Who Needs To Detox?

[DRT]

We had to abandon our second peak to ensure we stayed safe in the poor conditions and visibility but I'm sure it will still be there on another day

Why do I all of a sudden feel as though I'll never set foot back in the States again

Don't worry, there is only a 50:50 chance of a snow storm on October 11th

[Andy Velebil]

We had to abandon our second peak to ensure we stayed safe in the poor conditions and visibility but I'm sure it will still be there on another day

Why do I all of a sudden feel as though I'll never set foot back in the States again

Don't worry, there is only a 50:50 chance of a snow storm on October 11th

In that case we need to bring an extra bottle of Port to keep us warm on our trek

[Alex Bridgeman]

Why do I all of a sudden feel as though I'll never set foot back in the States again

You've seen Deliverance - but have you ever seen The Wicker Man...

[DRT]

Why do I all of a sudden feel as though I'll never set foot back in the States again

You've seen Deliverance - but have you ever seen The Wicker Man...

Alex, shhhhhhh! I've promised the villagers a new policeman to play with - don't scare him off or they might have to burn the postman

[Andy Velebil]

Why do I all of a sudden feel as though I'll never set foot back in the States again

You've seen Deliverance - but have you ever seen The Wicker Man...

Ahh no....but I think I should go rent it tonight

[Andy Velebil]

Why do I all of a sudden feel as though I'll never set foot back in the States again

You've seen Deliverance - but have you ever seen The Wicker Man...

Alex, shhhhhhh! I've promised the villagers a new policeman to play with - don't scare him off or they might have to burn the postman

Thats it, I'm bringing my guns...lots of guns. and if that dont work, I'll try and bribe them with lots of Port

[DRT]

Why do I all of a sudden feel as though I'll never set foot back in the States again

You've seen Deliverance - but have you ever seen The Wicker Man...

Alex, shhhhhhh! I've promised the villagers a new policeman to play with - don't scare him off or they might have to burn the postman

Thats it, I'm bringing my guns...lots of guns. and if that dont work, I'll try and bribe them with lots of Port

You won't get the guns past border security. They are very stringent up there as gunfire frightens the Haggis and stops them breading.

[Andy Velebil]

You won't get the guns past border security. They are very stringent up there as gunfire frightens the Haggis and stops them breading.

You drinking and typing again I do hope so Ohh, the hell with the haggis, who eats the stuff anyways.

[DRT]

Ohh, the hell with the haggis, who eats the stuff anyways.

You do. On 11th October 2008.

[Andy Velebil]

Ohh, the hell with the haggis, who eats the stuff anyways.

You do. On 11th October 2008.

ARGHHH NO, PLEASE NO

[DRT]

Ohh, the hell with the haggis, who eats the stuff anyways.

You do. On 11th October 2008.

ARGHHH NO, PLEASE NO

Oh Yes. There is no way out. You have talked your way into it. Now all you have to do is decide whether or not you want to eat the head, the legs or, the best bit: the tail end?

[Andy Velebil]

I think I'm feeling sick on the 11th

[DRT]

I think I'm feeling sick on the 11th

No. That's the 12th

[benread]

Ohh, the hell with the haggis, who eats the stuff anyways.

You do. On 11th October 2008.

ARGHHH NO, PLEASE NO

I have one piece of advice when it comes to eating haggis - forget (or do not ask) what it is made of and just eat it the waythe locals do and enjoy the taste. It does actually taste quite nice!

[Alex Bridgeman]

It goes quite well with a fruity young port. The port deadens the senses and so, after a bottle or two each, you are ready to eat Haggis - in fact, after a bottle or two each it usually seems quite a good idea to eat Haggis.

[Alex Bridgeman]

Have we gone off the topic of "Who Needs to Detox?" yet?

[DRT]

Have we gone off the topic of "Who Needs to Detox?" yet?

No, beacuse the day Andy will be eating haggis is also the day he is climbing his first Munro - I'm hoping to catch a live one while we are up there so that he can have it fresh.

