Stob Dubh

In the morning I wake up at the crack of dawn... other than an incident where a crow attacked our tent, we slept pretty well.

I'm up and about by about 7am... there's something about me and mornings. Once I'm awake, I'm up and ready to start the day. I get pout the tent for a piss and marvel at the beauty that surround me... it looks different with every glnace, and the fresh morning fills your lungs and makes you feel alive!!!



I know it's going to be hours before Mowgli surfaces, so I set about preparing breakfast. I stick on some eggs to boil, and see if I can get the fire going. It's likely to be a lost cause, but I need some entertainment.

I have 3 wet logs and a soggy bog roll to work with, but I throw in a few fire lighters and a match and see what I can do.... within 30 minutes.. amazingly I have a roaring fire.... less can be said however for the eggs... they still aren;t boiling. We seem to have run out of gas.....

I head off to the car and get the hill walking books we brought. The weather has been flirting with me all morning, just when I think it's clearing to blue skys, it starts to rain, fo this reason I'm flicking through a book looking for something pretty easy... something that doesn't take too long and will never put us too far away from the car. I've went hill walking with a few people and aside from his love of Jack Daniels, Mowgli is one of my fitter companions, so we can probably takcle something reasonably interesting. I decicide to wait till we see what the weather does.....

I',ve made a fire... ran out of gas... chosen a mountain... and am now reallly hungry... I need Mowgli to wake up.

"HAW!!!!! WAKE UP"

Well that worked....

We make do with soft boiled duck eggs(well mowgli throws one of his at the aforementioned crow) , fruit juice, bananas, apples, hot cross buns and bread toasted on the fire... it wasn;t the bacon, sausages and espresso that we had expected, but thats why we come prepared!!!

We quickly clear up the tent and get the stuff back in the car... We're going to head to Glencoe visitor centre and get a coffee. From here we'll decide how the weather is and whether we're going to go walking or not.



The weather isn't bad, so after our coffee, we pick up an OS map of Glencoe.

We're going to head up Stob Dubh, which is one of the Munros which make up Buchaille Etive Beag:



We park somewhere along the Glencoe road(near the waterfall and the roadworks if anyone's interested, although I don't think anyone should ever use the information in here as the basis for mounting an expidition), and get our stuff together.

We pack our bags with soup, nuts, fruit, rolls, hot cross buns... all our saftey stuff, waterproofs etc, and set off along the path. There's loads of other people out walking, as this path is used for lots of routes... it feels good to be out in the countryside again and we are bouncing along through the rolling hills which approach the more serious mountains:





As we make our way along the path we get wonderful views along glencoe:



Ahead of us through the glen is Stob Dubh:



We march along, our spirits are high.... we use the time to talk about our planned trip to Eastern Europe in August... there's mountains in Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria... maybe we'll be there... who knows.. we just get off on the idea of packing a bag and living spontaneously for a month.

As we move further along, we find ourselves in a valley between this...



and Buachaille Etive Beag.

We continue along this path between the mountains, getting closer to stob dubh and moving around it's base. Our book says that once we get to the cairn marking the bealach(gorge) between the two peaks, we should head up the peak.... this information is all fine and well, but this point, the peak appears to be a wee bit steep. We walk a little further on and the peak softens, but it's clear that the path drops in altitude towards Glen Etive... so instead of continuing down and getting lost in the valley, we take to the steep side of the hill.

Over some food to rejuvenate us, we take the decision to make for the peak that we can see at the steep side.

After about 10 minutes of scrambling up the hill, our legs and arms are agony... we underestimated the steepness. It's not particularly dangerous, but it's really tough... we have to try to stick to the clumps of grass, as the stones and shingle are loose and don't support you enough to climb.... after what seems like an age, we are up at a high enough level that we now have snow to contend with. It's getting colder very quickly..... but the views are improving with every step:







the wind is picking up and it;s become clear that the peak was a false peak, there is another peak which seems extremely far away... we head towards that as the wind rips at our faces and the cold air makes our joints numb. Mowgli is ahead of me, and we can't hear each other for the screech of the wind... I catch up to him on what seems to be the peak, and we quickly take some photos..



We are pretty scared... looking at each other... but not admitting to each other how frightened we are.. It's not that we are in any major danger... just that in order to stay alive, we have to march on through heavy hail with our leg muscles killing us...

We just want out of the stormy weather which engulfs us.... we are face to face with the elements... and it's not a very nice feeling... when we get over the peak, we can see the ridge stretch out before us with the wind and snow whirling around on either side of it... it's not the weather to hand around, so we march on.....



