There is barely a more iconic mountain in the Southern Highlands of Scotland than The Cobbler, also called Ben Arthur. It has such a good position within the Arrochar Alps that when hikers climb it, they often add in some of the other surrounding peaks like Beinn Narnain or Beinn Íme (to bag a few more munros in one trip).
Last year I decided to change my traditional hiking gear for ultralight gear. I’ve been always a big fan of ultralight hiking but my circumstances hadn’t allowed me to make the switch. Why is that? Firstly, I already had all the hiking gear I needed and switiching to ultralight was unacceptable for my environmentalist soul.
It was the morning of 24th December when I arrived at the car park, ready for a snowy climb. I was the first weirdo there, all the other sane Christmas hikers were still in their warm beds, which was a smart idea since my thermometer in the car was showing -12 degrees Celcius.
So you’re thinking about walking the West Highland Way and you’re wondering what gear you should take with you. Well, it really depends on 2 things: If you’re going to camp or stay in a hotel/Bnb and when you want to hike the West Highland Way.
The MSR Titanium kettle is a 850 ml mug with a sturdy handle and a flat lid. I’m not sure why it’s called a kettle since it’s more a mug/pot. It can be used for 1 person as a universal pot/mug or for 2 people if you don’t plan on cooking something complicated like lasagne. It works just fine for 2 portions of cous cous and similar instant meals.
Hiking alone is a powerful experience and I wish everyone would go for it on regular basis. And I’m not talking about a few hours in a local park. I’m talking about a multi-day hike when you see nothing but forest, hear nothing but birds and when the stars shine so much that you can’t sleep at night.
Late November may not appear to be the ideal time to hike the Arran Coastal Way. However, I had reached saturation point with day to day life in the dark depths of Glasgow and needed to get out for some fresh air and alone time.
It’s time to think about this past year and what it has meant for me as a hiker. Just for a bit though as what’s done is done, and what’s to come is in the stars.
The Canary Islands are a relatively small Spanish archipelago of 7 islands waaaay down under Europe. They are a popular holiday destination for Europeans during the winter but they are also well known for their hiking possibilities. Culturally European, geographically African, the Canaries have something for every hiker.
Tenerife is one of the most popular islands of the Canary Island, and though it can get busy on the coast, don’t worry, the hiking trails are mostly empty as most holiday makers stay by the swimming pool.