner on Thursday 14th and then is to join us on the Via Ferrata up to the top of Honister Crag (2,126ft) on Friday morning.

We have three great guides in Paul, Adam and Chris who will accompany participants on the various hard/easy optional walks on Thursday and Friday. The hard walk on Thursday left the hotel at 10am on a dry but windy morning and we were all immediately into a steep climb up to High Snockrigg (526m) and then on to Robinson (737m). In the col at Littledale Edge (in a sheltered hollow) we enjoyed a brief lunch stop and then it was up to Hindscarth (727m). We traversed along the ridge to Dale Head (753m) and enjoyed the great views all around. It was then down to Honister Slate Mine where Rob kindly arranged teas at the cafe. Here there were options for all, get the bus back, do a lower walk by Warnscale Bottom and Buttermere Lake or ascend Hay Stacks (597m) on the way back to the hotel. This later route was a total of 20kms. All had to be back for 6pm at the latest and this was achieved as the presentation by Sir Chris Bonington CBE was to commence at 6.30pm. This was a wonderful occasion to have such an icon of world mountaineering and expeditions in our midst and sharing with us his experiences on Mt Everest and many of the other great climbs and expeditions he lead. Conversation flowed over a magic dinner and afterwards in the lounge where all continued to enjoy themselves and reminisce on a wonderful day.

Friday was the Via Ferrata, up the precipitous face of Honister Crag (facing north) to its summit at 2,126 feet at Honister Slate Mine, Borrowdale. Breakfast was at 8am and it was a start at the back of 9am after harnessing up, sling over shoulder for the ZIP WIRE and helmet for the great “unknown” that lay ahead! The party was expertly briefed on safety and procedures as how to clip on/clip of the cable that follows the routes to the top.

There is the option of two routes and there are escape routes should you wish to opt out. The time duration to get from the bottom to the top is around three hours.

This is a working slate mine and although frightening to look down the location is very special and is the only such Via Ferrata facility in the UK. It is a very popular venue and another three parties were to use the facilities today in addition to ourselves. The face of Honister Crag was conquered by Sir Chris Bonington CBE (his first visit here and he loved it) and the GT party and we were at the top at around 12 noon. Views from the top are awesome to say the least!

After refreshments at the café guests said their goodbyes and expressed their thanks to our marvelous hosts. The two days were organized by Caryll Rowland and all arrangements were spot on. What a wonderful way to spend two days. Thank you GT ever so much.

The slide show is photographs taken by Adam, Michael and Fraser. On the zip wire it is a blur due to the speed of individuals as they made their decent!

Fraser Mackay
18-5-09

Walk - 9th May 2009

2009-05-13T04:51:00.001-07:00

Lancaster to Waterfoot
41 miles in 11.32 hours

With my entry now one of 1,620 entries taking part in this year’s Isle of Man Parish Walk on 20th June 2009 (85 miles in 24 hours) I thought I would get a further practice walk in and with my friend Heather Birch suggesting this “easy” route I leave the famous City of Lancaster at 9.15am on Saturday and walk through the Trough of Bowland, Clitheroe, Accrington with the final destination being Waterfoot.

On leaving Lancaster I see this massive hill looming in the distance, yes you are right we did go over it, and many more followed. There was a slight breeze but it was dry and sunny and the noises from birds and animals were wonderful as you made your way through this stunning scenary.

We had one short coffee break and another short lunch break lasting in total some 28 minutes and all other intake was on the hoof. The weather forecast did state that rain would arrive in the afternoon and at around 2pm the heavens opened and to make matters worse there was a driving wind as we were making the ascent of yet another hill with no shelter what so ever. However at around 4pm it all suddenly stopped with sunshine appearing as we passed through Waddington; what a lovely village.

Light was fading and at 9.15pm we finished in good shape with no pains and no blisters. If this was on the Isle of Man we would now be looking forward to doing a further 44 miles!!

Key Statistics
Walking for 11.32 hours
28 minutes stopping time
41 miles total distance
The ascent was a staggering 6,938 feet and a decent of 6,400ft
Calories lost 3,307
Average speed 3.5mph Max speed 6.1mph (On this performance we would be 28minutes outside the finishing time for The Parish Walk).

Fraser Mackay
12-5-09

Travel In New Zealand

2009-05-07T03:06:00.000-07:00

Like so many other things in life the way you travel in New Zealand is personal choice. However you need to realise it is bigger in land size than the UK and perhaps the most sensible way is to arrive by air to Auckland and make your exit flight through Christchurch both International Airports. Excellent Domestic Airports exist and they should not be forgotten about if you are doing long distances.

We looked closely at the motor home versus car hire and linking up with homestays, B&B, motels and hotels and opted for the car hire option as we saw this as a faster way to get from A to B and it would give us the opportunity to discover real New Zealand families across the North and South Islands. We did hire with Nationwide and we received excellent service.

Trains are another option and as we all know this is a very relaxing way to travel. The Overlander departs from Auckland and Wellington and you can stop in Tongariro National Park. This is a twelve hour journey and along the way you can also stop in Palmerston North, Marton, Ohakune, Hamilton, Pukekohe and other smaller stations. There is also the Tranzcoastal linking Picton with Christchurch. A number of stations are stopped at along the route. There is a link up with the Interislander ferry between Wellington and Picton. The TranzAlpine, one of the world’s great train journeys (ranked 8th in world in Wanderlust Travel Awards 2009) links Christchurch to Greymouth and again stops at a number of stations including Arthur’s Pass along the way. You can book online at www.tranzsenic.co.nz

A good ferry service connects the North and South Islands and while there are I think three different ferry companies operating (3/4 crossings each day with the 92kms crossing taking 3 hours) we utilised Interislander and details can be gained at www.interislander.co.nz To me this must be one of the most spectacular cruises in the world. Rather than take our car from the North Island to South Island we organised another car to pick up at Picton, thus not having to pay the vehicle charge on the ferry.

InterCity bus services are available – see www.intercity.co.nz
For backpackers there is the Magic Bus – see wwwmagicbus.co.nz , the New Zealand Adventure Bus – see www.straytravel.com or Kiwi Experience – see www.KiwiExperience.com We found taxi hire very reliable and reasonably priced.

www.newzealand.com is a good website to begin your adventure investigations – good luck.

Fraser Mackay 27-4-09

Distances – New Zealand

2009-05-07T03:00:00.000-07:00

London to Singapore.........10,885kms
Singapore to Melbourne......6,027kms
Melboure to Wellington.......2,594kms
Wellington to Sydney..........2,233kms
Sydney to Hong Kong..........7,371kms
Hong Kong to London..........9,646kms
Chester/London/Chester.......645kms

Road Distances
North Island.........................1,000kms (SCM - 650kms – Napier)
South Island......................... 1,200kms
Senic Flight............................ 225kms
Ferry Crossing........................184kms
Tramping.................................220kms

We were lucky to be able to tramp in a number of locations:

Mt Victoria, Wellington
The Tongariro Alpine Crossing, National Park
Tama Lakes Track, National Park
Taupahi Reserve Track, Turangi
Tokorangi Pa Track, The Redwoods, Whakarewarewa Forest
The Queen Charlotte Track
Abel Tasman Coastal Track (our longest at 25kms.)
Devils Punchbowl & Bridal Veil Tracks, Arthur’s Pass National Park
Arnott Heights & Grey River, Greymouth.

Conclusion
All in all we did travel some 42,230kms (26,240 miles) in our “all action” holiday.

27th April 2009

NZ Update from Fraser 24/04/09

2009-04-30T05:46:00.000-07:00

Friday 24th April is a nice dry morning but with a haze once again and I am up and about at 6am as I have a lot to do and achieve. I have an early breakfast and I am away on the hotel’s courtesy bus bound for the Star Ferry at 9am.

“In Hong Kong, once you live it, you are sure to love it!” Population 6.9million + and returned to Chinese sovereignty on 1st July 1997. It is a vibrant and exciting city and lives 24hours each day and has something to suit every taste and interest. This is my third visit. In March 1983 I had stayed at the Hilton Hotel and in November 1999 I had stayed at the Renaissance Harbour View Hotel, both on Hong Kong Island.

It is a walk to Jardine House and yes BofS is still on the 15th Floor, Clifford Chance are now occupying 4 floors, Jardine Matheson Ltd are on the 48th and there are a lot more taller Towers all around than when I first came to Hong Kong in March 1983. I pass the central Post Office as I make my way to the HSBC building to change some currency. It is then on to Hong Kong Park, up to the top of the garden's viewing tower and I visit the Aviary with its interesting varieties of birds. I pop into Pacific Place, look round the shops on four floors and great food hall based on the lower ground floor. I check out the MTR at Admiralty and get an underground map and timetable. On my way back I walk through the lovely Zoological and Botanical Gardens.

Hong Kong is the Culinary Capital of Asia so you will find an incredible variety of cuisines. I have lunch and a couple of beers on Caine Road which is excellent with good and chatty service from the young waiters who run the restaurant. It is then down hill to find Lan Kwai Fong. I have a “Happy Hour” pint in the Hong Kong Brew House. I have a good look round Lan Kwai Fong, a buzzing centre for clubs, bars and restaurants. There is a lovely party atmosphere here and you are being enticed into every restaurant, such a shame I have already eaten. I move on to Li Yuen Street and look at the many stalls selling clothing, accessories and domestic goods. The place is very busy. I then walk back to the hotel as this is a complete new part of the city to me and I am able to soak in the noisy atmosphere of the busy streets all around. I could have well jumped on a tram as they cost HK$2 no matter how far you travel. You get on at the back of the tram and pay at the front when you leave. It is the only double-decker tram fleet operating in the world. I am having a shower at 5.30pm. I go to Pacific Plaza which is beside my hotel and to the Tak Hing Yuen Seafood Restaurant for my evening meal, where I struggle a little to order as the menu is in Chinese but the Head of the restaurant sorts me out and I have a great meal. The restaurant is on three floors and it is buzzing with groups cooking their own meals at many tables. As far as I can see I am the only European in the place. I pay HK$ 266 which included a 10% tip. I have an early night.

I am again up at 6am on Saturday 25th April but it is a wet morning and by 11am there is a thunder storm. There is light rain as I leave the hotel around 12.30pm but this has cleared up by 2pm. I return to the hotel after lunch and I have a shower and change and at 4pm I am on the courtesy bus bound for Admiralty and then a walk to Causeway Bay through Wan Chai by Lockhart Road, where I am meeting Dan in Dickens Bar in the Excelsior Hotel at 7pm.

Dan arrives bang on time and I am introduced to Paul who like Dan is a BA pilot and lives in Tokyo. After some drinks we go for a Chinese meal to Cheung Kee (Peking Cuisine) and then go to a bar to watch the West Ham v Chelsea game which Chelsea win 1-0. As a BIG Chelsea fan Dan is very happy. The area is buzzing with night life and we go on to have some more drinks in different bars. I hail a taxi which costs me HK$60 (this is very reasonable as it is taking me from one side of the city to the other) to my hotel but for Dan and Paul it is a short walk back to the Excelsior. We all had a very enjoyable night.

Alas Sunday 26th April is another wet morning so I see little point in going out. So my intended walking exploits on different Islands must wait for another visit. With all my packing done I need to vacate my room by 12 noon. I am going to park myself on the 28th floor lounge with views across the busy harbour, read the papers and my books and just relax; something I am trying very hard to achieve. At 2pm I order a seafood lunch with house white wine and this is served to me in the lounge. I am to be picked up at 7.30pm by Tour East and taken to International Departures at Terminal 1 and my flight is at 11.15pm local time. The bus arrives early and I am first on. I spot a man coming out of the hotel I think I know and as he passes me in the darkness of the bus I put my hand on his shoulder and I ask him “are you Bob Jackson from Glasgow?” and yes it was!! What a great surprise to both of us. Bob had been in Singapore and then took a cruise to Hong Kong and like me he was on his way to Heathrow and then flying to Glasgow. We chatted all the way to the Airport and marvelled at the structures of buildings and the road and rail infrastructure. We crossed Tsing Yi Bridge the world’s longest road-and-rail suspension bridge. This graceful 2.2kms is one of the landmarks of Hong Kong. Bob was travelling with Virgin and I was with BA so we said our goodbyes as we were going to different entrance points and different leaving gates.

Getting your luggage and seat allocation was so simple. Pre-book your seat on-line 24hrs or later, before departure, and you join a separate queue and then passing through security and customs was so simple. The airport itself (ranked 3rd in world 91.3%-Wanderlust 2009) is beautiful and efficient with free internet access. There are plenty shops and restaurants. The flight left at 11.45pm local time (there was a slight delay due to a communication fault) but we landed at 5am at Heathrow (local time) bang on time as the captain had said we would. It had been a good flight with good communication, food, drinks and service. I watched two films, Slumdog Millionaire and The Orphanage. We flew on a Boeing 747-400 at 38,000feet, at a speed of 504mph and an outside temperature of -67c. We landed at Terminal 5, so it was a case of coming down two sets of escalators, getting a shuttle train, up two sets of escalators and through passport control to collect your luggage. On checking with Airport Information there was no free internet services. I was on the 490 bus at 6am bound for Twickenham. My great adventure to New Zealand was over – I had a magic time.

NZ Update from Fraser 24/04/09

2009-04-25T01:05:00.000-07:00

We left Nelson at 10am on Wednesday 22nd April on another lovely sunny morning and we were on our way through Havelock bound for Picton. We arrived at 11.45am returned our car and we were on the Interislander ferry at 12 noon and we were away at 1.10pm. It was a calm day so the crossing was very enjoyable. On arrival in Wellington at 4.30pm our new hired car awaited us and we were back with Leisha at 5.30pm and lovely canapés once again awaited us. We caught up on what had happen since we left and Leisha was kind enough to arrange a taxi to take us into the city centre and booked another taxi for me at 4am as I was catching a flight to Sydney next morning at 6am.

We had to celebrate our last night in this tremendous country and this we did with some “blanks” as to full details of where we had been and what time we did get home. The taxi driver made a number of suggestions as to possible restaurants and we were grateful for this.

We started our night at Hummingbird Bar/Café where we had Black Mac’s and then it was on to the Malt House where we were recommended to try an Invercargill Pitch Black Stout but alas this had run out. What was the alternative? Three Boys Oyster Stout from Christchurch was recommended and this came in a 500ml bottle and costing NZ$27 for two bottles which was an ace beer. Classic Bennett’s Black, brewed in Wellington was also tried and enjoyed. It was then on to “fratelli fresh italian” restaurant for a most enjoyable meal. Other locations followed and eventually we got a taxi home at a time we are unable to recollect!!

My taxi took me to the airport on Thursday 23rd April and at 6am I was away on a Boeing 737-400. It was a good flight to Sydney taking some three hours ten minutes. I watched the Frost/Nixon film. Sydney airport was excellent with free internet screens. It was then an eight and a half hour flight to Hong Kong and I was in the airport at 5.30pm local time. I watched two films Appaloosa and The Wrestler. We flew in a Boeing 747-400 at a height of 34,000 feet, a speed of 566mph and an outside temperature of -40c. My transfer to Hotel Jen, a 280 bedded business hotel in the Western District on Hong Kong Island, went well and I was allocated a room on the 17th floor with a harbour view. A bottle of wine in my room awaited me as part of the agreed deal. On the 28th floor there was a gym and an outside swimming pool. Do I go for a swim or do I have my wine was the question and I think you know which option I did opt for!! I did a washing (as I had been doing all trip -"travel light") and hung this on the clothes line in the bathroom. By 10.30pm I was in bed somewhat tired as it had been all go since going to bed in Nelson, many, many hours ago!!

