Self Belief is Everything

All words and pictures copyright Alastair Rose 2011

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Back on the Island

Its been a whirlwind couple of weeks and I am now back living on "the island" (Rubha Fiola) on the west coast of Scotland.  The transition from Hong Kong to an island with no roads, internet, electricity or even anything to buy has been interesting and I am enjoying not being on my computer so much.  Island life is as mad as it has always been with jet boats, mud pits and wild people and my days off seem about to follow similar patterns to when I worked here last.  After the first course last week we finished work yesterday at 10am, drove to Fort William, Stared at rain, went to a cafe, went climbing (in the wet - kind of scary!), caught up with some friends, went for a curry, went for some beers, then some whiskies, woke up with a hangover, had a fry up, climbed a classic three pitch route in Glen Nevis, drove back to oban and am now drinking coffee and getting ready to meet the next load of kids.  

I also managed to meet Nadia for a night and most of the day last week and tried to show her some of my favourite places around Glen Coe.  

Some photos
 Staff kit piling up in "Goldeneye" to head out to the island for four months.  (a third of that is probably mine!)
 The spine of a minky whale skeleton we found on expedition last week.
 Back to smelling of campfire on a regular basis.  Expedition food at its finest, sausages and baked beans.
 Bog cotton blowing in the wind with another amazing sunset over the black isles and garvellach
Looking North just after dawn (which is rather early right now) toward Easdale, Belnahua and Mull
 Nadia and I on the summit of Buachille Etive Mor on a very cold day
All the best things - a classic scottish hill lunch.