#Glencoe Mountain Resort

[ruanaich]

Bangers & Slash

The Bangers & Slash banked slalom was a fun event that the whole mountain seemed to take part in

[freedformwriter]

Diary of a Baggage Train: Day 8

I have no idea where I am other than that it is quite extraordinary. This is Highlands as served up on the big screen: clumped little isles hover above a meandering loch as bare boulders of mountains touch the clouds. An escaped sunbeam spotlights first this green slope and then that. There’re the bits the camera misses too: the peaty texture under my boots as I move towards the loch, the black richness of the soil when its mossy web at last gives way. And the smell… I’m once again seized with the desire to go into the lock. It’s unknown water, I remind myself. It’s the type of water your mother warned you about – if your mother is one of the various government agencies who does everything they can to convince tourists to not go in the water. (‘We have a lot of problems when the weather’s nice,’ the woman at a tourism desk confided to me.) I don’t have my neoprene gloves or booties. Or, you know, any backup. Or frankly, any sense of how my new body will react. But when I skip my hands over the surface, it’s like the peat: giving and inviting. Bogs are deceptively soft. Yeah, it’s amazing. I just wish it wasn’t so goddamn close to an a-road. Hollywood edits out the lorries.

There’s very few winding back lanes in what I will later learn is Glencoe; they stick to the roads hacked out of the Highlands by the Duke of Cumberland’s men nearly 300 years ago. Considering the man’s reputation as the destroyer of the Clans and of the entire Highland way of life, the use of his roads speaks to just how few options there are. Glencoe was first emptied of Highlanders and then filled with mountaineers. Initially, they were posh types, but after the Great War, working men’s clubs formed in places like Glasgow and they set about turning the area into an extreme sports paradise. Glencoe Mountain Resort is the inheritor of this tradition. I walk into the canteen – a strictly basics menu of bacon sarnies and regular tea – and note oversized benches designed to take a beating from ski boots. An emporium of all things alpine, in summer it gives the runs over to mountain bikers, paves the mountainside with plastic for child-friendly ‘sledding,’ and sadistically sends disc golfers to the wind-whipped mountain top. Because I know from Planet Earth how Arctic foxes now struggle for camouflage in the winter, I’m guessing this variant is the future of the business. The chairlift is in operation all year round. Finally, I too can scale a mountain.

I pack my rucksack as if going on an actual polar exploration. With all my warm woollens, including, much to the amusement of the lift operator, my new blanket, I follow the signs promising a panoramic view of Rannoch Moor, the largest uninhabited area in the UK. The man before me hooks his mountain bike onto the side of the chair with practiced ease. I’m not so gainly. The lift follows one of the characteristic raging, but contained and thus charming, stream all the way up. Only one in every twenty chairs is occupied; we greet each other as people do only in small towns or in remote locations. The operator at the top urges me to climb up further to the ultimate viewpoint. I tell him I’m a total wimp in lieu of the actual explanation. I’m doing this more and more: acting helpless. The performance of a clueless female has its benefits and I’m never ashamed to use it when I need to. But I really loathe it as a default. Instead of summiting, I bed down into the crevasse followed by the stream and find, then wrap myself up like a burrito and try to meditate – but definitely not to fall asleep because hypothermia. The rush of water drowns out everything. The descent gets my heart thumping. I hadn’t realised how steeply we ascended. It’s time for my high places tactic: look at the horizon and breathe. The mountainous horizon of this moorland terrain is so many shades of blue that to be level with it is to feel part of the sky. Geologically, these formations are the lost Appalachian Mountains, my comfort mountains.

My actual mission of the day is finding a shop that sells avocados. Glencoe’s lone market is studded with pride flags and the strawberries are on offer. It’s hard to believe I just ate lunch wrapped in a wool blanket. There’s even a Big Issue seller outside mopping his brow in the intense sunshine. He gives me a 40 pence discount, then points to a lean, light-coloured Alsatian standing in a nearby copse of trees. ‘I thought that dog had come for me’, he confesses. ‘Didn’t see the lead.’ The dog stares back with the unblinking concentration of all dogs left outside shops. But its lupine appearance at the edge of the clearing feels like a harbinger – even if that clearing is a Co-op.

