Hong Kong Days

I am now once again busy with work back in Hong Kong, living on the beautiful lamma island and trying to fit some days of climbing and fun into my work schedule. Work over the last couple of weeks has been a shock to the system working with groups as young as 8 year olds and trying to remember how to get around the Hong Kong public transport system. I have managed a few days climbing which has been great as the pain in my ribs is now almost totally gone.

James staring at the crux on the fourth pitch of "Gweilo" (6a or 5.10b) a classic multi pitch on Lion Rock.

A work photo - Col and Juillian teaching absieling at Shek O. The weather has been a mixed bag with some amazingly hot days (around 30degrees C) and others like this that feel a little more like Scotland.
The view from the base of Lion Rock back towards the Kowloon peninsular
James coming up the 3rd pitch of Gweilo.
Me looking pleased with myself on the top of Lion Rock, taken by James after finishing Gwielo.
Unknown climber on something hard at Lion Rock, looking east towards the New Territories and Sai Kung
The morning ferry ride into Central from Lamma island. This journey never really gets boring.

Hanging with the King and Shanghai Sideways

After the first school program in Lijiang, Asia Pacific Adventure decided it was cheaper to keep myself and another staff member, Lisa in China rather than have us fly back and forth. This meant 12 days of expenses paid tourism while not having to look after any teenagers! We spent the first few days in the beautiful town of Dali and then headed to "Shangri-LA" to see another staff member Kevin and help him out on a trip to his lodge in the small tibetan village of Nidzhu. Kevin is known locally as "The King of Shangri-La" after various television companies made documentaries about him and his wife Lynne raising thier family in a remote chinese town. Being around Kevin is never boring (he cant read this as Blogspot is blocked in China, so I can write what I want) and he had arranged to take a group from "Shanghai Sideways" up to his lodge. The lodge is normally 4 hours of rough driving away and Lisa and I agreed to go along to help with the food for the 14 motorcycle and sidecar riders. Shanghai Sideways was shooting a promotional movie as well as some photos for their website so it was great to hang out in the support jeep with Kevin and even take a turn in the sidecar (hopefully even appearing in their promo movie!).

The sidecars lined up on the road to Nidzhu. These are 1950s BMW sidecars (or chinese equivalents).
Shopping for groceries with Kevin before meeting the folks from "Sideways". I thought the shopping for vegetables was crazy until we went to the meat counter. Its no wonder that all the staff at APA got Guardia the week before when we saw how food is bought!
Huge bags of Chili on sale. My system slowly got used to the heat in the food.
Street in the old town of Shangri-La near Kevin and Lynnes house.
Another huge meal. Basically all I have done for the last month is eat. This was a meal with 4 different types of Yak (all of which were cooked with Chili) with Kevin and Lynne (far right) and some of their friends. (Photo taken by Lisa)
My favourite - Jiaozi ((jow-zha) or chinese dumplings in the uk/pot stickers in the usa.) all racked up ready for another massive breakfast.Lisa chilling in the back of Kevins Jeep as we wait again for the sidecars.
Hanging out of Kevins Jeep following the sidecars (note the tibetan mastif barking at the bike going past it!) as we pass a buddhist Stupa.

Interestingly there is a Stupa outside of Shangri-La in the middle of a roundabout. After building the roundabout they realised they had a problem as traffic is meant to travel anti clockwise around the roundabout but you are meant to travel clockwise around a Stupa. They solved this by making the inside lane of the three lane roundabout clockwise and keeping the two outside lanes anti-clockwise. Problem solved - sort of!
View downt the valley from Kevins lodge in Nidzhu. The 4 hour drive ended up taking more like 10 after a few minor breakdowns on the bikes, the second support Jeep giving up and one of the sidecars drving of the road.
Prayer flags outside the lodge.
Multi Coloured waterfall a couple of hours hike up the valley from Nidzhu. Nidzhu is in Chinas first national park which has huge hiking potential. In summer this would be an amazing place to swim and hang out for an afternoon.