NZ Update from Fraser 22/04/09

2009-04-21T16:08:00.000-07:00

We are up early on the morning of Friday April 17th and we are bound for a day in the Abel Tasman National Park with us walking a stretch of the Coastal Track, our goal. We travel by car to Kaiteriteri and then we take a scenic boat tour to Medlands Beach which is at Bark Bay and the boat puts us ashore to walk back to Marahau, some 25kms and we do it in 4.5hours. We are back at 3pm having commenced our boat trip at 9.30am. It is a wonderful walk along the Coastal Track with stunning views of yellow beaches and lush sub tropical native forests. To do the whole Abel Tasman Coastal Track takes 3/4days depending on your walking ability. A bus picks us up at 4pm and takes us back to Kaiteriteri and to our car. We come back to our motel to shower and change and we are once again at Hopgoods for an 8.30pm meal. Here we meet Shirley and Noel, wine growers from Blenheim and after our meal we all go to Sprig & Fern Tavern for a drink. We have a great night and then it is a short walk back to our motel. Next morning Saturday 18th April sees us shopping in Nelson after breakfast and visiting the famous Nelson Saturday Market, where we have homemade pies (made by a lady originally from Uphall, West Lothian) before leaving at 12 noon, bound for the West Coast and Greymouth. We need to continue on the SH6 from Nelson to Murchison and onwards to the south of Westport; a road that has a good surface but you need to be careful of the many single track bridge crossings, some controlled by traffic lights but others that have no lights and in some instances there is also a rail line on the same deck. We pass through vestiges of the Great Southern Rainforest, some wonderful views of mountain tops and deep valleys and gorges. The swift flowing Buller River provides you with superb vistas at every turn. We see large cattle and deer farms along the route. At Tiroroa we stop for coffee and carrot cake and marvel at the framed old photographs of the Lower Buller Gorge where it is still the same single track road carved out from the stone cliffs above you and down to the river some 20/30 feet below. When this large river is in full flood the water level can rise to, and above the road level, a sight that must be very frightening to see. You then come to the full beauty of the West Coast which is rugged and storm ravaged. This must be one of the TOP Coastal drives in the world. We pass through the beautiful Paparoa National Park and stop at Punakaiki and here we view the unusual volcanic rock formations known as the “Pancake Rocks” and the blowholes formed by the lava tubes. Shoots of water fly high up into the air from these tubes at high tide and we did see this happening. At 5pm we arrive at our homestay B&B “Ardwyn House” and we are greeted by Mary Owen (yes we were right in thinking she has relatives in Wales) and we are offered tea and biscuits which we readily accept. After unpacking we take a trip to the town and have a drink and then have our evening meal in Steamers.

Sunday 19th April sees it raining in Greymouth so we depart after a lovely breakfast bound for Arthur’s Pass where we find super dry conditions and sunshine. Here we undertake two tramps to Devils Punchbowl, where we discover a beautiful waterfall, and then on the Bridal Veil Track through mountain beech forest; this taking us some two and a quarter hours. By 5pm we are back in Greymouth and once again we enjoy tea and biscuits from Mary. Tonight we go to town to enjoy a steak meal at Speights Ale House where beer, food, wine and service are excellent.

Monday 20th April heralds a lovely sunny morning so we are on the telephone to Murray Bowes, owner and pilot at Wilderness Wings based at Hokitika, to see if he can fly us down to Mt Cook, Mt Tasman, the Franz Josef and Fox glaciers. The answer is yes and we agree to drive down to Hokitika for around 9.45am. By 10am we have met Murray, we have provided all necessary information and we are fastening our seat belts ready for take off in this small five seater plane. It is a very short take off and we are in the air. Murray points out all the interesting features as we make our journey. The views all around are staggering as are a number of rivers we look down on. Soon we are over the glaciers and right in front of us are Mt. Tasman (3,498m) and Mt. Cook (Aoraki) (3,754m) which we circle and take some wonderful photographs of. We are soon on our way back to Hokitika airport. We have travelled some 160 miles at a speed of around 80mph on our outward journey and 170mph on the way back. We have reached a height of 11,500 feet and the whole flight was just a magic experience never to be forgotten. We were in the “Air” from 10.00am until 11.30am and we say our sincere thanks to Murray for such a wonderful trip.

By 12.15pm we are back to Greymouth, change and walk to the top of the hill that looks over the town. We return along the flood wall to the harbour and talk to fishermen who are fishing on the harbour walls. Tonight we are going on Monteith’s Brewery Tour at 6pm with a BBQ in town later in the evening. As we are great fans of Monteith’s Hearty Black this turns out to be a good night and we, like other participants, do enjoy ourselves. The "Tasting Session" of all the beers is enjoyed by all where you are permitted to "pull" your own drink and seconds. Thanks Monteith's. Mary is still up by a roaring fire so we open a bottle of red wine as a night cap and we chat to Mary as to her coming to New Zealand from Birmingham as a young lady, meeting her husband, a commercial fisherman with his own boat, and bringing up a family of four daughters. She is now a granny and in the quiet months she does travel abroad on holiday and to see her family. This is a lady who needs to be admired for all her achievements, a true sense of adventure and tremendous spirit.

At 9am on Tuesday 21st April we say goodbye to Mary (we have so much enjoyed our stay) and we travel by the SH7 to Reefton, a delightful place with such clear visability of all the mountains that circle in the background, where we join the SH69 which takes us to the SH6 and back to Murchison, Richmond and on to Nelson where once again we are staying at the Palms Motel. We are in Nelson by 12.30pm and we find our room ready for us. We then walk by the river and harbour areas. We have an enjoyable lunch in the Boat Shed Restaurant overlooking the entrance to the harbour and then make our way back to the town centre to do some shopping. In the evening we have a meal in Mac’s restaurant where a jazz band is playing. The venue is good as is the food, service and the band. We are back to the Motel by 10.30pm and to bed. Our supply of Black Mac has disappeared from the fridge as Stuart enjoyed this with his bath, playing with his duck, earlier in the evening!! Tomorrow we are bound for Picton, a three hour Interislander ferry to Wellington, an overnight stay with Leisha and then on 23rd April Stuart is bound for Manchester and I go to Hong Kong. Thanks to all the lovely people we stayed with along the way and who we met on walks, in bars, garages, supermarkets and restaurants. You could not come to a nicer or friendlier country. Thanks ever so much New Zealand.

NZ Update from Fraser 21/04/09

2009-04-21T16:04:00.001-07:00

At 10am on Wednesday 15th April we leave Ngongotaha after a lovely breakfast, say or goodbyes to Lyndsay and Graham for a wonderful stay – it was” home from home”. Lyndsay had given us smoked trout to take with us so this was going to be our evening meal on reaching Wellington. It is another lovely hot morning with mists having already risen from Lake Rotorua, the surrounding hills and mountains. At 11am we arrive at Wai-O-Tapu (Sacred Waters) which is NZ’s most colourful and diverse volcanic area and here we walked round the stunning geothermal activity and unforgettable vistas. On our exit by car we go to see the mud baths bubbling away. By 12.15pm we are on our way again bound for Lake Taupo and it is our intention to stop at Turangi for a quick shop at New World supermarket and then have a picnic. Picnic sites are seen all over NZ as you make your way along the state highways. We stop and have our picnic by the Tongariro River (our second visit) and very much enjoy this in the hot sunshine. We are soon on our way again continuing on the SH1 all the way back to Wellington; a journey of some 455kms. We find ourselves on the SH3 – “shit how did this happen?” We had a laugh corrected the position and put it down to wanting to add to our listing of state highways by driving on the SH3, SH46 and SH47!!

We had estimated our arrival time in Wellington at around 7pm and this was the time Leisha opened the door to welcome us back. Our ordinary salad was titivated by her with lots of ingredients and with the smoked trout this is just a lovely meal. We update Leisha as to our exploits over a few glasses of red wine. By 10.30pm we are away to bed as next day is a busy and early morning for us. Leisha insists that she is also up to make breakfast. We need to refuel the car, deliver this back to Mike at Nationwide Car Rental, be driven to the ferry terminal and book in; all before 8am as the Interislander ferry leaves for the South Island at 8.30am. We save money by not taking the car on the ferry. Mike has booked us on the ferry and has arranged a new car for us on our arrival at Picton some three hours later. Mike thanks ever so much for your help here.

At 11.30am we arrive in Picton pick up our new car and we are on our way to Nelson where we are to stay for two nights. We stop for lunch in Havelock, the green lipped mussel capital of the world. It is a seaport, tucked away in a sheltered cove at the head of the Pelorus Sound. It was once a thriving gold-mining town but now thrives on riches from the sea. We have lunch at The Clansman as it is flying the Scottish flag and the taste of the mussels is superb. We stop for a quick walk at Cullen Point and admire the beautiful scenery. By 3pm we are in Nelson and our stay is at Palms Motel where we get a warm greeting and information from Rosemary. Our apartment with two bedrooms, bathroom and a lounge/kitchen is very comfortable. We go for a walk into the town and discover The Sprig & Fern Tavern and Hopgood’s Restaurant & Bar, said to be the best in town and we enjoy a lovely dinner. Hopgood's is so good and the service from Kate is excellent, that we book again for the following night. Tomorrow Friday 17th April we are bound for the Abel Tasman National Park.

NZ Update from Fraser 14/04/09

2009-04-14T16:01:00.001-07:00

At 10am on Sunday 12th April we left the National Park Village having said all our goodbyes; it had been a great experience. We were on the SH47 and on our way to Turangi the centre of trout fishing in NZ. We firstly call at the i - site, Visitor Centre for information and also buy a few presents. These information centres are so efficient with excellent information, mostly all free and such helpful staff always with a smile on their face. Here we did a walk on the Tongariro River for 1.5hrs and from bridges we could see large trout on the bottom of the river. It was another beautiful hot day. It was then on through Taupo and at 1.15pm we stopped at the Huka Falls, a natural phenomenon. The mighty Waikato River, NZ’s largest, gushes through a narrow chasm not long after the outlet from Lake Taupo. 300,000lrs of water per second hurtles through the narrow channel that makes the waterfall the most visited attraction in NZ.

Then it was on to Rotorua and to our B&B on Lake Rotorua at Ngongotaha, arriving at 3.30pm and being shown round our lovely facilities with magic panoramic views of the lake and hills/mountains in the background. At 5pm with other guests we are treated to canapés and lovely chilled NZ white wine. At 7.30pm we were at Bistro 1284 which is Rotorua’s best restaurant (2001-08) where once again we sampled Monteith’s Hearty Black (5.2%), just a spectacular brew. Monday 13th April was yet another fine morning so I was up early for my shower. As well as having tea/coffee making facilities in the bedrooms, guests also have the same facility in the lounge which I took advantage of to read the books and information leaflets (in abundance), as I like a cup of tea before breakfast. Breakfast is set out on a massive table and most of the treats that await you are home made. Five of us are having breakfast and conversation is free flowing as everyone is interested in what the other parties are doing and making recommendations as what to see and do. After home made cereal and fresh fruit with yoghurt, Lyndsay has suggested crepes with bacon and fresh mushrooms. Sounded delicious to me and yes it was. You could have had anything you wanted and Graham provided a constant suppy of fresh toast/tea. Do you want to leave the table? No is the answer. Stuart made the comment "that you had enough breakfast not to need lunch," and Stuart does like his lunch as well!! At 10am it was away to the famous Whakarewarewa Forest and the intention was to hire bikes for part of the day. However with names such as Grinder, Double Down, Rock Drop, Sidewinder and The Dipper, we opted to walk instead and chose the Tokorangi Pa Track at 11.5kms. We started our walk at 11am and we were finished by 1.45pm. This was ever so enjoyable. The forest is famous for its magnificent stands of towering Californian Coastal Redwoods at around 219ft. They were massive and everywhere through the forest, hence the name "Redwoods". (In America their lifespan is 600 years and they grow as tall as 360ft). Here you are able to experience some of the finest walking and mountain bike trails in the world. Back “home” it was a walk on the lake front and up the Waiteti stream which is some 50 yards from Lakeside Lodge. Lyndsay had organised a night at ‘TE PUIA’ in Rotorua (she also had offered us alternatives) where we had an in-depth experience of the customs and traditions of the Maori people, a hangi-cooked feast and contemporary Maori dishes. The evening ended at 9pm after a visit to view POHUTA, the famous geyser on the site.

On Tuesday 14th April it was an early rise and we were fishing on the Waiteti stream at 7am with Graham. After another lovely breakfast (Stuart fancied an omlette as Leisha had showed him the way she cooked these, so Lyndsay told him to get on with it in the kitchen which he did and the end result was ace) it was a day’s fishing on the Ngongotaha stream which has its source in Paradise Valley. It was a lovely day and the location was wonderful. We were armed with a large picnic and beers were placed in the stream to be kept cool. What more does a fisherman need? We saw another three fishermen all day. Four BIG trout (2.5lbs/4lbs) were “pulled off” the river by 4.30pm and we were to have some of these for breakfast the following morning. Another great day, so a massive thank you to Graham for taking us to his special fishing location where lots of trout can be seen in the lovely clear water but take note, they are not easy to catch. 7pm saw us at the famous Polynesian Spa, overlooking Lake Rotorua. We tried out all 4 Lakeside pools (36c/42c) in this world top ten (medical and thermal) Spa and enjoyed the occasion, looking up to the star lit sky. Stuart had a brief snooze at 38c but was disturbed by a bus load of noisy Japanese women who took over the pool. It was then on to the Japanese Restaurant in Rotorua on Eat Street. The end of a great time in this lovely area. Thanks Lyndsay and Graham for sharing your lovely home and friendship with us. Tomorrow it is back to Wellington, some 455kms away.

Update from Fraser in NZ

2009-04-11T15:06:00.001-07:00

Monday, April 6th 2009 was the start of my adventure to New Zealand and I was bound for Monteagle House, Twickenham and then catching the 490 bus to Heathrow,Terminal 4 to check in my kit bag and I was carrying my small rucksack and laptop, so very much travelling light as I would be buying some gear in New Zealand and I would gain reading material! Bang on time at 9.30pm I left Heathrow bound for the Lion City – Singapore. After a good flight, but ever so tight seats (thank goodness there was a free seat between me and the young lady travelling back to Singapore from Nice) I arrived at 8.45am (UK time) and 17.05pm Tuesday 7th April local time and thus some 12 hours in the “Air”.

On arriving in Changi Airport, Singapore I went straight to Transfers, was seen in minutes, told and explained how to get to my departure gate and at the same time the clerk also booked me on the Melbourne to Wellington flight and I was also given a boarding pass for this flight. Numerous airport Officials were seen helping passengers with queries. You only needed to look at an information screen and staff asked if they could help. There were electric plugs available at various points to plug in your laptop and use the internet. Internet screens were seen all around with the connection being free. Instruction leaflets were available detailing how to surf wirelessly! There were also two free internet screens in your gate boarding lounge. In the Wanderlust Awards (2009) the airport is voted number one in the world, a position it has retained since the awards began, and I would certainly agree with this.

