Category Archives: Scottish winter climbing.

Old climbing banter – Crag x and the ever changing conditions?

Posted on January 13, 2021 by heavywhalley.MBE

It was interesting that when I was climbing in winter a lot how conditions could change dramatically from day to day. This was especially in the early winter when we would often try to get an early route in. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Enviroment, Gear, Mountain rescue, Mountaineering, People, Rock Climbing, Scottish winter climbing., Views Mountaineering, Well being | Leave a comment

“Every picture tells a story” The tale of the benighted Sea King in the Northern Corries of Cairngorm in Feb 2006.

Posted on January 9, 2021 by heavywhalley.MBE

I was working in the ARCC at RAF Kinloss when we had scrambled a Sea King helicopter to the Cairngorms for an injured winter climber. It would we thought be a standard incident but the weather was not great. The … Continue reading →

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

Lockdown Thoughts : a few trips Abroad The Wall of light – Canada Weeping Wall. Bugs MacKeith and our early trip.

Posted on January 5, 2021 by heavywhalley.MBE

It was the winter of 1984 had been to the Alps on several occasions but this was my first big trip. Canada in winter then was a big proposition nowadays many do it but then it was and felt a … Continue reading →

Posted in Articles, Books, Friends, Gear, Ice climbing Canada, Mountaineering, People, Scottish winter climbing., Views Mountaineering, Well being | Leave a comment

Beinn Eighe Liathach and Beinn Alligin attempt Oct 1976 then a call to Cruachan.

Posted on December 28, 2020 by heavywhalley.MBE

I am in Torridon just now the hills are plastered with snow after a bleak morning of rain and sleet. The weather cleared in the afternoon and we had a great wander as we descended the Torridon hills cleared they … Continue reading →

Posted in Corbetts, Corbetts and other hills, Enviroment, Equipment, Gear, Hill running and huge days!, Local area and events to see, Mountain rescue, mountain safety, Mountaineering, Munros, People, Scottish winter climbing., Views Mountaineering, Weather, Well being | Leave a comment

1978 Boxing Day /Christmas Day Avalanche on Braeriach.

Posted on December 11, 2020 by heavywhalley.MBE

I located a photo the other day of a wild call out on the Cairngorms in the Christmas period in the Braeriach area in 1978. I was out with the RAF Kinloss Team at Tyndrum we were staying in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Avalanche info, Gear, Mountain rescue, mountain safety, Mountaineering, Scottish winter climbing., Views Mountaineering, Weather, Well being | Leave a comment

Doug Scott another legend gone .

Posted on December 7, 2020 by heavywhalley.MBE

Another great gone – Doug Scott cult hero extreme mountaineer. Yet he was a kind and caring man who did so much for Nepal and its people. population. His love of the country and after so many expeditions to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Articles, Books, Expeditions - Alaska - Himalayas etc, Friends, Himalayas/ Everest, Mountain rescue, Mountaineering, People, Recomended books and Guides, Scottish winter climbing., Views Mountaineering, Weather, Well being | 2 Comments

Early start for Ben MacDui rewarded by a stunning day.

Posted on November 29, 2020 by heavywhalley.MBE

It’s been a hard week with losing Hamish MacInnes and a few other things going on. I looked at the forecast it was good for the Cairngorms. I decided to have a very early start and head for my local … Continue reading →

Posted in Articles, Gear, Mountain rescue, mountain safety, Mountaineering, Munros, People, SAR, Scottish winter climbing., Views Mountaineering, Weather, Well being, Wildlife | Leave a comment

Scotland Out of Doors BBC Scotland podcast – link on Hamish MacInnes.

Posted on November 29, 2020 by heavywhalley.MBE

From Neil Reid “Mountaineering Scotland CEO Stuart Younie spoke well about the late mountaineering legend Hamish MacInnes on BBC Radio Scotland’s Out of Doors programme this morning, with a later contribution by David ‘Heavy’ Whalley, who knew Hamish as a … Continue reading →

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Special days – Glen Strathfarrar. “In the Highlands it is mountain after mountain after mountain, for ever and ever.” Thomas Wilkinson

Posted on November 22, 2020 by heavywhalley.MBE

I was digitalising a few slides and found this. It was taken in the late 90’s after a climb. Myself and my pal Dougie Crawford were climbing in Glen Strathfarrar a wonderful Glen in a unique location. Its a haven … Continue reading →

Posted in Articles, Hill running and huge days!, Mountaineering, People, Scottish winter climbing., SMC/SMT, Views Mountaineering, Weather, Well being, Wildlife | Leave a comment

A bit more on Specs on the hills plus a few comments.

Posted on November 17, 2020 by heavywhalley.MBE

Yesterday I wrote about my experience of over 55 years of wearing glasses on the hills. I also developed Cataracts and due to a problem in my area with getting the operation I had to go private. The change was … Continue reading →

Posted in Articles, Equipment, Friends, Gear, Health, mountain safety, People, Scottish winter climbing., Views Mountaineering, Weather, Well being | 1 Comment