Becks, Author at Straight on Detour

Hiking The Storr on the Isle of Skye

May 19, 2019 By Becks Leave a Comment

With only 4 days on the Isle of Skye it was tough to narrow down which trails we wanted to spend our time on but in the end we made our choices and this one in particular was my favourite. Hiking the Storr was not only visually incredible but it alerted all our senses; we were challenged right until the end. During the 4 hour climb we had golden hour, a fog out, a snow blizzard and rain but irrelevant of how tricky it sounds, we were still blown away (ha pun intended!).

Hiking The Storr in the Isle of Skye Scotland

Why The Storr?

The Old Man Of Storr is an iconic short walk and scenic lookout on the Isle of Skye and one we couldn’t miss. Just north of Portree the road arcs beneath an ancient landslide which has left behind numerous incredible jagged shards protruding from the earth in what is now known as the Sanctuary. The tallest and most prominent of the ‘shards’ is called The Old Man of Storr. A walk up to the Sanctuary takes roughly 40 minutes or you can make another option. We packed a lunch, rugged up and opted to take the scenic route which winds it’s way past the Sanctuary and around the back to an aerial viewpoint of the entire scene. This route is known as ‘The Storr’. We chose this hike because it encompassed the classic must-see ‘The Old Man of Storr’ with the addition of incredible views over the wide escarpment and much further. A quick google image search (our lifeline for travel ha!) confirmed what we thought, that hiking The Storr was the one to go for!

Good?

Insanely good! The sanctuary from below and above was overwhelming. This unique landscape, no matter which angle we viewed it from was as breathtaking as we hoped. The hike initially leads up via the well-trodden ‘Old Man Of Storr’ path to the Old Man himself and the Cathedral Rock. From there the path dramatically narrows and leads up and off to the right around the back of the escarpment swapping the view of the Sanctuary to one of the entire northern coastline of Skye. This is when things got interesting. The ground at this point was covered in snow and the fog was just above our heads and as we made a crucial ascent to the summit things went Boom! The Blizzard and complete fog out was a cheeky hello from the unpredictable Scottish weather! The next 40 minutes was a little testing as we fumbled our way to the summit without a path or a point of reference and I wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t say I was relieved to finally see the summit Cairn (stone pillar). The fog and the blizzard cleared as quickly as it came and the views along the Great Cliffs and over the Sanctuary to beyond were worth every little drop of sweat. Soaking up the views for as long as we could, the snow (which further down the trail turned to rain) eventually kicked us off. It came long and hard but nothing could wipe our smiles off our faces, hiking The Storr was invigorating and truly spectacular!

Note: Be Scotland smart and pack for all weather conditions, you don’t know what will happen up there.

Want to do it for yourself? Here are the stats for hiking The Storr

Length: 8km

Time: 3.5-5hrs

Assent: 640m

Path?: First 1hr there is a decent path and then it gets a little wild. We recommend using OS maps and a detailed description.

Prue and Becks Difficulty rating: 4/5

Starting point: Type in Google maps ‘The Old Man Of Storr Car Park’ .. it’s that easy!

Looking for more hikes in Scotland like this? We’ve got you covered.

Making it Count: One Day in the Lake District

May 19, 2019 By Becks Leave a Comment

Now if you’ve only got one day in the Lake District you had better make it count. So we researched online, looked dubiously over at the small Westies in our care and picked our hike carefully. In the end we decided that if they couldn’t do the distance we would simply have to carry them, and boy did we make good on that promise…

Our time was limited because our house-sit in Catterick was a 2 hour drive away. So while we couldn’t miss seeing the Lake District neither would we repeat the journey. Especially with so much to explore on our doorstep in Yorkshire. So when the sun popped up one early morning we crammed the car with snacks, extra dog food, oodles of water and hit the road..

Buttermere Lake Hike, One Day in the Lake District

The scenic drive flew by wight he dogs settling to snooze as soon as we reached the carriageway. Soon we were winding through minuscule Braithwaite village wondering if our Google Maps had failed us. The roads had become tight alleyways but after several tight bends and passing a very muddy tractor we emerged into an expansive valley. Our poor car grappled with the incline to rest on a golden ridge. Suspended between the mighty fells of Robinson and Grasmoor peaks we gasped at the magnitude. Then we gasped again when our eyes settled upon Buttermere Lake herself..

In the absence of wind her surface reflected the imposing peaks cascading from her shoreline. It was a kaleidoscope of colour that I could only turn away from to deal with my reality. Two restless dogs and a tangle of leads thanks to their tantrums at one another in the back seat. After double checking that our extra snacks, sun cream and camera were in the backpack we could reassemble ourselves outside the vehicle. Like most of our hikes it was a slow start, picking up a dog poo, correcting rumpled socks and shoe laces and double checking our sense of direction. But soon we were off and only the lake slowed us down. We could hardly stop staring and taking pictures, it was mesmerising..

