NikonGear'23
Images => Nature, Flora, Fauna & Landscapes => Topic started by: dgpno2 on January 23, 2022, 19:17:11
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In the early- and mid-1990s I invented a hiking route which ran 205 miles (330km) from Fort William in the Scottish West Highlands to Cape Wrath, the north western tip of the Scottish mainland. I published a book about my walk but otherwise failed to profit from my pioneering efforts. This didn't matter - I wasn't doing it for the sake of money. The Trail became very popular with hikers from all over the world; various websites appeared and flourished for a time; for me, the Trail faded away into the backound of my personal history. Then, last year, out of the blue, I was offered an opportunity to make some money, 30 or more years after the event. I thought "Why not?", and set about doing some work.
The project failed to prosper. But it got me thinking - about the marvellous experience it had been - walking the length of the Highlands, alone in the wilderness, stopping only to eat or sleep, non-stop, for 17 days. And of course I took a lot of photographs; on film, medium-format (Pentax 67). Here are just a few of those photos. 1) Main ridge of Ben Eighe, Torridon 2) Loch Lurgainn and Ben More Coigach 3) Quinag (pron. KoonYag), Assynt 4) Lighhouse at Rhue, on Outer Loch Boom.
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Some wonderful images and no doubt memories here David. At nearly 20km a day plus pack weight and camera gear it must have been a fairly energetic walk.
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Amazing story and results, Dave! Hope to see more.
By the way, are you aware of this YouTube channel by the landscape/nature photographers based around the Isle of Skye? I believe they would be interested to do something together with you.
https://www.youtube.com/c/PhotographyOnline
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Thanks, Hugh and Akira. Hugh - you are right - my backpack was very heavy. I set off on 1st May, in spite of which snow was forecast for the middle of the month - and arrived right on time! So I carried wet weather gear, and cold weather gear; a couple of changes of underwear and socks; minimal toiletries; towel, maps covering my intended route; bivi bag, sleeping-bag and closed-cell sleeping-pad; Pentax 67 body and 4 lenses - 45mm, 75, 105 and 165 - which occupy the same slots as lenses we are familiar with today - 24mm, 35, 50, and 85. There were times when I would have liked a longer lens, but there was no way I could add the Pentax67/300mm/f4 (1.5kg) to my burden. I didn't carry a tripod, but did carry quite a lot of rolls of film - not a lightweight item - and my pack, all up, weighed 38lbs or just over 17kg.
I also carried food for 4-5 days and had marked on my maps any place I passed close enough to a village, country hotel or isolated general store. I used them to stock up my larder. I also managed, on a couple of occasions, to sleep indoors, in a bed, which made a nice change.
It was an adventure, and I loved every moment of it.
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Great story and pictures. What an adventure, David. !
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Great story and pictures. What an adventure, David. !
Indeed :)
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Thank you, Bent, John, Akira and Hugh - it's always a great pleasure when my photos are liked.
I'm attaching a few more images from that pioneering walk - 1) The Coigach hills 2) BealachBhan -the White Pass;
3) Frosted conifers in Glen Garry 4) The Beinn Eighe path 5) Sunset over distant Cape Wrath 6) Ruined croft at Cluanie
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Here are the photos -
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Bealach Bhan looks awesome and formidable. To me, the sunset image of Cape Wrath in this second batch delivers more of your sense of satisfaction and achievement than the one with the lighthouse in the first batch. Really impressive.
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Akira - thanks for your thoughts on this second batch of images. And thanks also about the Skye photo-group - i knew nothing of this until you told me, and I'm planning to contact them within the next few days.
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Akira - thanks for your thoughts on this second batch of images. And thanks also about the Skye photo-group - i knew nothing of this until you told me, and I'm planning to contact them within the next few days.
Dave, I'm glad your are interested in the YouTube channel. I cannot think of any reason that they are not interested.
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As always, very very nice pictures and a wonderful story as well! Very cool Dave! 8) BTW
Are you sure you don't want these posts coupled to your 'real Dave account' here on NikonGear?
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Beautiful lights and colors, Dave. Beautiful adventure too.
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Thanks, Akira - I'll let you know how things go with the Skye people.
And thank-you to Erik also. It would be nice to be able to post as my original self. I think what happened was - one of my absences from NG was so long that my membership lapsed, so it was all my own fault.
One more image - the summit-cone of Sgurr Bhan. The name means White Peak and I guess that when the sun shines brightly on the pale silvery grey of the summit rocks, they could look like snow at any time of year.
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Nice pictures, here, which reminds me an unforgettable tour to Torridon during our last get together (2019) near Shiel river in Kintail with our ''guide'' Dave Paterson.
Francis.
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Nice pictures, here, which reminds me an unforgettable tour to Torridon with our ''guide'' Dave Paterson".
Thank you, Francis - I hope you are well. I also think quite often of that get-together - it was very enjoyable, most members got some good images, and it was the last time I was able to get properly up into the hills.
But how about another Scottish get-together? I could still do the organising, and perhaps some of the activities.
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But how about another Scottish get-together? I could still do the organising, and perhaps some of the activities.
Without hesitation!
When we come back all with normal life... ;)
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Hi, Dave !
I am just realizing you are our Scottish friend ! ;D ;D.
I had to re-read the whole thread to understand, after the clue you gave when you said you'd still organizing a get-together in Scotland.
I didn't know you had to change your pseudo...
At least, I have good news from you!
Francis.
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Hi, Dave !
I am just realizing you are our Scottish friend ! ;D ;D .
I had to re-read the whole thread to understand, after the clue you gave when you said you'd still organizing a get-together in Scotland.
I didn't know you had to change your pseudo...
At least, I have good news from you!
Francis.
JA is looking into Daves accounts here on NG to help sort out any log in issues for Dave so he gets to post as himself again ;)
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Great ! ;)
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But how about another Scottish get-together? I could still do the organising, and perhaps some of the activities.
I would immediately join.
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I would immediately join.
Me too :)
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With Dave we already have almost half the 2019 team!
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Sign me up as well.
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That Scotland could be so popular - I am very happy. But in these days of pandemic (and Russian aggression?) life, and therefore travel, has become a little more complicated than when we had our last Scottish get-together. Anyway, February is not the month to come here; the modern Scottish winter cannot be relied on to produce anything except cold, rainy misery. I suggest May.
As my experiences prove, when first walking the Cape Wrath Trail, the Scottish mountains can get snow in any month, and May can have fresh snow down to any level. But this is rare and I don't really think we would be troubled by snow. May is one of the more reliable months.
Since the Cape Wrath Trail had a part in bringing us together again, it would be nice to find a location somewhere on the line of the walk. Scotland's two international airports are some distance from the start of the trail - Fort William - 170km (105 miles) - but we already managed a get-together in Kintail which is on the trail, well to the north of The Fort. So all things are possible.
I will keep in touch with Birna, our organiser-in-chief, and I suggest that members who are interested in joining should PM me. I will maintain a iist, and when we have an idea of how many are likely to join I will start looking for accomodation.
How exciting!
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"Exciting" is an understatement. There have been far too many photons hitting the Earth since our last NG meet-up.
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Birna - thanks for your support - I will need it. Thanks also to all who have posted here, and even more thanks to those who have already declared an interest in a Scottish get-together. The last time we were in Scotland, our week was centred in beautiful Kintail. This time I suggest we should head further north, and base ourselves in or near Ullapool, an attractive and popular fishing village. This will put us on the doorstep of one of the most dramatic and unique landscapes anywhere - Assynt and Coigach. It has often been said that the mountains here rise from the surrounding moorland like prehistoric monsters rising from the primeval swamp, snd I would go along with that. This is a very special place.
Basing ourselves in Assynt/Coigach means longer drives from or back to the airport (Glasgow is best), but no time is wasted. The airport is on the north side of the city, so when you clear the airport perimeter you are quitting the city, and beautiful Loch Lomond is only a half-hour away. The road continues through fine montane scenery, incl. the mountains above historic Glencoe, the Mamore Range and distant views of Scotland's highest mountain, Ben Nevis. On the way, it happens that you will pass fairly close to my home in Killin and my very own Tarmachan Hills - mine in the sense that I get fine views of them, and make images of them, from our garden.
So - is it to be the north-west Highlands?
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How could I resist that view ... absolutely fine for me.
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How could I resist that view ... absolutely fine for me.
That is one we shall pass by, if the north-west Highlands remains our objective. However, here is something of the prehistoric monsters rising from the swamp - this is a part of the Coigach and Assynt landscape -