The journey from Singapore to Melbourne on a Boeing 747-400 was a good one with dinner and a light breakfast being served in the 6hrs journey. I got into Melbourne on Wednesday 8th April at 4am local time and then it was a 3.5hrs onward journey in a Boeing 737-800 to Wellington. Here I had lunch and was able to look down on snow covered Mt. Cook and many other mountains, valleys and rivers as we flew over South Island. I have been in the “AIR” for a total of 22hrs with all flights being on time. I enjoyed the following films and did some reading but did not sleep:

• Reader
• Revolution Road
• Defiance
• Body of Lies.

Stuart was at Wellington Airport at 17.00pm to meet me and take me to our Homestay, B&B where we had drinks and canapés with Leisha, the proprietor. The B&B is in a lovely location on Evans Bay and we got a lift into town from John (a cousin of Leisha) and had a lovely meal in Monsoon Poon. We got a taxi back home. We had some wine and we were in bed by 12.30am.

Our alarm went of at 6.45am on Thursday 9th April and before breakfast it was an early morning brisk walk to the top Mt. Victoria and from here you saw the city below, the stunning harbour and surrounding rolling hills. In the woods on this mountain side was where terrified hobbits hid from Black Riders but none were around today! After a lovely breakfast from Leisha we were on our way, did a shop for "essentials" at New World, before heading north on the SH1 by way of Levin and at Bulls we went onto the SH3 to Wanganui. A short distance out of the town we stopped for lunch. Before Wanganui and after the town we were facinated by the numbers of small and large glacial mounds we saw; miles and miles of them. Trees were sheading their leaves and lovely autumn colours were in view. Numerous poplars were seen, many planted in straight lines but others having grown wild. We were now on the SH4 by the mighty Whanganui River and this timeless river finds its origin high on Mt Tongariro, starting as an alpine stream and gathering waters from Mt. Ngauruhoe and Mt Ruapehu. As it decends through the central volcanic plateau it sweeps in a hugh northern arc towards Taumaranui, then winding its way to its exit into the Tasman Sea at Wanganui. It is the first big river we see and we are fascinated by it.

We are bound for the Tongariro National Park where we are staying in the National Park Village at the National Park Backpackers for three nights. This accommodation was recommended to us by Veronica and we so much enjoyed our stay here. We did the Tongariro Alpine Crossing on Friday 10th April and enjoyed every minute of it. A fall of snow two days earlier covered all the mountains and it was just a magic tramp. I never saw so many people on a walk. We met a lovely and very fit English girl called Kay at breakfast (now living in NZ and loving it) who walked with us and had done the walk the previous year. She was so impressed with her first walk that she was back for a second time. This is a 17kms tramp and we did it in 6hrs. 40 minutes, starting the walk at 7.50am and finishing at 2.30pm. Along the way we chatted to people from all over the world who were here, like us to do this famous alpine crossing. A bus took us to the start of the walk and at 3pm took us back where we enjoyed a pint or two at the Schnapps Bar. Our evening meal was at The Station Café, Bar & Restaurant which was excellent. Here we enjoyed our meal with Kay and Maria, a girl who was on holiday in NZ from Canada.

I am up at 5.30am to go through my kit, plan the route for the next part of our journey and decide on a route we could take if we were to climb Mt Ruapehu and what were the alternatives for the day if we could not? Kay was going kayaking on the Whanganui River and had offered us the opportunity to do likewise but we had chickened out due to lack of experience in such an activity. We had wanted to have a go at getting to the top of Mt. Ruapehu at 2,797m, the highest point on the North Island, but on checking this out first thing at the chair lift on Thursday 9th April we were told the top was ice bound and as we were not fully equipped for snow and ice activities we decided to return to Whakapapa village, park our car and then walk to the two Tama Lakes, some 17kms there and back. The Tama Lakes occupy old explosion craters on the Tama Saddle between Mr Ruapehu and Mt Ngauruhoe so another wonderful tramp was in store for us. It was a lovely day once again so we set of at 10.45 am and firstly visit the Tawhai Falls which tumble over the edge of an ancient lava flow. At 12.30pm we had reached the Lower Lake. Here we had a short break for lunch with just stunning views all around. At 1.15pm we were looking down onto the Upper Lake with its lovely blue water. For the first time cloud had lifted from Mt. Ngauruhoe 2,291m (Mt. Doom) and we just stared at it in all its glory. On our way back the views of Mt. Ruapehu were just stunning. By 3.30pm we were back to our car, another lovely day spent in this stunning part of NZ. There is so much to do and see here that you could spend two weeks and not see all of it. Today Sunday 12th April we move on by way of SH47, SH41 (very briefly), SH1, and SH5 to Turangi, Taupo, and Rotorua to our destination at Ngongotaha where we are staying with Lyndsay and Graham Butcher at Lakeside Lodge. This is just a lovely country.

New Zealand “Land of The Long White Cloud”

2009-04-06T09:11:00.000-07:00

8th April to 23rd April 2009
“TRAVEL LIGHT”

The secret is to travel light and do not take items you do not need. If absolutely necessary you can purchase items at your holiday destination. As this is a business, walking, fishing and sight seeing trip I am listing all items under one section but will list necessary items under each activity category. Again it might be necessary to hire certain items. It is essential that you pack your case and flight bags for the individual trip/trek you are undertaking. Feed back on what I detail would be appreciated.

Suggested “kit”:
• Case or kit bag with rucksack or use rucksack as hand luggage. (Check the carriers’ weight limits as to hold and cabin luggage limits.)
• Address tickets for case and hand luggage. (Distinguishing feature on hold luggage for easy recognition on retrieval).
• Code locks for luggage.
• Travel documents or confirmations, ticket(s) for car park, passport, driving license, Nat Ins Card and Insurance Policy.
• Currency plus credit cards. Also some sterling for flight out & return to UK. (Carry US$ as an emergency reserve).
• Book(s)/jot pad/pens for reading etc.
• Codes for access to internet/internet addresses and make sure you know how to link up to the internet from your laptop.
• Reading Glasses/driving glasses/sunglasses/goggles.
• Any necessary medical supplies in appropriate plastic bag if carried in hand luggage. Make sure that you have the right maximum content for each item if carried in your hand luggage.
• No dangerous items in hand luggage.
• Water & snacks - once into departure lounge.
• Mobile (be able to use abroad) + charger. Restrict your incoming calls if abroad. Contact your provider.
• Camera(s) + charger(s).
• Give consideration to what other essentials you should have in your hand luggage should your case/kit bag not arrive at your destination.

Clothes/Shoes – (where possible to be non-iron and easy to dry).
• Shirts (3)
• T-shirts (3)
• Shorts (2)
• Padded pants or shorts for biking (1)
• Swimming shorts (1)
• Socks (3)
• Pants (3)
• Waterproof jacket & trousers (1)
• Jackets (1)
• Trousers (same colour) (2)
• Belt (1)
• Shoes (trainers) (1)
• Sandals for walking and for B&Bs/swimming pool (1)

Toiletries
• Toilet Bag
• Razor & Foam(1+1)
• Tooth brush & paste (1+1)
• Deodorant (Body + Underarm) (2)
• Hair gel (1)
• Soap/Shower Gel (2)
• Sun cream & after sun (1+1)
• Shampoo (1)
• Insect repellent (1)
• Scissors (1)
• Nail file (1)
• Bath foam (1)
• Medical requirements (Personal + consult doctor for jabs etc.)
• Tissues (2)
• Wet wipes (1)
• Lip salve (1)
• Hand gel (1)
• Travel wash for washing clothes. (1)

Reading
• Books (2)
• Magazines
• Maps (1)
• Walk details (2)
• Project Folder (1)
• Addresses to send post cards – as necessary
• Pen and paper etc. (1+1)

Other Items
• Sunglasses (1)
• Alarm Clock (1)
• Torch (1)
• Fresh Air (1)
• Reading Glasses (1)
• Driving Glasses (1)
• Goggles (1)
• Needle & Thread (1)
• Bag for dirty washing (1)
• Ipod (1)
• Cameras (2) + storage + charger.
• Worldwide electrical plug adapter.

Business
• Files as needed.
• Contact data base.
• E-mail access codes/addresses.
• Mobile & charger.
• Laptop.

Walking Gear
• Boots. (1)
• Approach shoes. (1)
• Socks. (2)
• Lining socks. (2)
• Trousers. (1)
• Shorts. (1)
• Tops. (2)
• Waterproof jacket & trousers. (1+1)
• Base Layer top & bottoms. (1+1)
• Compass. (1)
• Face towel. (1)
• Binoculars. (1)
• Walking Poles. (2)
• Rucksack & liner. (1+1)
• Water Bottle. (1)
• First Aid Kit (1)
• Multi tool or pocket knife. (1)
• Gloves. (1)
• Blister Pack. (1)
• Poly Bags for rubbish. (2/3)
• Head torch. (1)
• Bandana. (1)
• Hat. (2)
• Mountain watch.
• Thermostat.

Fishing Gear
• We are going to hire the necessary fishing gear.

Fraser Mackay
6-4-09

New Zealand (“NZ”) ITINERARY

2009-04-04T06:42:00.000-07:00

“Think Quality not Quantity”

NZ is breathtaking beautiful, a recreational wonderland, and is one of the great tourist destinations of the world and in making contact with the following people, all have one comment- being the best place they have been, they want to return or have done so and still want to go back; with the South Island being more spectacular than the North Island:
• Julie Roberts
• Gareth Williams
• Steve Hopkins
• Rob Richardson/Simon Carruthers
• Dawn & Dan Bodey
• Roger Brown
• Veronica Brown (from NZ).
Thank you all ever so much for all the information, books, maps and recommendations.

Many people think NZ is two small Islands of the coast of Australia but they are wrong. It is “adrift” in the South Pacific Ocean some 2,000kms east of Australia. In total NZ is an area of some 268,704 sq km and with a coastline of 15,134km in length. Mountain ranges run for most of its length. Mt Egmont or Tananaki is one of the most beautiful in the world. Mt Cook (also known as the “Cloud Piercer”) is the highest at 3,754mitres (12,313ft). Tasman Glazier, nudging one side of the mountain is one of the largest glaciers outside the Himalayas. Mt Cook National Park covers approx. 700sq km (270sq miles). NZ has more national parks (as a % of the country’s land area) than any other country in the world. NZ consists of 3 main islands:
1. North Island (“NI”) (44,197sq miles) some 70%+ of population live here.
2. South Island (“SI”) (58,170sq miles)
3. Stewart Island (676sq miles)
4. There are also Antarctic Islands and the Chatham Islands.
NZ is thus bigger than the UK and this was taken into account when we agreed our itinerary. The distance between the very north of the NI and the southern tip of the SI is over 1,600km. The population is just 4.3m approx.and some 40m approx of sheep!! Best time to visit is January to April each year. Tourism is a BIG earner with around 2m visitors a year. It is one of the safest countries in the world for travellers but of course usual precautions should be taken.

“Essentials to do in NZ”

• Drink local wines/beers – D.B. Lion, Steinlager and Monteiths. Lots of local boutique brewery labels (Mac’s). There are plenty places to try them which sounds good. Coruba Rum-you must try (Julie).
• Eat a NZ delicacy – Bluff oysters, Nelson scallops, West Coast Whitebait, or the king – “Toheroa” (a type of clam dug from the sands of Ninety Mile Beach), green-lipped mussels, crayfish, Canterbury lamb and pavlova dessert – “yum” I here Stuart say!!
• Gourmet meal - Hangi Feast, a traditional Maori feast (meat and vegetables are steamed for hours in an earth oven).
• Climb a mountain/walk a trail – perhaps two/three. There is not a better place on earth than NZ for hiking, which is called “tramping”. www.alpineguides.co.nz www.ultimatehikes.co.nz
Steve/Roger have mentioned a number of trails but alas on this trip we will not have the time to do them:
• Milford and Kepler tracks
• Humpridge track
• Queen Charlotte track
• Abel Tasman track
• Glenorchy…Rees/Dart track
• Inspect a thermal area – Rotorua.
• Do a train journey – Arthur’s Pass.
• Do a boat/kayak journey – Milford Sound.
• Visit a museum – Canterbury Museum (NZ history and ethnology). Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington is the finest (National Museum of Art, History and Maori Culture).
• Stroll along a beach – Tahunanui Beach Reserve nr Nelson.
• Visit a flea market – Nelson – a Saturday morning.
• Whale watching – Kaikoura. www.whalewatch.co.nz
• Fishing – Lake Taupo/Rotorua.
• Take a 4 wheel drive safari.
• Take a gondola trip. Mt Ngonotaha by gondola before a lugeride all the way downhill!!
• Try a bike ride:
o www.cyclingnz.com
o www.pedaltours.co.nz
The Whakarewarewa State Forest Park has 10 of the best mountain bike trails in NZ. Hire bikes at Rotorua Cycle Centre.

Our 14 days on the Road - Brief Overview

We realised we just cannot see all of the Islands and we do not want to spend all our time travelling so after a lot of research and spot on comments from Veronica, we have now agreed our route and booked all our accommodation to maximise this wonderful opportunity. Yes we have opted for a Mondeo car rather than a Motorhome!! All of this has been done on the internet. We want to thank all the wonderful people who we have made contact with and who are welcoming us with loads of suggestions as to what to do. Leisha who owns the B&B at Evans Bay, Wellington is picking us up at the airport. We know what car she owns and we know how she will be wearing a red jacket – what a lovely way to be welcomed into the country!! She also says the weather “is just beautiful at the moment”.

We will be in Wellington on the night of 8th April and on the 9th we leave for Tongariro National Park, a World Heritage Area and Mordor in The Lord of the Rings trilogy of movies; and stay here for the night’s of 9th,10th and 11th. We are staying at the National Park Backpackers were Anna has been so helpful. Our key activity is to undertake the TONGARIRO CROSSING see http://www.tongarirocrossing.org.nz & www.whakapapa.co.uk This is a one day’s hike of 8 hrs and is the “icing on the cake”. It is a 16km (10mile) hike that traverses the mountains, passing craters and brilliantly coloured lakes, and is generally considered one of the finest walks in NZ. Here I quote Steve, – “Just happened to be the No1 highlight!...absolutely stunning with fantastic views of Mt Ngauruhoe...Mt Doom in Lord of the Rings”. Hopefully we can also get to the top of Mt Ngauruhoe!!

On 12th April we leave for Rotorua and stay the nights of 12th, 13th and 14th with Lyndsay and Graham Butcher at Ngongotaha Lakeside Lodge, proud winners of the NZ AA “Spirit of Hospitality” Award 2007. Lyndsay says “NZ is only one sleep away from the UK”. This is a three hour journey with a lake edge drive to the town of Taupo. Lake Taupo is the largest lake in NZ (covering some 619sq.km.). We will check out Huka Falls on the way. We are already booked into a Hangi evening!! Graham is a keen fisherman so our equipment, licenses and day’s fishing is in place. The average size of rainbows is 4lbs!! We will see boiling mud pools, erupting geysers, silica terraces, explore live volcanoes, lakes, mountains, rivers and streams, forests, wild life parks with a choice of adventure activities. Rotorua is the spiritual home of the Maori people so this is where we can best experience their culture and traditions.