We're staggering on along the ridge.... hoping that the weather will ease, or that we can in some way escape from nature, but we have to just trudge on, with no certain idea as to when it will end and we can go lower and shelter from nature.

After a while, we see a great site.... another walker walking towards us. He's going through this ordeal alone, something I can't imagine. We have a quick conversation... the usual bravado... he tells us that the other side is easy and we tell him that our side is easy.... even though both are anything but.....

We continue on... once we get the peak behind us, the weather eases a bit, but the snow becomes thick under foot. It's a wonderful site:





We seem to be through the worst of the weather... People say that climbing mountains is good for the mind, cos once you're up there, all there is in your mind at that point is the mountain and you... survival... it kind of cleans out that work deadline that is approaching or whatever you've been losing sleep over.

For us it's just Mountain, ourselves and Pearl jam on Thursday. Everytime, one of us is down or quiet for too long the other shouts "PEARL JAM THURSDAY" and the smiles and energy return. Mowgli claims that it was greed alone that kept him alive, cos he didn't want anyone else getting his ticket.

From here in, we can see our way down... but its covered in snow.... it's not the icey stormy snow that was scarey 20 minutes ago on the ridge, but the soft snow that you make snow men out of.. We try wading through it for a little while, but swimming through snow is only getting us wet and cold. We decide to just jump and aim forward, tumbling and sliding down the side of the mountain... it's certainly a more entertaining way of descending the metres.....



We carry on like this for a wee while, enjoying the fresh snow, coupled with the euphoria of the climb, and the relief in being able to see a path all the way back to the car. This euphoria and fun ends after about 15 minutes once we can't feel anything from the knee down.

Now it's the downhill trudge... tired legs, and random dips into snow up to your thigh to zap your energy. It's at this point that we have the option of detouring to climb Stob Coire Raineach, but there's no question of it... the weather has really taken its toll on us... our legs ache... the ground is getting softer and sliding about around our feet.

At one point I take a step and my leg plummets down into the snow, I fall over and we both laugh.... until I realise I can't get my leg back out again.. the snow has fallen around it and we have a hurried dig while i feel my leg go numb... when we pull it out, we realise it was a roof of snow over a small river that I'd fallen down into.

We continue on... the weather is deteriorating into annoy rain which lashes off our faces...

Eventually we get back to the car... another couple of climbers get a flash of our bums as we hurriedly get changed into some dry clothes...

The next hour in the car is almost silent, cos we are so tired, but after that we are reminiscing about interesting parts of the climb and forgetting the dread and agony of climbing over false peaks and wanting to be out of the snow...

We pick up the Space Cadet in Glasgow and return to Ayrshire to a big hot dinner after our weekend adventures... Luke Skyetrekker heads over and we spend the rest of the evening in front of the telly talking nonsense with each other....

Montreux day 5

Day 4 in Montreux was the clearest yet:











Apart from taking those photos, it was all work.....

Day 5 was the least clear day..... my last day..... Most of my work was done, so I went in early, made sure there was nothing in my email... made my excuses and left. My flight is from Geneva... so after Tuesday's travelling adventures... I've decided to spend a few hours in geneva city before I head off for my flight.... I've tried to have a swatch around on the internet to see if i can find out what there is to do in 3 hours in Geneva... but other than having a huge jet of water coming out of the harbour, I can't find out much...

I head off anyway.... it feels good to cut loose from the conference and head off again... Its a much different train journey back... the weather is driech... a word invented in scotland because we have weather this bad - grey - drizzly - non descript. There's very little to see, and it;s hard to believe it was about 15 degrees just 36 hours ago..... speaking of 15:

15 days to go - now follows a gratuitous Pearl Jam picture....



I arrive in Geneva and stick my holdall in a locker.... I'm back into travel mode and I'm grooving along to moreeeee Pearl Jam.... This time live at the fox theatre Atlanta.. 1994:




The city just seems like a big French(ish) city. It reminds me of paris... wide broad streets. big grandiose houses... I make it down to the river.... I've not managed to find a map in any of the bus stops that makes any sense... either that or I'm in too carefree a mood to care. It's raining pretty heavy now, but I turn up my collar and get on with it.

I pass a hotel called the four seasons... it's full on 5 star and the concierge is handing out umbrellas to guests who are exiting into the rain... I let my hair down(literally for once) and head in the door.... I ask reception is they have a double room for the night.... they do, so I tell them I'm heading out to park my car. When I exit, my jacket is over my arm. My bag is over the opposite shoulder and my hair is tied back..... The concierge hands me an umbrella.... I DID NOT STEAL IT!! It was offered to me....

