NikonGear'23
Travelogues => Future NG Events - and Location Reveries => Topic started by: David Paterson on January 03, 2016, 20:42:45
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The year has turned - Happy New one to everybody, btw - which means we are just four months away from our start date on 7th May. More importantly, we are just two months or so away from the final date for paying the balance of the rental on the three lodges. The total cost is £1800 of which £300 as already been deposited, leaving a balance of £1500 to pay. Assuming we will have 20 members staying in the lodges that is £75 per person.
DEADLINE: 12 March 2016
Send per person payment of £75(English pounds) by direct bank transfer as follows:- Account Loch Tay Highland Lodges Park Ltd
- Bank The Royal Bank of Scotland
- Sort Code 83 17 19
- Account No 00121477
- Iban GB20 RBOS 8317 1900 121477
- Bic RBOSGB2L
- Location Milton Morenish Estate, Killin, Perthshire FK21 8TY, United Kingdom
Email the Lodge with details of your payment and send a copy to David Paterson.
- info@lochtay-vacations.co.uk
- paterson@wildcountry.uk.com
Keep a record of your payment to bring with you to the Lodge.
Paid Participants List
Frank Fremerey £75 06Jan2016
Jakov Minić £75 06Jan2016
Bjørn Rørslett £75 06Jan2016
Jan Anne Offereins £75 06Jan2016
Chris Dees £75 06Jan2016
Anthony Macaulay £75 06Jan2016
Mike Selby £75 06Jan2016
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Direct bank transfer is the appropriate, efficient European way of dealing with the payment :D
Just post the relevant account and banking codes and the participants can take care of the rest themselves.
At least that would be my preferred suggestion.
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IBAN/BIC ... I agree
We should also have a talking subject line for the receiver to handle easily.
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Bank transfer would be an excellent way to do this, though it doesn't really matter how individuals make their payment. What matters is that they make payment on or before 13th March, and that they have some kind of record or receipt of the payment.
I would suggest that as each person makes payment, they email me with the basic details of the transaction so that we have all the information in one place. That way we can more easily avoid any arguments/communication problems with the Lodges.
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Dave: just provide us with the banking details (IBAN/BIC and lodge name/address) and the remainder is a breeze.
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+1
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Here is the bank information provided by the lodges so far:
Account Loch Tay Highland Lodges Park Ltd
Bank The Royal Bank of Scotland
Sort Code 83 17 19
Account No 00121477
They are going to to send me the IBAN number, also a link to their Sagepay account so that payment can be made online by credit or debit cards
LATER The Iban is GB20 RBOS 8317 1900 121477 BIC - RBOSGB2L
Their email is * info@lochtay-vacations.co.uk * Please email them (with a copy to me, paterson@wildcountry.uk.com) when making payment.
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OK, so this is the vendor to pay £ 75 to?
I'll set up the payment later today. Now, time for the chores left in the wake of the D5/D500 launch.
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OK, so this is the vendor to pay £ 75 to?
I'll set up the payment later today. Now, time for the chores left in the wake of the D5/D500 launch.
Yes, this is the gang we'll be dealing with.
My next chore is to check out the wifi at the lodges - they promised it was going to be upgraded by Christmas. I think I'd rather be playing with the D5 and D500. ;D
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Actually, I'll try to arrange for a D5 and D500 being available for the event. My idea thus not a guarantee, but I hold hopes.
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Paid & Confirmed.
I hope I have a D5 and a D500 available for the event too...
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How are we going to keep track of who paid?
I did! :)
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Is there any way that NG could act as conduit for the payments? And thus keep track of who paid, etc?
oh, nevermind. I see that some have already paid. ;D
We could start a thread for who paid? OR use this thread to list who paid. I could edit the first thread for that list. I will ask David if that is OK.
Added: OK. Report here if you have paid and we will also keep a list in this thread in the first post. David will have details in the copied email.