On the 15th we are back to stay with Leisha as this is near the ferry crossing to Picton on the SI. Ferries both ways are already booked so we will be in Nelson on the 16th and 17th and staying with Cheryl and Robyn at the Palms Motel. It takes 3hours to cross between NI and SI. This is one of the most dangerous stretches of water in the world and is 20km wide.

The northern end of the South Island (Marlborough) is one of the most pleasant spots on earth. Nelson, the area’s main city, is one of the sunniest spots in NZ and is one of the most attractive cities with many gardens and with wonderful views of the Tasman Bay. The whole of the town reflects the nautical flavour of the name.
What can we do?
• Visit a vineyard. Some 40 wineries including Cloudy Bay. www.nelsonwines.co.nz
• Boutique beers brewed by Mac’s (delicious stout-like beer called “Black Mac”). www.macs.co.nz Tastings/tours $3/7.
• Surrounded by lovely beeches so visit one. Tahunanui Beach Reserve or Separation Point and runs westward past Takaka and is known as Golden Bay.
• Dry-fly fishing. Brown Trout Heaven (freshwater fishing operators) www.browntroutheaven.co.nz

Where to eat?

Waterfront restaurants serving locally caught seafood.
• Smokehouse Café with great food and views up the estuary and across to the Richmond Ranges.
• Smokehouse Restaurant in Mapua – top-notch fish.
• Lambretta’s Café – Bar (Italian).

On 18th, 19th and 20th we are staying with Mary Owen at Ardwyn House in Greymouth. From this base we have a number of options.
What can we do?
• Visit the Franz Josef and Fox (slightly larger) glaziers.
• We can fly over Mt Cook and land on the glaziers. www.skiplanes.co.nz
• Climb to Muller Hut 1,768m (5,800ft).
• Walk on The Hooker Valley Track 12km (8miles).
• Visit Mt Cook Village www.mtcook.com
• Walk in Arthur’s Pass National Park.
• Go over Arthur’s Pass to Christchurch by Tranz-Alpine Express train (231km.) or by car.
(We will have now run out of time to go further south and alas we cannot go down to Queenstown or visit Fiordland. Queenstown is an alpine town and is the adventure capital of NZ and this is where you get the ultimate adrenaline rush!!. It is surrounded by stunning mountain scenery. It is a most remarkable place and some travel magazines have ranked it 3rd as a world destination. Visit Fiordland National Park and Milford Sound (“Eighth wonder of the World”). Of all the glories of NZ, Fiordland is surely the most magnificent. It is the country’s largest National Park (also a world heritage park) and at 1,251,924ha it is one of the largest in the world.) If we were lucky enough to return to NZ this is the area we would next discover.

We make our way back as far as Nelson on the 21st and are staying at the Palms Motel. On 22nd April we are back with Leisha at Evans Bay and on 23rd April we both leave NZ. Stuart is making his way directly to Manchester (he has been in NZ a week longer than me and has work assignments there) whereas I am staying three nights in the Hotel Jen on Victoria Island in Hong Kong and I arrive back at Heathrow at 0505am on Monday 27th April.
Thank you for taking an interest in our adventure and please make e-mail contact if you want any of our vast research information – fm@uwclub.net .

Fraser Mackay
3-4-09

WINTER SKILLS WEEKEND CAIRNGORMS, 6th/8th March 2009

2009-03-31T09:23:00.000-07:00

In February 2008 (15th/17th) I organized a Group of seven people, led by Gareth Williams, owner of Striding Ahead LLP. and we all enjoyed our initial Winter Skills weekend in Fort William, experiencing snow and ice activities on Aonach Mor 1,221metres and in Glen Coe on Buachaille Etive Mor 1,022metres . Added to a wonderful weekend we were able to see a Broken Spectre which lasted all of 5 minutes. I have been looking for a Broken Spectre for many a year, so this was a very special occasion for me and the rest of the Group.

We were fortunate again to have gained the experienced skills of Gareth this year to lead us on the various activities during the weekend. Gareth is highly experienced as a Mountain Leader who has many years of knowledge in the outdoor world, at home and abroad, including Climbing, Trekking and Caving in the Himalayas and Alps. Both Gareth and the other Striding Ahead LLP team members are also fully qualified in the necessary First Aid skills as well being fully insured. There was a Group of nine.

WHAT HAPPENED?

We all arrived safely in Aviemore at 6.20pm on Friday 6th March and after a kit inspection to ensure crampons did fit boots etc. we went out to a local restaurant/pub where Gareth Williams went over the activities we were to undertake in the course of the next two days. The hope was that we might be able to climb Cairn Gorm and at 1,244metres it is the 6th highest mountain in the UK. The weather report for the weekend was also discussed and then sometime was spent on discussing avalanches, where they are likely to happen and how best to avoid them. After our discussion and question session we all enjoyed a lovely dinner with excellent and friendly service in the Winking Owl.

It was up early on Saturday morning for breakfast at 7.45am and we were away walking from the car park at 9am and we were active on the lower slopes of Cairn Gorm (initially in Coire an Lochain but later in the day climbing over Fiacaill Coire an t-Sneachda and into Coire t-Sneachda and descending in thawing snow conditions through the ski runs and under the Mountain Railway back to Coire Cas car park) until 3pm with all of us very much enjoying the activities of the day. It was cold and it did snow for most of the day.

Saturday 7th March 2009 included:
• Ice axe and crampon skills
• Ice axe self arrest drills
• Step kicking and cutting
• Avalanche awareness (The Squeeze Test, Snow Pit Analysis, The Walking Shear Test and The Hasty Pit), on both days the degree of this hazard was 3 (considerable) meaning the snowpack is moderately to weakly bonded on many steep slopes.
• Movement on snow slopes.
• Construction of an emergency shelter – Group effort in creating a Sitting Shelter. Tiring work but very quiet and relaxing when inside the shelter.
• We discussed A Shovel-Up and The Snow Grave.
• Rope use with anchors and belays.
• Buried axe anchor.
• Rope around snow bollard.

We were back at our B&B at 4pm for a welcomed shower and we went out for an evening meal at 7pm which was followed by drinks at the Cairngorm Hotel, listening to music played by a live band that were very good.

We were all packed up and down for breakfast again at 7.45am. It was snowing heavily so we were somewhat apprehensive about getting up to the slopes once again. It was a 9.30am start on a cold and snowy morning that we made our way up to Fiacaill Coire an t-Sneachda passing the ski runs.

Conditions had changed so dramatically from the previous evening where we had made our decent in thawing conditions and the path was virtually turning into a very wet one. While it was raining heavily around midnight in Aviemore it would have been snowing here and over the night period this soft and wet slushy surface had changed to that of a totally frozen and slippery surface with a good two to three inches of snow on top of it.

In addition to falling snow high winds whipped up snow spin drift and as we were making our way up the mountain side there were periods of whiteouts and people had to stop rather than be blown over. In these prevailing conditions we dug individual safety platforms in the show, sat in this level hole on the deep snow slope and fitted our crampons to our boots. This needs to be done as fast as is possible as with your gloves being taken of, your hands soon get very cold and become sore and are virtually no good to you. Goggles are essential in these conditions and all of us were wearing them. Gareth wanted all walking poles to be tied to our rucksacks and he wanted us now to use our walking axes, these to be held correctly in the upper hand (skills we had learnt the previous day) as we made our way up the steep ridge. From time to time we would see glimpses of the valleys below but for most of the time we were in snow spin drift as the wind furiously hurled this from the easterly mountain slopes and moved it in clouds of spin drift to the westerly sides of the numerous slopes all around. It is the accumulation of this frozen snow that creates the avalanche. We were in the middle of a white wilderness with very few people being brave enough to be on the slopes in these real winter conditions. This is what we came to Aviemore for and we were well on our way to the top of the mountain.

We estimated steady wind speeds of 50mph and severe gusts of up to 60mph and a wind chill factor of -13 degrees centigrade. It was cold but we were all in good spirit and we topped the mountain (Cairn Gorm) at approximately 11.50am. For some it was their first Munro and their first full walk in crampons. We did not stay long at the top and Gareth (armed with compass) led us down to the Ptarmigan Restaurant (closed due to the weather conditions) where we tried our best to take shelter and eat our frozen lunch as spin drift circled all around. At 1pm we were on the move again down the slopes of Coire Cas and by 2pm we were back in the car park.

Sunday 8th March 2009 included:
- Winter navigation.
- Weather and conditions.
- Security on steep ground.
- Avalanche awareness and route planning.
- Summit ascent. Here we went to the top of Cairn Gorm in blizzard conditions.
- Weekend debrief.

At 2.50pm we said goodbye to Aviemore and to Rachel and Joe who were traveling south by train. A road sign advised that the A9 was closed due to deep snow and an earlier road accident. At Newtonmore there was no alternative but to go by Fort William, Glen Coe (would the road be open?), Loch Lomond, Glasgow and then join the M74/M6. This we did with clear roads and we had a welcome stop at Tyndrum for fish and chips. Lee Gilmour a veteran along with myself from the first trip in 2008 had earlier in the day mentioned how he had enjoyed the fish and chips last year at Tyndrum – he was now getting his wish!! By 10pm we were back at Gareth’s home in Kendal where the group were splitting into two cars and heading south. We said our goodbyes and Steve and I were home in Chester by midnight.

It had been an excellent weekend, a great Group, a totally “down to earth leader”, with masses of enthusiasm and ever so fit. We all learnt so much giving us such more confidence to go out into the hills and to enjoy winter conditions. I would like to thank all of you who participated in a very special weekend. I hope to place a slideshow of photographs for the events of 2008 and 2009 on this website in early course.

Fraser Mackay
9-3-09.

Useful websites:
www.cairngormmountain.org.uk
www.aviemoreonline.com
www.cairngorm.com
www.glenmorelodge.org.uk

2009-03-03T05:43:00.000-08:00

Mt Toubkal Trek Febraury 2009

At 6pm I left a very cold and snowy Luton Airport on Wednesday 11th February 2009 and 3hrs 20minutes later I was in a totally different world at Aeroport Marrakech Menara, baked in sunshine and recording a temperature of 23%c with massive snow covered mountains in the background – just a spectacular setting. I was here to visit the City of Marrakech and to stay with my friends, the Wren family, Noubda, Dan, Sophia and Chloe the dog and then join a trekking Group bound for the High Atlas Mountains led by the experienced mountain guide, Tom Richardson, on the evening of Saturday 14th.

The Atlas range of mountains is the largest in all Africa, extending through Morocco for some 500 kilometres north-east to south-west and characterized by steep sided valleys, rocky peaks, and the picturesque terracotta coloured villages of the Berber people.

The weather is just lovely every day and here I am in my shorts and tee shirt and some “locals” have their coats on!! Dan showed me round the City after lunch. The food is ever so good. In the evening we visited Jemaa El Fna (La Place) to soak up the atmosphere over two bowls of spicy snail soup – wonderful. It was then into The Souks and to a roof top bar – Café Arabe - for a couple of beers before returning to La Place for some dinner and to observe the constant varied activities going on in this massive square. Across the square was the KOUTOUBIA MOSQUE, some 252 feet tall and built in 1147. It is just fascinating to look at and Dan advised me that this was a good landmark to remember which of course I did. The City can be split into two areas:

- the Medina, or old city, within 30ft walls which were built around 1126 to protect the city.
- the new city – everything outside the city walls.

Over the days before and after the trek I was able to fully discover both areas, visit two palaces (Badii and Bahia) and the famous quranic school Ben Youssef Medersa. The school was founded in the 14th Century and was dedicated to the teaching of Islamic scripture and law and was still in use until 1962. Grand Hotel Tazi, Afric’n Chic and Kosybar were establishments that sold alcohol (I could not find Café Arabe again) so these became key places to slip into to refresh yourself as you continued to discover this unique and wonderful city.

You could not go to Marrakech without seeing belly dancers and here Noubda and Dan took me to Comptoir Darna which was both a restaurant and club and I had a great evening. We visited some lovely cafes one being Grande Café Poste where the fruit juice, orange in particular, is fantastic. There is a large “café society” around most areas of the city and as well as non-alcoholic drinks you get food/snacks and coffees/teas. I found all of them very relaxing with excellent courteous service.

Friday 13th February saw us in the mountains on a lovely hot day for lunch at a most picturesque hotel called La Bergerie. This ‘other’ Morocco is to be found in the valleys and Berber villages of the Ouirgane area, at the foot of the glorious High Atlas Mountains only a few miles past the bazaar town of Asni. The superb vista of the High Atlas with deep snow covered tops exerts an inescapable attraction. We had a most enjoyable lunch and then wandered through some 12 acres of colourful gardens scented with pine, lavender and rosemary. A very special place to visit.

Saying goodbye to Dan at 5pm on Saturday at the Hotel Mogador (Bab Doukkala) I was joining the trekking Group for a meeting at 5.30pm organized by our Leader Tom Richardson. I had discovered a couple of days earlier there were seven hotels with the same name in the city so with some internet research the correct one was discovered and the panic was over. Dan was away to London next day and then flying his jumbo to New York. My stay with the Wren family was ACE.

Introductions all around were made and Tom gave an overview of the trek ahead. My first impressions were this was a good, talkative and experienced Group. The Group totaled eleven people with two ladies (Dawn and Pia) and nine men (Phil, Graham, Neil, Hugh, Paul, Steven, Dan, Giles and Fraser). It was then to Hotel Ali for a meal and to Grand Hotel Tazi for drinks. Dan and the lovely Dawn were married; they were doing the Munros and had a first class knowledge of Scotland. They had stayed at The Crask Inn some 12 miles north of Lairg, in Sutherland, so we had a massive amount in common. Dawn had been to Nepal before and had also climbed Mera Peak (6,476m). Other than Tom, who has climbed and trekked all over the world nobody else had been so high, but all had trekking experience and a number had previously visited Nepal and other exciting parts of the world. Over dinner we had the pleasure of meeting Rachid Imerhane, our Moroccan Mountain Guide. Rachid proved himself a great young guy who spoke good English, was always in a good and positive mood and was so helpful to all of the Group. I would recommend all his services to anyone who wished to sight see or trek in the mountains or desert. (Details of his website are noted in this blog.)

On Sunday 15th February we spent the morning in the City and after lunch we set off on the short drive to the start point of our trek. We drove southwards out of the City, with the peaks of the Atlas ahead of us. At the bazaar town of Asni, we turned away from the main road and began to climb into the foothills of the Atlas. Our route follows the picturesque Mizan Valley and we begin to see the clustered houses of the mud-brick villages of the Berbers. Imlil is effectively the end of the road for us, as we choose to stretch our legs with a short walk to the village of Aremd. At Aremd we checked into our gite and did relax over a cup of Moroccan mint tea. Altitude at Aremd is approximately - 2,000 metres. The gite is excellent as is the food and service. Our evening Moroccan meal was excellent served in front of a lovely log fire. The Group is blending together nicely and there is good banter.

Monday 16th February is a day for acclimatization and we reach a col Tizi n' Tamatert at 2,279m. The walk up the valley gives a good introduction to the type of terrain and trails we’ll be covering on our trek. The path is stony but clearly defined and winds its way up above cultivated terraces and walnut trees to reach the col before returning to the gite some three hours later. At the col we are in deep snow and are able to look down on various villages in the valleys below and look up to the snow covered mountain peaks. This is a lovely setting and a Group picture is taken by Tom. We are treated to dates and nuts as we rest by a small mountain café.

