Category Archives: Equipment

Early days Arran

Posted on May 2, 2024 by heavywhalley.MBE

Travelling from my hometown in Ayr we holidayed in the nearby Arran the boat over was always like coming to another world! We were a big family of 5 kids ( i was the youngest) that feeling of being on … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Enviroment, Equipment, Islands, Mountaineering, Well being, Wildlife | Leave a comment

The Beinn Eighe crash 14 March 1951

Posted on March 12, 2024 by heavywhalley.MBE

LANCASTER GR3 TX264 – CRASH ON SAIL MHOR, BEINN EIGHE ROSS AND CROMARTY, SCOTLAND – 14th March 1951 IN THE MEMORY OF THE CREW OF LANCASTER TX264 Its 73=years since the crash of the Lancaster on Beinn Eighe. I was … Continue reading →

Posted in Aircraft incidents, Articles, Equipment, Family, Mountain rescue, Views Mountaineering, Well being | Tagged | 1 Comment

Wild weather – The risk to you or as a leader A few thoughts ?

Posted on January 21, 2024 by heavywhalley.MBE

It was due to being a mountaineer and a Mountain Rescue Team Leader in my early days I was a risk taker. Not in the climbing sense at first but being over 150 days a years sometimes out in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Clothing, Enviroment, Equipment, Friends, Gear, Mountain rescue, mountain safety, Mountaineering, Scottish winter climbing., Views Mountaineering, Weather, Well being | Leave a comment

Classic ice tools

Posted on January 18, 2024 by heavywhalley.MBE

Old ice tools- Chounaird Climax and Chounaird Zero These axes were incredible for their size they were designed by the great icon of ice climbing Yvonne Chounaird. They were the state of the art at the time. Bill March the … Continue reading →

Posted in Equipment, Gear, History, Mountain rescue, mountain safety, Mountaineering, Rock Climbing, Views Mountaineering, Wildlife | 3 Comments

My very early days on steep ice. Introduction Zero Gully Ben Nevis.

Posted on January 12, 2024 by heavywhalley.MBE

Cold Climbs first published 1983 The Great Snow and Ice Climbs of the British Isles Ken Wilson,Dave Alcock Ice climbing generates tales of gripping drama and this book (in the same anthology / guidebook / photo format as the rock-climbing … Continue reading →

Posted in Articles, Avalanche info, Books, Equipment, Mountain rescue, Mountaineering, Scottish winter climbing., Weather | 7 Comments

Fort William mountain Festival. Thurs day 15 Feb

Posted on January 10, 2024 by heavywhalley.MBE

MEET OUR LEGENDS 🏔️ 🥳Celebrating Excellence in Mountain Culture Come along on Thursday 15th of February to kick start the weekend and help us celebrate our 20th birthday with a night of inspiring stories, a complimentary nip of Gin from … Continue reading →

Posted in Aircraft incidents, Articles, Avalanche info, Books, Enviroment, Equipment, Friends, Media, Mountain rescue, Mountaineering, Scottish winter climbing., SMC/SMT, Views Mountaineering, Well being | Leave a comment

Skye New Year 1963.

Posted on December 30, 2023 by heavywhalley.MBE

Many yeas ago I had a long chat with Hamish in Glencoe.He allowed me to tape it, it was a few years before he became ill. Hamish had a wonderful memory and he told me of his early days in … Continue reading →

Posted in Articles, Books, Clothing, Equipment, Friends, Islands, Mountain rescue, Mountaineering, Recomended books and Guides, Scottish winter climbing., Views Mountaineering, Weather, Well being | Leave a comment

Longing for the hills. Learning to cope.

Posted on December 4, 2023 by heavywhalley.MBE

Sadly I will not be on the mountains for a while. They are my place to be, most days just now I struggled on short walks locally. At least I have a date for a liver biopsy on 22 Dec … Continue reading →

Posted in Articles, Clothing, Enviroment, Equipment, Friends, Mountaineering, Views Political?, Weather, Well being | 12 Comments

Winter Night climbing.

Posted on November 16, 2023 by heavywhalley.MBE

I think it’s your a winter climber we have all done a bit of winter night climbing. It all started for me in the summer after work getting away to the Cairngorms for a route. I must have climbed Savage … Continue reading →

Posted in Avalanche info, Clothing, Enviroment, Equipment, Friends, Gear, Mountain rescue, mountain safety, Mountaineering, People, Recomended books and Guides, Scottish winter climbing., Views Mountaineering, Weather, Well being | Leave a comment

Body located in Glencoe.

Posted on October 27, 2023 by heavywhalley.MBE

From Glencoe MRT Facebook page: “Police searching for a hillwalker who went missing last month have found a body in the Glen Etive area of Glencoe. Formal identification is yet to take place, but the family of 56-year-old Charlie Kelly … Continue reading →

Posted in Articles, Equipment, Friends, Mountain rescue, mountain safety, Mountaineering, People, Views Mountaineering, Views Political?, Weather, Well being | 1 Comment