Derek

[Andy Velebil]

Have we gone off the topic of "Who Needs to Detox?" yet?

No, because after eating Haggis I will no longer be detoxing...I will need all the Port I can get to help me forget what I just ate.

[Andy Velebil]

I never came back to this thread after my little trip to Scotland for the first time. What a great time. Derek, his son Ross, and brother-in-law "what did you say" Billy spend a few days in the Highlands treking around. I made my first ascent up a Monrow, ate Haggis and lived (ok, I actually kinda liked it ), and saw some crazy guy in a dress playing a bag pipe on a corner .


Derek and Ross at the start, it never got any flatter than that.


About 1/2 way up you see this...not very reassuring


Here is a pic of us on top of Lochnagar October 11, 2008 Derek and I at the summit. Notice a tad bit more clothes than when we started. I knew it was cold when Derek, Ross, and Billy started complaining about how cold it was....and by then I was really freezing my warm weather So.Cali arse off


What a view from the top. Derek, Billy, and Ross had climbed this twice before this year and were totally clouded in. I said it was because us L.A'ers bring the good weather with us. The view was breathtaking!!!


Us at a waterfall on the way back down.

[DRT]

Thanks for the pictures Andy. That was a great day and I can't wait for the spring to come so that I can get back up in those mountains

[KillerB]

Thanks for the pictures Andy. That was a great day and I can't wait for the spring to come so that I can get back up in those mountains

Spring? Wuss, I was at the top of the Peak District the day after Boxing Day.

Catch a live haggis? Yeah right, I know there are no wild ones left in Scotland, they are all reared on a farm just outside Paisley nowadays. If you catch one you probably need a licence and a man with a stick to beat them out for you.

[DRT]

Spring? Wuss, I was at the top of the Peak District the day after Boxing Day.

As my entire mountain trekking career is documented in this thread I have no hesitation in agreeing to the use of the term "Wuss". Dying of exposure or vertical impact with a slab of granite on a snow-capped mountain in central Scotland isn't attractive to me at this point in my life. Nor is getting lost in a blizzard and spending the night at 3,000 feet in sub-zero temperatures huddled round a cup of hot soup. If that is being a wuss, then that is indeed what I am. To be perfectly serious, the biggest problem is the availability of daylight. These things take 6-7 hours minimum to get up and down and that is just about the amount of available daylight in the day at this time of year. That leaves no contingency for getting lost, delayed or injured/rescued without entering darkness. Not a good idea for 3 novice Munro Baggers.

Catch a live haggis? Yeah right, I know there are no wild ones left in Scotland, they are all reared on a farm just outside Paisley nowadays. If you catch one you probably need a licence and a man with a stick to beat them out for you.

Lochnagar is on the Balmoral Estate so the Royal Haggis Beaters are always on hand to help out. The estate is also well stocked with both wild and domesticated haggis and occassionally you can spot a large two-legged Greek haggis wandering across the heather moor looking for foriegners to throw insults at. I believe his pet name is Philip.

[Andy Velebil]

LOL

Yeah, I think our hike was just a tad over 6 hours, and we were making good time. It's a long day and even I who have had some survival and hiking experience would not want to chance it this time of year. My life is not worth it for a hike, and I've seen people that have tried and failed. But this was a great time and I loved the hike. Derek, Billy, and Ross were great guides for my first time in Scotland and I must say I really loved the place. I do hope to get back in the near future for another visit.

[KillerB]

Ahh Chooky, also known as the old man of Lochnagar.

[DRT]

Ahh Chooky, also known as the old man of Lochnagar.

Chookyembra to give him his full name

[DRT]

Spurred on by KillerB's peak-walking activities on Boxing Day, Billy, Ross and I set out to climb a couple of lumps of rock in the Pentland Hills just outside Edinburgh yesterday. At ground level it was a fine, crisp winter's day with no wind to speak of and almost clear blue skies.

