Author Archives: BarryH

Canadian Rockies: walking slightly nervously on the wild side.

Posted on January 29, 2015 by BarryH

Almost at the end of my stay in Canada, on the last of my days off from skiing, I set out to trek along the Bow River to the Hoodoos, thin pinnacles eroded in soft sedimentary rock. It was 4 … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Hiking, Landscape, Mountains, Nature, Photography, Wildlife, Winter | Tagged Alaskan Malmute, banff canada, Banff National Park, Bow Falls, Bow River, Canada, cougar, coyote, elk, Hoodoos, Hoodoos Trail, ice, photography, Rundle Mountain, trails, Tunnel Mountain, Tunnel Mountain Drive, wapiti, wildlife, wolf | 1 Comment

Canadian Rockies: Snow, mountains and blue sky reflections

Posted on January 21, 2015 by BarryH

When I’m not skiing I like to follow one of the many winter trails around Banff, some longer and more arduous than others. One Sunday afternoon I took my camera and new snowshoes for a gentle 6-mile trek out along … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Hiking, Landscape, Mountains, Photography, Reflections, Winter | Tagged 40 Mile Creek, banff canada, blue sky, Canada, canadian rockies, Cascade Mountain, Cave and Basin Banff, Mount Rundle, photography, reflections, snowshoeing, thermal springs, treks, Tunnel Mountain, Vermillion Lakes | 2 Comments

Canadian Rockies: Blue sky skiing

Posted on January 16, 2015 by BarryH

It hasn’t been blue sky the whole time I’ve been in Banff but a good number of days have had a good amount of sunshine. Sometimes that has coincided with very low temperatures when photographing the stunning mountain views has … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Landscape, Mountains, Weather, Winter | Tagged banff canada, blue sky, Canada, canadian rockies, ice crystals, Lake Louise, mountain photography, photography, skiing, skiing techniques, Sunshine Village | 6 Comments

Canadian Rockies: Snowshoes and maple taffy

Posted on January 10, 2015 by BarryH

I have always loved walking in the snow despite having to put up with what I now know is Reynaud’s Phenomenon, painfully cold hands with ‘White Finger’ even in summer. I used to go walking in the Derbyshire Peak District … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Hiking, History, Landscape, Mountains, Nature | Tagged Banff National Park, British Columbia, Canada, canadian rockies, Derbyshire Peak District, Discover Banff Tours, Kootenay National Park, maple syrup, Maple Taffy, Marble Canyon, Parks Canada, snow, snowshoes, Tokumm Creek, Tokumm Creek fire | Leave a comment

Canadian Rockies: A very different walk

Posted on January 7, 2015 by BarryH

Warning: this is long and may get very boring The RCMP officer was polite but firm. I was on the wrong side of the tracks and I couldn’t cross. The road was closed and so was the trail which at … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Hiking, Mountains, Nature, Winter | Tagged 40 Mile Creek, Banff, Banff National Park, bears, Bow River, Canada, Canadian National Railway, Canadian Pacific, canadian rockies, Christmas crazies, environmental monitoring, fly ash, long trains, Parks Canada, RCMP, skiing, train derailment | Leave a comment

Canadian Rockies: Climate change

Posted on December 30, 2014 by BarryH

I haven’t been coming to the Canadian Rockies long enough to know what the norm is in terms of weather. So this is a snapshot looking back 5 years. In the UK we have ‘weather’, pressure systems blown in in … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Hiking, Landscape, Mountains, Wildlife, Winter | Tagged Banff, Bow Falls, Bow River, Breugel, Canada, canadian rockies, climate change, frozen river, ice, ice hockey, LS Lowry, Spray River, winter | 2 Comments

Canadian Rockies: Christmas on the piste

Posted on December 25, 2014 by BarryH

I’ve been in the Canadian Rockies now for a week, skiing and doing the odd bit of walking. There couldn’t be a much greater contrast with summer in the Greek islands. But, after heavy overnight snowfall on the mountain, early … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Landscape, Mountains | Tagged blue sky, Canada, canadian rockies, Christmas, Greek Islands, snow, White Christmas | 2 Comments

I was attacked by an airport: an unexpectedly wild walk

Posted on December 15, 2014 by BarryH

I did nothing to antagonise it. Malevolence on its part is the only explanation. That or ‘smart’ technology out of control. Which is even more frightening. I was on my home from Greece in the latter part of October. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Greece, Grumpy Old Men, Hiking, Landscape, Mountains, Pontypool, Wales | Tagged Abergavenny, Athens airport, brecon beacons national park, clouds, escalators, injuries, Pontypool, Pontypool Folly Tower, Pontypool Park, Shell Grotto, sunset, Wales | 1 Comment

Autumn gold in Old South Wales

Posted on December 1, 2014 by BarryH

You can’t live life looking to the past. After a few weeks under grey skies reminding myself of Symi summer sun it’s time to focus on the present and look to the future. The turning point was when yet another … Continue reading →

Posted in Autumn, Landscape, Monmouthshire, Mountains, Nature, Wales | Tagged Abergavenny-Brecon Canal, Autumn gold, brecon beacons national park, Folly Tower, Holly, Pontypool, Pontypool Folly Tower, Scarlet Hood fungi, sunset, Wales | 2 Comments

Symi: imagining the past

Posted on November 23, 2014 by BarryH

As I recounted in the blog, in July I trekked via many distractions to the ridge-top Lappatoniou Castle on the western-most peninsula on Symi. Then in early in October I went back with friends who, after trial and error and … Continue reading →

Posted in Greece, Hiking, History, Landscape, Mountains, Nature, Wildlife | Tagged agricultural enclosures, ancient pathways, archaeology, dragonflies, Flora, footpaths, Greece, historical remains, Lappatoniou Castle, Symi, threshing circles, wildlife | Leave a comment