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Would you like to inspect the original subtitles? These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated: 1 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:10,360 Whoo! 2 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:29,240 Whoo! Whoo-hoo! 3 00:00:29,240 --> 00:00:31,400 Whoo! Whoo! 4 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:36,520 That OK, Gill? Absolutely fine, yeah. 5 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:40,800 As soon as the board leaves the water, everything becomes 6 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:43,680 incredibly smooth and very, very quiet. 7 00:00:43,680 --> 00:00:45,040 The only thing you really hear 8 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:46,920 is just the water dripping off your wet suit. 9 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:50,760 Hello, and a very warm welcome to a bumper edition of 10 00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:52,000 The Adventure Show. 11 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:55,120 Now, we are living in strange times but, thankfully, 12 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:58,680 professional film-making is something we're still allowed to do. 13 00:00:58,680 --> 00:01:00,240 Over the next couple of hours 14 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:03,200 we've got some inspirational people and fantastic action. 15 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:05,120 And we're certainly not elitist - 16 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:06,920 there's something for everyone, 17 00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:09,360 whatever level of adventure turns you on, 18 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:12,680 from extreme skiing to taking a local family walk. 19 00:01:14,440 --> 00:01:17,840 And, like everyone else, we've had to play within the rules 20 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:21,120 and regulations of Covid-19, which is why I'm keeping 21 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:23,680 a good distance away from The Adventure Show's 22 00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:26,160 favourite presenter, Mr Dougie Vipond. 23 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:29,280 Staying apart for me is always a good idea. 24 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:31,920 SHE LAUGHS They're your words, not mine. 25 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:36,400 So in this programme, we're seeing exactly what winter has to offer, 26 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:38,120 winter turning into spring, 27 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:40,600 and within the current restrictions, 28 00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:43,600 what's possible to get out and explore wherever you are. 29 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:45,400 And what a line-up we have. 30 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:48,480 There's plenty of the white stuff, and much more besides. 31 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:52,840 Dean Dunbar is registered blind, but you would never know it. 32 00:01:55,960 --> 00:01:58,360 I think, in a certain way, I can get more out of an extreme sport 33 00:01:58,360 --> 00:01:59,840 than some other people because, 34 00:01:59,840 --> 00:02:02,440 I mean, even crossing the road for me is quite an extreme sport. 35 00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:04,080 I get to the edge of the road, I'll listen. 36 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:06,560 I don't bother looking because I can't trust my eyes any more 37 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:09,560 and what I see. I've waited too many times for parked cars to go past. 38 00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:13,640 Also coming up, we celebrate one of the best winters for years. 39 00:02:13,640 --> 00:02:16,920 Now, sadly, the ski resorts were closed, but that didn't stop 40 00:02:16,920 --> 00:02:20,360 Duncan McCallum meeting up with top snowboarder Hannah Bailey 41 00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:23,680 high up in the Cairngorms for some superb powder. 42 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:26,040 Now, they had to travel up the old-fashioned way - 43 00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:28,560 with skins on the bottom of their boards. 44 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:32,120 But just look what they found when they got there. 45 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:35,320 We live such busy lives, our phones are going off nonstop, 46 00:02:35,320 --> 00:02:39,560 but as soon as you're out there in nature, your mind is just there. 47 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:41,800 I mean, it's done the world of good for me. 48 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:45,720 And so I've committed a lot of my work to trying to increase 49 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:50,000 accessibility and increase awareness of this sport. 