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Direct bank transfer is the appropriate, efficient European way of dealing with the payment
Ha-ha!!!You say that knowing full well my lamebutt American bank will spend at least an hour and have to call the head office 3 times to figure out how to do this. ;D ;D ;D
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Yes - I crafted my answer carefully :D
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[/i]Ha-ha!!!You say that knowing full well my lamebutt American bank will spend at least an hour and have to call the head office 3 times to figure out how to do this. ;D ;D ;D
Yes, payment exchange with the US is Paypal. The banks do not understand it and sometimes charge up to 60 US$ for a transfer.
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How are we going to keep track of who paid?
I did! :)
As Andrea has suggested, if everyone checks in on this thread when they make payment, we will have a record of all the payments.
I will extract the information and keep a separate list, offline, of who has paid, when, and how. This is simply because the office at Highland Lodges is not particularly efficient and if I can easily refer to a complete, up-to-date list this will help to avoid problems.
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I'm in. Sent money and e-mail as per instruction. Bank transfer.
By the way, even in the US they can do bank transfers if forced to do so. My American corporate clients pay this way since they usually won't use Paypal and I flatly refuse accepting cheques. Smaller US companies might prefer Paypal as I understand bank transfer carries a veil of dark, sinister mystery to them.
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The big banks here have absolutely no problem with wire transfers.
It is the small branch banks which never see it much.
And most people in the US would never want to give you their bank account number for fear of being hacked or scammed. [And please no one explain to me why this is obtuse because I get it.]
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As of 9pm tonight (6 Jan), 4 members have already paid by direct transfer ( you know who you are!). Tomorrow I will contact Highland Lodges and make doubly sure that the money is reaching their account as expected.
9.20pm - make that 5 who have paid. So 25% of our number have paid on the first day; I call that outstanding.
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Make that 5.
My bank also needed a location, just in case somebody has no clue where we are going I've added Killin to the payment credentials ;D
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Make that 5.
My bank also needed a location, just in case somebody has no clue where we are going I've added Killin to the payment credentials ;D
Same with me (same bank :)).
I don't see my name on the first page?
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My payment has been sent by bank transfer, cc to Dave Paterson.
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Poor Dave has a hard time keeping up with the changes :D
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I've added Chris and Anthony.
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Payment made.
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Poor Dave has a hard time keeping up with the changes :D
Yes, there has been quite a blizzard of emails in the past 18 hours but I'm very happy to do it.
9.50am, 7th Jan - seven people have already paid and all lists, in this thread and my offline list, are fully up-to-date.
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Sorry for my late reply. Somehow missed this thread. ;) Will do the money transfer tomorrow.
Yes, payment exchange with the US is Paypal. The banks do not understand it and sometimes charge up to 60 US$ for a transfer.
Frank, please keep your comments to photography. I work in a bank and wouldn't know where to start with a real response to that comment! (https://nikongear.net/revival/Smileys/default/wink.gif)
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Frank, please keep your comments to photography. I work in a bank and wouldn't know where to start with a real response to that comment! ;)
Dear Günther, I had to deal with several US-Banks buying and selling equipment to/from the US. It is better to deal with paypal. Much better, faster, cheaper. I did not comment on the bank you work at. OK?
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Dear Günther, I had to deal with several US-Banks buying and selling equipment to/from the US. It is better to deal with paypal. Much better, faster, cheaper. I did not comment on the bank you work at. OK?
Then you are probably aware that your experiences with U.S. banks don't necessarily translate well for the majority of participants here in Europe?
That paypal and banks are like apples and oranges, even though they offer similar services?
That there aren't only costs, but also risks to transactions?
No, I will not continue this discussion. :-X
I prefer looking forward to the meet up! :)
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We all agree to return to the topic at hand.
Time flies and at present, with heaps of snow outside, freezing cold winds and -15C outside I can hardly wait until the Scottish event :D
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Update: money transfer underway.
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paid
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Thanks, Gunther and Thomas.
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Dave, is there some sort of reference number that I can quote in my bank payment?
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Simone - no, there is no actual reference number; most people refer simply to the Loch Tay Highland Lodges.
I'm not sure if that helps, but you'll be ok.
Best,
Dave
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Paid.
Now I should be in the "good" book again ;)
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I also paid my share of £85.