Video shot from the Sidecar. Shortly after this I decided to get back in the Jeep with Kevin as we hit dirt roads. The next thing we knew, Simon the driver had driven off the edge and the bike was in pieces. Luckily Simon managed to jump free as the bike went over and was fine except for some scratches. The bike did not survive!

Am now back in Hong Kong for the next few weeks where it is currently cloudy and grey. Hoping for some climbing and kayaking if the weather clears up.

Check out Shanghai Sideways website - http://shanghaisideways.com/

Tiger Leaping Gorge

Just back from Yunnan, China and have a couple of different blog posts coming. I was based in Lijiang with Asia Pacific Adventure for the last month starting with ten days of work and ending with a week of work and twelve days off in-between. Work has been fun though interesting at times with stolen gear and staff getting Guardia (including myself) but always with amazing views and great food. A major part of the program in Lijiang is the hike through Tiger Leaping Gorge on the Yangtze river. This is probably one of the most beautiful commercialised hikes in the world so I thought I would start with these shots and then the next post will be about time off.

The view from Tea Horse Guest house toward Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. We stopped here for lunch on both programs.
Looking up the valley toward Quiatou.
Some students playing a game on "Inspiration Terrace" at Halfway House with JDSM in the background. This was one of the original guesthouses in the gorge and I actually stayed here when I first hiked the gorge in 2000. It had two bedrooms when I stayed there originally and now has space for 80people.
Morning light over the peaks of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (5596m). The actual summit is much further back, the Chinese say this has not been climb but the internet disagrees with some americans claiming the first ascent in 1987 (though without a permit as it is a holy mountain)
Traditional building by the side of the trail.
Bright green right terraces in the valley below the trail.
Woman wearing traditional Naxi (Na-Shee) dress.

The Rest of January

January has been a whirlwind month of catching p with old friends, seeing family and the odd trip into the mountains. Thanks everyone for your hospitality and help over the last six weeks, I am off to China and Hong Kong on Friday (with a brief stop in Holland) and will be back in Scotland in April.

A few photos of the last couple of weeks.

Having driven down from Torridon to sort out my chinese visa I drove back up on the promise of good weather. This photo was taken just before dawn of some glacial erratics leading away towards Sgurr Ruadh with the clouds in the valley below.
The night before I spent in this bothie in Coire Fionaraich.
From the summit of Sgurr Ruadh looking back at Meal Chean Dearg and Beinn Damh (the sea loch on the right is the head of Loch Torridon)
The Torridon Ridges (about an hour before sunrise) L-R Beinn Alligan, Liatach and Beinn Eighe.
Skiing, Scottish style - A classic shot from early January. Toby, Ally and Ruaridh checking the map down the valley at Spittal of Glenshee.
Ally Ross out in front on the way up Ben Tuilieachan above the spittal of glenshee.
Summit cairn with rime ice.
Tobi, Ali (hidden behind), Ruaridh and Louisa skinning up the ridge in the very strong wind.
Two Skiers silhouted on the way up the ridge.

Next update should be from Lijiang, Western China

Canoeing Across Scotland

My 101st post on the blog. Could have also been titled "Not the best rest and recovery" as my ribs are still aching but are now joined by my lower back. Bob Taylor and I set off last Friday morning to cross Scotland by canoe.

Day One (Kinlochleven to the East end of the Blackwater)

We left Kinlochleven at 11am with the boats on trolleys for the first 7km uphill portage. Actually the first 2 km are what its all about as you essentially gain most of the 300m in that distance before gaining a concrete conduit to get up to the Blackwater.

Unloading the trailer in Kinlochleven looking up at the route of the portage. It was 1degreeC when we left and never really rose any higher. This was perfect, I cant imagine what it would be like in summer pulling boats up this hill.
Bob with boat heading up the first hill.
Still going up..
Bob and I on the conduit. Kinlochleven can just be seen (the whitish spot in the valley on the lower left is the sea on the west coast)
Finally on some water. It took 3 hours to get the boats up the hill to the blackwater but it was all worth it, paddling in some flat calm on a beautiful high loch.
Bob with 10km of the Blackwater still in front of him late in the afternoon.
The tent lit up on the first night, camped at the East end of the Blackwater ready for the heinous portage the next day.

