Merry Christmas guys !

Here's some snaps I took today on a walk with Storm up Glen Isla's Mount Blair !!

http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/2323075

Ah the hills of home..made me feel quite homesick! Lovely pics,thanks for putting them on. Would much rather have been there than shopping today! Doesn't seem to be much snow left even on the high tops, is there? No White Christmas this year then....

Great photos Whitts.......think I will heading into the hills on Boxing Day...will try to remember to take my camera

hi Whitts,

Thank you again for sharing your beautiful photos. I'm surprised there is no snow on the hills. Beautiful views for a nice Christmas walk, I presume.

Waiting to see your next pictures soon. Greetings from France.

Lionel

Did you get any shots today Annie ?

No sadly Whitts didn't manage to get into the hills...the excesses of Christmas day caught up with me ...hopefully Saturday now

did make use of the day though by scanning on a load of photos...here's some of my Christmas trip to the Canadian Rockies in 2003

http://photobucket.com/albums/c92/anniebach/Canada/?sc=1

Nowhere too exciting today - out and about near the river Derwent in County Durham. Nice and quiet and a bit of snow blowing through...

Felt the shoulder relax those couple of inches..ahhhhhhh!



A few more photos here?

Well - I'm I glad it's the 27th today or else I could have been roasted had it been a couple of days earlier !!
Went out today for a varied route up to the east of Mount Keen but had to dramatically change my plans as when I arrived at the head of Glen Esk, after negotiating 15 miles of snow and ice on the glen road, I discovered that I had left my rucksac in the house !
What a turkey !!
Anyway I was armed with boots, gaiters, Goretex jacket, camera and a packet of Thorntons mint crumbles (and Storm) as I set off to tackle another route to Johnny Gordons bothy ! ......but no food, juice, flask or map and compass !
Anyway, I managed to walk for about four hours before the hunger began to bite so here's the snaps of a wintry Esk !!

http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/2333445

Great photos Annie and Jacqui! I am hoping to get to Canada in 2006 so those Rockies pictures have given me an idea of what's in store! Fantastic!

Whitts, trust you to forget your rucksack! But those pics are lovely - I particularly like 54 and 56 - great soft colours. Also ....is the hill in the second last one Mount Keen? If so, I haven't seen it from that direction before, looks good.

I was going to climb Auchnafree Hill today but plans had to change so made do with a wee walk around my river Esk ...the one in Musselburgh! Not as bonny as yours but the cold air blew the cobwebs away

The hill in the second last shot Sheila is Craig Maskeldie, which sits at the westend of Loch Lee, above the Falls of Unich ! There is a superb corrie surrounding these falls with Maskeldie and the crags of the Graham, Hunt Hill, enclosing it ! It's a bit out of character for the Eastern Grampians really - but a fantastic spot !
Johnny Gordons was brilliant. Plenty of firewood, firelighters and even a lighter to get a wee fire going over lunch - but no lunch I'm afraid !!

Whitts - they are FANTASTIC photos. Totally aching to be back home and in the hills. Oh to be sitting at the Corrie Fee waterfall... This being trapped in Englandshire is driving me nuts. ARGH!!!!!!!!!!

Actually going to have to go and find the digital video cam stuff of Clova now and dream!

Shaking off those cobwebs early this morning up Scotlands most easterly Corbett - Mount Battock !

http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/2369800

Great pics Greig! I had a similar sort of day on Auchnafree Hill - a corbett above Crieff in Perthshire. The mountain hares were out in force! One gave me a real fright as it shot below my feet! No time to catch it on film but I did get one photographed, a bit far away tho I wasn't too fit tho... think I was sweating pure alcohol and chocs! Anyway here's some pics


Auchnafree Hill

Great pics Sheila - thanks !!
I climbed Auchnafree about three years ago on a terribly windy day in January - great hill for cobweb clearer I agree !
Can't wait to get out and about now the festivities are over. Hoping to get out with Jacqui this weekend if my mother is in a good "child-minding mood."

Bonjour Sheila et Whitts !!!

Merci pour vos belles photos !!! I should carry on in English. Thanks for your lovely pictures. They make me feel very envious. I have to stay far away from the hills as I suffer from sciatica. But I hope to be fit again soon to enjoy some hillwalking with snoeshoes. There's plenty of snow over here on the Alps.

Sheila and Whitts, for your la-*test*-('") walk you really enjoyed fabulous weather conditions. Winter hillwalking in Scotland is really great. I enjoyed it 20 years ago when I was living in Inverness. On Saturdays I used to ski in the Cairngorms and on Sundays to go out hillwalking with the Highland Hillwalking Club. I spent a fantastic hillwalking winter in the Highlands.

Keep posting your photos here. You know that they are always appreciated.

Greetings from the French Alps,

Lionel