Next door is a Starbucks, and guilt makes me head inside to make sure no work has arrived at my email while I've been skieving... I check they have wifi(the only reason to be in starbucks), and order a large coffee..... my powerbook soon tells me that the wifi costs money!!!! I'm thoroughly pissed off but enter the credit card and check my email and Pearl jam news while skyping Mowgli to exchange excitement about the Astoria gig.... The 30 minutes internet time disappears pretty quickly.... the Lonely Planet site tells me about the big jet of water in geneva too. I come out of Starbucks, and try to get my bearings... I;m totally winging it. I'm beside a river. The water is flowing from left right. Given that then Jet is in the harbour and I assume the water is coming from the mountains I assume right would lead me to the mouth of the river... and also the harbour. I head along to the right... after 15 minutes... I'm pretty glad of the Umbrella, and even more glad of Eddie giving it his all in my ears...

I seem to be getting out of the centre a little. There is no sign of the river opeing out... but there's some interesting constructions around the water - which is flowing pretty fast:






I decide to look at a bus stop.... trust my luck.. there's rivers winding all over the place. I'm clearly meandering rather than moving towards the Jet of water. This Jet better be impressive.... cos it's about 3 degrees celsius, and if that nice man hadn't given me this umbrella... I would be soaked. I start following the train tracks back into town... At least I've got a feel for the city. It seems pretty boring...



When I finally make it to the station I use my new found bearings and work out on a map which direction to go in. I'm cold and scunnered.... but pearl jam keeps me grooving and it seems to make more sense to see the city than to go and sit in the station.

I keep on walking(in the other direction this time). After what seems like ages looking for a big turn right... I get to the end of the city centre again... there's a park and a sign pointing right to "Lac"... now since the only French places I've ever been are Paris and Brussels, I am not sure that this means Lake... but it seems like a good enough excuse... so I head through a little park and get down to the lake side... it looks like a scottish family holiday.. There's water spraying in my face, you can't see anything, and the wind is making my arse numb... There's no Jet of water in sight... which either means it's miniscule... or they didn't pay their electricity bill!!!

I continue along the lake side.... it is feeling more like ayr beach with every step.... but Eddie has just kicked into I believe in mircales at Buenos Aires....and I'm beating the jogger's....

I'm sure on a good day there's mountain's here.....





....and a f@c king Jet fountain......

I keep walking until i eventually come upon the four seasons fancy schmancy hotel:



Since I stole their umbrella.. I have... taken several wrong turns... found out that the Jet was off and frozen my arse off walking long distances for very little reason. I'm starting to believe in Karma.... and given that I don't have these in my hand yet.....



..... I decide not to piss Karma off and return the brolly to the bucket at the door, since it's stopped raining anyway. I don;t make a very good thief!

From here... it's back on the conveyer belt of travel..trains, planes.... airport lounges... I nearly cause and international incident when my return flight is filled with 18 yr old american school kids "discovering" Europe, but I stick on the iPod and just enjoy the view:

Montreux day 3

It's the first real day of the conference, and the first day of the week.... its obvious on my walk that Montreux is a bit more lively on a monday morning than it is on a sunday morning.... Everyone and their dog(quite literally) seems to be jogging.... maybe I should have brought my trainers.

It's another long day - a lot of it with no internet - so I;m glad when I manage to make my excuses and sneak off at around 4pm.

I'm going to head along the lake side to Chateau Chillon:



"Chillon est un bloc de tours pose sur un bloc de rochers". Victor Hugo, Le Rhin

I was told that it's a 45 minute walk from the conference venue, but it shuts at 5pm... so I decide to take advantage of my free public transport card during my stay. My hotel gave it to me... a great idea..... really encourages tourism. It can be quite tough to get up off your arse after being at a conference all day in order to put in some leg work at a museum or a castle, but when you;re given the transport for free, you feel you should use them.

The transport system is both regular; every ten minutes up to midnight.....and popular; I struggle for a seat on a long bendy bus.

15 minutes later I get off to the marvelous views of Chateau Chillon:





Its great walking over a moat and into a castle. The weather has to be above 20 degrees.... I'm in rolled up shirt sleeves and I'm listening to old skool Pearl Jam (17 days to go!!!). I'm in a great mood:



The place is much bigger than I expected. generally you go to medieval castles and you can't believe how Aristocracy lived in such small spaces.... but this is a little more serious:




It costs 10 CHF... which is reasonable.... but it does make me hope that there's something inside...

By this point I'm onto Pearl Jam playing the Melkweg in 1992:



I wander into the first courtyard...