Day Two (East end of Blackwater to the river Gaur)

We got up and out of camp as it got light and headed off initially trying to connect sections of the Blackwater river with each other but quickly gave up and pulled the canoes behind us instead.

Bob contemplates another boggy section. This first portage was meant to be just over 3 km but we frequently had to take the long way round small streams and large bogs. It was quite useful the ground being frozen as the boat slid pretty easily on the frozen turf.

No water in sight. Potentially the highest part of the crossing getting closer to the small Lochan a' Chlaidheimh at the top before another long portage down to Loch Eigheach at the head of the Gaur.

Crossing yet another small stream - at times the boats were quite handy as you could slide them halfway across and then climb across them! We both spent much of this day imagining different contraptions that would make this easier.

Camped on the side of the Gaur after a very long day. The last 600m to the road down to Loch Eigheach seemed very long indeed after dragging the boats what should have been 7.5km but was probably more like 10.

Day Three (River Gaur to Dunalastair Dam)

We woke up to find a hard frost and temperature refusing to rise above -5degreeC and not a breath of wind. Lieing in the tent looking at the maps on the first night we had realised that we had totally forgotten about Loch Rannoch, incidentaly the largest loch we would have to paddle. We slowly got into some very cold drysuits and headed downt the Gaur river which was rather low on water.

My socks frozen to the canoe.

Tree at the start of Loch Rannoch in the early morning sun.

Finally across Loch Rannoch and past the Rannoch Dam feeling very pleased with ourselves after meeting an incredulous gentleman who asked "where you headed, Perth?" to which we replied "yes". We then explained very poorly that we had come from the West Coast and that we were not doing it for charity...

Day Four (Dunalastair Dam to Pitlochry)

Another cold and frosty morning and another portage around a dam to get into the upper Tummel river. We scouted this portage the night before which made things go a bit quicker only to discover that there was no water in the Tummel river and all the throwbags etc were completely frozen. We chose to portage the hard rapids.

Dunalastair Water in the morning light.

Loading the boats for the portage around the dam.

Lunch on Loch Tummel Island.

Finally a pint of beer in the Kingfisher pub in Pitlochry. We had a couple of pints, some fish and chips and then wandered pitlochry looking for the portage route for the next morning.

Day Five (Pitlochry to Perth (and a bit further))

We got up early and did a quick portage of Pitlochry at 615 not even meeting any vehicles on the road and then waited for the bakery to open for some bacon rolls to keep us going. Once on the water we were able to keep a good 10km an hour all the way to perth.

Approaching the bridges in Perth, the tidal limit for East Coast. Just to be sure we paddled an extra 11km down to Abernethy. Thanks to my Dad and Sister for dropping off some pies and irn bru and my dad for helping with the shuttle.

For anyone interested in this route, some notes on logistics -

Total route is about 150km

Portages - hard! there is two painful ones, one on the first day and the other from the blackwater to the gaur. The uphill portage on day one is tough to start but the last 5 km are really pleasant.

Gear - we took 2 boats and two trolleys. The trolleys were lifesavers and this does seem to be safer to do with 1 boat. We took enough gear to be comfortable, drysuits and waterproofs, Wellies, trainers and river shoes. We took enough food for 4 days (three dinners) knowing that we would make pitlochry before we ran out(only just!)

Timing - We both thought winter would be better. Frozen ground, no midgies etc though we did paddle in the dark every day and could certainly have made more distance with more daylight.

Shuttle - its really long though very obvious.

Route - It seems that some people portage down to run the Garbh Ghaoir (the river above the Gaur) but this doesnt really make sense as it is a further portage and doesnt quite make sense (to us) on a map.