My Blog
My Blog
June
France
Had a trip to the south of France, a few days near Tende, the Italians were forced to give up that area to France after WW2.
The guidebook was out of print but we got some topos from the tourist information centre.
A few photos here Maritime Alps
We then moved on to near Briancon, I thought it would be cooler but temperatures were still in the low 30s. A few photos here Haute Alpes
Nests
I found a gull’s nest with five eggs, they don’t lay more that three so it must have been the work of two females. I read a long time ago about two female Kestrels in North America that mated and produced a very large clutch of infertile eggs, but maybe it was just a confused female using the wrong nest. Earlier in the year Ravens fledged from several nests but four Hooded Crows nests failed (perhaps eaten by Buzzards or Ravens).
New Routes
I did a dozen routes up the hill above Ulva Ferry one evening. On sight solo on new routes is an interesting way to go, coping with loose holds and not knowing if you will be able to finish or will have to reverse back to the ground.
We spent a weekend with Pete Whillance, it was cold with heavy showers so we were happy with seven new routes.
Yacht
I was asked to thread a rope through the top of a mast. It was a bit more complicated than we thought so I went up the mast three times, it was a still evening but I didn’t like the way the boat swayed. It look an hour but I was given some beer.
Steve Cordingley photo
Drone
I got a phone call from someone in Norway, her partner had crashed his drone into a remote cliff on the south coast of Mull while mapping the rocks and she asked if I could retrieve it.
The next day he sent me coordinates, photos and other information so I set off one evening after work to look for it. I gave up at 7pm when I hadn’t got half way there and it was raining slightly.
He reckoned it was important so I tried again.
After work I started a 7 hour shift, I left the house at 4pm and drove to Loch Buie. I then walked over the hill and along the coast. The hills were slow work with heather and bracken hiding holes in the boulders. The coast was also hard work, I ended up at a few dead ends and had to retrace my steps to try other ways. The scrambling along the coast was great on fine clean rock with caves and arches below, but I didn’t have time to appreciate it. Above the coast are a series of cliffs from about 200 to 500 feet high often compact, shattered and overhanging! I had only walked that coast once, looking for crags in winter 1981.
I didn’t have long ropes with me or enough time to reach the drone. Got home at 11pm.
Third try with longer ropes also took seven hours! I think it needs two or three short abseils from small trees. Part of the abseil is overhanging and it was very windy so I decided against it.
If anyone wants to retrieve the drone I’ll pass on the details, the owner has offered to pay for recovery. Maybe someone from Dunstaffnage with a boat?
Sunday, 9 July 2017