It is a relaxing lunch back at the gite and while some relax at the gite others pay a visit to the village of Imelil. Tom made a kit inspection that afternoon where he did look at the kit being used by each member of the Group and also wanted to see crampons being fitted to boots. There was a very heavy fall of snow and from being a bright and sunny day it has now become cloudy. How quickly a day could change high up in these mountains was fascinating to me. An enjoyable evening meal was had by all with some wine and beers. All are tucked up by 10pm as we all have a hard climb ahead of us the next day. Once again it snowed overnight.

Tuesday 17th February at 8.15am saw us leave for the Neltner Refuge at 3,207m. on a lovely morning. Our kit bags and food etc. went on five mules to the snow line and then were transferred to twelve porters at the holy shrine of Sidi Chamharouch at 2,310m. surrounded by snow covered rocky peaks. On reaching Sidi Chamharouch we were into six/seven inches of soft snow and a recognized path so crampons were not worn. It was a white wilderness as you looked up at towering mountain peaks. We arrived at a small café at 12.30pm where we did have a break. An hour later we had a short break for lunch on a rocky outcrop, with a few snowballs being hurled around. At 3.30pm we arrived at the Refuge. It was very hot on the way up with a bright and hot sun in front of us. I was down to my base layer. We had all made a steep ascent of some 1,307m / 4,287ft (like climbing Ben Nevis) and we were tired.

The Refuge sleeps around 80 people in dormitory accommodation. Though basic the refuge has bathrooms and showers, a couple of large dining areas and a lounge with an open fire. We are here for three nights and we have our own good cook with us. Considering the height of this “hut” and the outside cold temperatures I found it comfortable and welcoming.

After our arrival there was a heavy snow shower but by 5pm this had cleared so it was on to the steep slopes in our crampons and ice axes to get some expertise tuition from Tom. We were out for an hour or so undertaking various walking and ice arrest attempts. As we had made considerable height Paul had suggested we should make an “attempt” on Mt. Toubkal, but this was for another day and it was back to the Refuge for dinner as a Group at 7.30pm. After dinner it was our normal get together with Tom providing us with stories of his many treks around the world. At 9pm approx., with water bottles filled with hot water (our drinking water for next day), most of us made our way to our dormitory (Room 1) where we all slept in bunks on two levels. We were here for three nights with a few other trekkers also sharing the dormitory. Various accusations of snoring and other noises were being against certain members of the Group in the morning. Dan, like myself, Graham, Hugh, Steven fell into this category but where it differed for Dan being on the top level and beside Dawn; whenever he began to snore, a ruffle could be heard and then a sigh and complete silence once again – Dawn had once again terminated (some how) any emitted noise!!

On Wednesday 18th February Tom has made a decision (due to a good weather report) to go for the ascent of Mt. Toubkal at 4,167m. This is North Africa’s highest peak. After an early breakfast (alarm call at 6.45am), we set off on the steep ascent at 8.15am. The assault of Mt. Toubkal had begun and all were in awe but with excitement at the real prospect of getting to the top. Our route zigzagged eastwards, directly above the Refuge across deep snow covered scree slopes, before passing between two rocky guardian peaks to reach a high corrie. We continued upwards across angled snow slopes to reach the ridge-line which drops off steeply to the east. We had a number of breaks on the way up as it was hard going and people had to “dig deep”, as Tom described it, to get to the top. At 11am we arrived at the metal tripod which marks Toubkal’s summit. It was snowing with low cloud so alas there are no fantastic views of the snow covered peaks of the High Atlas away to the north-east or of the Anti Atlas and the Sahara to the south. We had all as a Group made it and this was very special. The shaking of hands and the odd hug and a Group picture recorded these very special moments. For a few seconds I was the tallest man in North Africa, a dream come true. We dropped to a col below the summit and had lunch (nuts, dates, sardines, cheese, bread and water). By 1.30pm we were back at the Refuge with a welcoming lunch awaiting us. A temperature of -12%c was recorded as we climbed. An ascent of 960m / 3,151ft. but had we left Mt. Toubkal until Thursday we would not have got to the top due to weather conditions. Around 4pm we had tea, coffee and biscuits and at 7.15pm we had dinner and by 9pm we were all drifting to bed. The dormatory was a bit busier with more people sharing the room.

There was another fall of snow overnight and it was snowing and recording -2c as we left on Thursday morning at 8.15am for Tizi Ouanoukrim, a col at 3,750m. from where an ascent of Mt. Ouanoukrim at 4,058m. might be an option. This is Morocco’s 3rd highest mountain but on reaching the col at 10.30am due to again low cloud and heavy snow showers and the danger of avalanches Tom made the right decision that we were not going further. We had a short break to eat and drink and to take a Group photograph. It was a case of retracing our steps, with the odd snowball fight and Neil being attacked and covered in snow as we made our way back to the Refuge at 12.15pm followed by lunch at 1pm. After lunch it was sunbathing until 3pm. Neil had left the Group to go “bolder sitting” and on his return he threw a large snowball, meant for Giles but alas hitting Dawn who had not at all expected such an unkind act. All Neil could do was apologize. Dawn had also earlier in the day been attacked by snowballs!! After 3pm it clouded over but for us it was tea, coffee and biscuits. A dice game was being played, others were reading or in discussion. A French Group of skiers were taking turns of sitting by the fire but it was soon 7pm and time for our evening meal. A bottle of wine had been taken up to celebrate Phil’s birthday and this was shared between a few people. Drinking at altitude – shocking!!

It was again - 2c as we leave on Friday at 9am bound for the gite once again. We say our goodbyes to two guys from the North East who have been with us at the Refuge for the same three nights. They are ahead of us as we make our decent some of us with crampons on but others without. At 11am we are back at Sidi Chamharouch where the two guys are just finishing their coffees. Again goodbyes but what they do not realize is that a pile of snowballs has been accumulated to attack them on there way down the slippery steep snow slope. One landed completely flat on his bag endeavoring to dodge the missiles and I remember him so vividly turning round and shouting – bastxxxx!! We left as a Group at 11.45am with various ambushes carried out on the way down. Rachid was the main target but he was so fast and one minute he would be well in front but the next he would be round a corner but at a higher level hurling snowballs at those below him. Eight porters took the luggage down which was transferred to mules at Sidi Chamharouch. We were back at the gite for 1.30pm where we all had a welcome hot shower (what a treat) ahead of lunch at 2.30pm. Before dinner we had presentations to Rachid, the chef and porters. This was undertaken by Tom. Over dinner a well deserved presentation was made to Tom. This was done so well by Dan with the collection handed over by Dawn (the fittest person along with Graham) on the trek.

On repacking my kit bag/rucksack, I discovered a stone in the bottom of my rucksack and all I could do was laugh. We had talked about doing this to Dawn to try to slow her down, but it had been done to me and I did not know about it. Who had done this, would he/she own up?? The stone from Mt. Toubkal had been planted in my rucksack by Graham thinking it had belonged to Giles’!!

On Saturday morning we left at 9am are back to Marrakech at 11am having stopped at a women’s’ co-operative. It was lunch at 1pm and then shopping and sight seeing with a celebratory dinner in the evening in a city restaurant which was enjoyed by all. It was a lovely hot day in the City with a temperature of 26c recorded. Some had gone for a drink to Grand Hotel Tazi, while others returned to the hotel. A number of people were returning to the UK next day (Dawn, Dan, Steven, Phil, Pia and Giles). Tom and Rachid were away with a new Group from the UK to trek once again.

Sunday 22nd February saw five of us visit the coastal town of Essaouira, a very enjoyable day out. This had been a suggestion by Neil and arranged through Rachid. That evening Paul, Neil and I went to Afric’n Chic, a pub, club and restaurant. While Neil had the sense to leave at around midnight Paul and I do not remember coming back to the hotel!! We were all to meet for lunch next day (Monday) outside Hotel Ali for lunch in Osgar Progress. It was also the last day of shopping for Hugh, Graham, Neil, and Paul they were leaving on an easyJet flight back to Gatwick in the evening. It was then a final drink in Cosybar with bowls of lovely olives that we had become accustomed to. At 5.30pm they left in a taxi; I was all alone in the city.

I stayed in Marrakech until Wednesday morning, the 25th, when I flew out at 10am back to the UK with ever so many happy memories. A great trek, a lovely Group of people I had been involved with and a very special few days shared with the Wren family. I had been ever so impressed with Morocco and in Marrakech I found an absolutely fascinating, addictive and exhilarating city, with so many surprises, there’s no such thing as a wrong turn, only alternative routes of which, I found a number.

Fraser Mackay
25th February 2009

2009-02-24T04:11:00.000-08:00

As Jayne kindly advised I am now back in Marrakech, such an exciting city. My trip to the Atlas mountains was just ACE! I was part of a great Group of trekkers with a top leader in Tom Richardson who was supported by Rachid Imerhane, a fully qualified young Moroccan guide. We all got to the top of Mt. Toubkal at 4,167m last Wednesday in deep snow. It was an 8.15am start after a large fall of snow the previous evening. By 11am we were on the top. For a few minutes I was the tallest man in North Africa!! We all had an excellent time.

This is a lovely country with such good weather 23°c most days and the coldest in the mountains was -12°c. Food was excellent all trip.

I will post full details of the trek when I get back to the UK. It is with such happy memories I leave for Luton tomorrow morning at 10am.

Best wishes to all and thank you for taking an interest in my trek.

Fraser - 24-2-09 (12.34pm).

He's back follks

2009-02-23T22:00:00.001-08:00

Fraser can't access the web from where he is so he's asked me to update you with his message:

"I arrived back from the trek on Saturday and now enjoying hot weather in Marrakech. I got to the top of Mt Toubkal in deep snow and it was a hard climb. I can't get into my blog, so apologies to all for not updating earlier.
Best wishes."
Fraser

2009-02-09T05:51:00.000-08:00

February 2009

MOUNT TOUBKAL IN WINTER

The Atlas range of mountains is the largest in all Africa, extending through Morocco for some 500 kilometres north-east to south-west and characterized by steep sided valleys, rocky peaks, and the picturesque terracotta coloured villages of the Berber people. From November to April, the snow-covered peaks of the Atlas provide a fantastic range of options for the winter hill walker. Just 2 hours’ drive from the hustle and bustle of Marrakech, the high valleys of the Berber people are at their quietest and most beautiful at this season.

I fly into Marrakech on the morning of Wednesday 11th February 2009, flying from Luton with Ryanair. At the airport I am lucky enough to be picked up by Dan Wren (a BA Jumbo Pilot) and then taken to meet his gorgeous wife Noubda and their lovely daughter Sophia. I have a very kind invitation to stay with them in Marrakech until I join the trekking party at the Hotel, the Ryad Mogador, on Saturday 14th February. Our trek leader Tom Richardson is also known to me as he has advised me in the past as to boots etc. that I should purchase. He is an experienced climber and trekker and I am very much looking forward to gaining more experience in snow at high altitude. Tom is to give us a briefing on the trek during dinner on Saturday evening and after dinner it will be an overnight stay in the hotel. Twin rooms are the order of the night so “ear plugs” are recommended!! Who will be the people on the trek and at this time this remains a mystery?

On Sunday 15th February we spend the morning in the City and after lunch in a restaurant we set off on the short drive to the start point of our trek. We drive southwards out of the city, with the peaks of the Atlas ahead of us. At the bazaar town of Asni, we turn away from the main road and begin to climb into the foothills of the Atlas. Our route follows the picturesque Mizan Valley and we begin to see the clustered houses of the mud-brick villages of the Berbers. Imlil is effectively the end of the road for us, as we choose to stretch our legs with a short walk to the village of Aremd. At Aremd we check in to our gite and relax perhaps taking a cup of Moroccan mint tea. Altitude at Aremd is approximately - 2000 metres / 6500feet. On my Ultimate Everest trek I did not touch any alcohol for the duration of the trek and this will be a further challenge for this trek.

Monday 16th February will be a day for acclimatization but we should reach a col at 2,520m. / 8,268ft. The walk up the Mezzik Valley gives a good introduction to the type of terrain and trails we’ll be covering on our trek. The path is stony but clearly defined and winds its way up above cultivated terraces and walnut trees to reach the col – or tizi, before returning to the gite.

Tuesday 17th February will see the group leave Aremd and head for Neltner Refuge at 3,207m. / 10,522ft. Leaving Aremd, the trail crosses the river and climbs steeply for an hour and a half to the seasonal village and holy shrine of Sidi Chamharouch 2,310m. / 7,579ft. surrounded by rocky peaks. Operated by the Club Alpin Francais this hut was only completed in 2000 and has been designed to (loosely) resemble a Berber fortified dwelling. The hut sleeps around 80 people in dormitory accommodation. Though basic the refuge has bathrooms and showers, a couple of large dining areas and a lounge with an open fire.

Wednesday 18th February will be another acclimatization day with a trek to Tizi Ouanoukrim, a col at 3,750m. / 12,304ft. from where an optional ascent of Ouanoukrim 4,058m. / 13,412ft. can be made. Leaving the hut in the early morning we ascend gradually and most likely on snow all the way to the Tizi Ouagane. There are some rocky scramble sections which are straight forward but will require hands on scrambling. From the end of the short scrambling section it’s a steady ascent up a snow/scree slope to a false summit and then across a small snow ridge to the true summit. This is Morocco’s 3rd highest mountain and hopefully we will see fantastic views of Mt.Toubkal and also over to the Sahara and Anti Atlas. From the summit we retrace our steps until just before the scramble section where if snow conditions allow, it is possible to descend a steep snow gully that brings us back to the main valley just above the hut. A full and exciting day in the mountains.

Thursday 19th February is the ascent of Mt. Toubkal 4,167m. / 13,672ft. A long day for those who choose to make the ascent of Jebel Toubkal, North Africa’s highest peak. After an early breakfast, we set off on the steep ascent. Our route zigzags eastwards, directly above the hut across snow covered scree slopes, before passing between two rocky guardian peaks to reach a high corrie. We continue upwards across easy angled snow slopes to reach the ridge-line which drops off steeply to the east. After a total of around 4 hours, we arrive at the metal tripod which marks Toubkal’s summit. There are fantastic views of the snow covered peaks of the High Atlas away to the north-east and of the Anti Atlas and the Sahara to the south. Descending to the hut in 2 hours, we settle in for our last night at the refuge.

Friday 20th February there is the option this morning for those with the energy to ascend the nearby Tizi Ouanoums at 3,650m. / 11,975ft. for fantastic views down to Lac D’Ifni, one of the largest lakes in the central Atlas. It will then be back to the refuge and a decent to Aremd where we stay overnight. Again we should have a full 7+ hour day walking.

Saturday 21st February from Aremd we will return to Imlil where we meet our transport for the drive back to Marrakech and to our hotel. A celebratory dinner will be held in the evening in a restaurant.

I will be staying in the City for a further three days to discover more of its wonders and I fly out on Wednesday 25th February, back to the UK.

I do hope to be able to update my blog from Morocco so perhaps a few updates while I am away!!

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog.

Some questions I have been asked?

