Deep in the Cairngorms, down a side street that looks more like a footpath, there’s a lodge. You won’t find any washing facilities, the rooms are dorm style and the half-baked oven takes an hour to heat up a pizza. But the people who live and work here get paid to have fun.
Life as an outdoor activity instructor isn’t always pretty. You’ll be in the wilderness day in and day out, whatever the weather. You’ll be sleep deprived, attacked by midges and soaked to the skin. You’ll be paid less than the minimum wage and still somehow be expected to finance a never-ending list of equipment and assessment fees. But those who work in this industry are happy to be alive and it’s tough to put a price on that.
Nonetheless, Active Outdoor Pursuits have had a go with their four-month intensive training course that takes you from novice to reasonable competence in an array of disciplines including mountain leadership, rock climbing and paddlesports.
I missed a few weeks due to an unfortunate incident involving a camp stove and some chicken and mushroom pasta. But I’ve been back in the game for over a month now and here are five of my favourite moments:
1) Crossing the Fiacaill Ridge
The Cairngorms aren’t known for rocky ridges. If scrambling and soaring aretes are your thing, then generally I’d recommend heading for the west highlands. But should you find yourself in Aviemore and want to add some spice to your climb up Ben Macdui (the highest peak in the Cairngorms), then the Fiacaill Ridge is the way to go. With scrambling up to grade 2 if you take the direct line, this fluted crest of granite is short but definitely sweet.
2) Learning to climb trad at Kingussie Crags
You need a boat load of gear, it takes ages to set up an anchor and your second will be hammering like Hephaestus with a nut key, but still this is climbing in its purest form. Most climbers these days start out on “sport” routes where pre-drilled bolts negate much of the danger. “Trad” (short for traditional) climbing makes use of natural features like cracks to place removeable protection. This significantly ramps up the fear factor as you wonder whether the tiny nut you’ve just jammed in a couple of metres below will stay lodged if you take a dive.
3) Rafting on the Garry
The River Garry is an innocuous trickle running into Loch Oich about halfway along the Great Glen Way. But once a week it’s transformed by dam releases from babbling brook to raging torrent. There’s a real possibility of flipping on some of the rapids if you don’t hit the right line. I’ve been involved in a flip here, and bouncing off rocks while wondering if you’re ever going to get back on board certainly gets the adrenaline flowing. My one piece of advice: learn how to swim defensively.
4) Hitting surf waves on the Tay
They say that if guiding a raft is like driving a bus, then kayaking is like driving a sports car. You’re much closer to the action and can feel the craft responding to every whirl and eddy. A twin bladed paddle is great for nudging your bow into the perfect line down a set of rapids. Or, alternatively, spin round to face the flow, and see how long you can hold your own in the island of calm water below a surf wave.
5) Late summer evenings at Pattack Falls
One of the great things about an outdoor activity course is that you meet a bunch of people who enjoy an impromptu adventure. Pattack Falls in the far western Cairngorms is an ideal spot for some ad hoc canyoning. Find a route off to the side where you can scramble up the falls and then continue upwards along the river through pools, squeezes and flumes. Watch out when it’s time to go home though: you have about 30 seconds before your exposed skin is swarmed by midges.
Photo credits
Rafting on the Garry – Active Outdoor Pursuits
Hitting surf waves on the Tay – Active Outdoor Pursuits