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Thank you, Simone and Simone. ;D
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Thank you, Simone and Simone. ;D
Haha, it's quite rare in a group of 20 that there's someone with the same name who is not a woman.
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Paid £85.00 direct by telephone 06/02/2016
Cheers
Bez
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Haha, it's quite rare in a group of 20 that there's someone with the same name who is not a woman.
As long as each knows the difference, I foresee no problem :D
A little like the quite safe method of winning bets, if you bet on two people having the same birthday out of a population this size. Increase to about 30 persons, and your winning chance is far more than 50%.
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Haha, it's quite rare in a group of 20 that there's someone with the same name who is not a woman.
I don't know about that - there are millions of Davids in the UK. Several of my friends are called David; there even is, or was, another photographer in Edinburgh called David Paterson, who started up in business there just after I went south (in 1983!) to see if I could make it in London.
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The probability of birtdays is not evenly distributed over the year. In the Northern hemisphere it is more likely to have people born between
June July and October than during the rest of the year. That seems to be the case because people seem to be more cuddly in the dark and cold days of the year.
I expect the curve to be the other way around in the southern hemisphere.
A moment plese, looking for reference material.
Ref#1: http://www.panix.com/~murphy/bday.html (deviation smaler than expected)
Ref#2: http://web.stanford.edu/~dgleich/notebook/2009/04/birthday_distribution.html (looks more stretched if you stretch the scale)
Ref#3: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2145471/How-common-birthday-Chart-reveals-date-rates.html (the US case in a nice graphical representatioon. Note that US residents have only very few free holidays compared to Europeans)
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Frank, it's about two people having the same birth day, not *what* the day is. And the problem is set in a betting context, ie. what odds you have to win a wager.
Presumably, in a group gathered together, chances are high they are from the same geographic region thus sharing the underlying distribution of births. If this fails, adding more people will cater for any inconsistency regarding the initial assumptions.
Next time you go to a party or meeting of some kind comprising say 20 people or more, just try. I bet you will be surprised.
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In fact I met a lot of people who were born on the same day and I asked myself whether it has to do with my end of July birth date and it has in a statistically significant way
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I don't know about that - there are millions of Davids in the UK. Several of my friends are called David; there even is, or was, another photographer in Edinburgh called David Paterson, who started up in business there just after I went south (in 1983!) to see if I could make it in London.
I was talking about my name specifically. There are a lot of female Simone's in Switzerland and France, but the male Italian version is quite rare and unfamiliar.
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I was talking about my name specifically. There are a lot of female Simone's in Switzerland and France, but the male Italian version is quite rare and unfamiliar.
Another Italian Simone agrees with the above.
Changing subject, some ideas for the time we'll spend there.
I know there are at least a few keen on spending active time outdoors, like Jan Anne, Simone and myself, and possibly others.
We'll be in a prime location for hiking, with several beautiful Munros waiting to be climbed (for those who don't know what Scottish Munros are, look it up on Google!).
If the weather agrees I will be spending a full day out hiking and photographing landscapes from high up. Anyone interested is welcome to join, if they are confident about their state of fitness and their equipment (I am referring to clothing, not photo gear).
In case you wish to hike please plan accordingly and come equipped.
The weather in Scotland is extremely variable, as you may already have gathered. Generally speaking you should be ready for very wet and very windy even if the outlook at the beginning of the day says otherwise. For those used to the Alps, I find the Highlands harder going, despite the much lower elevation. The trails, when existing, are generally in worse conditions and unmarked, much more akin to Norway than Central/Southern Europe. The terrain is very wet most of the time.
A few notes that will be obvious to anyone with some experience: full grain leather here works much better than fabric/Gore-Tex. Don't even think not having good hiking boots, jackets and wind/waterproof leg protection. Gloves are recommended. Sunglasses: YMMV - I only use them if there is lots of snow.
Clothes layering a must, only wear jeans if you intend to spoil the hike for yourself and your companions.
