View allAll Photos Tagged Pathless
Finally getting down to uploading some photos from my Scotland trip back in August/September...
Took the bus along Loch Lomond and got dropped off at the Sloy Power Station. From there I walked up Ben Vane along the nice path. After this short stop on the summit, I headed onwards and descended the western slopes over pathless terrain into the valley between Ben Vane and Beinn Ìme. From there I went to the foot of Beinn Ìme's NE ridge and ascended that ridge over mixed terrain from steep grass slopes to moderate scrambling bits. A wonderful and lonesome ascent onto this pretty busy hill.
"Every part of this soil is sacred in the estimation of my people. Every hillside, every valley, every plain and grove, has been hallowed by some sad or happy event in days long vanished. Even the rocks, which seem to be dumb and dead as the swelter in the sun along the silent shore, thrill with memories of stirring events connected with the lives of my people, and the very dust upon which you now stand responds more lovingly to their footsteps than yours, because it is rich with the blood of our ancestors, and our bare feet are conscious of the sympathetic touch. Our departed braves, fond mothers, glad, happy hearted maidens, and even the little children who lived here and rejoiced here for a brief season, will love these somber solitudes and at eventide they greet shadowy returning spirits. And when the last Red Man shall have perished, and the memory of my tribe shall have become a myth among the White Men, these shores will swarm with the invisible dead of my tribe, and when your children's children think themselves alone in the field, the store, the shop, upon the highway, or in the silence of the pathless woods, they will not be alone. In all the earth there is no place dedicated to solitude. At night when the streets of your cities and villages are silent and you think them deserted, they will throng with the returning hosts that once filled them and still love this beautiful land."
~Chief Seattle~
(leader of the Suquamish and Duwamish Native American tribes)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BARBARA!!!!!!!
www.flickr.com/photos/31343451@N00/
and to all my friends................a happy weekend!
*******************************************************
The Dark, Blue Sea
There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society where none intrudes,
By the deep sea, and music in its roar:
I love not man the less, but nature more,
From these our interviews, in which I steal
From all I may be, or have been before,
To mingle with the universe, and feel
What I can ne'er express, yet cannot all conceal.-
Roll on, thou deep and dark blue ocean-roll!
Ten thousand fleets sweep over thee in vain;
Man marks the earth with ruin-his control
Stops with the shore;-upon the watery plain
The wrecks are all thy deed, nor doth remain
A shadow of man's ravage, save his own,
When for a moment, like a drop of rain,
He sinks into thy depths with bubbling groan,
Without a grave, unknell'd, uncoffin'd, and unknown.
His steps are not upon thy paths-thy fields
Are not a spoil for him-thou dost arise
And shake him from thee; the vile strength he wields
For earth's destruction thou dost all despise,
Spurning him from thy bosom to the skies,
And send'st him, shivering in thy playful spray,
And howling, to his gods, where haply lies
His petty hope in some near port or bay,
And dashest him again to earth: there let him lay.
The armaments which thunderstrike the walls
Of rock-built cities, bidding nations quake,
And monarchs tremble in their capitals,
The oak leviathans, whose huge ribs make
Their clay creator the vain title take
Of lord of thee, and arbiter of war;
These are thy toys, and, as the snowy flake,
They melt into thy yeast of waves, which mar
Alike the armada's pride, or spoils of Trafalgar.
Thy shores are empires, changed in all save thee-
Assyria, Greece, Rome, Carthage, what are they?
Thy waters washed them power while they were free,
And many a tyrant since: their shores obey
The stranger, slave or savage; their decay
Has dried up realms to deserts:-not so thou,
Unchangeable, save to thy wild waves' play-
Time writes no wrinkle on thine azure brow-
Such as creation's dawn beheld, thou rollest now.
Thou glorious mirror, where the Almighty's form
Glasses itself in tempests; in all time
Calm or convulsed-in breeze, or gale, or storm,
Icing the pole, or in the torrid clime
Dark-heaving; boundless, endless and sublime-
The image of eternity-the throne
Of the invisible; even from out thy slime
The monsters of the deep are made; each zone
Obeys thee; thou goest forth, dread, fathomless, alone.
