Category Archives: Books

Self Reliance ( meaning “reliance on one’s own powers and resources rather than those of others”) on the mountains a few thoughts.

Posted on October 15, 2021 by heavywhalley.MBE

It is what many of us call this is the “silly season” it’s already started in my mind. The daylight hours are now shortening and the weather changing. Mountain Rescue Teams are getting busy as the weather, daylight catch folk … Continue reading →

Posted in Articles, Books, Enviroment, Equipment, Gear, Mountain rescue, mountain safety, Mountaineering, Munros, Recomended books and Guides, Scottish winter climbing., SMC/SMT, Weather, Well being, Wildlife | 5 Comments

A new book on the way from the Scottish Mountaineering Trust on Tom Patey .

Posted on September 29, 2021 by heavywhalley.MBE

From the Scottish Mountaineering Trust “Tom Patey is a Scottish climbing legend who needs no introduction. His climbing escapades, evening antics and desire for adventure combine to produce a character unlike any other in our country’s climbing history. We are … Continue reading →

Posted in Articles, Books, Mountaineering, Recomended books and Guides, SMC/SMT, Views Mountaineering | Leave a comment

Poetry on the hills – How I missed out for so long .

Posted on September 22, 2021 by heavywhalley.MBE

Norman MacCaig. This is part of his work that made me read lots of his poetry. I love the poetry of the mountains and wild places and coming from Ayr the land of Robbie Burns it makes me sorry I … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Bothies, Mountaineering, People, Poems, Recomended books and Guides, Views Mountaineering, Well being | 2 Comments

A Classic Climb Greag Dubh Wall – Tremadoc North Wales.

Posted on September 3, 2021 by heavywhalley.MBE

I located a photo with great memories of my time in North Wales. I loved climbing there and we often went to Tremadoc which seemed to hold the good weather. It was also a roadside crag( no long Scottish walks … Continue reading →

Posted in Articles, Books, Friends, Gear, Mountain rescue, Mountaineering, Recomended books and Guides, Views Mountaineering, Well being | 2 Comments

Time to check your gear for winter?

Posted on September 2, 2021 by heavywhalley.MBE

The picture was taken in 1972 after I had been in the RAF Kinloss Mountain Rescue Team for a few months. I had just done my first winter. That was some introduction for a 7 stone wee lad . Every … Continue reading →

Posted in Articles, Books, Equipment, Mountain rescue, mountain safety, Mountaineering, People, Recomended books and Guides, Views Mountaineering, Weather, Well being, Wildlife | Leave a comment

The Beinn Eighe Lancaster crash by Doctor Brewster The Moray Mountaineering Club.

Posted on August 21, 2021 by heavywhalley.MBE

This was given to me a long time ago it was from the Moray Mountaineering Club Journal (1981) This is the story of the search for a missing Lancaster aircraft on Beinn Eighe the article was written 30 years ago … Continue reading →

Posted in Aircraft incidents, Articles, Books, Family, Mountaineering, People, Recomended books and Guides, Scottish winter climbing., SMC/SMT, Views Mountaineering, Weather, Well being | 2 Comments

Part 2 – The Diary of Joss Gosling from the Lancaster Crash on Beinn Eighe in 1951.

Posted on August 19, 2021 by heavywhalley.MBE

Joss’s Diary continued. 20 April 1951 The RAF Kinloss Mountain Rescue Team left Kinloss for Kinlochewe to find the weather dull. Saturday 21 April – The weather was really fine it improved, not a cloud in the sky . Five … Continue reading →

Posted in Aircraft incidents, Books, Enviroment, Equipment, Friends, Gear, Mountain rescue, Mountaineering, People, PTSD, Recomended books and Guides, Scottish winter climbing., Views Mountaineering, Weather, Well being | Leave a comment

Hamish MacInnes – The Fox of Glencoe. Thanks for the review Adrian.

Posted on August 11, 2021 by heavywhalley.MBE

My friend Adrian Trednal wrote this in “All things Cuillin” on Facebook. He has given me permission to use it. I personally loved the book it is a wealth of stories by a man I miss and many others dearly. … Continue reading →

Posted in Articles, Books, Friends, Mountain rescue, Mountaineering, People, Scottish winter climbing., SMC/SMT, Views Mountaineering, Well being | 2 Comments

Glendessary and Glen Kingie – and my Father as a student missionary.

Posted on July 30, 2021 by heavywhalley.MBE

I received this piece about my Father: I was looking at Ian Mitchell’s book titled Mountain Footfalls. In his chapter on Glendessary he refers to an article in an old issue of the Life and Work The Church of Scotland … Continue reading →

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1965’s Scottish Climbing School Glencoe . Some names here . Dougal Haston, John Harlin, Tom Patey. Ely Moriarty, John Cunningham Rusty Ballie .

Posted on July 8, 2021 by heavywhalley.MBE

Could you imagine being taught by these climbers in 1965 ? Think of all the news routes they would have climbed. They were the some of the cream of Scottish climbing of that era . I wonder if anyone remembers … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, History, Ice climbing Canada, Mountaineering, People, Recomended books and Guides, Scottish winter climbing., Views Mountaineering, Well being | 2 Comments