I am planning to do the Tarmachan Ridge Saturday morning before meeting the group; the other hike I would like to do is a grand tour taking in Beinn Ghlas, Ben Lawers, An Stuc, Meall Garbh and Meall Greigh and it will require two cars or a pick up by some friendly soul at the far end of the hike (the Lawers Hotel, where we could have celebratory drinks and even dinner!)
The hike can also be done in reverse but it requires more ascent - I would be interested to hear Dave's opinion, especially with photography in mind (direction of light relative to terrain features, etc) - what works better? Also what should I expect in terms of lingering snow? I wouldn't have a problem with it but it could put off somebody.
The only bit I expect to be tricky is the scramble down An Stuc (up if you walk in reverse).
Any takers?
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I would love to join the hike! Great initiative Simone :D
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Simato wrote:
"the other hike I would like to do is a grand tour taking in Beinn Ghlas, Ben Lawers, An Stuc, Meall Garbh and Meall Greigh and it will require two cars or a pick up by some friendly soul at the far end of the hike (the Lawers Hotel, where we could have celebratory drinks and even dinner!)"
That's a large undertaking (>20km plus a lot of height gain and loss) with a very long descent at the end of an exhausting day. And it's a long way to Meall Greigh for what is an unspectacular summit. If I were you I'd leave the connecting ridge at Lairig Innein and drop down into the corry and pick up the marked track (Explorer 378 OS map is best) where the map shows "old shielings" , and a dam and ford. The track will give you a much easier descent and this route will save you around 4km. You hit the road at Tombreck, passing a couple of standing stones en route, a few hundred metres before the road.
Snow conditions in early May can vary from none to lots. My best guess is that you will find many large patches of spring snow, some of which will be unavoidable. So then there is the question of temperature - in mild non-freezing conditions, spring snow has the consistency of wet crystalline sugar and is heavy, cloying and a nuisance. In freezing conditions, this snow becomes as hard as concrete and can be extremely dangerous because a slip that becomes a slide can be very difficult to arrest. The have been numerous instances over the years of deaths and serious injuries in the Scottish mountains from just such a cause. I would say that ice-axes are essential and crampons desirable unless the hills are almost clear of snow.
I have two ice-axes and an ice-hammer (Hamish MacInnes's "Pterodactyls" - but I'm showing my age) and two sets of 12-point crampons (strap-ons) here somewhere; they can certainly be borrowed. I wish I could come with you but my climbing days are over.
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I'm in for a bit of hiking. I will have my hiking boots and clothing with me anyways.
How much elevation gain and loss is the "Grand Tour"?
I'm also fine with a shorter tour, I think the timing is crucial, i.e being in a nice place when the sun sets for instance.
Of course we have to check the local and momentary conditions wrt. snow etc. once we're there.
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Thank you all those who have already expressed interest. If you are into these things I think it will be an excellent day out.
I'm in for a bit of hiking. I will have my hiking boots and clothing with me anyways.
How much elevation gain and loss is the "Grand Tour"?
I'm also fine with a shorter tour, I think the timing is crucial, i.e being in a nice place when the sun sets for instance.
Of course we have to check the local and momentary conditions wrt. snow etc. once we're there.
Simato wrote:
"the other hike I would like to do is a grand tour taking in Beinn Ghlas, Ben Lawers, An Stuc, Meall Garbh and Meall Greigh and it will require two cars or a pick up by some friendly soul at the far end of the hike (the Lawers Hotel, where we could have celebratory drinks and even dinner!)"
That's a large undertaking (>20km plus a lot of height gain and loss) with a very long descent at the end of an exhausting day. And it's a long way to Meall Greigh for what is an unspectacular summit. If I were you I'd leave the connecting ridge at Lairig Innein and drop down into the corry and pick up the marked track (Explorer 378 OS map is best) where the map shows "old shielings" , and a dam and ford. The track will give you a much easier descent and this route will save you around 4km. You hit the road at Tombreck, passing a couple of standing stones en route, a few hundred metres before the road.