And I have loved thee, ocean! And my joy
Of youthful sports was on thy breast to be
Borne, like thy bubbles, onward: from a boy
I wanton'd with thy breakers-they to me
Were a delight; and if the freshening sea
Made them a terror-'twas a pleasing fear,
For I was as it were a child of thee,
And trusted to thy billows far and near,
And laid my hand upon thy mane - as I do here.
[ Byron]
There is driftwood galore on North Captiva. This piece was basking in the fiery evening sun and made a superb subject. No post-processing or crop.
"There is pleasure in the pathless woods, there is rapture in the lonely shore, there is society where none intrudes, by the deep sea, and music in its roar; I love not Man the less, but Nature more."~~Lord Byron
"But the grown man shudders and is silent. The man who has wandered pathless at night in the mountain-range of his feelings: is silent." -Rilke
"There is pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society, where none intrudes,
By the deep sea, and music in its roar:
I love not man the less, but Nature more..."
~ Lord Byron
Having arrived in Grand Teton National Park this spring, I was looking forward to visiting one of my favorite spots along Jenny Lake which is accessed via the Jenny Lake Loop Drive. But upon arriving there, we discovered that the road was shut down for some major repairs. Not to be deterred, we decided to head to the South Shore entrance...parked the car; packed some water and snacks; and hiked to our favorite spot....the best part of this little outing was the fact that we didn't have to contend with any crowds because they were all headed in the opposite direction to visit Inspiration Point (which we did the day before). Walking along through the woods, we were treated to view after view of Jenny Lake and the surrounding Tetons peaks framed so nicely by Mother Nature :-)
Have a great Wednesday....many thanks & appreciation for all your visits & comments!!!!
© Darlene Bushue - All of my images are protected by copyright and may not be used on any site, blog, or forum without my permission.
Video of fun :
I had arrived in Sutherland yesterday after a four hour drive and immediately set about tackling Ben Hee. A grand day on the hill saw me back at the car by dusk and my first task was finding a spot to park the car for the evening. I had spotted a large quiet area and headed for that as darkness fell.
The stove was soon on and I enjoyed a cracking tea and the rest of the evening was spent reading my book and watching YouTube videos in the passenger seat!! Eventually bed called and I clambered into the boot and fell into a long deep sleep.
Waking at a late time of 07.45!! (shock horror !! well it was still dark!) I managed to leave the warmth of my sleeping bag and get my kit ready for today’s adventure. The hill I had chosen was a 3 minute drive down the road and has one of the longest hill names I can remember seeing !! - Meallan Liath Coire Mhic Dhughaill sits above Loch More and before long I was striding along the track beside this northern Loch. The views along the loch to Ben Stack were fantastic and a halo of cloud circled the peak with the top popping out above – how I wish I had chosen that peak today!!
Meallan Liath Coire Mhic Dhughaill was looking a little less inviting with a layer of cloud sitting down from about 500m, and little sign of any protrusions above it! A good ATV track leads up the hillside just before Aultanrynie is reached, but beyond this I knew it was going to be pretty much pathless with rough ground in the clag – and it was.
As I reached the ridge, I as well and truly in the clag! Up and down I went over Meallan Liath Beag and it was not until I started the pull up to the higher ridge between Meallan Liath Coire Mhic Dhughaill and Carn Dearg, that things started to change. The higher I got and I started to notice little breaks in the cloud. I was sitting between some ill-defined layers of clag and every now and again I’d get a glimpse through the clag to see – erm well more clag . Up I went and I soon found myself on the higher ridge and I had to drop a little height. It was probably the summit of Carn Dearg providing shelter, but for a short spell some brightness appeared and I was accompanied by my my brocken with is glories and a fog bow – always a nice sight
However this didn’t last long and as I ascended towards the summit of Meallan Liath Coire Mhic Dhughaill the clag fell about me again! It was now white with ice and the wind was strengthening . I didn’t linger long and started down southwards off the summit. It didn’t take long but soon the cloud started to break so I headed towards the edge of the ridge and I got lucky. For about half an hour, the clouds parted to give me some smashing views over Sutherland and out towards Ben Stack , it was amazing as the sun was lowering to the south and the clouds rolled about the lochans and hills, a fine sight indeed
As quickly as it had dispersed, the clag filled in again and with the sun lowering I descended a little quicker. A section of peat hags had me cursing but after what seemed like an age I found myself back on the ATV track. A quick hello to a few herds of deer and I was soon back at the car and first task was getting a brew on!
