Browsing all articles from September, 2011
Sep
6
2

Cuts and crampons: the IML journey continues

Author Sophie Nicholson    Category trekkingholidays     Tags , , , , , ,

It’s been quite a month in the Alps! After a July dominated by rainfall only previously seen on the West Coast of Scotland, August finally stepped up to the mark in terms of weather and the sun and rock lizards came out to play once more. Normal service has been resumed and it’s been a full-on month in terms of outdoor activity in the mountains .

Pair climbing at altitude in the Alps

Climbing skills, essential for an IML

Peppered with some serious road biking involving numerous ascents of the notorious Col de Joux Plane, most of the fun has been had on the rock and ice here in the Haute Savoie. August has revaled a whole host of firsts for me in terms of mountaineering experience – my first ‘girls only’ climbing day on the Chamonix crag of Les Gaillands in France, my first total meltdown on the multipitch Vipere au Pied at Barberine, and now I am the proud owner of my first set of stitches as a result of a crampon/leg combo whilst descending the Petite Aiguille Verte last week.

All have been fantastic learning experiences and I have loved every bit of  them all. Ok, ok…. perhaps losing my composure at altitude wasn’t exactly my proudest hour but what it did teach me is that I’m really going to have to work on my steep rock climbing technique if I’m ever going to be a complete climber! Some guy called Einstein did once say ‘in the midst of difficulty lies opportunity’ and as he’s considered to be quite clever, I think I’ll take his advice.

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Sep
6
1

A scuba virgin diving in Australia

Author Robert Ince    Category scubadivingholidays     Tags , , , , ,

I think I’ve been forgotten. I’m sitting at the back of the boat, wetsuit-clad legs dangling into the Pacific, and attempting to look back with a heavy oxygen tank on my back to see if I’m going to get a partner for the dive or not; my first scuba dive, and I’m diving in Australia. You see, one must go down in a pair, but due to travelling alone the odd numbers in the group means I’m waiting for someone to accompany me. The rest have already gone ahead.

Scuba Diving in Australia

Scuba: More fun and safer in a group. Image; Flickr/ Daquella manera

My nervousness is palpable, but I’m also possessed with a sense of excitement and anxious anticipation. Scuba has its dangers, as does the Pacific… The laid-back tour guide eventually, and somewhat reluctantly, offers to join me and we’re soon off into the deep blue below.

This is the Great Barrier Reef, one of the wonders of the world, it’s a few kilometers off the coast of tropical North Queensland in Australia, and I’ve come on a day trip from Cairns to the Outer Barrier Reef – ideal for the traveller short on time and perfect for anyone new to scuba diving. Many day trips will focus on the Inter Reef Gardens, and reefs close to places such as Michaelmas Cay, Fitzroy Island and Green Island. In short, diving paradise.

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Sep
5
0

Is it ever worth risking your life for surf?

Author Jeff    Category surfingholidays     Tags , , , , ,

There’s been no waves in Southern California recently. It’s mid-summer and this extended lull in ocean energy is an annual occurrence. It’s expected. Besides highly publicized southern swells that rarely swing into the region and crowd every peak, summer surfing in California is like paddling for chop in a reservoir.

So, when I ran into a buddy the other day and asked half-jokingly if he’d been out at all recently, I predicted the customary, ‘nah man, haven’t been in the water for a while’ response.  Instead, I was stupefied to hear he had scored just last weekend. ‘How?’ I questioned, ‘it’s been flat forever.’ ‘Well, I had a little adventure,’ he began…

Surfing in California

How far will you go to get your wave? Image: Flickr /dlofink

Turns out he and another pal took a 12-foot Zodiac to an off-limits point on a naval base in search of waves. Almost in earshot of the break, they were intercepted by a military craft and turned away – a common occurrence when getting too close to a base. But the sight of the forbidden right-hander only served to fuel their determination.

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Sep
2
0

My day coasteering on the North Highland Way

Author Tina Irving    Category trekkingholidays     Tags , , , ,

Most folk would not choose to go up a hill by the wettest route, but that is precisely what I did when I went gorge walking and coasteering near Dunnet Head, the most northerly point of the UK mainland. Coasteering is a mixture of scrambling, swimming, climbing and jumping off cliffs while traversing the coastline. The rocky coastline of Caithness lends itself to coasteering and there are many fantastic sites all along the coast.

Coasteering

Coasteering is a leap of faith. Image: Flickr/ Scott Hamilton Photography

We had selected Dunnet Head as our first point of call, and a group of us set out with our guides, Tony and Mark, who had travelled from Inverness one beautiful sunny morning determined to get the best out of our trip to the far north of Scotland.

We walked out to a great site on the eastern side of Dunnet Head for our first experience – there are some superb spots with coves and geos of differing heights which are great for beginners. It is not necessary to be able to swim to go coasteering, as buoyancy is provided by the neoprene wet suit and there are experienced people to help if you get into difficulties. You will certainly need a wet suit in the cold waters of the Pentland Firth, even in the summer months!

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