[just-wanna-travel]

Glencoe, Scotland, UK

[faydaily]

Glen Coe - Three Sister - Scotland 2019 #landscapehunter #landscapelover #travelphotography #hiking #scotland #igscotland #glencoe #myolympus #capturingbritain #openyoureyes #realscotland #takeinscotland #nofilter #naturelovers #naturephotography #wildgeography @arcanispyques 🏞️🚘☁️ (à Glencoe Mountain Resort) https://www.instagram.com/faydaily/p/BvzPR5mACfy/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=9uybor9ld8cv

[kelliestes]

Our Future Selves

My son and I start our hiking day, our sixth in a row, at the Glencoe Mountain Resort where we stand looking toward what we know should be a stunning view, but all we see is rain and fog. Even the iconic mountain – Buachaille Etive Mòr – that stands proudly like a pyramid at the top of the glen is hidden behind a smudgy gray mass. I fight back a crushing disappointment.

We walk for fifteen minutes down the single-track resort drive and arrive at the busy A82 junction. Fierce wind is whipping the flags with such force that I expect them to be shredded by day’s end. Cars and camper vans speed by, their wipers working furiously, and I’m worried for our safety when we have to cross the road.

But we do not yet cross. Although we’ve only just started our hike and have several miles to go today, we each unexpectedly stop walking and move to the side to peer down a short bank to the stream below. Until this very moment, I did not know that my son has been looking forward to reaching this location from the moment we first committed to the hike. He did not know that I have been equally eager.

We stopped here three years before on a family car trip through the Highlands. I remember clearly how I pushed open the heavy car door, made heavier by the force of the wind, and heard gravel crunch beneath my shoes. I stood beside the car and looked out at the stunning mountains and mystical valley, sensing we were on the threshold of something we would remember forever. Even the air was tinged with a delicious scent that was new to me – heather? Wild thyme? Something else? I then looked down at the stream flowing into the glen and caught my breath at the beauty of red rocks poking from black water between banks made up of a dozen shades of green. In the distance I saw people walking a wide dirt path that slashed across the hillside toward me and I wondered where they were coming from, where they were going.

It was at that moment that I promised myself I would be back someday to learn the answers to those questions. I would walk that trail, and continue on into the glen. I would leave my car behind and really experience this unbelievable landscape.

Unbeknownst to me, my thirteen-year-old son stood beside me making the same silent promise to himself.

Today, we’re both standing here a second time, fulfilling our silent promises. We have returned to this magical moor and glen, and we arrived here by the power of our own bodies. We will walk into the valley and then we will leave it by foot, just as our ancestors may have done so long ago. Just as those walkers had done three years before us.

I snap photos, and then I pick up a tiny red rock to slip into my pocket. When I am at home, dreaming of this hike, this day, this very spot on the side of the road, I can hold it and come back here in my mind. My son does the same. Neither of us cares anymore that we can’t see the mountain.

Then, we shoulder our packs and cross the road to continue our walk. We’ve become our future, dreamed-of selves, and we each walk a little taller.

*From my West Highland Way (Scotland) Collection. June 30, 2019.

[deerwooduk]

In the final video of a series of trips from the Highlands of Scotland I hike up the deserted ski run trail from the Glencoe Mountain Resort. At the top of the trail there is a stunning view of Buachaille Etive Mor and looking out towards the desolate Rannoch Moor. On my way up I spot a stag foragiGlencoe Mountain Ski Centre Summer Hike | Landscape Photography via Pocket https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKCU5JJNV6A

[classyfoxdestiny]

UK could help fund jail in Albania for offenders transferred from British prisons

UK could help fund jail in Albania for offenders transferred from British prisons

The UK could help finance the construction of a prison in Albania to house offenders sent back to the country from British jails.

Albanians make up the largest foreign national group in UK jails, with more than 1,500 behind bars in England and Wales making up around 10 per cent of total inmates from overseas.

British and Albanian justice ministers Chris Philp and Etilda Gjonaj last week approved a prisoner transfer agreement that will allow offenders from either side to be sent back to their home countries to serve out their full sentences.

But Ms Gjonaj revealed in an interview with the west Balkan country’s media that the discussions also touched on the possibility of financial assistance from London to house returned felons – many of them convicted of involvement with criminal gangs active in drug-smuggling and people trafficking.