Snow conditions in early May can vary from none to lots. My best guess is that you will find many large patches of spring snow, some of which will be unavoidable. So then there is the question of temperature - in mild non-freezing conditions, spring snow has the consistency of wet crystalline sugar and is heavy, cloying and a nuisance. In freezing conditions, this snow becomes as hard as concrete and can be extremely dangerous because a slip that becomes a slide can be very difficult to arrest. The have been numerous instances over the years of deaths and serious injuries in the Scottish mountains from just such a cause. I would say that ice-axes are essential and crampons desirable unless the hills are almost clear of snow.
I have two ice-axes and an ice-hammer (Hamish MacInnes's "Pterodactyls" - but I'm showing my age) and two sets of 12-point crampons (strap-ons) here somewhere; they can certainly be borrowed. I wish I could come with you but my climbing days are over.
I would love to join the hike! Great initiative Simone :D
Including Meall Greigh the whole circuit W to E is I reckon nearly 1500m ascent. Doing it the other way around adds about 250m. Length is around 21km.
I am aware that Meall Greigh is a rather nondescript hill in itself; I was however hopeful that it could afford interesting views on the Ben Lawers group.
Given the position it may be that the view is best early in the morning, Dave what is your opinion?
Taking Meall Greigh out of the equation would save ~200m climb and some length (not sure it is as much as 4 km). And the descent (or ascent, depending on which way one goes) of Meall Greigh seems brutal, so if the view is not great I will not be too disappointed missing it out.
If there is snow, especially on An Stuc, I agree caution is imperative. I was not expecting having to use crampons and ice axe, but I do own them and like using them.
Unfortunately I don't have any surplus to lend.
Finally obviously one would prefer being on the hills at the golden hour, but I am not sure this will be possible. The sun rises very early and sets quite late at that time of the year.
It is a long walk and we would have to be up late, then have a long hard descent after an already tiring day. The only way I would perhaps consider it, and then again only if everything went well and energy was still high, is if we walked E-W, which means ending on the path down Beinn Ghlas, which is a good, clear path.
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Do you have a link to topographic maps of the area?
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I am up for a challenging hike but I don't own or have experience using "ice axe's" or "crampons". I expect I'd have to make a decision depending on how bad the ice may be at the time. I would not want to spoil the day for experienced extreme hikers.
In case conditions are favorable a detailed list of the minimum equipment and food I will need would be very helpful. I did read Simone's advise but would like a complete list to tick off if possible.
Cheers
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When I was hiking Ireland earlier in life I used to walk 10 hours per day but I do not do it in a military or alpinistic way.
Time to stop and take photos has to be calculated. Many people on the trail means many stops at many different places or the group will be torn apart.
Snow conditions requiring snow axes to prevent sliding to death are certainly beyond my level of expertise.
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I'm neither versed at using ice equipment. My boots cannot take crampons (or so I'm told) because they are not stiff enough.
Crampon-ready boots that are sold around here are super-heavy and stiff (almost like like ski touring boots) and not the kind I would want to use to do super-long hikes and treks. They are used to cross glaciers and to climb ice falls.
But maybe there is another kind of crampons that I'm not aware of that can fit regular hiking boots.
Usually when hiking in early spring (which in the Alps can be as late as June high up) when there's still snow around, I come by fine without any special equipment because the snow is most of the times wet, and sliding is not a danger.* You're only slowed down. But conditions in Scotland might be different because of wind -- the snow might be of a different, compact kind or even icy.
*I should say that it depends on the altitude. What I'm saying holds for the types of hikes I do, which is mostly below 2500 meters ASL.
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Do you have a link to topographic maps of the area?
The following links describe two halves of the hike. Walk highlands is a very good website but although there is mention in the forum of a full ridge traverse unfortunately there isn't a hike description for the whole thing.
http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/perthshire/ben-lawers.shtml
http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/perthshire/meall-garbh.shtml
To see a map click on "View/print online map"
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I'm neither versed at using ice equipment. My boots cannot take crampons (or so I'm told) because they are not stiff enough.
Crampon-ready boots that are sold around here are super-heavy and stiff (almost like like ski touring boots) and not the kind I would want to use to do super-long hikes and treks. They are used to cross glaciers and to climb ice falls.
But maybe there is another kind of crampons that I'm not aware of that can fit regular hiking boots.
