Isle de Skye

I often describe Skye as my "happy place" and I was delighted to spend last week working there with a group from France for Macs Adventure and Montagne Evasion. We had mixed weather, but on the whole it was dry, although there were a couple of days of heavy mist.... Photos below! Enjoy!
Je décris souvent Skye comme mon "endroit heureux" et j'ai été ravi de passer la semaine dernière en travaillant là avec un groupe francais pour Macs Adventure et Montagne Evasion. Nous avions les temps variables, mais dans l'ensemble c'était sec, bien qu'il y ait deux ou trois jours de lourd brouillard.... Photos ci-dessous! Appréciez!

View from the start of a circular walk to see the geology of the Quairaing. La vue du début d'une promenade circulaire pour voir la géologie du Quairaing.

The scramble up to The Needle a detatched pillar of crumbling basalt.

Le chemin jusqu'à l'Aiguille, une colonne de basalte s'émiettant.

The Bay of Staffin, with the mountains of Torridon behind.

La Baie de Staffin, avec les montagnes de Torridon a derrière.

At the quayside at Elgol.  Au quai à Elgol.

Oblong leaved sundew (Drosera intermedia), Loch Coruisk.

Loch Coruisk, accessible by boat from Elgol. Loch Coruisk, accessible en bateau d'Elgol.

Northern eggar moth caterpillar (Lasiocampa quercus callunae), Loch Coruisk.  

La chenille du papillon de nuit de "eggar du Nord" (Lasiocampa quercus callunae), Loch Coruisk.

 Misty view of Orbost, Waternish peninsula.

La vue brumeuse d'Orbost, la péninsule de Waternish

The Team!  

L'Équipe!

The scottish thistle.

Le chardon écossais.

It was damp! C'était l'humidité!

Eas Mor waterfall, Glenbrittle. La cascade Eas Mor, Glenbrittle.

In the mist at Coire Lagan. Dans le brouillard à Coire Laggan.

This is a photo of Coire Lagan that I took a few years ago without the mist!

C'est une photo de Coire Lagan que j'ai pris il y a quelques années sans le brouillard!

 Northern eggar moth (Lasiocampa quercus callunae), Coire Lagan.  

Le papillon de nuit de "eggar du Nord"  (Lasiocampa quercus callunae), Coire Laggan.

A quick stop at the Falls of Falloch on the way back to Glasgow. 

Un arrêt rapide aux Cascades de Falloch sur la voie à Glasgow.

Slovenia

We have just returned from a fantastic road trip across Europe in our new camper.  Our destination was Slovenia, one of the Alp's best kept secrets.  The country did not disappoint, with towering spires of limestone, crystal blue rivers and lakes, a gentle climate and friendly people. Its just such a shame its so far away- but perhaps that is a good thing as the area was very unspoilt and not expensive.

I'll not bore you with a blow by blow account of the trip but I hope you enjoy some photos from the holiday. We plan to go back another year- late May was a little early for the via ferrata that we were looking forward to trying.  Too much snow high up.  Our next visit will be later in the season and hopefully we will tackle some of the higher peaks in the area.

Mala Mojstovka is one of the more accessible peaks from the Vrsic Pass.

Fantastic view of Jalovec from the col by Mala Mojstovka

 

Alpine chough- common birds of the summits and high passes. 

Fire salamander- doing it's best impression of a plastic toy dinosaur.

Wild hellebores are common in the higher forest clearings and meadows.

Birds nest orchid- seems to grow in damp woodlands.

Crossing one of the many snow patches that made life difficult higher up- Vogel near Bohinj. 

Paddling an open boat on lake Bohinj.

Ladies slipper orchid, a woodland orchid with improbable flowers.

Typical rural scene- Bohinj in this case

Sava Bohinjka River