By the time I got the car sorted the darkness has won its battle and I was already readying myself for the winter solstice hike the following day.
Coming up from Sava Bohinjka side (from Kupljenik village) and passing the tower of Babji zob and cave below it, we can turn up and through this steep, pathless ravine climb on the plateau of Jelovica. (dia scan)
video of fun :
Meall Uaine
After a stressful start to the year, we decided to treat ourselves to a weekend beak. Log cabin booked and off we set after work on Friday up the A93 toward Blair. A short drive and we arrived at our lodgings for the weekend. Located above The Spittal of Glenshee we were all super impressed! Views up Glenshee towards the ski centre and up Glen Lochsie as well as back down Glenshee, I really didn’t need to leave the lodge to get some nice photos!
However, curiosity got the better of me and I was soon looking at the map and what hills could be scaled near bye! The usual suspects (i.e. Munros and Corbetts) had been walked on numerous occasions and I immediately noticed that the Cateran Trail ran along the side of the lodge. In fact the hill that the lodge was situated on looked inviting – Meall Uaine. More research followed and I discovered that Meall Uaine was listed in the original Corbetts list. However in the 80’s it was realised that it didn’t quite make Corbett status as the 500ft drop wasn’t quite 500ft!, and in fact there were no drops sufficient to meet this criteria between here and Glas Tulaichean (around 10km away along the ridge)!
So as the rain fell on the Friday night I hatched a plan to rise early and try and catch a sunrise, and be back before the family had risen!! After a few beers I had a one final glimpse outside and to my delight, I noticed the hills were white from about 600m, winter had returned with May only a few days away.
A comfortable sleep and I was up at 4am, with the first signs of dawn starting to light up the surroundings. Coffee and porridge devoured and I was soon heading up the Cateran trail. After a few hundred yards I decided to make a beeline for Mealle Uaine – the ground was frozen so the pathless, and probably usually boggy ground was fine to crunch across. The clear skies that had welcomed me on leaving the lodge were now being filled with mid level cloud unfortunately. However the increasing white terrain underfoot was putting a big smile on my face As I gained height the Perthshire hills started to emerge and were looking fine with their fresh white coatings. Although a bright sunrise failed to develop it was still a lovely soft light that started to illuminate the landscape. Dapples of light started to break through and Beinn a’ Ghlo caught some of these rays. The true summit was a short walk from the NW top and I was soon enjoying views across Scotland. Down in Glenshee the green spring foliage was being light up by the odd burst of light but it felt like a different world up on the cold monochrome tops.
After soaking in the views for half an hour I decided to head back – it hadn’t turned 7 am yet! I had the ideal treat waiting for me at the lodge too after the cold on the tops (see end of video!!) ;)
Video of adventure :
Sgurr an Utha
My legs were a little weary after a long hike in the prior days, so I was after a shorter hill day, and after some map analysis I opted for a Corbett I had yet to climb – Sgurr an Utha. Located just west of Glenfinnan it was a bit of a journey to get there, especially given the recent overnight snow. The roads were a bit dicey but I eventually rolled up at the parking layby and started to get ready.
The forecast was for snow showers but the skies were blue as I headed through the forestry plantation towards my target. My initial plan was to just blast up the SW shoulder and back down again but looking at the amount of snow and the pathless, snowy rough terrain of the SW shoulder, I decided on the easier option. A land rover track runs in an easterly direction up towards Druim na Brein-choille, and to be honest gives easy walking and gains you a good bit of height before it stops around 450m. This part of the walk was glorious as I was still in the shelter of the hills but as soon as the track stopped the 15-20cm of new snow made things a little more arduous!! The going between Brein – choille and Fraoch – bheinn was slow and I can recall a least three occasions where my leg disappeared down into an unseen bog or burn – giving rather soggy boots (that’s with two sets of gaiters !!). The location was now a little more exposed to the wind and the spindrift was whistling around me and making some lovely shapes in the snow. I was really wishing I had packed my snowshoes now but I carried on with the summit of Sgurr an Utha pulling me on. Every now and then it would disappear into the cloud but I had been lucky, only a few flakes of snow and the majority of the showers had skirted round me The views towards Streap and the Loch Arkraig hills was fantastic and in the other direction there was a fabulous view down Loch Beoraid. As much as I wanted to linger on the summit, the icy gales soon saw my getting the crampons on and axe out for the decent down the rocky and knobbly South West Ridge where care and concentration was most definitely needed!! A grand few hours on the mountain and certainly more tiring than expected, although this was probably due to the underfoot conditions Hope you enjoy the video…
There is a pleasure in the pathless woods, There is a rapture on the lonely shore, There is society, where none intrudes, By the deep sea, and music in its roar: I love not man the less, but Nature more.