The Chateau Chillon has been around since roman times, and has basically been built upon and built upon over the years. It's a little like my parents house...As a result the castle has lots of different bits dating from different times...

I cross the bridge into the castle and pass through a 15th century gate. You can tell by the shape of the archway that the gate is late 15th century(Bullshit! a leaflet provided all facts in this blog except the ones about Pearl jam) This opens out onto the first courtyard:







Immediately you get a feel for the castle, its a kind of higgledy piggledy mass of little turrets, and buildings with wooden roofs and struts... really nice, and the late afternoon glow really gives the terracotta roofs and yellow walls a summary feel..... Have I swallowed a Dulux colour chart?? or is it the first sun I've seen in 6 months coupled with Hungerstrike blasting in my ears:



From here I enter the first of the rooms... They are 13th century rooms which were used as various functions such as prisons, gallows and storehouses.








There;s some earthquake damage which makes i looks like the rocks have grown up from beneath the castle. The light shining in from the windows makes you imagine that the beautiful view actually emits light:




The highlight of this section of the castle is Bonivard's Prison. Bonivard was a prior who was in favour of the independence of Geneva and as a result was chained to a pillar for five years:





Lord Byron visited and while he wasn't busy having sex with his sister...he was inspired to write a poem about Bonivard:

Sonnet on Chillon

Eternal Spirit of the chainless Mind!
Brightest in dungeons, Liberty, thou art;--
For there thy habitation is the heart,--
The heart which love of thee alone can bind;
And when thy sons to fetters are consigned,
To fetters, and the damp vault's dayless gloom,
Their country conquers with their martyrdom,
And Freedom's fame finds wings on every wind.

Chillon! thy prison is a holy place,
And thy sad floor an altar, for 'twas trod,
Until his very steps have left a trace,
Worn, as if thy cold pavement were a sod,
By Bonnivard! May none those marks efface!
For they appeal from tyranny to God.

He also sign his name on one of the pillars...





I listen to an extended jam at the end of Reachdown, I get some more photos. Byron wasn't the only artistic person to be in this room... on of the 15th century prisoners was a christian graffi artisit:


not a patch on Bulgaria.

From here, I get out to the second courtyard.. and climb stairs to another area of the castle.

It's clear there is a totally different atmosphere now. I am in a restored 13th Century Grand Hall. It;s pretty grand with very tasteful restoration.




There's a coat of mail and a suit of armer at one end it;s surrounded by various spears and lances:











It seems fitting that Sonic Reducer kicks in just as I'm looking at these instruments of war:



There's a great collection of period plates and jugs at one end..... the huge pewter jugs look worthy of a good night of feasting and drinking at the gollem:







I head through various rooms feeling like an old knight, except I'm sure that old knights don't dance and boogie to Baba O'Reilly and Rocking in the free world. I really hope no one else sneaked away from the conference...:



By the time I get to the master bedroom...I'm very jealous of the view:



There's also some Latrine's:





Who needs toilet duck!!!!

This leads out to the third courtyard....









This place is more of a small walled village than a castle.

The next section leads through various rooms for bedrooms, a great hall for banquets...



a hall for scribes and attendants to the duke..

...and shows us some models of the castle:





which leads us to another courtyard. From here, the entire side of the castle facing the road has got a bastion for archers. I run along imagining the days when legolas, i mean the archers.... were standing defending the castle. It's really exciting.. my good mood means that I feel like I'm 8 years old abnd running around castles in Scotland. It's just a shame the gift shop didn't sell plastic swords...







At the end of the first wall for archers there's a cannon pointed out towards the entrance to the moat:



Maybe I'm the only one.... but this wooden run, spirals round the side of the castle and up through the middle. I can't help but run along it, as I listen to Dirty Frank!!



this then leads up to the keep.... My adrenalin and energy and Brother by Pearl jam allows me to run up the 4 flights of stairs two at a time, leaving me at the top of the structure(world) looking out onto lake geneva, Montreux, and the alps......




















I'm very impressed by the castle... too often Castles which aren't in complete ruins, are restored badly and filled with uninteresting dust in order that an admission charge can be put in place.... but his castle keeps the spirit alive.... makes you smell and feel back into the past.... It's situation is absolutely spectacular, and the good weather has me brimming full of energy.

I head back to the bus station and head back into town. I get off at the wrong end of town, so that I cna have a little walk back through the centre.....

I get to see the infamous casino which replaced the one in "Smoke on the water"



Not really worth the riff!!!



I also get to see Freddie in daylight....



After that it's back to the hotel for a gym session before I get some work down and settle for the night. My first real day of touring, travel and discovery this year and it felt amazing.....

Did I mention it's just 17 days to go: