Category Archives: Hiking

Canadian Rockies: to the top of Sulphur Mountain

Posted on February 18, 2014 by BarryH

During the last 10 days or so of my stay in the Canadian Rockies I decided to concentrate my efforts on trying to improve my skiing.  With fresh falls of snow the conditions changed from the ‘hard-pack’ with which I … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Hiking, Landscape, Mountains, Winter | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Canadian Rockies: icy river, twitching senses

Posted on February 9, 2014 by BarryH

Apropos nothing in particular, but just a piece of trivia, geographical nomenclature, which weevilled its way into my brain,  I don’t know why it is that in the UK the convention for naming rivers is to call them “River Something” … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Hiking, Landscape, Mountains, Nature, Wildlife, Winter | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Canadian Rockies: the icy expanse of Vermilion Lakes

Posted on February 4, 2014 by BarryH

Come Saturday and after 5 days of skiing, thigh muscles starting to rebel,  I was ready for a break.  So after an annual ritual of a large celebratory Melissa’s Breakfast with my daughter and her husband and waving them goodbye … Continue reading →

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Canadian Rockies: a walk along the Bow River at Banff

Posted on January 25, 2014 by BarryH

Thursday was another day off skiing.  I don’t have the stamina or the lift pass to ski every day.  I took my skis in for a service – sharpen the edges and wax – and set out to follow a … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Hiking, Landscape, Mountains, Winter | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A grey start to the year

Posted on January 6, 2014 by BarryH

I don’t believe in omens.  The fact that the new year continues grey, wet and windy may be a sign, but if it is, it’s a sign of global climate change and of shifting ocean currents and the jet stream … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Grey Britain, Hiking, Landscape, Mountains, Pontypool, Wales, Winter | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

New Year’s Day: Just a walking in the rain ………….

Posted on January 2, 2014 by BarryH

Wednesday was the wettest day of the year.  Admittedly it was the first day of the year so not a lot to compare it with but if many of the remaining 364 days match up to the amount of rainfall … Continue reading →

Posted in Grey Britain, Hiking, Landscape, Monmouthshire, Mountains, Pontypool, Wales, Winter | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

An alternative Boxing Day

Posted on December 28, 2013 by BarryH

From the top of Garn Wen on Christmas Day I could see not only a cap of snow on the top of the Sugar Loaf Mountain near Abergavenny but also to the north west a snow covered ridge in the … Continue reading →

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An alternative Christmas

Posted on December 27, 2013 by BarryH

I don’t enjoy Christmas.  This year I was looking forward to it less than usual until I decided to do the unthinkable.  Spend Christmas Day on my own.  It’s a quirk of the human psyche that the things we choose … Continue reading →

Posted in Grumpy Old Men, Health and humour, Hiking, History, Landscape, Mountains, Pontypool, Reflections, Wales, Winter | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Trek tech: technology and mountain walking

Posted on December 18, 2013 by BarryH

I’m no techno-geek but nor am I a Luddite. Decades ago in the office where I worked, I was one of the first to embrace word processing, the first below director level to have a corporate e-mail address and correspond … Continue reading →

Posted in Greece, Grey Britain, Grumpy Old Men, Health and humour, Hiking, Mountains, new technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A sunset stroll

Posted on December 1, 2013 by BarryH

The weather forecast for Saturday in Old South Wales was for wall-to-wall sunshine.  A real bonus after days of grey skies.  As I struggled out of bed and the sun slipped over the ridge on the other side of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Autumn, Hiking, History, Landscape, Mountains, Pontypool, Wales | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments