River Etive 25 March 2011

Cooler weather has stalled the melt from the hills and the Etive was relatively low today but still runnable. Quick outing this afternoon with Callum Anderson.

Callum heads over Right Angle Falls.

Orion Face 5,5 Ben Nevis Ice Climb 19 Mar 2011

David Shortt and I left home at 4.45, and the N face car park at 0500, passing the CIC hut at about 0700, giving this view of Orion Face and also showing fat ice on Hadrian's Wall.

Chris in the gully below Zero en route to Orion Face

Chris led the first pitch into the shallow gully, with remnants of an old rope in the ice from a previous epic retreat from some party who must have abandoned it!

............................ and then Dave took the long second pitch which starts with a vertical wall, trending up and left. Fine ice climbing, quite run out.


Chris appearing at the top of the second pitch, entrance to the amphitheatre. Climber below gives the scale of the place.

After climbing the amphitheatre ands being held up for two hours below the slab rib by a party of three and other pairs, we got our turn to climb the crux. Chris headed out across a very sketchy and exposed traverse with close to no ice on it.


After the traverse, climbing steeply up a wall and bulges on patchy and brittle ice.

A very impressive pitch which is the key to the upper part of the route.


David working on up as we head towards the exit chimney.

As the light faded we approached the top and finished just as it got dark at 1900.

A very challenging route made the more so by lean conditions and losing three hours waiting for parties to move through constricted sections.

A 2 and a half hour descent followed and then wheat beers, showers, fish chowder and hot tub to ease the aching limbs before falling into bed.

On skis and foot, Spean area 14 March 2011

In the afternoon today the sun finally emerged and the warmth melted the low snow
whilst the hills looked radiant in their fresh cover. This view of the church at Achluachrach
just to the east of us shows winter and spring fighting it out. River Spean below the church.

Went for a short ski trip at Rough Burn.

Nid Ridge rising above the village at Spean. Freshly plastered.

The snow free view downstream of the Spean, from Telford's Bridge.

Upper and Lower Otongo and Baba, Ecuador

Otongo, Western Ecuador, at the right flow, is surely one of the world's most beautiful creeks.
The upper starts small and steep and full of class 4 action.....and even the odd Russian!

It descends through beautiful technical jungle fringed rapids, with warm Ecuadorian water adding to the perfection.

The Upper Otongo saves its steepest rapid for the approach to confluence with the well named Rio Crystal.

After which the combined flows leave you in a heaven of white water, never too hard.....

........yet full of excitement and quality...........

quite simply the kind of place you could hang around!!! :-) Ecuador is mega!

Starring Oleg and Olga on catamaran

Rio Muluaute, Ecuador

Exciting day......off to paddle Muluaute River. rarely paddled and very fine.

Milbert drove us over the mountain to the put in and..................

............ a landslide had that morning taken out the road.

........... so we carried our craft across and negotiated a ride on the local milk truck for $10.

Catching some rays whilst we wait for the truck to leave.

All loladed up, paddler, kayak and catamaran.

Milk truck crew see us off at the put in.

Staright into wonderful white water.

The Muluaute Gorge is a pristine place. This may change. A road is being driven up into this region which may well make the river much more accessible.

A world class one day run. Grade 4.

Rio Toachi Grande, Ecuador

Heavy rain was falling as we headed for Rio Toachi Grande, main section from village down to Sta Maria del Toachi. A fine class 4 run.

Warm rain led to all sorts of interesting antics............

.................including experiments with home-made umbrellas.



Oleg Kuzmichev.

Rio Toachi, Ecuador

Incredible run on the Rio Toachi. 40 Kms in less than 4 hours on a huge brown churning river.
Milbert took Olga, Oleg and myself to the put in. 14 on gauge. Highest I had run it was 8!!

Rio Otongo, Ecuador

Stayed with old friend Cody Evans, paddling here with another Ecuadorean friend, Herman Pasternak.

Enjoying a run on their local river, the beautiful Otongo River.


Starting out at the put in for the Upper Otongo with Olga and Oleg.

A wonderful section of steep boulder rapids.

The final complex rapid where the Upper Otongo meets the Rio Cristal.

Russians love to hang from lianas!

Heading into main section on Otongo.

Making a hard cut to the left amidst huge boulders......

Cody running the lower Otongo.

.....and busting through a rapid........

Ricardo Alzamora.

.....and a great late lunch at the Parillada afterwards!!! :-)

But Oleg is still hungry!!!