What is the weather like?
It is warm during the day in Marrakech even in the winter months of November through to April. At this time we can expect daytime temperatures to reach a pleasant 20 - 22°C / 68 - 72°F, dropping to 7 – 10°C / 45 – 50°F at night. Once we are on trek and we start to gain height, we can expect the temperatures to be rather lower, with daytime temperatures in the range of 10 to 15°C / 50 – 60°F. At night, outside the Neltner refuge the temperature will drop well below freezing. From Aremd we are likely to encounter snow. As in all mountain regions, short lived storms do occur and these can bring quite heavy snowfalls.

Will you drink alcohol on the trek?
No is the answer here. Alcohol and high altitude do not go hand in hand.

Are you looking forward to exploring the “Red City”?
Yes. I am told the best way to explore the City is “just get lost”. In a City with so many surprises there’s no such thing as a wrong turn, only alternative routes and to be shown around by Dan will be great.

What about insurance cover?
I have opted for Snowcard for the whole of my trip.

The Trek route.
Details below.

2009-02-09T05:49:00.000-08:00

January 2009

On 29th August 2008 I was invited to undertake a Presentation to Bank of Scotland Pensioners’ Association, Glasgow and District with this event to take place on 28th January 2009. Some 80+ people turned out in Renfield St. Stephen’s Church, 260 Bath Street, Glasgow to see the film and presentation and for me it was a massive pleasure to talk to and discuss with, such an interested group. A charity donation was made to Scottish Mountain Rescue – Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team.

2009-02-09T05:48:00.001-08:00

April 2008

On returning from the Ultimate Everest Trek I was invited by Graeme Whittaker, Managing Partner of Grant Thornton to undertake a PowerPoint Presentation to Guests and Partners of Manchester Office at The Bridge Hotel, Buttermere on 3rd July, 2008. Graeme’s wife Julie saw this as an opportunity for me to “consolidate” all my findings and new experiences on such a once in a lifetime journey.

I set out to undertake the task and was aided by my “Computer Expert” Keith Stanley. In addition to the completed presentation I did discover a DVD called “NEPAL The ultimate Everest Trek” (John Myers Photographic) and I felt that in showing this film to any audience this would take them to Nepal and watch what was a very similar trek. This short film has been appreciated by many people.

The presentation to some thirty+ people on the evening of 3rd July was very much a success and an enjoyable occasion.

I am very happy to carry out similar presentations for interested organisations, clubs or groups of people and all that I would request is that a donation did go to one of the charities that I am supporting.

2008-11-26T03:31:00.000-08:00

Charity Donations

Fifty nine kind people/associations made donations to the charities I was supporting and with tax claw back a total of £5,110 was raised and each charity benefited from £1,000+ being given to each of them.

The charities:-

· CLIC Sargent. Is the UK’s leading children’s cancer charity providing the widest range of care and services for children and young people with cancer – and their families.

· Claire House Children’s Hospice, Bebington, Wirral. Caring for children 0-23 years with life threatening or life limiting conditions and their families from Merseyside, Cheshire, North Wales and the Isle of Man.

· The Water Adventure Centre, Droylsden, Manchester. Founded in 1977 it is a charity combining youth work with canoeing, whilst encouraging children and young people to take responsibility for themselves, others and the environment.

· Mountain Rescue- England and Wales. It is totally run by 100% volunteers. You never know when you might need rescue when walking.

· One of the many kind people who supported my Charities was Ellen Cameron-Flowers and along with her husband Alan they very kindly donated £200 (£100 each) and Ellen did want these monies to go to Scottish Mountain Rescue – Assynt Mountain Rescue Team

· A further £110 went to Scottish Mountain Rescue – Glencoe Rescue Team

They were all appreciative and have thanked me for the funds they received.

24th July 2008.

2008-11-26T03:25:00.000-08:00

Well Wishers’ Comments

I got lots of letters, cards and e-mails with good wishes before and after the trek and I regret I am unable to record all of these. Here is the card my sister sent me:- “Your dream has now been fulfilled, I know you would do it.

So well done! xxx Jessica & Tam 5th April 2008”.

The following comes from a dear and long standing friend in Penicuik, Scotland and I know she will not mind me sharing her good wishes: –

“Dear Fraser, Thanks for your letter with details of your imminent trip – what an adventure!! It certainly will be challenging and memorable, and I look forward to keeping track of your progress. I’m enclosing a donation and I hope you are generously supported.

I know you will scale the heights physically and emotionally. Take care, enjoy and treasure every moment – even the uncomfortable ones!!

Lots of love. Doreen xx 9th March 2008”.

2008-11-26T02:55:00.000-08:00

Krishna Thapa Magar

While staying in Kathmandu after the trek I met Krishna when I did buy him some essential food for the monastery he was staying at that time. He did also ask me if I would consider supporting him at school as his parents who stay in the Everest Region (Deurali Ward No 07) with a younger sister, Nirmala and a younger brother, Arjun, could not afford to pay for him to go to school. We did swap e-mail addresses and I said I would consider his request which of course I did and made contact with Siddhartha Academy and I was fortunate to have communication with Himal Tamang who is a teacher at the Academy and handles all the financial activities there.

I made a decision to support Krishna with his schooling due to his enthusiasm and zest to learn and to try to do the best to secure him employment at the end of the two year course. All I asked was that he did try his very best and this he is doing and doing it well. “He is active, polite and honest boy and a good student.”

Krishna’s course is on Hotel Management, Accountancy, Nepali, English and Economics. He wants to be involved with Nepal’s large tourist industry and sees himself being a hotel manager. He is interested in the internet, computers, geography and collecting coins and stamps.

It was a small thank you from me to Nepal and its lovely people for such a great and treasured time in their very special country. I wish Krishna every success in all that he does.
5th June 2008.

2008-11-17T02:47:00.000-08:00

The Ultimate Everest Trek - Log

Summits of Kala Pattar 5,600m/18,368ft
Cho La Pass 5,420m/17,778ft
Gokyo Ri 5,360m/17,581ft
and
Everest Base Camp 5,310m/17,700ft
March 2008.

Saturday/Sunday 15th & 16th March
Flights from Manchester through Abu Dhabi to Kathmandu arriving 6pm local time. We had a meal as a Group at The Shanker Hotel at 8pm where we were staying.

Monday 17th March (Kathmandu 1,400m/4,600ft.)
After breakfast it was a bus tour of parts of the City and then a walk to the Road House restaurant for an enjoyable lunch. Shopping was then on the agenda and a briefing meeting on the trek at 5pm was held at the hotel. At the hotel I exchanged £250 into Nepalese rupees (‘rps’) in small denominations and I had £200 in US$. It was then dinner at Rum Doodle Bar & Restaurant where we all had a nice time.

Day 1 Tuesday 18th March At Lukla 2,800m./ 9,200ft already there is only 70% of oxygen compared to sea level. It is a short trek to the first night’s stay at Phakding -2,610m / 8,561ft.- 5.3miles/8.5kms. (3hrs)

It is an alarm call at 4am with breakfast at 5am and then a bus journey of half an hour to get to Kathmandu Airport for 7am. It is a clear morning with no wind so we take off at 7am after a hectic time getting through the airport. The flight was fantastic as you rose over the snow covered high mountains with very little turbulence. Your heart was in your mouth. At 7.35am we had landed on the small airstrip at Lukla. The scenery was just magic with big snow covered mountains in the background and the support team, of Sherpa guides led by Sidar Kumaar Tamang, (Kumaar reached the South Col 26,000ft. on Mt. Everest) porters, kitchen staff and yaks were all to hand to organise the kit bags, tents, food and other equipment needed. At 9.30am we all left Lukla (some 30+ people and 7 yaks) and our first stop was for lunch at 11am and we were on our way again by 12noon. The route leads north through the crepuscular gorge of the Dudh Kosi, an icy, boulder-choked river that churned with glacial ‘runoff’. We arrived at the campsite at 1pm and had a briefing at 3pm when the heavens opened and it was very wet with low cloud but this did clear up. Some of the Group went for a walk to a monastery near the camp site while others stayed at the site. Our evening meal was at 6.30pm and at the back of eight people began to go to bed. The air took on a wintry sting as night fell – my first night in a tent for many a year. I took a decision not to have alcohol for the duration of the trek and this I did achieve. Alcohol was available all along the route.

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Phakding is a small hamlet with homes and lodges crowded onto a shelf of level ground on a slope above the river. You cross a long swinging metal bridge to get there. Mt. Nupla 5,885m/19,307ft rose in the distance to the back of the camp site.

Day 2 Wednesday 19th March It is a harder route up to the Sherpa capital of Namche Bazaar (the commercial and social hub of Sherpa society) with several crossings of the Dudh Kosi river. Namche Bazaar - 11,280ft/3,440m – 6.5miles/10.5kms. (7hrs.)

Our wake up call was at 6am with a hot drink of tea, coffee or chocolate. This was followed by a basin of hot water for washing and shaving. Breakfast was at 7am in the lodge/tea house and the trek commenced at 8am. (This procedure was followed each morning.) It was a warm morning as we left camp so sun cream was soon needed and I removed my top layer and walked in shorts.

The Everest region lies at 28% north latitude – just beyond the tropics – and as soon as the sun rose high enough to penetrate the depths of the valleys temperatures soon sore. Our lunch break was at Jorsale 2,085m/9,202ft at noon for an hour and this was very enjoyable. It is essential that you do drink a lot of water each day (a minimum of two litres) and this is a task a lot of people found difficulty with. Some form of energy flavouring might have been of benefit and this is something to consider. The trail took us past glades of juniper, dwarf birch, blue pine and rhododendrons. Snow covered mountains were now all around and we crossed some six swaying metal bridges, the last one, the Larja Dhoban, being very high with a large drop below into the gorge. Such bridges were of great concern to me but if you wanted to do the trek you needed to cross them, so this I did. Here the dirt path abandoned the banks of the Dudh Kosi and very steeply zigzagged up the canyon walls, ascending through aromatic stands of pine. First views of Mt. Everest can be seen as you climb but while Mt Nuptse and Mt Lhotse could be seen Mt Everest was covered in cloud behind the long Nuptse ridge. The spectacularly fluted ice pinnacles of Thamserku 6,608m/21,679ft and Kusum Kangru 6,367m/20,888ft pierced the sky more than 2 vertical miles above as you looked to the right. Two days into the trek and I realised this was a magnificent country and I could not take my eyes away from the touring monthans everywhere you looked. It was very hot as we made our way into Namche Bazaar where our tents were being erected on a steep slope beside the lodge we were to use to eat our meals. I had my one and only shower at 240rps before dinner at 6.30pm. Thank god for ‘wet wipes’ which I used for the rest of the trek. Shower facilities as we know them do not exist and the temperatures are so cold you risk frost bite! We were all in bed by 9pm. Here we did need ear plugs as dogs barked all thought the night and one BIG one did parade round our tents- it must have been his/her ‘territory’ we had invaded without necessary permission.

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Namche Bazaar is perched halfway up a precipitous mountain side with views directly across the large and deep valley to the monstrous mountain called Mt. Kwangde 6,187m/20,298ft.

Day 3 Thursday 20th March We visited the Sherpa Villages of Khunde 3,840m/12,600ft and Khumjung 3,780m/12,400ft. 5miles/8kms. approx. (7hrs.)

It was a lovely hot morning as we climbed out of Namche Bazaar looking across to Mt. Kwangde. Very soon we were gaining height and for the first time we were able to see Mt. Ama Dablam 6,856m/22,493ft and other white giants in the distance. A fascinating mountain and we were to see it from so many places as we made progress on the trek. Khunde lies at the foot of Mt. Kumbila 5,761m/18.900ft.

As we approached Khunde and then Khumjung (and other hamlets along the trail) you could see that every area of arable land was terraced and being planted with crops and vegetables. Strings of prayer flags can be seen all around. Ancient Buddhist Chortens or Stupas made of rock and often containing sacred relics are seen as are many prayer wheels. In passing these, protocol demands you must always pass to the left. You also pass on the left side of mani walls. Mani stones are small flat rocks that have been meticulously carved with Sanskirt symbols and these are often placed together to form long, low mani walls; in the middle or to the sides of paths.

We saw the Khunde Hospital and the Hillary School that Sir Edmund Hillary built for the Sherpa people. We ate our packed lunch in the Everest View Hotel which was very luxurious with views in the distance of Mt. Everest but again cloud prevented us from seeing the mountain. This very enjoyable acclimatisation day started at 8am and finished at 3pm. On our return we visited the town to post cards, visit internet cafés and have a look around the shops.

Geraldine Westrupp, our leader, had pointed out that going to higher levels and then descending at nightfall is an important discipline to adopt in your acclimatisation program. The human body adjusts in many ways to this new and strange environment and a very important inter-action is the changing ph of your blood, to radically boosting the number of oxygen-carrying red blood cells. You should not ascend more than 300m/1,000ft each day and you should take a day’s rest i.e. sleep two nights, every 1,000m/3,000ft.

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Day 4 Friday 21st March We are bound for Kyangjuma at 3,620m/ 11,874ft. 2miles/3.25kms. approx. (3.5hrs.)

The dog chorus was very loud all through the night so it was up early for the loo. Little or no sleep. Today kit bags and rucksacks needed to be packed before breakfast. It was a steep climb at 8am up to the Sherpa museum.

After seeing round the museum we were on a very pleasant path and at 10.15am we did see our first clear views of Mt Everest away in the distance. At 11.30am we arrived at our next camp site and here the lodge was very nice. The afternoon was free and I went for a short walk before coming back for tea at 4pm. I was looking across to Thamserku Central 6,608m and West 6,348m and Kang Tega West 6,685m and East 6,779m all fascinating white covered mountains.

Along the trail Sherpas and Sherpanies strained beneath back breaking loads of supplies bound for Everest Base Camp, aluminium ladders used to cross the crevasses (gaping cracks of varying sizes and depths in the glacier), wood to build houses and lodges and supplies of food etc. for hamlets further up the trail. This traffic of humans and yaks goes both ways and make sure you do stand on the inside of the path letting the yak pass on the edge of the path nearest to the exposed edge. These animals are well balanced but the slightest nudge from them could send you down the mountain side. Yaks (male) and Naks (female) carry the majority of these supplies. The majority of these animals are dzopkyo/dzom, which are male/female crossbreeds of yaks and cattle.

It was the birthday party of one of the trek members so a lovely cake had been made by our chef Krishna and ‘Happy Birthday to you’ was sang by all.

It had been a lovely hot day but cloud came down at 6pm and it became very cold and for the first time I did bring out my Rab duck down jacket. As we were looking up to the star lit sky we did see a UFO over by Mt. Ama Dablam 6,856m in the distance. Bed at 9pm to a very cold and frozen tent.

Day 5 Saturday 22nd March It is the crossing the Mon La 3,900m /12,792ft to enter the Gokyo Valley which is the main drainage for the glaciers of Mt. Cho Oyo 8,201m/26,900ft. We are to camp at Dole - 4,050m /13,284ft. 3.75miles/6kms. approx. (7 hrs.)

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We did see round the ‘Prayer Room’ of the lodge before leaving at the back of 8am and then it was a steep incline and we did stop for a break at Mong at 10am. Lunch was at 11.30am at a lovely spot by the Dudh Kosi river. We left at 12.30pm and it was another steep climb through trees before arriving at our destination at 3pm. It was cold and snowing when we did arrive. It was another very cold night at -20%c.