We started with Turnhouse Hill. It very quickly dawned on me that almost 4 months of not walki ng up hills had not done my lungs much good. One hour of wheezing, coughing and heaving later we were 1660 feet up on the summit of Turnhouse Hill and were almost blown off our feet with a fierce north wind that seemed to cut through to the bone. The snow-covered peak of Carnethy Hill was in front of us so we added some layers of clothing and battled on through the wind. Ten minutes later we were once again in complete calm and sweting like dogs so we had to remove some of the layers. Another 30 lung-bursting minutes later we were on top of Carnethy Hill (1879 feet) and there was that wind once again. As our luck would have it a big black drizzly cloud dumped itself on top of the hill just as we got there so we couldn't even admire what would have been a spectacular view.

Despite the pain I am feeling in my legs right now and the fact my heart was trying to burst out of my chest most of yesterday morning this was a very enjoyable morning. Onward and upward!

Here are some pics...

Carnethy Hill


Me in the snow


Ross and Billy on the summit


Carnethy Hill on the left from the summit of Turnhouse Hill on a better day



As a sobering thought, when we returned home we heard on the news that 3 people had died that morning in an avalanche on a Etive Mor, a Munro only 40 miles or so from where we had been. During our climb we had been discussing whether or not to go up a Munro in the next few weeks. Perhaps not.

Derek

[Andy Velebil]

Glad to see you guys aren't letting a little cold weather, rain, and snow stop you. Just want to let you know I was with you in spirit on that climb, and my spirit was nice and warm in 65 degree weather here in So. Cal Now get back out there and climb some more...and take the dogs, at least they looked happy in the pics. Guess that's the warm fur coat they're wearing

But the important question....what Port did you drink after to celebrate?

[jdaw1]

Glad to see you guys aren't letting a little cold weather, rain, and snow stop you.

Today’s swim with the Polar Bears was in 37°F water (3°C), and an air temperature of about 17°F water (”“8°C). Lightly sub-tropical.

[DRT]

But the important question....what Port did you drink after to celebrate?

Vesuvio 97

[DRT]

Yesterday was my first experience of hill walking with Jo and our two boys Ross (15) and Lewis (10). We decided to go for a gentle stroll in the Peak District in Derbyshire. It was a very mild day (8-9C) with no wind and partly clear skies. Perfect.

We started off at the foot of Lose Hill, a 1562ft sugar-loaf shaped lump of rock near the village of Hope. Here is a picture of Lewis with the hill in the background when we were around half way up:



We decided not to go all the way to the summit of this one and took the path west towards the ridge heading for our real target Mam Tor which, at 1696ft, is one of the highest peaks in the area. This is Ross and Lewis with Mam Tor in the background:



All was going well until we got near the summit and the wind picked-up. For the last 100 yards we were walking at a 45 degree angle to the ground, leaning into the wind and holding hands to avoid being blown over. The summit is wide and flat so there was no danger involved but it was a very strange experience, especially for Jo and Lewis who had never been in such conditions before. That was the fun bit over with.

We then started to descend along the ridge that we had walked up. After about 20 minutes I spotted a path that seemed to take a lower route around Lose Hill and that would avoid us having to do any more ascents on the way back to the car. Jo was thrilled as she was now tired and had developed a sore leg. Around 30 minutes later it dawned on me that I had picked the wrong route and that the path we were taking had descended around 800ft below the path that we should have been on to get back to the car. We then had to climb back up the hill and down the other side to get back to the car. The words that Jo used during that hour of our walk are not to be repeated on a public website. Suffice to say it is unlikely that she will be joining me on another hill walk any time soon

Once that trauma was over everyone trundled down the final stretch thinking about the pub at the bottom of the hill where I had promised them all we would go for a nice hot dinner. It was closed. I was not popular. Luckily I found another pub about 20 minutes up the road and we all had some nice food and at least 3 of us laughed about our adventure.

All good fun and I can't wait for my next big climb in the Scottish Highlands.