With very few UK nationals in Albanian prisons, the transfer of offenders is likely to be largely one-way, and Tirana is understood to be concerned about the additional financial burden that the arrangement could create.

Ms Gjonaj told an interviewer that British ministers “welcomed my proposal for the UK to build a prison in Albania or renovate an existing prison”.

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Discussions are understood to be at an early stage, and the Ministry of Justice declined to confirm or deny whether the proposal was raised in last week’s talks.

But an offer of financial help would not be unprecedented.

In 2015, David Cameron offered Jamaica around £25m from the UK’s aid budget to part-fund a prison for offenders returned from Britain, though the deal was eventually rejected by the administration in Kingston. Since then, discussions have taken place with Nigeria about funding for a jail in Lagos, though again the proposal came to nothing.

Under the terms of last week’s agreement, Albanian authorities will have to foot the bill for housing returned offenders in its own jails, saving the UK taxpayer an average £44,600 per inmate.

Mr Philp, said: “We are committed to removing foreign criminals who have abused our hospitality and inflicted misery on our communities.

“Someone who commits a serious crime in the UK should be barred from returning so that the taxpayer no longer has to pay for them and victims can be confident justice has been done.”

No legislation is required to put the agreement into effect, and ministers expect transfers under the scheme to begin in the autumn.

Since January 2019, the UK has removed 7,985 foreign national offenders from prisons, immigration removal centres and the community.

The deal with Albania builds on an earlier agreement and means that offenders must spend at least the same amount of time in custody as they were sentenced to by a judge in the UK.

It also clarifies that prisoners can be transferred without their consent.

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[pierredechambery]

#roadtrip #glencoe #scotland #highlands (at Glencoe Mountain Resort) https://www.instagram.com/p/CPHCsLInBwG/?utm_medium=tumblr

[ruanaich]

Mist & Murk

Mist and Murk on my 26th day of the season at Glencoe Mountain Resort.

The top just hanging on in there. Not a lot to say about my 26th day of the season. Not surprising since I’m writing it up much later in the year as my website was down at the time. But here are some pohotos of a rather damp day snowboarding at Glencoe Mountain Resort. Very misty at the summit No view to speak of so you’ll have to put up with me. Not much action at the cafe either. Despite…

[mariaclaragomez276]

The Wilderness Edition: 10 remote destinations to get away from it all

Escaping everything and everyone might be high on your post-lockdown list after spending many months indoors this year. Breaths of fresh air have been limited, and the freedom of travel restricted. If it’s all beginning to feel too close to home, here are ten far-flung corners of the world to go off-grid and off-the-beaten-track once this is all over – social distancing guaranteed.

Iceland

A dramatic landscape of black volcanic beaches, ethereal blue lagoons, lunar-like glaciers, spellbinding waterfalls, bubbling springs and lava fields, Iceland is an other-worldly escape for back-to-nature seeking travellers. While the natural beauty of this Nordic island can be experienced all year round, it feels that bit more magical during the winter – when the fjords are frozen, the rustic cabins dusted with snow, and the Northern Lights come out to play.

Hotel Rangá, Hella…This hunting lodge meets palatial log cabin is perfectly positioned for the Golden Circle and glacier expeditions. From snowmobiling to jeep safaris, dog-sledding to horse riding, caving to fishing, a world of Icelandic adventures awaits.

Scotland

From heater-dotted coastlines, hilltop castles and stone-clad villages to craggy peaks and mystical lochs, Scotland is home to some of the most ruggedly beautiful scenery in the world. There is no place quite like the Highlands for completely disconnecting from daily life, where red deer roam the valleys of Glencoe and dolphins swim in the Moray Firth – all with the spectacular backdrop of the UK‘s highest peak, Ben Nevis.

Inverlochy Castle, Fort William…From the dove-grey stone walls and romantic turrets, through to the sumptuously furnished rooms, this Scottish masterpiece of 19th-century baronial splendour is located in a postcard-worthy setting three miles from Fort William. Make the most of the Nevis Range during winter with the snow sports at nearby Aonach Mor.