In this location we were again surrounded by splendid mountains namely: Tawoche Peak, 6,542m Cholatse, 6,501m Arakamste, 6,440m Khumbui Yul Lha, 5,761m Phuletate, 5,597m Teninbo, 5,839m and Kyajo Ri at 6,186m.

Geraldine proved to be a very knowledgeable and approachable leader and readily imparting her vast trekking knowledge when asked to do so. Her acclimatisation knowledge was so beneficial at this time and for the days that lay ahead. The group was always led by a Sherpa guide, there would be one in the middle and one taking up the rear of the walk and with this person always carrying the first aid bag. The overall group did very soon fall into two categories namely:
• The front group who walked much faster.
• The rear group who walked at a slower pace.

Kenny (Kodak) filtered between both groups but was often seen on his own well of the path to confront ‘yeti’ and any other wild creatures who might bring danger.

Geraldine was keen that people did walk at a comfortable pace and she took the time to alternate between both groups encouraging all to drink plenty of water.

Day 6 Sunday 23rd March – Easter Sunday The trail climbs steadily up the valley to Machermo at 4,465m/14,645ft. 3miles/5kms. approx. (7 hrs.)

At 6am or sometimes earlier it was time to commence the dreaded ritual of emerging from the warmth of my liner and sleeping bag, wash, and shave with great difficulty and then dress. During the night my breath exhalations had condensed on the inside of the tent fabric to form a fragile interior lining of light fluffy frost and on moving about to dress, this instigated a ‘blizzard’ that was both cold and wet and to say the least, unpleasant. Oh for a higher tent or a smaller body!

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It was another steep morning climb but this levelled out and we did stop for an enjoyable coke at a Café at Liga Ahaka and then a further incline and at the top the views all around were absolutely fantastic. At 12.30pm we arrived at Machermo where we were to stay for the next two nights. A hot drink of orange awaited us and then it was an enjoyable lunch. Lunch normally lasted an hour and had three courses. Soup, meat and sweet which was usually fruit. There was always hot water and hot milk with every meal to make a drink of tea, coffee or chocolate.

I unpacked and organised my tent and had a lie down in the warm sunshine for half an hour before tea at 4pm. Inside the tent it was essential to keep everything covered and at night you kept the likes of your camera, batteries (kept in insulating wrap) in your sleeping bag for warmth. My walking boots and approach shoes I kept in my boot bag. Everything within my kit bag was retained in individual waterproof tying bags for during the day time as well as at night time, as the kit bag itself, just like your rucksack is not waterproof.

A hot stove in the middle of the lodge kept us warm as we were having dinner. After dinner each night we did have a review of what happened during the day and what we were to expect on the trek the following day. Everyone was invited to contribute to this welcomed daily discussion.

On vacating the lodge each night you were given your two, one litre water bottles, filled with boiling hot water which you kept in your sleeping bag and by the morning these were cold and became your drinking water for the next day. Leave these uncovered in the tent and they would be completely frozen in the morning.

Day 7 Monday 24th March Acclimatisation day in Machermo. 3.75miles/ 6kms. approx (3hrs.)

It was a later wake up call at 7am and after another cold night the tents were covered in frost. Low cloud was all around so it was not until 10.10am that we left to do a ridge walk this taking us to a ‘top’ at 5,228m. From here we directly looked across to Mt. Kyajo Ri. The sun came through as the cloud did break but it was windy on the ridge. We saw eagles on two occasions flying just above our heads which was a lovely sight. It was a hard climb and the effects of high altitude were beginning to tell. We reached the top at 12noon and Mt Everest, Mt Makalu 27,765ft/8,463m and other mountains could be seen all around. Lots of pictures were being taken. It was about turn and we were back at camp site for lunch by 1pm.

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We were now in a world that was bleak and desolate, yet mesmerising in its austere beauty. This is a land of moraines, shattered rocks, ice, rugged barren valleys, glaciers and all of this being overlooked by soaring white snowy mountains. The name ‘Himalaya’ means the ‘abode of snows’.

At 3pm Geraldine had organised a talk by a young Australian lady doctor at the local Medical Centre on Acute Mountain Sickness (“AMS”) which essentially causes fluid to accumulate in tissues of the lungs (HAPE) or around the brain (HACE) as the body is deprived of adequate oxygen. This possible sickness, which can ruin or stop your participation on a trek, was brought to my attention by a number of people who had trekked at high altitude and in reading about the problem myself and in seeking medical advice I decided to take Diamox tablets from the second day of the trek and I stopped taking Diamox two days before the end of the trek. Here my prescription had advised me to take one tablet once a day but I took half a tablet each day at around mid-day, the almost immediate effect I found was that I had to urinate. AMS is not normally a concern below 2,800m/9,000ft.

Snow fell in the evening and I was in bed by 8.30pm to another very cold night and little sleep. (-15%c.)

After sunset, around 7pm the temperatures dropped well below freezing and Sherpa guides, porters and kitchen staff flooded into lodges to escape the coldness and warm themselves around the yak dung fuelled stoves, usually placed in the centre of the main lodge room. Lighting in many of the lodges was solar powered and dull thus your head torch here for reading or writing was essential and it was indispensable in your tent. Very early in the trek I did learn to get every thing ready for sleeping and for the next day in day light and to keep all items in the same place in your kit bag and in your rucksack. It was so enjoyable when you were able to stay two nights at one place, meaning you had not to pack your kit bag one morning.

At night sleep becomes elusive, a common symptom of minor altitude sickness. Other symptoms are breathlessness, dry cough, headaches often severe, fatigue, loss of appetite, anorexia, insomnia and nausea.

Day 8 Tuesday 25th March We are bound for Gokyo at 4,791m/15,715ft which is beneath Mt Cho Oyu, 8,201m/26,906ft. the world’s 6th highest mountain. 4.5miles/7kms. approx. (5.30hrs.)

There was a fresh fall of snow when I rose at 5.30am and we were all packed, fed and watered by 8.10am and away. We passed a herd of wild yaks with their young calves on the way. We stopped at a café for a welcomed coke. I was in my shorts and it felt the hottest day so far.

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We stopped for a break at the first lake of the Gokyo lakes, Longpongo Pokhan and enjoyed the very special ambiance of the place and again took many photographs. Here we saw Mt. Phari Lapche, 6075m Dragkya, 5,657m Henjola, 5,925m and Gokya Ri at 5,483m. The scenery was just staggering as we approached our camp site at 1.30pm. After lunch I went for a lie in my tent and then re packed to have enough kit for two days as yaks were unable to go over Cho La Pass at 5,420m/17,778ft. One kit bag shared between two people went with the yaks and the other kit bag (essential items for next two days) was carried by the porters over the pass.

I met a 65 year old lady from Vancouver called Chris who was walking to Everest Base Camp as her husband was climbing Mirror Peak 6,160m. We saw two eagles up high above our camp. At the back of 2pm clouds did begin to form. It was another cold night with showers of snow.

Another essential item to have in your tent was a pee bottle which should have a wide top and at least hold a pint. This prevented you having to go to the toilet in the middle of the night. For ladies there is what is called a ‘slipper urinal’.

Day 9 Wednesday 26th March A BIG day ahead with the ascent of Gokyo Ri at 5,360m/17,581ft and then a decent before crossing the Ngozumba Glacier to Dragnag at 4,700m/15,416ft. 5.25miles/8.5kms. approx. (8 hrs.)

Today was one of the highlights of the trek with the ascent of Gokyo Ri at 5,360m our highest point so far. We left camp at 7am after an early breakfast. It was a very steep climb and we arrived at the top at 10.45am. The panorama was just outstanding and the views of Mt Everest the closest we had so far seen. It was also a lovely day with excellent visibility. We had a snack on the top and left at 11.30am and getting down for lunch at 12.30pm.

It was at 2pm we left to pass the lakes once again and then cross the Ngozumba Glazier to Dragnag where we were to stay the night. This was hard going as in parts the path was very difficult to follow as you went up and down over many mounds of shattered rock, ice clumps and moraines. We finished at 4.30pm. It was to bed at 8pm as a long and difficult day lay ahead.

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Within the tent it is essential to have a thermarest. This is blown up or self inflating and goes under your sleeping bag. Your sleeping bag and inside liner needs to be of the right quality to keep you warm during the night. Frostbite in the fingers and toes was always something I thought about. The first phase of this is numbness with the skin turning blue and it would be essential that your were able to re-warm your fingers/toes. If painful, it means you will have had the beginnings of frostbite. Frostbite is irreversible and your fingers and toes may ultimately have to be amputated.
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Day10 Thursday 27th March A BIG day crossing the Cho La pass at 5,420m/17,778ft and the decent from the pass, often snow covered, involves the crossing of a small glacier and descending further to the yak grazing area of Dzongla 4,830m/15,842ft. 3.5miles/5.5kms. approx. (9.5hrs.)

Ice axes were given out after breakfast and we left at 8am following a stream up a steep slope and we were soon crossing areas of snow. We reached our first summit at noon and for the first time we were able to see the pass in the distance – everyone was horrified at such a vertical ascent. On reaching the bottom of the pass we had a short break to have some food as we had a packed lunch. On the trek it is essential that you do eat food at the allocated times to give you strength for the constant walking each day.

On our approach to the bottom of the pass we had heard a rock fall and as you cast your eyes to the sides of the pass, rocks could be seen every where, appearing ready to fall, but hopefully not as we passed under. It had to be onwards and upwards and this was indeed steep with loose rocks on the path and to its sides, so everyone had to be very careful.

At 2.30pm we had reached the top of the pass where a high wind did hit us and it was very cold. We could see the glazier ahead which we crossed safely but with great care. It was then a decent down a rocky steep slope to level ground below at 4.30pm. At 5pm we were treated to a lovely bowl of soup by the kitchen staff which gave us strength to finish the day’s trek at 5.30pm at Dzongla. Flurries of snow were falling and low cloud was well formed as we arrived. Bed at 8.30pm and another cold night. People had various degrees of headaches, diarrhea and nausea as the trip progressed and here the secret was to control these with Geraldine again being of great assistance. I found taking one paracetamol tablet each morning was so beneficial.

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Day 11 Friday 28th March It is another long day and we join the main Everest Base Camp trail at Lobuche village (4,910m/16,105ft before reaching Gorak Shep at 5,140m/16,859ft. 4miles/6.5kms. approx. (8.5hrs.)

It was a later start at 8.30am and initially a down hill walk but then a steady climb and lunch at Lobuche in a lodge at noon. I found Lobuche a very grim place and here I visited the worst toilet I have ever seen – thank goodness I was not desperate so it was about turn for me. At 1pm we left for Gorak Shep our highest camp site. As we left flurries of snow were falling and it was not to long before we had to put on waterproof gear and also cover our rucksacks. At 5pm we did arrive at our destination and all was white all around and very, very cold. We sat by the fire in the lodge and then went to amalgamate our kit bags.

This was my worst night. I had tried to sleep and just could not. It was all a bit of a panic with me having great difficulty in breathing. Bill and Kenny also had the same problems. I kept switching from breathing through my mouth to through my nose and this was completely wrong to do as you cannot take as much air in through your nose as through your mouth.

Steve Hopkins remembers seeing a Min/Max thermometer with -33% on it.

While my intense studies of medical matters did concentrate on day activity I had given little attention as to what happens to your body during the night, a period of some nine hours when you are very much on your own in a very cold atmosphere. Your lips become very dry and cold and thus chaff. It is essential that you apply lip cream. Your fingers cut very easily and refuse to heal and without the application of savlon they can become very sore.

Day 12 Saturday 29th March We trek to Everest Base Camp, 5,310m /17,700ft. 5.25miles/8.5kms. approx. (7.15hrs.)
Here there is approximately half as much oxygen as at sea level and at the summit of Mt Everest, two vertical miles higher than Base Camp, only a third as much. Camp 1 is a vertical half mile through the very dangerous ice fall at 19,500ft. Other important heights on the mountain are:-
• Camp 2 – 21,300ft
• Camp 3 – 24,000ft
• Camp 4 – 25,700ft
• The Geneva Spur – 25,900ft
• South Col – 26,000ft
• Southeast Ridge - 27,600ft
• Top of Hillary Step – 28.900ft
• Summit – 29,028ft.

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In the ‘thin air’ and sub-zero cold above 26,000ft you are in a place climbers call ‘The Death Zone’.

It was an 8.30am start for Everest Base Camp on a very cold morning but with nice clear skies. It was hard going up and down over shattered rock and jumbled moraine. The scenery all around was breath taking as you looked up to the high mountains all around. We arrived at Base Camp at 12noon where we ate our packed lunch and took photographs.

We did have a walk around but there was little activity (no Internet Café!) as the main climbing season had yet to commence. However activity was building up as supplies were being delivered, some tents were erected and ladders for the Khumbu Icefall were arriving. The Khumbu Icefall, just in front of us, is one of the most dangerous places in the world which is constantly moving and has been measured at between 3/4ft a day. You are aware of creaks, moans and water noise because the landscape here at Everest Base Camp is also on the move.

We left Everest Base Camp and we were back at our camp site at 3.45pm where hot soup was waiting for us. Oh how good. Another cold night but a much better night for me than the previous one.

Day 13 Sunday 30th March We climb to the top of Kala Pattar 5,600m /18,368ft the highest point of the trek. The words mean ‘Black Rock’. It is then a decent to Pheriche 4,350m/14,268ft.) 8.5miles/13.5kms. approx. (10 hrs.)

At 8.30am we leave camp for the ascent of Kala Pattar which is very steep all the way to the top and with the lack of oxygen this makes the going very hard indeed. It was another lovely morning with clear skies and good visibility getting us to the top at 11am. I tied a handkerchief belonging to my late Mother, to prayer flags at 11.10am. I took a number of photographs and looked directly across to Mt Everest some six miles from us. This is a place I always wanted to visit and with Mt Pumo Ri 7,145m looming up beside you it is a very special place to experience. At 11.30am we left the top and we were at the camp site for 12.30pm for soup, bread and cheese. At 1.30pm we left for our next camp site at Pheriche. At around 5pm we arrived at Thugla and we had soup awaiting us in a lodge. It was a quick snack as it was still around an hour to the camp site and we wanted to get there before it got dark. There were flurries of snow and very low cloud as we made our way along this high path. We arrived at 6.30pm just as the light was fading and had dinner at 7.30pm. I had my first good night’s sleep since I started the trek.

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Day 14 Monday 31st March The trek follows the main Everest Trail via Pangboche to Tengboche where a visit to the monastery is paid. It is then a decent to the Imja Khola/Dudh Kosi rivers before a final steep climb to Kangjuma. 9miles/14.5kms. approx. (8.5hrs.)

We descended through a lovely valley on a sunny morning stopping at a number of places to admire the lovely views and to take photographs. It was a climb up to Tengboche where we arrived at 12.30pm. It was very hot as we had lunch. We visited the monastery when it opened at 1.30pm. We left at 2pm with a steep decent to the river bed and then a massive ascent up to our camp site at Kangjuma, arriving there at 4.30pm.

It had been a lovely hot day up until around 1pm when it did dull down. By the time we went for dinner at 6.30pm (we also had our second birthday celebration of the trek) flurries of snow were coming down with low cloud across the large valley in front of the lodge. During the night there was a fall of snow.

Day 15 Tuesday 1st April – April Fools Day From Kangjuma it is on to Namche Bazaar and a steep decent and final short climb to Monjo for an overnight halt. 5.25miles/8.5kms. approx. (3.5hrs.)

