Ben Avon - via MTB

Pedalling up Ben Avon was easy but a long drag of about 8 miles. Starting from Keiloch, pay parking then a solitary roll up the draggy climb thru Glen Slugain. You pass some fine examples of old Caledonian pines and other stands of native trees eg Mountain Ash. Plenty of Deer sign but none visible.

Sweet singletrack with occasional drainge dips and bunny hops to wake me up. This path is only a year or two old, some contractors were tweaking the fine gravel near the drainage channels. Pity it's not 6inches narrower.

A trail panorama, still more singletrack ahead. Even though a few had passed. Plenty ofsmall crystal clear streams for refreshement stops. There are a few erratic boulders big enough for bivvying under too.

Arisaig and Morar

Open Canoeing on the sea, I have probably had more days paddling on the salty stuff than the fresh stuff. My Old Town Chalres River, ready to go.

Although you can get the free Skye Bridge, I still prefer to get the ferry over, from Mallaig to Armadale-Point of Sleat.

Sands of Morar, high tide. Any opporchancity for a cuppa, with the kelly kettle was taken.

One of my fav. scottish paddling spots, Arisaig and Morar. Park at the end of the singletrack, signed RHU, heading out south form Arisaig and find your own private beach,blisss.

Eigg and Rhum from a perfect coral beach

Is it gonna rain tomorow ?

Another fantastic fews days........

Another fantastic fews days, with weather and views and the excellent views of Eigg and Rhum. Here is my Old Town Chalres River canoe, beached for a brew stop with my kelly Kettle. The fuel this day was old dried bracken stems and some dried seaweed from above the spring tide line.

Corral Beaches at Arisaig

Some amazing shell beaches up there but the coral ones are amzing too, especially when you actualy land and inpsect them.

As I landed, the deer chewing away disperesd up the beach, not too far away. Lots of tatsty fresh shoots in the deer grass and heather.

Vallorcine - Sunny Bolted Alpine Granite

We were very lucky with the weather, a full week of warm weather with light thunder showers evening. The Vallorcine crag is a great sweep of steep, rough, textured, granite slab.

This is actually 'Gietroz' slab, spot the climbers ?

The belay after the first pitches of Vallorcine.

The History of Cycling on Mont Ventoux

Sad but true, Tommy Simpon had died on his way up the Geant, luckily I did not although it did feel like it for a while. The last 5Km form the Bedoin side contours up, at least now the cyclist can see the 'end in sight'. You can se the large radio antenna 'sputnik' in style.

The last 5km on the Mont Seiren side snkes up in hairpins,no such hairpins on the Southern 'Bedoin' side. Fantastic riding as you roll up admiring extensive views of the Alps, expanding in scale as you progress up the gradient.