Mongolia

There’s going off-the-beaten-track, and then there’s Mongolia. Sweeping grassy steppes are home to herds of native horses, which outnumber the country’s human population of largely nomadic caravans. With the Gobi Desert to the south, and the Altai Mountains to the north-west, Ulaanbaatar sits between some of the world’s most extreme terrains – and ranks as one of the coldest capital cities.

Terelj Hotel, Ulaanbaatar…Set on the banks of Terelj River in a remote spot surrounded by wild, tree-covered mountains in the Gorkhi-Terelj National Park, this elegant outpost is huddled amongst some of the most carefully protected parkland in the country. The great outdoors is right on your doorstep, from bird watching to horseback riding through meadows of edelweiss.

Sweden

Nestled in the middle of Swedish Lapland, Harads takes you to the Arctic heart of the wilderness. Here, trees heavy with snow are silhouetted against the Northern Lights and traditional red lodges line the Lule River. Home to snow-topped mountains, seemingly endless forests and fast flowing rivers, National Parks cover much of Swedish Lapland. Canoe through birch lined rivers to spot beavers, moose and even wild reindeer in their natural habitats.

Arctic Bath, Harads…Glass walls, floating walkways and sky-gazing decks connect the inside with the great outdoors at this one-of-a-kind resort, where cosy cabins seem to hover above both land and water. Wildlife enthusiasts can join a Sámi reindeer herder at an Arctic circle camp, canoe alongside beavers, embark on a moose safari, photograph golden eagles or go bear spotting.

New Zealand

With panoramic scenery stretching as far as the eye can see, it’s no wonder New Zealand has become the dream destination of many a film director. You’ll find the south island a little cooler than the north, and it tends to have more defined seasons, all equally picture-perfect. There is no shortage of ways to explore the unspoiled landscape of snow-capped mountains, fern covered forests and rolling valleys – from whale watching, bungee jumping, and helicopter rides over glaciers, to skiing and snowboarding some of the world’s best powder snow in the winter.

Bay of Many Coves, Queen Charlotte Sound…Set in a tranquil cove with beautiful views of the Marlborough Sounds, this exclusive retreat is surrounded by an eco-marine haven, way off the beaten track. You will soon understand why Captain Cook chose this area as his favoured anchorage while visiting New Zealand.

Canada

Boasting the world’s longest coastline, with the Atlantic to the East, the Pacific to the West, and the Arctic Ocean stretching along the North, Canada‘s geography is as varied as its spectacular seasons. Everything about this vast country is big: the Niagara Falls, the surf swells, the famous moose and infamous grizzly bears. Get lost in the wilderness of backcountry skiing in British Columbia, polar bear spotting on the northern tundra, whale watching on the picturesque waterfront of Vancouver Island, and canoeing along auburn tree-lined waterways in Nova Scotia.

Trout Point Lodge, Nova Scotia…A secluded nature sanctuary on the banks of the Tusket River and next to the Tobeatic Wilderness Area, this luxury lodge is surrounded by swathes of forestland. Giving guests the perfect base to discover the backwoods, you are guaranteed to get up close with the local wildlife.

Bhutan

If you’re after luxury in one of its most remote, authentic settings, the last remaining Himalayan Kingdom won’t disappoint. A year-round destination for experiencing nature in its purest form, Bhutan is one of those special places which has to be seen to be believed – hilltop fortresses with fluttering prayer flags, ancient Buddhist monasteries, rhododendrons springing into full bloom, and sedges of endangered Black-Necked Cranes circling the Phobjikha Valley each winter.

Gangtey Lodge, Phobjikha Valley…A world away from the everyday, this all-suite Himalayan hideaway immerses guests in traditional Bhutanese culture, offering an array of authentic experiences including Buddhist meditation classes, archery, and hot stone baths back at the farmhouse.

Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary, Paro…Inspired by traditional dzong architecture, this high-altitude retreat is perched amongst the clouds in Neyphu Valley, against a backdrop of rugged cliffs and pine trees. As the first and only traditional spa-inclusive resort in Bhutan, guests of the Sanctuary can enjoy a bespoke programme of treatments in the hands of the in-house medicine doctors.