(Into the Wild)
The West Highland Way (Scottish Gaelic: Slighe na Gàidhealtachd an Iar) is a linear long distance footpath in Scotland, with the official status of Long Distance Route. It is 154.5 km long, running from Milngavie north of Glasgow to Fort William in the Scottish Highlands, with an element of hill walking in the route. It is managed by the West Highland Way Management Group (WHWMG) consisting of West Dunbartonshire Council, Stirling Council, Argyll & Bute Council, Highland Council and Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority. About 80,000 people use the path every year, of whom over 15,000 walk the entire route.
The trail was approved for development in 1974 and was completed and opened on 6 October 1980 by Lord Mansfield so becoming the first officially designated long distance footpath in Scotland. In June 2010, the West Highland Way was co-designated as part of the International Appalachian Trail.
The path uses many ancient roads, including drovers' roads, military roads and old coaching roads, and is traditionally walked from south to north. As well as increasing the sense of adventure, taking the route in this direction keeps the sun from one's eyes.
The route is commonly walked in seven to eight days, although many fitter and more experienced walkers do it in five or six. The route can be covered in considerably less time than this, but a less hurried progress is the choice of the majority of walkers, allowing for appreciation of the countryside along the Way. Enjoyment of the natural surroundings of the walk is the primary motivating factor for many people following the route.
(Wikipedia)
-----
In April, I solo-hiked on and around the northern part of the famous West Highland Way, starting in Ardlui and finishing in Fort William five days later after a set of detours from the main trail.
The itinerary was as follows: Ardlui -> pass below Ben Lui -> Inveroran -> Kingshouse -> Luibelt ruin -> Fort William.
During the third day, I enjoyed a beautiful though a little bit cold morning in Inveroran, crossed Rannoch Moor, climbed Meall a' Bhùiridh via its pathless southern slopes, and finished my journey in a beautiful river setting in Kingshouse.
~There is pleasure in the pathless woods, There is rapture on the lonely shore, There is society were none intrudes, By the deep sea and music in it's roar, I love not man the less but nature more~ Lord Byron
I know I'm totally biased but HOW AMAZING is my little sister....Jeez I cannot believe this girl is my flesh and blood! She really rocked our session and took on board my concept and direction in the modelling. Well done Sister. As you know I just love quotes and beautiful words to accompany my images....I'd love to know your favourites and any recommendations for poets or wordsmiths. Abi xx
Fine Art Actions Into the woods used here.
Model Felicity Cox
There is a pleasure in the pathless woods. Views like this make life even sweeter.
Taking this shot was tricky. The lake in the far was reflecting too much. I have reduced the reflection in Lightroom. I didn't have the polarizing filter at that time. May be it would have worked.
video of fun :
Meall Uaine
After a stressful start to the year, we decided to treat ourselves to a weekend beak. Log cabin booked and off we set after work on Friday up the A93 toward Blair. A short drive and we arrived at our lodgings for the weekend. Located above The Spittal of Glenshee we were all super impressed! Views up Glenshee towards the ski centre and up Glen Lochsie as well as back down Glenshee, I really didn’t need to leave the lodge to get some nice photos!