50 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:51,800 Particularly around groups 51 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:53,680 that are not shown so much in the media. 52 00:02:53,680 --> 00:02:58,320 And, just to be clear, Duncan and Hannah are hugely experienced 53 00:02:58,320 --> 00:02:59,480 in the mountains. 54 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:02,960 But, nonetheless, we filmed this with a specialist safety team 55 00:03:02,960 --> 00:03:06,760 and within the Government's Covid regulations. 56 00:03:06,760 --> 00:03:08,880 Whoa. In terms of snowboarding days, 57 00:03:08,880 --> 00:03:11,520 I think that's the best you're going to get. 58 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:12,800 I headed to the lift - 59 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:16,160 before they sadly had to close - with Patrick Winterton, 60 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:20,880 who hadn't been on a board for...35 years. 61 00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:25,760 Oh! That was the one they were after. 62 00:03:27,160 --> 00:03:30,280 So that's just a taste of what's to come. 63 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:33,600 But now we're going to join somebody who definitely knows 64 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:34,720 what they're doing. 65 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:36,480 You're absolutely right about that. 66 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:37,760 In the last couple of years, 67 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:39,960 there's been a real explosion of back-country skiing 68 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:43,080 in Scotland. And not just touring - 69 00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:45,440 freestyle and free riding, as well. 70 00:03:45,440 --> 00:03:48,680 Now, if you're not familiar with those terms, fear not, 71 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:50,360 cos all will be revealed, 72 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:53,920 because we met up with top young free rider Finbar Doig. 73 00:03:56,120 --> 00:03:57,920 I started skiing at three, 74 00:03:57,920 --> 00:04:00,200 was sort of just dragged along with the family, 75 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:02,520 never really enjoyed it. It was just cold and... 76 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:05,720 ..in the mountains, you know? 77 00:04:05,720 --> 00:04:08,000 Rather than nice and warm at home. 78 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:10,040 But then I think there was a time - 79 00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:12,280 I must've been about seven or eight - 80 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:14,400 I could ski, and I started to enjoy it. 81 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:16,760 And they had this little jump at the Cairngorms. 82 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:20,040 I remember getting some air and, you know, 83 00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:22,000 maybe half a foot of air, nothing much. 84 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:24,920 But just that feeling, I was like, "Whoa, that was so cool." 85 00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:27,440 Because I had to clear a gap in order to make the jump. 86 00:04:27,440 --> 00:04:29,680 And I remember just the whole way home in the car, 87 00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:30,760 instead of sleeping, 88 00:04:30,760 --> 00:04:33,400 I just spent whole time looking at this photo and being like, 89 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:35,960 "Yeah, look at that. I got some air. How cool was that? 90 00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:40,160 Whoo! Whoo! 91 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:41,520 That sort of continued, 92 00:04:41,520 --> 00:04:43,800 and I joined the ski club - Cairngorms Ski Club - 93 00:04:43,800 --> 00:04:47,200 and they had a freestyle programme, so rather than racing in gates 94 00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:48,640 and training and being serious, 95 00:04:48,640 --> 00:04:50,920 it's just like build a jump, have fun. 96 00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:54,680 Whoo! 97 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:59,760 And then there was this event called the Junior Co-cup. 98 00:04:59,760 --> 00:05:02,840 It's a senior freeride event. 99 00:05:02,840 --> 00:05:06,400 It's held in the Flypaper, which is Scotland's deepest run, in Glencoe. 100 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:08,720 And people jump off these big cliffs. And I'd seen it, 101 00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:11,160 and it was this awesome, you know, 102 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:13,560 like the pinnacle of Scottish skiing. 103 00:05:13,560 --> 00:05:15,880 In 2015 they held the first junior one. 104 00:05:15,880 --> 00:05:17,600 And it was just going to run on the Sunday. 