Easter was vaguely planned to be a multi activity weekend of fun... somewhat typically that didn't quite happen, for various reasons.  But I did get some good walking in, so it wasn't all bad!

On Good Friday I ticked off a bit more Wye Valley Walk - starting in Ross on Wye up to Hole in the Wall (home of PGL, fact fans) and back again along the Herefordshire Trail.

Ross was heaving - lots of sunburnt people lazing about by the riverside.  And walking slowly in my way.  But I soon got past them, and out into the fields.  Horrible smelly yellow fields.  With small swarms of flies that would have quite happily eaten me, if I hadn't been quite so busy constantly swatting at them with my map.

Wasn't all sneezy fields though - one small bit was a very pretty wood full of bluebells.  And butterflies, ick.

typical pheasant - leapt out from the hedge and nearly gave me a heart attack!

Plenty of normal fields too, with sheep and pheasants.   Heard a cuckoo too, something I haven't heard for years.  According to where I thought I was on the map, I should have found a trig point on my way back.. but I didn't.  Inspection of the gps trace suggests I was probably on the wrong side of a large hedge, oh well.

On Easter Monday Abi and I were going to go biking, but then realised that the Forest was likely to be full of tourists.  Certainly saw a lot of cars with bikes on, anyway.  Plus my bike probably desperately needs a service, which I have yet to find time/space to do..

So instead we headed over to the Brecon Beacons/Black Mountains.  My 'short walks' guidebook suggested the Blorenge as an easy walk (just under 7km), including the grave of some famous horse I'd never heard of, so that was that sorted.

don't I look cool...

Lots of hang gliders launching from the summit, which was good to watch.  And look at the glorious sunshine!  Awesome views, with very little haze.  Lovely   Oh, and a 4 flake ice cream on the way back.  nom.

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It's April, which means Scotland time!  Previous trips have been over Easter, but as that's stupidly late this year we went a weekend earlier, in the hope of more chance of rain.

Hah!  A gloriously sunny weekend, and very little water in the rivers (but I believe things haven't improved in the week since, so still a good call, methinks)

Still plenty to do for our 'intermediate' trip though! We had a very long weekend, taking the whole of Thursday to travel up to Kinlochleven, where we were staying - Blackwater bunkhouse, highly recommended!

Friday started well, when the lens fell out of my glasses as I was getting dressed.  Good thing I had a spare pair handy...  We paddled the Awe, which was a nice warm up - indeed, some went back for a second run, but I was more concerned with finding a friendly optician to fix my specs!

Loch Leven being all pretty and mirror like

Saturday brought the Spean Gorge, which I declined (again) having had one too many nightmares after seeing photos of the siphon on headbanger.  Should really do the bloody river and get over this, but argh..  A chilled out afternoon followed - a few of us went climbing, whilst others visited Neptune's Staircase.

Sunday... Etive.  Lovely pretty Glen Etive, still one of my favourite places   So between us we racked up several hundred more photos of the world's most photographed rapids, haha.  Then a wander around Kinlochleven before food in the climbing wall bar.

Monday had the best weather (as in, beautiful sunshine) - typical really, as we'd be spending the day driving home!  But some of us got a quick run down the Coe Gorge in on the way, which was good.

All in all, a great weekend.  A little bit more water might have been nice, but we made do and everyone enjoyed themselves, which is the most important thing!  Can't wait to go back for another visit

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