Welcome

Welcome to my 2011 follow up to the hugely successful blog of 'Jotown and Wally on the road'.

Here you'll be able to follow my quiet 'lifestyle',as I wander around the highways,byways,mountains and trails of Europe, in my van affectionately called 'Wally', or further afield using metal wings !

If I'm around where you are, and you want me to call - or visit me...just let me know ..

You can follow my adventures and keep in touch by posting messages whilst I am travelling.

For those of you who are returning for the second season then I expect more messages than in 2010....... this year there is a counter of page views at the foot of the page, so I will be watching.....!



Friday, 7 October 2011

Up and Down the Slippery Chute

IMG_8495I went to sleep accompanied by the gentle ‘pitter patter’ of Hailstones…and the coolness they heralded, however I could see a red sunset in the distance, so I looked forward to a good day today, and as I awoke…and looked out the windows, I saw lovely blue skies,and the sun trying to pop up from behind the mountains, a good day in prospect, IMG_8521so a quick breakfast and pack up ready for the road down into Glenbrittle, where I had decided to stop at the camp site http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/skye/glenbrittle/ for a few days luxury – first mistake ….as you can see …not open !

Ah well, I know somewhere I can stop !

Undeterred I got my gear on, and set off to climb the highest peak in the Cuillin mountains (and on Skye itself) Sgurr Alistair, at 944 mts high, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sgurr_Alasdair and as I was starting at sea level I would have to climb the lot !IMG_8498 It was a nice blue sky, and hardly a breath of wind as i wound my way up through the closed campsite, and along a well made trail, up into the mountain amphitheatre, with the sea dropping beneath me fairly quickly,as I strolled upwards towards the rocky skyline,passing a lochan to my left, then up over some more rocky cliffs, of almost whale like rocks, and onto a plateau where I reached Coire Leegan, with various dotted rock shelters scattered around the area.

IMG_8512As I looked up the ‘Great Stone Chute  ' I could see the faint line of the path which I was to take, up from the corrie floor, to the top. I had some lunch and then started up the chute, 3 steps up, 2 steps down…as the rocks and stones beneath my feet, were like trying to climb Up an escalator going  ‘Down’ ,IMG_8514 and the sunshine changed to strong winds, and black threatening clouds, as once again Rain looked like it was moving in for the afternoon. Eventually at 655 mts I decided to call it a day, turned round and ran back down the stone chute to escape the bad weather (and have it easy!). As I descended I was applauded by some Japanese, who were being guided, only to the corrie below, and a couple of other people, none of whom even attempted to climb the chute…so, I hadn’t done too bad, had I ?

So, then it was back down the same path, having various showers of rain soaking me, then the sun drying me , before another soakingIMG_8518Eventually getting back down to Wally,IMG_8526 and a quick look around the beach area, watching a basking seal on the rocks, salmon leaping up the river…and then the heavy rain returned, so it was back in Wally to where I stayed the previous night, for food and an early sleep…

phew,at least I’d had some walking on Skye, not like the previous  days ! What will tomorrow bring ?

No comments:

Post a Comment