Colorado, USA

Arriving in Colorado feels a little like setting foot in the Wild West – with copper-red canyons and characterful ranches. Home to the Rocky Mountains, high plains, and desert lands, this scenic state enjoys 300 days of sunshine each year whilst also welcoming snow-seekers to world-renowned ski resorts almost all year round. Its great outdoors are made to be explored, whether on foot, skis, or horseback.

Rawah Ranch, Glendevey…This self-styled ‘dude’ ranch and fly-fishing lodge is straight out of a Western movie – historic Colorado-style cabins in the wild Laramie River Valley. Channel your inner cowboy and ride through thousands of acres of pristine and protected high-country Colorado wilderness.

Lithuania

One of Europe’s best-kept secrets, Lithuania has something of a fairytale feel about it – with tranquil lakes, soaring mountains, and enchanting castles. The countryside is at its most colourful in spring and autumn, but once the snow sets in, the landscape is transformed into a winter wonderland. The five lakes around the small city of Trakai are home to a vast array of wildlife, while its woodlands are designated as a Historical National Park – the only one of its kind in Europe.

Esperanza Resort & SPA, Vilnius…Surrounded by 14 hectares of expansive forests and set beside a beautiful lake, this eco-friendly resort allows guests to make the most of its pristine setting. Spend summer days on forest walks or messing about on the lake. In the winter, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing and ice fishing are just a few of the available activities.

Argentina

Discover ends-of-the-earth luxury in the wilds of Patagonian Argentina, with its wide steppes, grasslands, and dramatic desert scenery where cougars, guanacos, and flamingos roam free. Nature lovers won’t be left wanting in Villa La Angostura, a secluded spot in the beautiful Argentinian Lake District with the snow-dusted Andes in the background. Home to the Los Arrayanes National Park and its extraordinary rare rust-brown coihues and ñires – rumour has it that these trees inspired the imaginary forest in Walt Disney’s Bambi.

Correntoso Lake & River Hotel, Villa La Angostura…Nestled in the shadows of the Andes, this lakeside beauty has a spectacular setting on the shores of Lake Nahuel Huapi. Here, nature meets nurture with rooms that have the most exhilarating lake and mountain views, and guests are perfectly placed for snow, forest and water escapades.

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[builttosend]

Andy Nelson @glencoemountainguide looking as cool as ever in the first winter snows at Glencoe Mountain Resort scoping out unclimbed buttresses...so many crag x’s! HANDMADE IN GREAT BRITAIN FOR MISSIONS ALL OVER THE WORLD Explore our full range via link in bio. #backpackers #backpacking #backpack #builttosend#rucksacks #rucksack #climbing #climb #mountaineering#ultralightbackpacking #ultralightgear #stuffsack#iceclimbing #skimountaineering #britishmade#britishdesign #builttosend #climbing #climbinggear#design #gear #iceclimbing #mountain #mountaineering#rockclimb #rockclimbing #rucksack #travelbag#tacticalgear #mountainleader @builttosend @brit_mt_guides @mountain_assurance @kris_hilladventures #builttosend @builttosend @vanguardcampers @scarpa_uk (at Glencoe, Scotland, Uk) https://www.instagram.com/p/CILFCyYjn_L/?igshid=19o9de96p0fsp

[kayjay63]

Ski centres: ‘Sorry folks. That’s it.’ Scotland's mountain snowsports centres held their last day of the 2019-20 season at the weekend. The Lecht, Glenshee, Nevis Range, Cairngorm and Glencoe said they had shut down to help tackle coronavirus. Snow conditions at the resorts had looked favourable… Read More

[snocoat]

#Repost from SNOcoat team member @scottish_carver • • • • • Had a pretty excellent day today at @glencoemountain riding my @snocoat treated @doneksnowboards incline. Visibility wasn't the best but that didn't stop the fun. #snocoat #doneksnowboards #glencoe #snowboarding #snow #carving #wearecarving #fun #speed #gettinglow #handsdown #theedge #railing #whee (at Glencoe Mountain Resort) https://www.instagram.com/p/B9L6n9El1jO/?igshid=1qvr1dpt7dwc2

[havelaptopwilltravel]

Glencoe Mountain Resort

[angelakdivergent]

On this visit to Glencoe mountain resort, I had the pleasure to meet Paul from Scottish Avalanche information services. Paul was curious about what I was doing as he had spotted me with my material and I suppose to onlookers it must have looked slightly unusual. Once I had explained he kindly offered to assist me and then wrote a lovely blog about my work on the SAIS web page.

