Fundraising Concert and Bag Pack

In the last couple of months we've had a bag pack and a concert which have both proved worthwhile. The bag pack was at our local Co-op and raised £302.89, and the concert was at Skipinnish Ceildh House and raised £323.10. We would like to thank everyone who came and made the concert a success and to everyone who supported us in the bag pack. We would also like to say a big thank you to all the performers and Janet Ferguson for organising it all.
Here are a few photos of the performers from the concert.

Oban Times Coverage

We've just had our second feature in our local paper, The Oban Times, telling people of our winter weekend and the cookery demonstration. We will hopefully have a lot of coverage still to come with our other events to remind people we are still fundraising.

Cookery Demonstration

We would like to thank everyone who attended our cookery demonstration and made it a great success and a boost for our fundraising. Also Alex Needham from the Waterfront Restaurant for donating his time and skills. The fish was donated by Scottish Sea Farms and the wine was donated by the Falls of Lora Hotel.
Thank you very much to everyone

Winter Skills Weekend

 We had an excellent time at our winter skills weekend in Glencoe and had the perfect weather.We all learnt a lot, including walking in snow, and ice axe and crampon use. It was also lovely to see the other participants again and put the final touches to the planning. The photos here were taken by our guide Andy Spink of Hebridean Pursuits(www.hebrideanpursuits.com).

 Day 1

Ascending Stob Coire Raineach on the Saturday in bad weather and low visibility

 

 

 

 

Practising ice axe arrest and in the process filling our jackets with snow

Making a pile-up type snow shelter in some very deep snow

 

Making snow holes using snow shovels and ice axes

Descending in a fresh two feet of snow, which meant there was a lot of falling over

Trying out the crampons in the snow at the bottom

Day 2

Day 2's goal: Beinn na Caillich

We navigated the first part of the day ourselves

The long hard slog trying to reach the summit, however we were stopped close to the top by 60-70mph gusting winds

Playing in a very deep soft patch of snow

Us with our guide, Andy Spink

Supporters

We would like to thank the many companies that have donated prizes for our raffle and auction, or have given us a discount on their equipment.

Auction/Raffle

Rab - http://rab.uk.com/
Icebreaker - http://www.icebreaker.com/site/index.html
Bam - http://www.bambooclothing.co.uk/
Posing Productions - http://www.posingproductions.com/homepage.php
Osprey - http://www.ospreypacks.com/
Ranulph Fiennes - http://www.ranulphfiennes.co.uk/
Nigel Vardy - http://www.into-thin-air.co.uk/Into_Thin_Air/Welcome.html
Shewee - http://www.shewee.com/newstore/
Aquapac - http://www.aquapac.net/worldstore/
Doug Scott - http://www.dougscottmountaineering.co.uk/
TGO Magazine - http://www.tgomagazine.co.uk/
Tilley Endurables - http://www.tilley.com/default.aspx
Rescue Supply - http://www.rescuesupply.co.uk/
Design Go - http://www.design-go.com/en/index.php?c=GB
Seafreedom Kayaks - http://www.seafreedomkayak.co.uk/
Sealife Adventures - http://www.sealife-adventures.com/
Puffin Dive - http://www.puffin.org.uk/
Energie Fitness Club - http://www.energiefitnessclubs.com/fitnessclubs/index.htm
Sea Kayak Scotland - http://www.seakayakscotland.com/
Homebase -   www.homebase.co.uk
Manor House Hotel - http://www.manorhouseoban.com/
Inverawe Smokehouses  - http://www.smokedsalmon.co.uk/
Cuan Mor Restaurant - http://www.cuanmor.co.uk/
Healing Hands -  www.healinghandsoban.co.uk
Caledonian Osyters - http://www.caledonianoyster.co.uk/
Argos - http://www.argos.co.uk/
Fyne Ales - http://www.fyneales.com/
Waterstones - http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/
Boots - http://www.boots.com/
Dennis Hardley Photography - http://www.scotphoto.com/

Discounts

Taunton Leisure - http://www.tauntonleisure.com/
Complete Outdoors - http://www.completeoutdoors.co.uk/
Furtech - http://www.furtech.co.uk/scripts/default.asp
Satmap - http://www.satmap.co.uk/
Life Systems - http://www.lifesystems.co.uk/
Life Venture - http://www.lifeventure.co.uk/
Optimus - http://www.optimusstoves.com/seen/
Katadyn - http://www.katadyn.com/
OMM - http://www.theomm.com/
Trek n Eat - http://www.trekneat.com/
Nordisk - http://www.nordisk.eu/
Yeti - http://www.yetiworld.com/en/yeti.html

We would also like to thank Stevenson Kennedy Solicitors and Creran Oysters for their financial contributions, and the Waterfront Restaurant(http://www.waterfrontoban.co.uk/) for donating  a cookery demonstration.

All of the Cairngorm photo's were provided by our instructor, Andy Spink
www.hebrideanpursuits.com/

Practice Expedition in the Cairngorms

Our second munro, Bynack More

The third night camp at the Fords of Avon refuge

The view from the top

Summiting our first munro, Beinn Mheadhoin

Kirsty with the rest of the Cairngorms behind her

Walking over the plateau in the best weather yet

Reaching the plateau

More beautiful weather

A glorious start to the third morning

The stunning backdrop to our second camp at Hutchinson Memorial Hut

Lairig Ghru

Setting out on a drizzly second morning

Well earned rest after a long first day

The first night camp at Corrour Bothy

The amazing Chalamain Gap