Buttermere Lake, One Day in the Lake District

We couldn’t stare forever, we had 900 m height gain to play with and despite a soothing start to this 13 km loop we knew there was some serious hiking to be done. After curving around Buttermere Lake’s southern edge the incline began to taunt us. Our first issue was Seb, the smaller of the two Westies. He couldn’t quite tackle the steps. Being the one without the back pack I took him into my arms. It was a little too natural for him, posing like a prince destined for this kind of travel while Oz, our bigger pup, looked up longingly. When he also began to tire Prue took him into her arms and that is how we achieved the first 500 m height gain, carrying our dogs like babies and amusing the many hikers around us. When things levelled off and we could put them down for a run it was not uncommon for people to gush “wow, those boys are fit.” We’d merely nod, panting and sweating too much to make any coherent sounds. By this time a new perspective of Lake Buttermere had revealed itself to us, one which was engulfed by huge peaks as if it sat inside the jaw of some gigantic prehistoric animal. The water had become a royal blue instead of the medley of colour we had seen before and all around us the Lake District erupted into a blue sky strewn with puffy white clouds..

Distracted by our birds eye view of the world, sheer drop offs and obviously inspired by the “fitness” of our dogs we traversed the ridge behind Buttermere with ease. Summiting High Crag, High Stile and Red Pike we soon reached a particularly sharp descent. Oz and Seb by now practically jumped into our arms and we lunged, slowly, into the burnt orange rock that brought us to the shores of Bleaberry Tarn. After another breathless view and a final stash of our remaining snacks we were ready to compete the descent through boggy scrubland.The pups managed most of this on their own but honestly, they were no longer white. And we weren’t clean either. Returning to the car we were just a messy group of happy dogs and humans who’d spent 7 hours in the mountains…..

Want to do it for yourself? Here are the stats for hiking the Buttermere Edge

Length: 13.5km

Time: 5-8hrs

Assent: 945m

Path?: There is a path the entire circuit but watch out for the slippery slate near the top. Make sure you have a map with you – we took a screen shot this one.

Prue and Becks Difficulty rating: 3/5

Starting point: Park anywhere in Buttermere town itself and you can either go clockwise or anticlockwise around the lake to start the hike.

Drift Between Two Continental Plates: Diving Silfra

May 14, 2019 By Becks Leave a Comment

Diving Silfra could be Iceland’s best kept secret, the only place in the World where you can scuba between two continental plates. DIVE.IS took us out for the day and showed us what life was like submerged between North America and Eurasia.

It had been a breathless morning with sunshine spiking from the clouds in sporadic and playful attempts to touch its own reflection. Beside us, Iceland’s largest lake looked purely at peace, not the least bit disturbed by the enormous rift wall flanking it western shores. Dark and menacing, the rock face of this Almannagja ridge scars the ground for 2km. It is an obvious sign that this North American tectonic plate has had some rivalry with its Eurasian counterpart. Trying to focus on dive briefings and equipment, it was tough not to lose yourself amongst the stark natural beauty surrounding us. Our dive site in Thingvellir National Park was obviously somewhere very special.

Helping the team to pull and push their way into their drysuits, Chris had remained enthusiastic, it was obvious that our dive guide loved this place. I had been turned into a bubble of air, air that would keep me warm in 2Degree water. With in-built boots, my sock covered toes wiggle about contentedly and I began to feel invincible to cold water. After applying a nifty neck strap, we had quite literally sealed the deal, my body would be staying dry. As for my face and hands, thick neoprene would have to do its best.

I’m the last diver to descend towards Silfra, the name given to the crack that fills the void between two walls of volcanic rock and two tectonic plates. The first couple have already entered the water and next it’s Prue’s turn. One by one we are plunging into ancient glacial water, after having been filtered by porous volcanic rock, it has flowed towards the surface from an underground well to join Thingvallavatn Lake. 30 years of filtration makes the water of this Silfra stream the purest water on Earth: so pure you can drink it from the surface, so pure it boasts the World’s best underwater visibility. In spite of my enthusiasm and heavy scuba gear, I am slightly hesitant to accompany the others, the water might be pure but it is near freezing.

I bite the bullet and my regulator and take the plunge, not a heroic stride but a rather haphazard ‘my face isn’t wet yet’ wallow into deeper water. Any second now I am due a brain freeze but when Chris asks us to do a weight check I am more than ready to get going. What hits me first is hard to say, the cold seeping in around my face or the striking tunnel of excruciatingly blue water. Both catch my breath and I have to remind myself to breathe, to keep my buoyancy and when all is settled, to swim.