Usually when hiking in early spring (which in the Alps can be as late as June high up) when there's still snow around, I come by fine without any special equipment because the snow is most of the times wet, and sliding is not a danger.* You're only slowed down. But conditions in Scotland might be different because of wind -- the snow might be of a different, compact kind or even icy.
*I should say that it depends on the altitude. What I'm saying holds for the types of hikes I do, which is mostly below 2500 meters ASL.
A note on boots and crampons.
It is true that boots have to be stiffer to accept crampons and be safe. If the boot is more flexible than the crampon it can wriggle out at the worst moment - not good!
Most hiking boots are to flexible.
Heavier hiking boots can take the most flexible type of crampons. These boots are still quite comfortable to walk in, they do flex. This is what I use (I have a pair of Scarpa SL). These crampons can have 10 or 12 spikes and are ok for non-technical ice/snow such as the stuff we would encounter.
Semi-rigid boots can take technical crampons, which are stiffer.
Then there are fully rigid boots for extreme mountaineering, which often are plastic. These take fully rigid crampons and are extremely uncomfortable to use for walking.
There is an industry-wide classification of boots and crampons.
Most boots are B0 - flexible. You can use micro-spikes or cleats on these but they are no substitute for real crampons - just useful for not slipping on a frozen pavement.
Then there are B1 boots that can use the most flexible type of crampons or "walking crampons" (C1). Modern C1 crampons usually have a basket at the front and rear and straps; fairly easy to put them up.
B2 bots are semi-rigid (for example Scarpa Manta or Scarpa Charmoz; the latter are some of the lightest B2 boots and still fairly comfortable, I have worn them 14 days straight trekking on the Andes with no pain whasoever). B2 boots are visually identifiable by a notch or welt in the heel, where one can clip in a C2 semi-rigid crampon. With these one can do technical climbs. C2 crampons usually have a basket for the toes and a clip for the heel, similar in concept to those used for skiing (but much lighter!).
For the most demanding tasks like icefall climbing a completely rigid boot and crampon are required. That's where you use B3 boots and C3 crampons. You can stand hanging off an ice wall with nothing but your front teeth of the crampon planted in the ice and the boot will not flex. C3 crampons have a clip at the back and a metal toe bail at the front, they are the easiest to put on.
Having said that not all B0 boots are equally flexible and the stiffer ones in a pinch can accept a flexible C1 crampon - although I am not suggesting you do it.
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When I was hiking Ireland earlier in life I used to walk 10 hours per day but I do not do it in a military or alpinistic way.
Time to stop and take photos has to be calculated. Many people on the trail means many stops at many different places or the group will be torn apart.
Snow conditions requiring snow axes to prevent sliding to death are certainly beyond my level of expertise.
The big hike is about 8 hours of walking, more if the group is slow. This does not count stops for photos, eating and resting.
Given that I would recommend being considerate about the photo gear taken on the hike. Weight adds up quickly and it does slow you down a lot. This is actually the main driver that took me to Fuji X from Nikon FX.
The day is very long but all can be done providing the hikers are fit and the weather is good - if it is not photographically it would become much less worth it anyway.
If the weather is good (clear visibility) navigation on the ridge will be straightforward and there will be some scope to split and regroup if we are disciplined and do not linger too much. For safety we would regroup every time there is a point where we should be together (change of direction, more difficult terrain, decreased visibility, etc).
Ultimately a decision should be taken on site once weather conditions and snow levels are known for certain.
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I am up for a challenging hike but I don't own or have experience using "ice axe's" or "crampons". I expect I'd have to make a decision depending on how bad the ice may be at the time. I would not want to spoil the day for experienced extreme hikers.
In case conditions are favorable a detailed list of the minimum equipment and food I will need would be very helpful. I did read Simone's advise but would like a complete list to tick off if possible.
Cheers
I will make a list of recommended clothing etc later.
In the meantime I can add that while desirable in my eyes (I like mountaineering as much as I like photography), doing a full tour is not necessary and some could limit the hike to a "there and back again" trip that avoids the trickier parts while still taking in the highest peak, Ben Lawers, as well as the aerial views.