We left at 8.30am and arrived at Namche at 9.30am. Eagles were again seen above us. We looked around Namche before we had lunch and at 1.30pm we left. We left the National Park at 3.15pm and arrived at our camp site at 3.30pm. As we got into our tents the rain started but this only lasted for a short while. It was lovely to see many of the trees now in blossom and this had not been seen on our outward journey. It did rain during the night and on high ground this fell as snow.

Day 16 Wednesday 2nd April It is back to Lukla and the end of the trek. A big surprise awaits us – we are staying in a motel at the Airport. 7miles/11kms. approx. (5.45hrs.)

I am up at 5.30am. Running water passes through the toilet and there is a ceramic bowl the second we have seen during the trek. It was a nice morning, but dull, as we left at 8.15am. I was again able to walk in shorts and we stopped for lunch at 12.15pm. We arrived in Lukla at 3pm and it poured with rain from around 4pm.

Having adequate Insurance Cover in place is essential. On the trek we did have two helicopter rescues.

************************************************************************

In the motel we were staying in, a party had been organised to celebrate the trek and to give gratuities to the porters (5pm), dinner was at 6pm and at 7.30pm it was presentations to the kitchen staff and Sherpa guides. It was then dancing and drinking and we all had a wonderful evening. I ended up in Dave’s and Geoff’s shared room with pints until around 1am. Our first alcohol since the start of the trek and Everest beer was ever so good. The end of the trek, memories of which will last for ever. Some 80 miles or 131kms. approx. in total and around 103hrs. of walking.

Thursday 3rd April
It was a morning call at 5am with a welcomed cup of tea. 5.30am saw us having breakfast and at 6.15am we had to walk to our flight that was due to leave at 6.45am. We were to be on the first flight out. Visibility at Kathmandu was poor so the first plane did not arrive until 8.50am and we were on it and away at 9am and with a very pleasant flight we were into Kathmandu at 9.30am and a very lovely warm morning and back at the Hotel for 10.30am.

We all had lunch at the Northfield Cafe. An evening meal was arranged for 8pm at Rum Doodle Bar & Restaurant and while some got taxis home four (two in each rickshaw) had a rickshaw race along the rough and unlit streets of Kathmandu back to the hotel. While an agreed price for this journey had been agreed and paid over, true to form the two drivers tried for even more money! At 1.30am after drinks and a recap it was time to call drinking to a halt. Members of the trek had already left for the USA and UK and others were departing the next day.

Friday 4th April
A day in Kathmandu with a lovely hot morning but with a very heavy thunder storm in the afternoon which saw me taking shelter in the Northfield Café after catching up on e-mails and my blog but missing saying goodbyes to Glyn and Dave who were bound for London that afternoon. Many apologies guys.

Charlotte, Roger and I had an evening meal at Third Eye which was very good and we did walk there and again back to the hotel.

************************************************************************

Saturday 5th April
Up at 6.30am and away at 8am by taxi to Bhaktapur. Charlotte had got the fare down to this acceptable price (400rps for two people). It was such a dangerous drive for an hour or so but arriving in one piece and then paying 750rps each to enter the area. It was a lovely hot morning and with a guide who was paid 100rps + a tip we did enjoy a great time walking round the streets and visiting temples etc. We were back in Kathmandu at 1pm. Charlotte was going back to the UK in the early evening. It was a meal at the Road Head Café for Dave, Roger and I.

Sunday 6th April
Went to the Hotel De L’Annapurna for morning coffee. Had a G&T in Nanglo Café & Pub and a curry for lunch at Moti Mahal, all places I had read about in the Durbarmarg area of the City.

New Orleans was our venue for an evening meal and we very much enjoyed this. We went for a final drink at Sams Bar and we were back at the hotel for 11pm.

Monday 7th April
Today it was a flight leaving Kathmandu at 5.15pm back to the UK so it was goodbye to Kathmandu and Nepal after a great time.

Important Note
These notes are taken from a log I kept on the trek and other comments are very much personal ones. Spellings of places, heights of mountains and distances recorded may not be totally accurate. Any comments made on medical matters are again personal and anyone undertaking trekking activities should seek their own medical advice.

This log has been compiled to help and encourage people who wish to trek, which is such an enjoyable activity. I am very happy for you to make comments or to seek further information directly from me. Under no circumstances should material on this website be copied.

Fraser Mackay
30th June 2008

A Review of 2011 & Festive Greetings

2008-05-01T02:30:00.001-07:00

Last Update from Nepal

2008-04-07T00:48:00.000-07:00

I am leaving Nepal today @5.15pm.

I would like to thank all the members of the trek Group (16 in total) that accompanied me on The Ultimate Everest Trek. A very hard trek. To Geraldine Westrupp our lovely leader - a massive thank you for all your support to the Group and to all of us also as individuals. I am at The Hotel de L'Annapurna, Durbarmarg (No 1 address in Katmandu) as I post this final note.

I am leaving Nepal with so many lovely memories and a massive sense of achievement:
* The lovely high mountain scenery that surrounded us each day. We were so lucky with the good clear weather. We did have 3 very cold nights with falls of snow where temps did fall to -20%C

*Laughs and discussions over the 16day trek - concerns of one member as to where his sunglasses were? They were where they should have been!! A Yak left the track to join Dave as he was applying sun cream - we put it down to the 'Lynx effect'.

*Is Kenny about?

*Getting to the top of Kala Pattar @ 5545m and seeing Mt. Everest so clearly some six miles away. I did hang a flag of Scotland in memory of my late mother. Helen it was so sweet of you to take a picture and I did not notice you doing this.

*The great support of Kumaar and his sherpas, cook and kitchen staff and the great porters and their yaks who carried all the tents, kit bags and other equipment.

*All the lovely Napelese people I had the pleasure of meeting.

*To Charlotte, thanks for the great day in Bhaktapur. What a magic experience depite two dangerous taxi rides chased by a 'mad bus'!!

*A massive thank you to all the people who have supported me in my charity fund raising.

* To Jayne, thanks for all your support.

Best wishes. Fraser. 7-4-08.

Update from Fraser, Friday 04.04.08

2008-04-07T00:47:00.000-07:00

Here I am back in Kathmandu arriving at 9.30am on Thursday 3rd April and staying at The Shanker Hotel which is a very nice and an oasis in the busy and noisy City. It is a beautiful hot day. The first thing I did was have a shower which was great.

I hope to read my book with a Gin & Tonic by the pool.

The trek was much harder than I did expect but I made it all the way round and did enjoy it. I also stayed away from beer/spirits for the whole duration of the trek - a great feat.

Best wishes. Fraser.

At last, an update from Fraser ...

2008-04-01T05:19:00.000-07:00

I am still alive and making my way back. I am currently in Namche Bazaar from where I sent my last and only msg. I have done the whole trek and got to Everest Base Camp at 12 noon on Sat 29th March and on Sunday 30th March I climbed Kala Pattar and got to the top at 11am - my goal achieved. It was a lovely sunny and clear day and the views were outstanding. A massive panorama of massive mountains, the tallest of which was Mt. Everest.

The trek was much harder than envisaged with long hard daily walks the longest being 10 hrs. Temperatures went down to as low as -20%c and falls of snow on a number of nights. The sun comes out at around 7.30am and the day soon gets hot even at the high altitudes we are walking in.

The trek ends on Wednesday 2nd April.

Fraser's well and truly on his way ...

2008-03-20T11:38:00.000-07:00

I received this email from Fraser early this morning:

It was a 4am start on Tuesday 18th to Lukla with the walk commencing at 8.30am and finishing at 1pm at our camp site. We did a local walk for a couple of hours and the heavens opened at 3pm. My first night in a tent for many a year. Dinner was good and it was away to bed very early. Up next day at 6am to hot chocolate, a wash and shave, breakfast at 7am with our trek commencing at 8am. It was a lovely day as we made our way up a valley crossing the river many times on metal bridges which did shake and the secret is not to look down!! We arrived in Namche Bazaar at 3pm after a day of just spectacular scenery and the first glimpse of Mt. Everest shrouded in cloud. Dinner at 6.30pm and another early night to bed at 9pm. Drinking of alcohol has stopped completely. Today it was a seven hour walk up to 13,000ft and so far coping well with altitude. Tomorrow it is another early morning start and ending up in Khunde at 12,000.

I hope he manages to send some more messages our way.

Equipment and medical supplies

2008-03-18T03:53:00.001-07:00

{Yes dear reader, Fraser is well and truly on his way. His last text message reached me at 3.30am GMT Saturday 15/03/08 that he had arrived at Abu Dhabi. And he left me with stacks of requests to update his blog. So here's the latest addition ...

This is an area that took a lot of research to complete and between
equipment and medical requirements putting all this together is an expensive
exercise. I am making a listing as people reading the site now and in the
future might find the section useful in compiling their own listings. I
thank all the people who did give me advice. People need to seek their own medical advice.
Equipment (Weight limit for kit bag - 15kgs/33lbs)
Sleeping
Tent (Hired)
Sleeping Blanket - have your own and would not recommend hiring (4 or 5 season bag) and sleeping bag liner. Adds to warmth and prevents washing bag which is not good for it.
Thermarest - have your own and would not recommend hiring
Thermal underwear – marino
Pillow
Feet
Boots (1 pair) Lightweight. (4 season boots for winter conditions or even plastic boots for high altitude
Approach shoes (1 pair)
Spare Lace
Walking socks ( 4 pairs) + liner socks (2 pairs)
Gaiters (1 pair)
Flight Socks (1 pair)
Foot care - will be doing more work than they're probably used to so take great care of them. If you feel a "hot spot" or a blister developing, stop immediately and cover it with a tape or gel plaster before it is too late to prevent damage.
Legs
Trekking Trousers (I pair)
Trekking Shorts (2 pairs)
Waterproof over trousers (1 pair)
Underwear (3 pairs pants + 1 thermal long johns)
Knee Supports - could be needed on a long trek
Body
Waterproof Jacket with hood(1 pair)
Down Jacket with hood(1 pair)
Fleeces (3 pairs)
Thermal base layer shirts (2 short, 2 long)
T-shirts (2 pairs)
Casual shirts (2 pairs)
Bandana
Swimming trunk
Watch (make sure it is adequate for extreme weather conditions)
The layering principles - understand this
Hands
Lightweight thermal gloves (2 pairs)
Waterproof over gloves (2 pairs)
Glove liners such as capilene
Head
Sunhat
Thermal balaclava
Warm Hat
Sun Glasses - glacier glasses and don't skip out on these
Reading Glasses - if needed
Goggles for high altitude and snow spin drift
Wash bag and toiletries
Razor + blades
Deodorant – under arm + body
T. brush/paste
Mirror
Sun protection cream + lip & nose protection (SPF 40 or better) (Boots have sun and after sun with insect repellent)
After sun lotion
Towel
Clothes line plus pegs
Travel wash
Antibacterial hand wash (2 tubes)
Wet wipes anti-bacterial (4 packets)
Creams needed
Toilet roles (3)
Pee Bottle/Slipper for women
First Aid Kit
Insect repellent (75-100%deet)
Malaria tablets
Diamox tablets
Blister pack
Diarrhoea tablets Ciprofloxacin 500mg tablets (One twice a day) and obtained under a private prescription
Antibiotics for really bad stomach upsets
Plasters
Blister treatments
Sole Euca Menth Cough Tablets
Foot cream
Vasiline
Make sure you have visited your doctor for required inoculations
Other Essential Items
Ice axe (Walking)
Walking poles, snow baskets and crampons
Rucksack + liner(s) + rain cover+locable cover. Adjust strapes to fit properly on your back.
Water bottles (2 x 1lr)
Energy tablets or energy powder to mix in your water bottles
Torch and head torch
Compass
Whistle
Survival Bag
Spare bulbs and batteries (keep warm at all times to prevent these going flat)
Camera + storage cards. Ensure that you have adequate storage and that you are able to charge your batteries. (Solar battery charger)
Kit bag + lock
Dry bags to store clothes in kit bag
Pen knife + scissors (these and any other item that could be construed as offensive weapons should be packed in your check-in baggage)
Duck tape
Needle and thread
Stickers to be placed on items to recognise them
Travel Clothes etc
Trousers
Shirt
Pants
Socks
Fleece Jacket
Walking Boots as case could be lost.
Waterproofs + warm jacket
(Rucksack as carrier on plane)
Ipod
Mobile and charger + charger world plug
Ear plugs
Bag to leave clothes in hotel
Labels + distinguished marking for luggage
Reading Material
Jotting paper
Addresses for postcards
Info on Nepal + map
Maintain a diary of events on daily basis
Record what pictures were taken on a particular day (Nos. 1- 34)
Pen (2)
Documents
Passports
Visa
Air tickets
Credit/debit cards
Money and money belt (Take US$ as reserve currency)
Insurance cover documentation (travel/medical/cancellation)
Addresses for parties you wish to send postcards to
Treats
Fruit pastels
Chocolate
Dried fruit
Gifts for Nepal
T-shirts
Sweets 4 kids on route
Charity Bears
Other Items
Keep items in the same place in your kit bag and in your rucksack. This way you will find them easier
Know kit weight limits as to plane and on trek. These will vary from carrier to carrier
Blogsite
If possible keep up to date to keep readers informed

The above is a useful check list for treks and other holidays but you may need to add to for certain specialist treks.

Please leave your comments

2008-03-10T03:57:00.000-07:00

This is a message from Jayne (Document Direct). I've been helping Fraser with this Blog and you have all kept me rather busy with your constant support and sponsorship. Fraser would love readers to make any comments they wish to make under the various sections.

Notice at the bottom of this post there is a word "Comment". Please click on this word and the webpage will change to a simple form for you to complete so you can leave any comments you like.

You don't even need to have a user name as there is an option to post "anonymously", but it would be nice if you left your name in the Comment Box.

Graeme Whittaker and me on Aonch Mor 4,006ft 16-2-08

2008-02-29T01:22:00.000-08:00

Nepal at a glance

2008-02-28T23:38:00.000-08:00

China to north and India to the south, east and west
147,181 sq.km. (occupying only 0.1% of the total landmass of the earth)
23.1million population with 101 ethnic groups
Nepali is the national language (92 spoken languages)
Currency - Nepalese Rupee
Seasons - Winter:Dec-Feb, Spring:March-May, Summer:June-Aug, Autumn:Sept-November.
The elevation of the country ranges from 60m above sea level to the higest point on earth, Mt. Everest at 8,848m, all within a distance of 150km, resulting in climatic conditions from sub-tropical to artic

Charities to be supported

2008-02-27T05:06:00.000-08:00

I hope to raise much needed funds for the following charities:-

CLIC Sargent. Is the UK’s leading children’s cancer charity providing the widest range of care and services for children and young people with cancer – and their families.

Claire House Children’s Hospice, Bebington, Wirral. Caring for children 0-23 years with life threatening or life limiting conditions and their families from Merseyside, Cheshire, North Wales and the Isle of Man.

The Water Adventure Centre, Droylsden, Manchester. Founded in 1977 it is a charity combining youth work with canoeing, whilst encouraging children and young people to take responsibility for themselves, others and the environment.

Mountain Rescue- England and Wales. It is totally run by 100% volunteers. You never know when you might need rescue when walking.