Kicking gently between the bold edges of the canyon, I am continually in awe of being submerged between the North American and Eurasian continental plates. Block-like walls, as if carelessly stacked upon each other rise from the canyon floor as deep as 40metres. The slice of water separating the two land masses is a rainbow of blues, from turquoise to navy making the moment not only momentous but spellbinding. Dark caverns linger off the channel and through the surface above our heads, the rippling shadows of the gorge continue their mighty ascent. Everything is peaceful. Aside from us and a gentle urging current there is not a breath of movement. Algae lines the monumental walls, when disrupted they create a fleeting cloud of fog that reduces the 80m visibility. I remain careful not to touch the sides although the desire to connect the rift between Europe and North America with my fingers is very tempting. We wouldn’t notice it of course but these gigantic columns are drifting apart 1.5cm every year, proof that our World is ever changing. Our scenery also begins to change, the jagged rocky bottom takes on a beige hue. Making a steady incline with the sand from the area known as the cathedral, we cross from the volcanic gorge into a blue lagoon, a crystal clear pool and captivating finale of our dive.

You don’t get many mornings that are this good!

You’re Ready to Travel the World : But Is Your Relationship?

May 14, 2019 By Becks Leave a Comment

Quirky Articles: Getting yourself ready to travel the world is the easy bit, now all you need is a bit of relationship prepping

When you think about taking off on the road with your partner, your expectations are likely to be divided by two very different visions. One is filled with exotic and joyful images, beachside cocktails and sharing discoveries, while the other is daunted at the reality of your situation: You are about to spend every single second of every single day side-by-side with your loved one. That, if nothing else, is an utterly terrifying concept. But rather than fearing this aspect of your upcoming vacation you can instead begin preparing for it. Just as we use a check-list to pack our suitcase we can also begin to test our relationship to make sure it is ready to survive the trauma of going on holiday.

Let me share with you a few hilarious insights to the world of travelling and not only expose the challenges you and your partner might face on the road but also outline the skills that your relationship needs to make a smooth transition from homely duo to travel savvy couple.

Good luck!

To be conscientious in areas where your partner isn’t

It is necessary in times of stress for partners to be able to act as a polite stand-in when their counterpart is utterly failing. Usually one person handles tiredness, heat or being ripped off more calmly than the other. It is therefore imperative during stressful communications, for partners to develop an awareness of their ability to handle a situation better than their raging other half. Delay your partners morning alarm and hide their keys to find out how adequately they deal with stress and determine your strengths over theirs.

To be able to quarrel in silence

The four walls in your own home are sound-proof and maintain the secrets of your relationship but for any couple about to take to the road, all of that is about to change. Travellers are exposed to chock-a-block social interactions, paper thin walls and communal dining facilities and so open-air displays of agitation are a big no-no. Even the best of relationships entertain a good bicker now and then so the challenge is to develop a way of adequately -but discreetly- showing your anger. Sporadic glaring, stance changes and the heightening of annoying habits are among the many ways to get your point across. Practice when you next go out to dinner with friends, if you get caught you’ve failed… and you will look like a weirdo, encouraging you to be better at it the next time around.

To co-ordinate eating schedules

It would be ridiculous to go out for dinner twice and seen as you cannot just grab a bowl of cereal -you have no bowls, never mind a kitchen- you had better get used to timing your eating habits just right, or start compromising. Oh and on this note, it is worth making sure you know your partners eating habits better than they do, we want to encounter those hungry -and incredibly grumpy- alter egos as little as possible. Start bringing snacks on long car journeys and forget that you can pull over at service stations, this should prepare you for those hefty bus rides in the future.

To be able to listen to each others’ stories

To be able to successfully travel together it is imperative that you carefully select a partner that has great stories and storytelling capabilities. This will prevent you from holding your head in your hands with embarrassment every other day as you meet new people but tell the same old tales. If you already know everything about your other half you should probably stop talking for about a year or so before traveling so there are some secrets to share once your abroad.

To possess the ability to talk…and perhaps assess each others’ toilets

OK, this one might just be the tester. I have yet to come across a traveling couple that have not had to literally share their cr***y experiences. When moving through foreign countries with unique diets all travellers are likely to encounter at least one bout of problematic, and very loud, bowel movements. Breakfast conversations are likely to include informational topics such as consistency and discoloration issues. The good news is that after pushing through -ha- three days of this talk you’ll be wholly accustomed and unperturbed about bowel discussions. To save yourself from experiencing this trauma abroad you can start drinking ample amounts of prune juice and comparing the results over breakfast bagels.

… Trust me, once you’ve got all of that covered, you’re ready to travel the world as a competent duo and your relationship will emerge as beautiful as your travel pics. Oh, but on that note, I accept no responsibility for the outcome of the trials and tribulations you face at home during your preparations!

Now all that is left to discover is that there is no better way to see the world than with someone you love.