Sunday 26 February 2017

The meeting of the balckwater and the whitewater

The meeting of the Black River (Rio Negro) and the Amazon River (or Rio Solimoes) results in this phenomenon of two distinctive coloured water that meet but do not mix. The reason why these waters do not mix is their specific characteristics: different temperature, density and speed. The Rio Negro starts in Colombia, flows for 2,250 km and has its mouth in the Amazon River in Brazil. The River Amazon starts in Peru and ends in the Atlantic Ocean, 6,992 km far from its source. It is the largest river in South America. The famous geographer Alexander van Humboldt was the first westerner to establish the existence of the Casiquiare canal which communicates the River Amazon with another big river: the Orinoco.  

Sunday 12 February 2017

More blue sky in Glencoe

It seems that when the weather is like this in Glencoe everyone in Scotland go there. This time the climb was in Aonach Dubh and the route Nirvana Wall (Severe **). What I did not like here much was having to walk straight up the mountain with a rucksack full of gear. What I loved here was to come down and go for a swim in the cold water of the rock pools next to the path.

Blue Lochan na h-Earba

We parked the car and cycled up the hill to Lochan na h-Earba. We locked the bikes and walked up to the climbing routes in Binnein Shuas where we climbed Kubla Khan (110m HS ***). "Binnen Shuas is the relatively small(746m) but impressively steep sided and craggy hill that lies on the opposite side of Loch Laggan from the monster winter playground of Creag Meagaidh." (Highland Outcrops South). Climbing with such a view is a privilege, especially in a hot day and with a dive in the lake to finish off. Cycling back was equally pleasant and because it was all down hill I missed the turn to the bridge and the car park and ended up in Loch Laggan, in the middle of a men's campsite :O.

Orange sunset in Sanna Bay

It is impossible to resist posting this beautiful sunset in Sanna Bay from June last year (yes, I am this late with updating Colours of Scotland). I went for a walk in Sanna and just around the corner to where this picture was taken, I saw an eagle. Which specie I am not completely sure, maybe a Golden eagle. It was huge and it took off just 2 meters from where I showed up and it flew away.

Blue sky and warm weather in Sanna

Ardnamurchan peninsula is a great place to explore when the weather is warm and the sky is blue in the West Coast of Scotland. We can visit the Ardnamurchan Point which is the most westerly point of the UK mainland, and also Sanna Bay a white sandy and green waters beach. Not far from the beach there is a ring of gabbro rocks originated by past volcanic activity in which there are several climbing routes. We climbed Leac Glas, Leac Louise and Plocaig Walk in one day and Pash, Mickey, Ludo and Felix in the following day. To reach the climbing routes walked for about an hour from the car park, between roaming sheep or ruins of what was one day highlanders' houses. The climbing routes were easy (severe and very difficult) and enjoyable and the view at the top was fantastic as it looks West across the Atlantic ocean.