However, curiosity got the better of me and I was soon looking at the map and what hills could be scaled near bye! The usual suspects (i.e. Munros and Corbetts) had been walked on numerous occasions and I immediately noticed that the Cateran Trail ran along the side of the lodge. In fact the hill that the lodge was situated on looked inviting – Meall Uaine. More research followed and I discovered that Meall Uaine was listed in the original Corbetts list. However in the 80’s it was realised that it didn’t quite make Corbett status as the 500ft drop wasn’t quite 500ft!, and in fact there were no drops sufficient to meet this criteria between here and Glas Tulaichean (around 10km away along the ridge)!
So as the rain fell on the Friday night I hatched a plan to rise early and try and catch a sunrise, and be back before the family had risen!! After a few beers I had a one final glimpse outside and to my delight, I noticed the hills were white from about 600m, winter had returned with May only a few days away.
A comfortable sleep and I was up at 4am, with the first signs of dawn starting to light up the surroundings. Coffee and porridge devoured and I was soon heading up the Cateran trail. After a few hundred yards I decided to make a beeline for Mealle Uaine – the ground was frozen so the pathless, and probably usually boggy ground was fine to crunch across. The clear skies that had welcomed me on leaving the lodge were now being filled with mid level cloud unfortunately. However the increasing white terrain underfoot was putting a big smile on my face As I gained height the Perthshire hills started to emerge and were looking fine with their fresh white coatings. Although a bright sunrise failed to develop it was still a lovely soft light that started to illuminate the landscape. Dapples of light started to break through and Beinn a’ Ghlo caught some of these rays. The true summit was a short walk from the NW top and I was soon enjoying views across Scotland. Down in Glenshee the green spring foliage was being light up by the odd burst of light but it felt like a different world up on the cold monochrome tops.
After soaking in the views for half an hour I decided to head back – it hadn’t turned 7 am yet! I had the ideal treat waiting for me at the lodge too after the cold on the tops (see end of video!!) ;)
video of fun :
Meall Uaine
After a stressful start to the year, we decided to treat ourselves to a weekend beak. Log cabin booked and off we set after work on Friday up the A93 toward Blair. A short drive and we arrived at our lodgings for the weekend. Located above The Spittal of Glenshee we were all super impressed! Views up Glenshee towards the ski centre and up Glen Lochsie as well as back down Glenshee, I really didn’t need to leave the lodge to get some nice photos!
However, curiosity got the better of me and I was soon looking at the map and what hills could be scaled near bye! The usual suspects (i.e. Munros and Corbetts) had been walked on numerous occasions and I immediately noticed that the Cateran Trail ran along the side of the lodge. In fact the hill that the lodge was situated on looked inviting – Meall Uaine. More research followed and I discovered that Meall Uaine was listed in the original Corbetts list. However in the 80’s it was realised that it didn’t quite make Corbett status as the 500ft drop wasn’t quite 500ft!, and in fact there were no drops sufficient to meet this criteria between here and Glas Tulaichean (around 10km away along the ridge)!
So as the rain fell on the Friday night I hatched a plan to rise early and try and catch a sunrise, and be back before the family had risen!! After a few beers I had a one final glimpse outside and to my delight, I noticed the hills were white from about 600m, winter had returned with May only a few days away.
A comfortable sleep and I was up at 4am, with the first signs of dawn starting to light up the surroundings. Coffee and porridge devoured and I was soon heading up the Cateran trail. After a few hundred yards I decided to make a beeline for Mealle Uaine – the ground was frozen so the pathless, and probably usually boggy ground was fine to crunch across. The clear skies that had welcomed me on leaving the lodge were now being filled with mid level cloud unfortunately. However the increasing white terrain underfoot was putting a big smile on my face As I gained height the Perthshire hills started to emerge and were looking fine with their fresh white coatings. Although a bright sunrise failed to develop it was still a lovely soft light that started to illuminate the landscape. Dapples of light started to break through and Beinn a’ Ghlo caught some of these rays. The true summit was a short walk from the NW top and I was soon enjoying views across Scotland. Down in Glenshee the green spring foliage was being light up by the odd burst of light but it felt like a different world up on the cold monochrome tops.
After soaking in the views for half an hour I decided to head back – it hadn’t turned 7 am yet! I had the ideal treat waiting for me at the lodge too after the cold on the tops (see end of video!!) ;)
Ye Clouds! that far above me float and pause,
Whose pathless march no mortal may control!