Derek

[Andy Velebil]

Sure you took that wrong path by mistake...you just wanted Jo to suffer so she wouldn't want to come on anymore of the guy-trips...good job, you rock

Jo if your reading this, I was just kidding so don't kill me when you see me again

[DRT]

you just wanted Jo to suffer so she wouldn't want to come on anymore of the guy-trips

[KillerB]

Went to the Lakes a couple of weeks ago with my brother-in-law, Roy. Went up on the Thursday morning in time to start just before Noon. Roy had picked a route up Blencathra which would give the wind behind us, which was blowing a gale. We were not stupid enough to take on Sharp Edge, which had had recent fatalities, but took the Saddleback. Views were spectacular but the 'wind behind us' thing was only true some of the time on the way up. The zigs were fine, mostly based on hold arms out and jump, but the zags were a bit difficult involving a near horizontal walking style.

On the way down, Roy decided that the road was too boring so we'd better take the path that goes alongside it. Except that the map was out of date and the path had been diverted around a farm in the vertical direction. Thanks Roy. Beer was good when we finally got back, pie in Keswick was wonderful.

Next day went for a more relaxing stroll up the Cat Bells. When I say relaxing I mean hanging on by fingertips to little bits of rock whilst the wind tries to dislodge you, that sort of relaxing. You see, most walkers don't count the Cat Bells because they are low, but trust me when you're looking down with the wind tryinng to knock you off your perch, they are plenty high enough. the stroll around Derwent was very pleasant afterwards. Had curry and many, many beers later.

Pics may follow.

[DRT]

The first Munro of 2009: Carn Gorm (3376ft)

The Mole-hill.jpg (62.44 KiB) Viewed 5975 times

We spent the weekend in a delightful cottage on the Carie Estate on the south bank of Loch Rannoch. On Saturday Billy, Ross and I left the cottage at 08:30 to climb our first Munro of 2009. Eight hours and fifteen minutes later we crawled back into the cottage completely and utterly exhausted after what was undoubtedly the most difficult walk I have experienced in my life. Three of the eight hours were spent wading through a peat bog, two of those hours going uphill. The total ascent from the cottage to the summit was around 2,800ft. Even after all that pain this is how we felt when we reached the top...

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Carn Gorm 005.jpg (19.08 KiB) Viewed 5972 times

[jdaw1]

Welcome back to TPF you didn’t miss anything.

[Andy Velebil]

It's about time you three got back out there, but why is the dog the only one not smiling?

Whats the next accent you've got line up?

[DRT]

Whats the next accent you've got line up?

American

[jdaw1]

I quoted the same blunder in Apostrophe crimes.

[DRT]

2009 was a complete non-event in terms of Munro-bagging for DRT.

2010 is destined to be a different story. Billy, Ross and I are planning an adventure in July: we plan to walk the West Highland Way and climb Ben Lomond (3,200ft), Buachaille Etive Mòr (3352ft) and Ben Nevis (4,409ft) in 9 days.The exact schedule has not yet been worked out but the total distance will be in excess of 100 miles and the total ascent in excess of 24,000 feet. Yikes!

The training began last weekend with a 9 mile walk that included climbing Arthur's Seat (820ft). Today we climbed Turnhouse and Carnethy Hills (1,660ft and 1,880ft)in a walk of around 8 miles. Tomorrow I plan to walk up Mam Tor (1696ft) in the High Peak District. I have climbed all of these hills before and familiar territory is just what is required at this early stage and at this time of year.

However, the biggest challenge that Billy and I have set ourselves is that we each plan to carry around 50lbs less up Ben Lomond on the first day of our adventure in July than we carried up Arthur's Seat last weekend. That's a weight loss of roughly 2lbs per week, which will not be easy to maintain over a 6 month period.

The good news is that DRT is now 7lbs lighter than he was 2 weeks ago so my new healthy lifestyle seems to be working and things are heading in the right direction.

The bad news is I am spending Monday and Tuesday with JDAW

[Glenn E.]

Ben Nevis (4,409ft) in 9 days.

Come to Seattle and we can do that here too! Paradise to Camp Muir is only about 4.5 miles, but it's a 4700 ft ascent.

Oh, and did I mention that you're starting at 5400 ft and that Camp Muir is just the starting point for those actually climbing Mt. Rainier?

Congrats on the weight loss plan... 2 lbs a week is aggressive, but with all that hiking I think you can do it!

[DRT]

Congrats on the weight loss plan... 2 lbs a week is aggressive, but with all that hiking I think you can do it!

Agressive? Yes. But I have lots to go at

[DRT]

Ben Nevis (4,409ft) in 9 days.

Come to Seattle and we can do that here too! Paradise to Camp Muir is only about 4.5 miles, but it's a 4700 ft ascent.

Oh, and did I mention that you're starting at 5400 ft and that Camp Muir is just the starting point for those actually climbing Mt. Rainier?

That's cheating!!! Our climbs on Ben Lomond and Ben Nevis both start at sea level

[DRT]

Tomorrow I plan to walk up Mam Tor (1696ft) in the High Peak District.

Done, with Lose Hill, Back Tor and Lord's Seat into the bargain. The 11 mile route took 5 hours and included around 2,000ft of ascents, a browse around a book shop and a pint of Deuchar's IPA in the Cheshire Cheese in Hope village.

Added to yesterday's walk I have covered around 19 miles and climbed around 4,000ft in two days. I need a beer, a hot bath and at least 5 hours sleep before I meet JDAW in London tomorrow morning for two days of man food, beer and a port tasting

[Glenn E.]

Ben Nevis (4,409ft) in 9 days.

Come to Seattle and we can do that here too! Paradise to Camp Muir is only about 4.5 miles, but it's a 4700 ft ascent.

Oh, and did I mention that you're starting at 5400 ft and that Camp Muir is just the starting point for those actually climbing Mt. Rainier?

That's cheating!!! Our climbs on Ben Lomond and Ben Nevis both start at sea level

Oh sure, start down where you have plenty of oxygen!

You could start a climb of Mt. Rainier at sea level, but that'd make it 75-ish miles and 14,410 feet. Paradise to Camp Muir is just the convenient middle chunk of the mountain - none of the long mileage low ascent lower regions, or actual-skill-required climbing part above 10,100 feet.

[DRT]

Oh sure, start down where you have plenty of oxygen!

I can assure you that on the ascents I climbed yesterday and today there seemed to be very little oxygen around even at sea level

[DRT]

Disclaimer: Just in case anyone thinks I am under the impression that everyone here is actually interested in my exploits of hawling my lardy-arse up a few hills in order to turn myself into an 11 stone marathon runner, I'm not. The only reason for my ramblings here is entirely self-motivational. Now that I have told you lot what I am trying to do it will spur me on knowing that you will all be able to rip the bejesus out of me if I don't.

Onward and upward - with lots of coughing, spluttering and wheezing along the way!

[Andy Velebil]

First off, I like reading of the Munro bounding adventures (and the pics too). Maybe that's just because I was foolish enough to go on one with you, Ross, and Billy. What was I thinking

I'd love to go on another Munro adventure again, hopefully sometime in the not to distant future. And this time I promise not to fall on my arse next to the Royal Family's cottage

[DRT]

I promise not to fall on my arse next to the Royal Family's cottage

Yesterday, fully kitted out for the conditions with proper boots and walking poles, I managed to do a triple sulco with back flip and a full twist down an icy slope in front of a group of very attractive young ladies walking in their inappropriate footwear and designer warm clothes. I think they thought I looked very cool

[Andy Velebil]

I promise not to fall on my arse next to the Royal Family's cottage

Yesterday, fully kitted out for the conditions with proper boots and walking poles, I managed to do a triple sulco with back flip and a full twist down an icy slope in front of a group of very attractive young ladies walking in their inappropriate footwear and designer warm clothes. I think they thought I looked very cool

So your next hike will be in sandals, with a Luis Vitton jacket and Gucci sunglasses

[DRT]

So your next hike will be in sandals, with a Luis Vitton jacket and Gucci sunglasses

Sandals? You must be joking!!!! Only Jimmy Choo slig-backs would go with my LV jacket