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I will make a list of recommended clothing etc later.
Thank you. If we can get a guided tour and clear instructions on equipment I am in for a long walk with steep parts but not rope climbing or such. In the latter case I would just spoil the tour for the extreme mountaineers
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Thank you. If we can get a guided tour and clear instructions on equipment I am in for a long walk with steep parts but not rope climbing or such. In the latter case I would just spoil the tour for the extreme mountaineers
Frank, I am not an alpine guide and cannot, nor want to provide a guided tour. I cannot and will not take responsibility for others.
On the other hand I am sufficiently self-reliant that I would not want to spend the money to hire one.
Having said without the snow that the hike does not have anything difficult on a technical level (just a bit of easy scrambling on An Stuc) and anyone with previous hiking experience in places like the Alps should be fine if they chose to join me.
Ropes would not be required in any event. Ice axe and crampons might be necessary in the presence of lingering snow if one wants to complete the circuit, but shorter "there and back" options are most likely possible without them.
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Thanks for the crampon explanation.
I have a Hanwag Tatra boot which looks almost the same category as your Scarpa SL, except for the materials. Good news that there are some crampons which I can mount.
I will certainly join the hike. If the snow conditions are too difficult in certain spots, I think that we can still find a detour which avoids those places. I will join even if the weather is rainy/cloudy, it makes for very interesting photographs. The distance is fine for me.
I understand that everyone does the hike at his/her own risk.
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Ropes would not be required in any event. Ice axe and crampons might be necessary in the presence of lingering snow if one wants to complete the circuit, but shorter "there and back" options are most likely possible without them.
The last thing I would want to do is to spread fear and alarm over a (probably) straightforward day out in the hills. I just wanted to point out that even in spring there are dangers lurking for the unwary. Also it is easy to underestimate the Scottish mountains because they are not very high; but approaches and descents can be long and tiring, the weather can change in a couple of seconds, and conditions can be wintry even in May and June. And if there is more than 10-15% snow cover I would not consider going into these hills without an ice-axe.
A glimpse of one of our big, bad hills (Meall Ghaordaidh) this morning -
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Simone,
Thank you for the effort you are putting in regarding organising the hike. Yes I am fully aware the risks are all mine to decide to take. And I am more than willing to bail out if need be, so as not to spoil the hike for you and other more experienced hikers.
Cheers
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The last thing I would want to do is to spread fear and alarm over a (probably) straightforward day out in the hills. I just wanted to point out that even in spring there are dangers lurking for the unwary. Also it is easy to underestimate the Scottish mountains because they are not very high; but approaches and descents can be long and tiring, the weather can change in a couple of seconds, and conditions can be wintry even in May and June. And if there is more than 10-15% snow cover I would not consider going into these hills without an ice-axe.
A glimpse of one of our big, bad hills (Meall Ghaordaidh) this morning -
I completely agree. It all depends on the state of the mountain at the time and on the forecast.
The view of Meall Ghaordaidh is beautiful, I wish I was there.
I did it in late Feb two years ago as a short hike on the way home from a long weekend I spent hiking with friends in Drumnadrochit.
It was the best weather for the whole weekend, we ascended in the bright sun and lovely powdery snow.
We reached the top and within 5 minutes a black cloud rushed toward us from Glen Lyon. We made a runner downhill and avoided the worst of the snow, but this goes to prove what Dave said.
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Thank you all for joining in and organizing, Dave and Simone your just raising awareness and that is nice!
Staying together is a basic rule also in the mountains, but yes sometimes you simply need to split up, I will be willing to lead a group back down if we feel we are getting in too deep and let Simone continue alone, sounds like he has done so before and I'm completely fine with that.
I have kept a group together before as well as done a lot on my own.
It's all up to the weather and conditions on the day!
Great shot Dave ;)
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To all who wanted to see a list, please look at this link:
http://www.stevenfallon.co.uk/mountainguideequip.html
It is a quite complete list, and some items I never bothering taking (midge repellant, sun screen, wistle, survival bag and -horror, horror! - the first aid kit*) but I would take seriously the part on clothing.
