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The voice of Scotland’s hillwalkers, climbers, mountaineers and ski-tourers ISSUE 91 – SPRING 2021 Return to the hills What has changed since Covid? Does your climbing kit cost the earth? The magazine of Mountaineering Scotland www.mountaineering.scot @mountaineering @Mountain_Scot scotland @mountaineeringscotland www.climbscotland.net ClimbScotland @ClimbScot Tel: 01738 493942 [email protected] STAFF The newbies – threat or opportunity? AS I write this I’m thinking about getting There are people who just don’t care, Chief Executive Officer: my rucksack packed for my first wild who can’t be reached by anything other Stuart Younie camp in what feels such a long time. than enforcement, but most people do 01738 493 945 Since childhood I’ve found something want to do the right thing. Education [email protected] special about sleeping out under ‘canvas’, plays a vital role in that, but so does peer Mountain Safety Adviser: and it’s a feeling that hasn’t faded even as pressure, and it’s up to those of us who Heather Morning the body has got less pliable with age. camp with respect for others and for the 01479 861 241 But a couple of weeks ago, heading environment to set an example – not just [email protected] into the hills for a day walk and seeing a to show that this is how it should be done, number of tents pitched only yards from but that doing it properly is more fun. Part-time Mountain Safety Adviser: the road, I wondered what they could You’ll read a lot about getting back Ben Gibson 01479 861 241 be getting out of it – and at the risk they to the hills in this edition of Scottish [email protected] posed to my own future access. After all, Mountaineer, and one of the messages though our access legislation was hard I hope comes through loud and clear Member Services & Communications fought for, laws which have been changed is that if we want to enjoy the hills into Manager: Helen Gestwicki once can be changed again! the future then we have to welcome 01738 493 948 But in calmer mood I decided that what newcomers rather than set up barriers. [email protected] these roadside campers got from their After all, we were all new to this once. Communications Officer: activity was probably very much what Neil Reid I got from mine, but limited by lack of 01738 493 941 knowledge and experience. And the fires [email protected] and the rubbish that they would no doubt leave? Well that might just be down to me Membership Administrator: to tackle as much as anyone. Neil Reid, Editor Jane Anderson 01738 493 943 [email protected] BOARD MEMBERS Finance Officer: Denise Logan President: Director (Landscape & 01738 493 942 Brian Shackleton Planning): Dominic Hall fi[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Team Leader - Climb Scotland: Treasurer: Director (Access & Jamie Smith Hazel Meehan Conservation): Ron Neville 01738 493 942 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Director (Mountain Safety): Director (ClimbScotland): Sport Development Officer: Kevin Howett Nigel Clark Lucy Fraser 01738 493 946 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Director (Governance, HR Director (Clubs): Regional Development Officer & Equalities): Ilona Turnbull Jo Dytch (East): Calum McBain [email protected] [email protected] 07772 859737 (M) [email protected] Director (Member Services & Director (Snowsports Regional Development Officer Communications): Kat Jones Touring): Alistair Todd (West): Robert Mackenzie • [email protected] [email protected] 07923 908485 (M) [email protected] Scottish Mountaineer – Mountaineering Scotland Magazine Spring 2021 Please send any correspondence to Neil Reid, Mountaineering Scotland, The Granary, Access & Conservation Officer: West Mill Street, Perth PH1 5QP or email [email protected] Davie Black Published by Herald and Times Group Magazines, 125 Fullarton Drive, Glasgow G32 8FG [email protected] For advertising contact: Dali Dahmane on 0141 302 7759 [email protected] SPRING 2021 | SCOTTISH MOUNTAINEER | 5 Contents 10 22 New Twists Return to the Hills 30 Covid and Mountain Rescue 32 36 Scotland’s Walking Festivals Relative Hills 46 Mountain Equipment and Ethics 50 Regulars Mountain Literature 8 Mountaineering Scotland News 16 Conservation Matters 20 Access Matters 26 Mountain Skills 42 Get Climbing 52 Meet the Members 60 Out There Front cover photo: Emma Mason and Michael Birtwistle from Dundee University Rucksack Club on the In Pinn in Skye in March 2017. Photo by Nick Carter, Alpha Mountaineering SPRING 2021 | SCOTTISH MOUNTAINEER | 7 News Going online to beat Covid By Helen Gestwicki OVER the past year most of us have made use of online technology to keep in touch. Being unable to continue the normal programme of face-to- face Mountaineering Scotland and Climb Scotland events, we have been no exception. The whole staff team have adapted brilliantly and embraced technology to enable