Ye Ocean-Waves! that, wheresoe'er ye roll,
Yield homage only to eternal laws!
Ye Woods! that listen to the night-birds singing,
Midway the smooth and perilous slope reclined.
Save when your own imperious branches swinging,
Have made a solemn music of the wind!
Where, like a man beloved of God,
Through glooms, which never woodman trod,
How oft, pursuing fancies holy,
My moonlight way o'er flowering weeds I wound,
Inspired, beyond the guess of folly,
By each rude shape and wild unconquerable sound!
O ye loud Waves! and O ye Forests high!
And O ye Clouds that far above me soared!
Thou rising Sun! thou blue rejoicing Sky!
Yea, every thing that is and will be free!
Bear witness for me, wheresoe'er ye be,
With what deep worship I have still adored
The spirit of divinest Liberty.
From France: An Ode by Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834)
Best Viewed Large On Black - Waitohu Estuary, Otaki Beach, NZ [?]
have you ever heard a poem or a song that brought tears to your eyes because you felt like those words were an extension of your being? i have. and yesterday i acknowledged it pretty well.
Lord Byron, from Childe Harold, canto IV, verse 178.
'There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society, where none intrudes,
By the deep sea, and music in its roar:
I love not man the less, but nature more.
From these our interviews, in which I steal
From all I may be, or have been before,
To mingle with the Universe, and feel
What I can ne'er express, yet cannot all conceal.'
“There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society, where none intrudes,
By the deep sea, and music in its roar:
I love not man the less, but Nature more”
~George Gordon Byron
This was taken on the central Oregon Coast. I ended up with almost back-to-back trips to Iceland then Oregon (I know, hard life!). Just trying to catch up on laundry and work has left little time to sort through the crazy amount of new pictures I have.
There is pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society, where none intrudes,
By the deep sea, and music in its roar:
I love not man the less, but Nature more,
From these our interviews, in which I steal
From all I may be, or have been before,
To mingle with the Universe, and feel
What I can ne'er express, yet cannot all conceal.
Lord Byron
“There is pleasure in the pathless woods.” ~ Lord Byron
View of the Pend Oreille River from the colorful woods at Dover Bay. Laurie and Pita and I enjoyed a nice relaxing walk there today.
Have a wonderful Sunday! HCS & HSS
“There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society, where none intrudes,
By the deep sea, and music in its roar:
I love not man the less, but Nature more”
― George Gordon Byron
There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society, where none intrudes,
By the deep Sea, and music in its roar:
I love not Man the less,
but Nature more
Lord Byron
Vlog of hike:
I was headed west to the shores of Loch Lomond to meet a couple of locals and walk over a couple of fine Luss hills. A late start was planned as the forecast had a weak front moving through in the morning with the promise of sunshine and views later in the day!
Arriving in Tarbet I left my car and met with G and F and we managed a lift round to Glen Douglas where we were dropped. All we had to do now was find our way back to Tarbet. The plan was a hike over Beinn Bhreac then down and up over Ben Reoch, with the promise of fantastic views over the hills and mountains that surround the bonnie banks
However as we got out of the car at Glen Douglas the hills were smothered in cloud and long ranging views seemed a long way off!!
This hike starts uphill immediately on pathless grassy ground, and there aint no time to warm up! The good thing though is that you gain height quickly and we were soon reaching the ridge line (and cloud) however before entering the cloud we got some nice atmospheric shots back down towards the rest of the Luss Hills.
Entering the cloud also saw the ground turn from green to white and we headed on following compass bearings into the whiteness… Before long our readings informed us we were close to the summit. A quick look at the map and we realised the summit was just off the ATV track which we had now picked up. About 20 meters to the east and we were stood on the top of Beinn Bhreac. Disappointingly, the weather front had decided not to budge but every now and again the clouds threatened to break, however after waiting 15 minutes nothing happened so the map and compass came out again and we were set for Ben Reoch.