Others I only use seasonally, like hot drinks (only in winter). Also unlike most Brits I don't do gaiters, almost all the time, and never had a problem.
I do however always take wind/waterproof over trousers, and use them fairly frequently.
I am a big fan of walking poles, they help a lot both going up and down. Never go for the fancy ones, buy the cheapest you can find (mine were £10 a pair)
Lastly, don't forget a nice pair of thick, cushioned socks! (I also use very thin liners inside - I avoided for many years but I have become a convert to liners about 8 years ago).
* I know I will get some flak for this one... my point is that a few plasters are not useful at all, I have not needed compeed for about 25 years, and if something more serious happens it will require more equipment and skills than most first-aid-kit-owning mountaineers possess. The best defense is prevention.
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Thank you for the link Simone ....the list looks pretty basic and I have all the clothing items mentioned. As long as conditions are not too severe I am keen to challenge myself.
Cheers
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For anyone with travel insurance who may use crampons or ice axes, it is worth checking your travel insurance, as some policies exclude such activities.
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Since the talk has turned to hill-walking, I decided to post a few new pics of the hills we are talking about.
There will be a new thread in the nature, landscapes etc section, called "Killin - Chamonix of the North"!
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Folks - the due date of 12th March approaches, by which time we have to pay the full amount of the rental on our three lodges. As of today, 25th Feb. 9 members have paid £90.00 and 7 have paid £100.00, two have still to pay, and one late entrant has paid £85 which should have been £100.
9 @ £90.00 £810.00
7 @ £100.00 £700.00
£1510.00 paid
PLUS 1 @ £100
1 @ £85
1 @ £15
Likely total £1710.00
The nine early payers who paid £90 will unfortunately have to bring their contribution up to £100, but we will sort this out when actually at the Lodges. On 12th March I will go to the Lodges and make sure payment of £1800 is made in full, and I will pay any shortfall. If there is a shortfall, it's only fair to warn members that this will have to be shared among the group. :-\
Any questions, please post here or PM me.
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Thanks, Dave, I will happily pay my share.
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Thank you Dave for the overview.
I remember you mentioning something about not so good WiFi internet connections. Shall we come with signal amplifiers?
It would be a pity not to be able to login on NG and share photos...
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Should we not take another peron in from the waiting list?
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I don't think there is anyone waiting on the list, but that should not be a problem.
From what I can see it is sufficient that those who have not fully paid their dues do so and we'll reach the target £1800 (that includes bringing the contribution up to £100 for those who initially paid £90).
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Thank you Dave for the overview.
I remember you mentioning something about not so good WiFi internet connections. Shall we come with signal amplifiers?
It would be a pity not to be able to login on NG and share photos...
I wil be asking about wifi when I see them next week - they did "promise" that it would be upgraded this winter. My son worked there 7 or 8 years ago and said there was decent wifi at the office and at the restaurant, but otherwise very patchy. He thinks nothing will have changed.
Bring anything you think would be useful. I use amplifiers in our house - we can also try those, and if nothing else works we can find a way to let members connect from here.
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Dave, by looking at the website of our lodge, I have found out that we need to bring our own towels.
How about bed linens, soap, etc?
It would be nice to receive more info regarding our stay?
Thanks
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Dave, by looking at the website of our lodge, I have found out that we need to bring our own towels.
How about bed linens, soap, etc?
It would be nice to receive more info regarding our stay?
Thanks
this was my question as well 1 week ago in a mail to David - I think he is working on that
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Dave, by looking at the website of our lodge, I have found out that we need to bring our own towels.
How about bed linens, soap, etc?
It would be nice to receive more info regarding our stay?
Thanks
Jakov and Thomas - I am very sorry but I have just had an unbelievably busy week and the Scotland Event had to be put aside for a few days. I did email Thomas's query but have not had a reply as yet. I will email again but I think it's best if I raise all these queries directly with the lodges' office staff. At the same time I will find out the status of their wifi.
Please bear in mind that there is still more than two months to go, so there is time to get answers and fix problems.