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News from 2006 to 2009
2009
Annual Xmas Dinner, AGM and Awards
Held this year at the newly opened Dalmore Inn and Refreshment. Wonderful menu, excellent food and enjoyable company. We undertook similar activities to last year but this time with the commencement of wild camping sessions. Though these are dependent on a suitable weather window, we don't want to put people off too early! Navigation training has taken place, the Walking Festival was run, and new challenges undertaken. For next year, there will be more, a trip up Ben Nevis, more camping, more navigation, and additional challenges or long days out during late spring and summer, as well as the annual Walking Festival again.
Taken before the drinks started and everyone unusually quiet
(unlike when walking and they all wonder why we don't see wild-life close up!)
Christmas
2009
Here we are, another year over and
its Christmas again,
Lots more walks done and all
looking forward to 2010.
There’s been First-Aid courses
and Map Reading too,
So all of the leaders can take good
care of you.
There’s been hills to climb and
long valley walks,
Then eat up your sandwiches behind
sheltering rocks.
Some were afraid of the injured
adder – not Nick,
He went to its rescue with his
trusty stick.
Crossing the stream, getting wet
– I saw someone frown,
‘Cos look, there’s a bridge,
just a hundred yards down’.
But that’s just Nick’s way –
his little jest,
As he pushes us on, to all do our
best.
He showed how a thistle could be
eaten for food,
Rely on that and your chance of
survival ain’t good.
Some went wild camping without any
bungle,
No eating of bugs like the celebs
in the jungle.
The magic of that camping in Glen
Shee,
You could see all the stars as you
had your tea.
Then a walk in the dark with the
hills all around,
And awake in the dawning, where the
stillness abounds.
But joking aside, we’re all safe
as we go,
Trusting behind him, through wind,
sun and snow.
We’ll be back next year with
excitement anew,
Eagerly anticipating more walks
with Nick and with Sue.
Elizabeth Brown
December 2009
Children in Need Challenge
The planned Redmyre Loch walk on Wednesday 18th November was changed in favour of Children in Need. The challenge was to get at least 30 participants to the top of a Munro. While some had done this before at least 15 people had never in their wildest dreams thought they could do such a thing. Well, with a fund raising effort of £683, 32 people made it and in a turn around time of just over 2 hours including a picnic lunch in the wind! Little do they realise there are no excuses now! With an average age of 64¼ this was no mean achievement and was completed by just plodding along putting one foot in front of the other, and a nerve wracking time for the leaders with so many first timers! There were smatterings of snow on the surrounding hills and some ice on the puddles, but everyone coped. The hill climbed was Carn Aosda at 917m (3009ft) above sea level, number 278 out of 283 so certainly not the lowest. The weather was just about perfect, sunny without being hot, allowing views of Ben Macdui (the second highest hill in Britain), Cairngorm, the tors of Ben Avon and Lochnager all in distant view as well as the others east and west of the ski centre.
Well done!
Camping
The initial wild camping expedition was held overnight 17/18th September. We went upstream along Baddoch Burn (beneath An Socach and Carn Aosda). For an introductory session the weather and conditions couldn't have been better. It was neither too hot nor cold, a slight breeze kept the midges at bay, and it was dry and clear. Because the moon wasn't out visibility was poor but after a while night vision started to work and things could be seen in the sky and on the ground. There was some hazy high level cloud which masked a lot stars, but the Milky Way was visible, along with the old-favourite the Plough and of course the Pole Star Polaris. Mars and the Orion constellation were too low in the sky and behind the hills to the east. The very bright object to the south was Jupiter. A few low level satellites were also seen moving across the sky, probably GPS! Before going for a short and dark walk a small herd of red deer were also seen against the north sky-line wondering what on earth was going on below them - mad humans!
They took their time packing away - more practice needed!
Time to get up (app 06:50) (Carn nan Gabhar in the centre)
Everything put up successfully - time for tea!
Navigation
The first newsworthy event of 2009 has been that we have successfully held two National Navigation Award weekend training courses. 9 people have successfully passed and have more confidence in following where they are being led during their walking adventures. The courses were held in Blackcraig Forest which proved a suitable venue for the Bronze level. This standard is sufficient for what is probably 90% of occasions when people go walking by themselves. Further courses are available by visiting Outdoor Adventures.
A sunny Blackcraig and instructor Nick Cole is asking Ron to take everybody else on a mystery tour.
The next newsworthy event is that on 20th April we completed our 200th walk since starting in May 2005. Over this time we have collectively walked half way round the globe nearly 12,500 miles, and climbed over 430 miles high. This is a significant achievement bearing in mind that the group's average age is 65!
2008
Well another year over, and what have we done? Refreshed and trained MiDAS drivers, refreshed and trained First Aiders, ran the Stride for Life walks for another year, climbed Schiehallion, ran another successful Walking Festival at the height of the Credit Crunch. And most importantly ran an additional series of Moderate walks getting more people round the Cateran Trail, and into interesting and out of the way places. We provided 1,919km of walks involving 68,230m of ascent. All spread over 178 days on 1652 walk places. In total we walked 17,685km, and ascended 628km, or over 2,000,000feet! Elizabeth Brown wrote an ode to the group, just showing that some of us can do more than walk.