us to continue delivering talks, events and skills training, and engage with members and new audiences. In fact, since our programme of online events began in July 2020, we have reached well over 2,500 people through webinars (more than half of whom were non-members) and reached over 41,000 through series of winter skills videos, live events on social media. with a lot of support from Tiso Heather Morning was the first and Rab, for which we are brave soul to venture into the extremely grateful. The videos unknown with a Zoom webinar took the viewer through the covering basic navigation stages of planning, avalanche skills. Having spent many years awareness, kit and clothing in a delivering training face-to-face, fun and engaging way, helping on the hill, it was a real challenge us reach over 80,000 viewers on to be faced with a computer Facebook alone – very powerful, screen and 200 students she I’m sure you’ll agree! couldn’t see! It was, however, a Facebook has also been the great success with really positive regular venue for our mountain feedback, and we quickly safety live Q&A events, hosted realised this was a very effective by Heather, which this year way to reach a lot more people have included ones dedicated in a very efficient way, if not quite to ski touring, winter skills and the same experience as our a spring skills for the hills event usual skills course format. to complement Ben’s webinars The next volunteer, Access and reach a slightly different and Conservation Officer Davie audience. Black, gave a really engaging The ClimbScotland team have talk on ‘The Nature of the Hills’ in also been making their presence November, taking viewers through felt online. The ScotRock the history and important points podcast, produced by Calum of the Scottish Outdoor Access McBain and Robert MacKenzie, Code, using examples of the work had its first live online session he is involved in day-to-day. If you early in 2021 in partnership with have ever listened to Davie speak Tiso, featuring Iona Rendall, you’ll know how much knowledge popular winter skills lecture members of varying degrees of Hamish Frost and Molly Hughes, he has, and the feedback was tour, Ben Gibson did a great job experience and knowledge, and three young mountaineers again excellent and spurred with two winter skills webinars, Ben did well to pitch at the right who are all ‘supported by Tiso him on to take more people for reaching record high audiences level for both. ambassadors’. If you haven’t a virtual stroll up his local hill, of 331 and 369 viewers (still Along with the winter listened to the podcasts yet, King’s Seat in the Ochils, during to be beaten by the rest of the skills webinars, Heather, please do. They are available on the second lockdown. team!). Again, the attendees were Ben and Robert Mackenzie Podbean and all major podcast Unable to deliver our usually a mix of members and non- (ClimbScotland) produced a platforms – just search for 8 | SCOTTISH MOUNTAINEER | SPRING 2021 ScotRock. ClimbScotland have been working closely with the our counterparts the BMC and Mountaineering Ireland, and the Strategy review Association of British Climbing Walls (ABC) on various projects to promote good practice at indoor climbing walls including and member survey hosting two webinars for AS we look forward to the future with a and our celebration of our 50th year as an climbing wall staff, attended more positive outlook, directors have started organisation. All this offers us an important by over 500 people, videos to work on the review of our current strategy opportunity to consider the future of support climbers returning to and the development of a new plan that will Mountaineering Scotland. indoor climbing walls, and a help guide the direction of the organisation Getting members’ views will be an ‘better belaying’ project. through to 2025. important part of the process and we will be And in partnership with This is an exciting time and updating bringing our member survey forward this year Glenmore Lodge, Robert and driving the overall strategy for the to ensure your feedback helps to shape the hosted the recent ‘Intro to Rock organisation is a key priory for the board of future of the organisation. We will also be Climbing – skills checklist directors to ensure we maintain the focus on connecting with other partner organisations and safe practices’ webinar our existing priorities, while also looking at and key stakeholders over the next few with experienced mountaineer new opportunities to develop and grow the months to seek their views on how we can and climbing instructor Stuart scope of the work we are involved in. work more effectively on behalf of the wider MacAlesse, aimed at supporting We have seen growth in interest in outdoor mountaineering community climbers to make the transition recreation and more people heading to in Scotland.
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