As sods law usually dictates, about ten minutes after leaving the summit, the cloud cleared in a spell of about 1 minute. From walking through a fogged up, claggy zero vis landscape, we were now treated far flung vistas and blue patches rapidly replaced the scudding clouds. This put a spring in our step and we decided to head to the eastern slopes of Ben Reoch to capture the fine views. And indeed they were fine, we stopped on a minor top at 632m and had some lunch and took some photos. A wee rest and energy levels replenished, we then strode onto the top of Ben Reoch. The views here were almost better than on the minor top with the Arrochar Alps loosing their cloud caps one by one. The Cobbler as always looked mighty fine. All that was left was the steep descent to Tarbet. This turned out to be the hardest part of the day. The ground was steep and when it levelled off a little lower down the under foot conditions were rather uneven! lots of bogs and marshes to get through, but we did and soon were back in Tarbet in time for some coffee and bacon buns
There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society, where none intrudes,
By the deep sea, and music in its roar:
I love not man the less, but Nature more”
Nothing connects me with nature more than witnessing an alpine scenery like this one, a boundless vista of mountains, lakes and greenery. Here is to one last whiff before winter takes over this life-giving landscape.
Banff National Park
AB USA
The West Highland Way (Scottish Gaelic: Slighe na Gàidhealtachd an Iar) is a linear long distance footpath in Scotland, with the official status of Long Distance Route. It is 154.5 km long, running from Milngavie north of Glasgow to Fort William in the Scottish Highlands, with an element of hill walking in the route. It is managed by the West Highland Way Management Group (WHWMG) consisting of West Dunbartonshire Council, Stirling Council, Argyll & Bute Council, Highland Council and Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority. About 80,000 people use the path every year, of whom over 15,000 walk the entire route.
The trail was approved for development in 1974 and was completed and opened on 6 October 1980 by Lord Mansfield so becoming the first officially designated long distance footpath in Scotland. In June 2010, the West Highland Way was co-designated as part of the International Appalachian Trail.
The path uses many ancient roads, including drovers' roads, military roads and old coaching roads, and is traditionally walked from south to north. As well as increasing the sense of adventure, taking the route in this direction keeps the sun from one's eyes.
The route is commonly walked in seven to eight days, although many fitter and more experienced walkers do it in five or six. The route can be covered in considerably less time than this, but a less hurried progress is the choice of the majority of walkers, allowing for appreciation of the countryside along the Way. Enjoyment of the natural surroundings of the walk is the primary motivating factor for many people following the route.
(Wikipedia)
-----
In April, I solo-hiked on and around the northern part of the famous West Highland Way, starting in Ardlui and finishing in Fort William five days later after a set of detours from the main trail.
The itinerary was as follows: Ardlui -> pass below Ben Lui -> Inveroran -> Kingshouse -> Luibelt ruin -> Fort William.
During the third day, I enjoyed a beautiful though a little bit cold morning in Inveroran, crossed Rannoch Moor, climbed Meall a' Bhùiridh via its pathless southern slopes, and finished my journey in a beautiful river setting in Kingshouse.
There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society, where none intrudes,
By the deep sea, and music in its roar:
I love not man the less, but Nature more.
~George Gordon, Lord Byron, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage
“there is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
there is a rapture on the lonely shore,
there is society, where none intrudes,
by the deep Sea, and music in its roar:
I love not Man the less, but Nature more..."
- Lord Byron.
Continuing my series of photographs from Galloway, a remote area of rough hill and forest and romantic names, so long in my mind but only visited this summer. On this day of exceptional clarity and northerly winds, our walk took us over The Merrick, then down to Loch Enoch followed by a 6km strenuous walk from this point to Buchan Hill before a difficult descent through waist high tufted grass back to path leading to Loch Trool and the car. It might have been only 17km but it felt like a lot more!
This was taken about 6pm, after descending the pathless slopes of The Merrick to the loch, where on the far side can be seen the rounded cone of Mullwarchar 692m, possibly the most remote hill in southern Scotland, with part of the Rhinns of Kells beyond.
There is pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society, where none intrudes,
By the deep sea, and music in its roar:
I love not man the less, but Nature more,
From these our interviews, in which I steal
From all I may be, or have been before,
To mingle with the Universe, and feel
What I can ne'er express, yet cannot all conceal.
LORD BYRON,
I had a dream, which was not all a dream.