I am always happy to talk to onlookers or passers by while I am doing any sort of art work outside. I find the responses I get are positive and encouraging and it really is nice to share what I'm passionate about with other people and perhaps give them a new perspective.

[classyfoxdestiny]

UK’s 2050 target for net-zero ‘too far away’, says Boris Johnson’s climate change spokesperson

UK’s 2050 target for net-zero ‘too far away’, says Boris Johnson’s climate change spokesperson

The government’s 2050 target date of reducing the UK’s net carbon emissions to zero is “too far away”, Boris Johnson’s climate change spokesperson Allegra Stratton has said.

Ms Stratton said that the science was clear that faster action is needed to bring down greenhouse gas emissions in order to stop global temperature increases by 2030.

Her comments are likely to alarm backbench Conservative MPs who fear that voters are being asked to shoulder too great a financial burden to give the UK a world-leading role in the fight against climate change in the year when Mr Johnson is hosting a crucial United Nations summit on global warming.

The UK was the first major industrialised country in the world to sign the 2050 target into law in 2019, and is aiming to persuade other nations to follow suit at the COP26 summit which Mr Johnson is chairing in Glasgow in November.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s World This Weekend, Ms Stratton said that the technology needed to reduce emissions was becoming cheaper all the time, making the net zero target no more expensive than the previous 80 per cent target, at about 1 per cent of GDP.

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And she made clear that urgency was needed to meeting the COP26 target of keeping global warming to a maximum of 1.5 degrees centigrade above pre-industrial levels.

“We have to feel the fierce urgency of now,” she said. “I feel the fierce urgency of now.

“We have to bring countries to COP26 in November in Glasgow with real substantial plans.”

Ms Stratton, who speaks on COP26 on the prime minister’s behalf, pointed to the government’s 10-point plan for a “green industrial revolution” and to pledges from FTSE100 companies to go net-zero as signs of progress towards the 2050 goal.

But she added: “Every bit of society is moving in tandem towards this net zero in 2050, but let’s be honest that’s too far away.

“Net zero is the glide path. What we have to be doing more quickly – the science is clear – (is) we have to be changing our carbon emissions output right now, so that we can stop temperature increase by 2030.”

Amid growing concerns that the UK is lagging behind in its drive to secure international agreement on ambitious targets at Glasgow, Ms Stratton acknowledged that progress had been delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

But she said that plans will be unveiled when parliament returns in September for projects like the replacement gas boilers with more climate-friendly alternatives over the coming 10-15 years.

Ms Stratton admitted that minister had to overcome distrust from voters in the light of fast-changing advice on issues like diesel cars – which were promoted as environmentally-friendly for many years before the harmful effects of their exhaust became known.

“My granny says to me ‘Why would we believe government when look what they encouraged us to buy and how quickly they changed their opinion?’” she said.

“But that only underscores the reason why this has to be done properly so we take people with us because it would be so damaging to have another version of that.”

She said that the government had a “balancing act” between moving swiftly enough to respond to the scale of the challenge and taking enough time to ensure that new technology like electric cars works as it should.

“This is a long-term journey we are all on,” she said. “This is a journey to 2050.

“This is not going to happen overnight. This is going to be a conversation we have with the British people about what is fair, protecting vulnerable families from some of the more difficult decisions they will have to make.”

Ms Stratton declined to discuss reports that chancellor Rishi Sunak is holding out against green taxes to pay for action on climate change.

“What worries me and what worries members of the government is the extreme climate change and weather events that we are seeing in this country now,” she said.

“The climate has warmed by 1.2 degrees. We are trying to limit that increase to 1.5. Everyone can see that the margin we have right now is not big. We are headed for 3. If we think about the weather we’re seeing right now at 1.2, what the weather be like at 3 doesn’t bear thinking about.”

Ms Stratton said she understood public cynicism about the chances of international conferences effecting real change.

But she said: “It’s different with Glasgow. Glasgow is actually the one where they come with the plans. So we have the chance to deal with all the things that people are saying make them anxious.

“We have the chance right now. We just have to seize it.”

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