Annual Christmas Dinner Moderate and Advanced Walks at Bridge of Cally Hotel
This year's challenge was held on 23 September, just before the Walking Festival! A group took on Schiehallion. This is quite a high mountain 1083m, but it was done within the daylight time and a leisurely start (0900) from Blairgowrie. For some it wasn't the first visit but it was quite a pleasant day, not too hot and not too cold. What was surprising were the numbers of other people we met, but then this is an iconic mountain.
On 28th April at the third attempt a group managed to complete a climb of Driesh with the circuit of Mayar and Corrie Fee as well. The first attempt was blizzarded off early last year, and a later attempt took too long with a member not feeling well so we had an early return to the minibus. This time a smaller group braved the promised deluge and snow (above 700m). They were all pleasantly surprised as the storm never materialised and despite a lot of soft, wet and slippery lying snow it was actually quite warm. Clouds were low, around the top of Lochnagar level, so we couldn't see quite as far as we would have liked. A long descent into a very scenic Corrie Fee was the bonus for the day, especially on the recently repaired path!
With the valuable help of Perth and Kinross Association of Voluntary Services we have finally acquired access to our own minibus. This has allowed the creation of a full programme of walks for the remainder of the year, and also re-scheduling the advanced walks to Tuesday giving our hard working leader and organiser opportunities for long weekends for the first time in 3 years. With the flexibility that the minibus entails we can improve the Wednesday walks and go out on more interesting challenges at shorter notice. Also, a major boost is that we do not have to worry about getting back in time for the next bus user. Along with the flexibility comes additional expense so we have adjusted our subscription policy to include annual memberships to help. A very big thank-you to PKAVS and the Community Transport Group.
Other recent successes have been a successful traverse of the Creag Leacach to Glas Maol ridge under winter conditions on 3rd March. Expectation of a second lunch stop in the lee of the wall on Glas Maol was curtailed as when we got there it was already full of people. The planned descent route had to be abandoned because of the presence of hard icy ground so we needed to return via the ascent route. This extended the day somewhat. In the process we covered 3 Munro tops! Stunning distant views made up for the 50 to 60mph wind gusts, and powder snow.
With effect from 17th October 2007, BaDNS takes full responsibility for maintaining the successful Stride for Life Wednesday Walk programme. This was set up by Perth and Kinross Leisure in partnership with Strathmore and the Glens. It has always been dependent on volunteer walk leaders, who all come from BaDNS. So therefore this has been a natural and logical management move. Details of the walk programme are found in the index on the left or by following this link.
In addition demand for spaces on the more advanced walks has led to the establishment of a Thursday walk programme. This fills the gap between the now highly experienced Monday walkers, all of whom came through the Wednesday programme, and the aspiring walkers also from Wednesday. It will start by completing the Cateran Trail in manageable chunks and then continue with a more moderate programme. Therefore BaDNS now offers a full range of led or guided walking opportunities with qualified walk leaders ranging from slow and short health walks up to multi-Munro bagging days. Wednesday walks are time limited and take between 1 and 2 hours overall, Thursday walks will be intended to be back in Blairgowrie by approx 15:00, while the Monday walks will be returning as the day allows!
2007
The 2007 challenge really was one! On 25th June a small party took on Ben Lawers, the highest point in Perthshire at 1214m (3983ft). To go any higher needed an airplane or given the wind a kite! The weather was mixed but dry. Out of the cloud it was sunny and warm, but behind this was a ferocious wind, forecast to be 31mph at the summit. A slight underestimate as once we got there it was very difficult to stand up let alone move, it felt more like 70mph instead (if my memories of driving a motorbike were correct). It was a struggle to climb and in the conditions it was often a case of a scramble instead of a walk or step climb.
Eight of us took this on, and we all made it, climbing Beinn Ghlas as well as Ben Lawers itself - so 2 Munros! We could have gone over Beinn Ghlas on the descent but there was a less windy option of descending to the col to the west instead.
On the way up we passed a party of Germans, totally unprepared for the conditions, huddled in the 10m visibility on Beinn Ghlas, expressing the view that they liked walking and were used to the Alps so Scotland was easy! After a brief chat (advice) they decided discretion was the better part of valour and returned to the car park. Their jeans and tennis shoes potentially the worse for wear.
Today was great achievement for all, and a first for several of the group. It was a good effort and well done.
Oh, and the Exclosure reserve was interesting as well, and to crown the day I was able to get a photograph of Meall nan Tarmachan without any cloud for the first time ever!
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| Meall nan Tarmachan | Looking North towards Glen Lyon | Beinn Ghlas and Ben Lawers from the descent |
2006
Our previous challenge was participating in the Eastern Cairngorm Challenge across Jock's Road. This was an inaugural event for the newly completed trail and nature reserve in the Glen Doll area. A team of 11 completed with an average age of 61 completed the route in a time of 7hrs 20mins. Some half an hour of an earlier and rather younger group!
We also provided a certificated first aid training course for 12 of our members. They are now qualified to national governing body standards for Emergency Aid in the Outdoors.
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| Ardblair Trail |
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| Clouds in Glen Callater |
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| Falls of Unich, Glen Lee |
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| Balnamoon's Cave |
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| Corrie Fee |
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| Carlingheugh Bay |