New Year was spent at Kincraig in somewhat disappointing weather after the splendid snow conditions at the end of 2010. In search of better conditions we spent the best part of a month in New Zealand in February and March, and I indulged in some extra-curricular bagging, including Mount Ngaurohoe, a fine active volcano, and even a Ben Lomond near Queenstown.
Having missed the best winter conditions in Scotland, there was still some ski-touring to be had with a good, if somewhat misty, trip up Monadh Mor in March. April saw a welcome return to An Teallach and some of the Fannichs, but the best weather of the year by far was at the end of that month when I enjoyed some splendid outings on Groban and Beinn Bheag, Beinn a'Mhuinidh and Beinn a'Chearchaill.
Beinn a'Mhuinidh and Loch Maree (photo: Alan Dawson)
More Grahams were bagged in July and August in the Appin and Glen Etive area, including a splendid trip in to Beinn nan Lus and Meall Garbh - but be warned, the 'flat' cycle ride up the east shore of Loch Etive is anything but. We were back in time for a midnight feast, but only just.
I finally climbed my last English 3000er, Skiddaw, in hot sunny weather in September, finally giving up on a 25-year-old plan to wait for good ski conditions. A short day on Law Kneis turned out to be hard work - cycling up forest tracks from the north-east was easy but the 'clear' area up to the summit has now been ploughed and planted and is very hard going. Once the trees grow up, access will not be easy.