The bright sun was extinguish'd, and the stars
Did wander darkling in the eternal space,
Rayless, and pathless, and the icy earth
Swung blind and blackening in the moonless air;
Morn came, and went and came, and brought no day,
And men forgot their passions in the dread
Of this desolation; and all hearts
Were chill'd into a selfish prayer for light...
- Lord Byron
Images and photographers that inspire me: My Galleries
Spring on the meadows above Klein Kordin Alm and Straniger Alm is especially beautiful. On the left we see the main summit of Hochwipfel, on the right is the summit of Schulter. Between them, there is a ravine, in May still filled fith snow, where a pathless descent is possible.
© 2014 Thousand Word Images by Dustin Abbott
“There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society, where none intrudes,
By the deep sea, and music in its roar:
I love not man the less, but Nature more”
― George Gordon Byron.
Gaspè, Quebec. November 2014
Written Review: bit.ly/1pkiriO.
Image Gallery: bit.ly/1vk6Qkk
YouTube Video Review: bit.ly/1xXyVhf
Technical information Canon EOS 6D, Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM ART, Processed in Adobe Lightroom 5, Photoshop CC, and Alien Skin Exposure 7
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After noticing on the map that there is one somewhat rocky ridge leading up to Beinn Ìme, I checked the fabulous walkhighlands page and found one route description of the ascent. It sounded very doable, so I planned a weekend day trip with an East to West traverse of Ben Vane followed by a traverse of Beinn Ìme via the NE ridge and onwards to Rest And Be Thankful. A wonderful route, with loads of pathless terrain and some slightly exposed scrambling when sticking to the crest of the ridge.
The legendary 85km South Coast Track negotiates the lonesome coastline of Southwest National Park, Tasmania, with nothing between the coast and Antarctica but thundering ocean waves.
The trek crosses two mountain ranges to avoid sections of impassable coastline and long sections of open plains behind the coastline; it only follows the coast where there are (splendid) beaches.
Local experienced bushwalkers rate South Coast Track as "moderate", leaving some space on their grading scale for pathless rambling across wild Tasmania; for an average hiker, though, this trek may well belong to the more difficult ones, especially in adverse weather.
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After three years, I was fortunate enough to return to Tasmania, literally across the globe and 10 time zones; four flights were needed to get from winter Prague to early summer in Hobart.
Hiking the iconic South Coast Track was stunningly beautiful. That sense of remoteness and unspoiled wilderness... each day was different, and all the seven days spent on tackling the South Coast Track contributed to an unforgettable experience in this very unique landscape located on the other side of the Earth.
‘There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society, where none intrudes,
By the deep sea, and music in its roar:
I love not man the less, but Nature more’
Lord Byron
There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society where none intrudes,
By the deep Sea, and music in its roar:
I love not Man the less, but Nature more
―George Gordon Byron
Isle Royale, Michigan, USA
There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society, where none intrudes,
By the deep sea, and music in its roar:
I love not man the less, but Nature more.
There is society, where none intrudes,
By the deep sea, and music in its roar:
I love not man the less, but Nature more,
From these our interviews, in which I steal
From all I may be, or have been before,
To mingle with the Universe, and feel
What I can ne'er express, yet cannot all conceal.
In September 2017, we spent 11 days of hiking and packrafting in the unspoiled wilderness of southern Greenland between the magnificent Tasermiut fjord and the remote settlement of Aappilattoq, searching for beautiful landscapes, moods of solitude, and enjoying a true deep north adventure.
Certainly, we were far from being the first to cross these lands, however we hadn't met anyone during our 10-days hike across the pathless terrain; we just saw a few footsteps of previous adventurers in the sand.
No paths, no huts, no GSM signal, no means of civilization; this is a harsh northern landscape that requires enough stamina, experience, mental strength and patience to be crossed over. For those who don't retreat, however, the experience is very rewarding: a unique mix of isolation, exploration and adventure.
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During the 10th day in the area, we continued exploring the Aappilattoq settlement, climbing to a hill above it for stunning views all around.
There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society, where none intrudes,
By the deep Sea, and music in its roar:
I love not Man the less, but Nature more,
From these our interviews, in which I steal
From all I may be, or have been before,
To mingle with the Universe, and feel
What I can ne’er express, yet cannot all conceal.
Lord Byron