105 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:20,200 It was just one day. We were like, "This is going to be great." 106 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:22,480 And it was probably one of the best days of skiing 107 00:05:22,480 --> 00:05:23,760 I've ever had in my life. 108 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:26,600 It was like it is today - you couldn't see anything, 109 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:29,240 the snow was icy. 110 00:05:29,240 --> 00:05:31,240 There wasn't that much of it, 111 00:05:31,240 --> 00:05:34,800 but everyone there was, like, just so excited about going skiing, 112 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:37,360 and doing this new freeride thing. 113 00:05:40,360 --> 00:05:41,640 Ho-ho! 114 00:05:43,320 --> 00:05:47,200 That was probably the biggest moment in my skiing. 115 00:05:47,200 --> 00:05:48,960 I was like, "This is what I want to do. 116 00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:52,160 "I want to be around people like this, and just having fun." 117 00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:59,080 From an early age, Finbar fell in love with skiing jumps and tricks, 118 00:05:59,080 --> 00:06:01,840 and it's a passion that today drives him deep into the 119 00:06:01,840 --> 00:06:05,400 Scottish mountains, seeking out an adrenaline rush that began 120 00:06:05,400 --> 00:06:08,400 with the more formal freestyle... 121 00:06:08,400 --> 00:06:11,080 ..but has developed into freeriding. 122 00:06:11,080 --> 00:06:13,640 Freestyle is where all the jumps and stuff come from, 123 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:17,120 it's usually done on perfectly shaped park jumps, 124 00:06:17,120 --> 00:06:18,600 and they're all the same. 125 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:22,640 And the competition format for that's all very similar. 126 00:06:22,640 --> 00:06:24,920 You've got your rails and then you've got your jumps 127 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:26,920 and you do two runs, three runs. 128 00:06:26,920 --> 00:06:29,040 But the freeride is, you get a face. 129 00:06:29,040 --> 00:06:31,440 So it's a lot better for what we've got in Scotland because 130 00:06:31,440 --> 00:06:34,320 we don't always have the conditions to build perfect jumps and stuff. 131 00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:37,360 So we just have a face the way it is naturally. 132 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:39,840 And you get to look at it, and then you can ski it. 133 00:06:39,840 --> 00:06:41,760 And that's how the competitions run, 134 00:06:41,760 --> 00:06:44,560 and that's how skiing normally happens. 135 00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:46,720 You look at something and you go and ski it. 136 00:06:46,720 --> 00:06:50,760 Three, two, one. Drop in. 137 00:06:54,520 --> 00:06:57,920 And if there's a natural jump, you might try and integrate some 138 00:06:57,920 --> 00:07:00,120 freestyle tricks and stuff. 139 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:03,280 Oh! That was scary. 140 00:07:03,280 --> 00:07:05,720 It's the way it works best in Scotland, 141 00:07:05,720 --> 00:07:07,160 with the terrain we've got 142 00:07:07,160 --> 00:07:09,720 and with the people now that are getting into it, 143 00:07:09,720 --> 00:07:11,400 and you can all go up and do the same thing, 144 00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:13,120 but do it a little bit differently. 145 00:07:13,120 --> 00:07:15,920 And that's just why it's so much fun. 146 00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:20,160 Today, Finbar spends much of the winter working in the Alps, 147 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:24,400 but for him, Scottish skiing still takes a lot of beating. 148 00:07:24,400 --> 00:07:26,280 Some of the best skiing 149 00:07:26,280 --> 00:07:28,680 is some of the stuff that's harder to get to. 150 00:07:28,680 --> 00:07:32,080 And maybe it's not even better skiing, but it just feels a lot... 151 00:07:32,080 --> 00:07:33,280 You get a lot more from it 152 00:07:33,280 --> 00:07:35,640 if you've actually climbed all the way up the gully 153 00:07:35,640 --> 00:07:38,840 and you've spent a whole day getting to it and a whole week planning it, 154 00:07:38,840 --> 00:07:43,200 and it makes it feel way, way better. 155 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:46,160 Some of the best runs I've ever skied in my life 156 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:49,480 have been probably on Ben Nevis, and there's no lifts up Ben Nevis. 157 00:07:49,480 --> 00:07:52,800 It's quite an operation when you've got skis and stuff. 158 00:07:52,800 --> 00:07:55,040 OK. Drop in. 159 00:07:59,760 --> 00:08:03,000 But, yeah, once you get skiing something that you've earned, 160 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:04,480 it's always better. 161 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:07,440 Oh, my God! 162 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:09,560 Oh! Oh-oh. Whoo! 163 00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:14,400 When you're around people who do what you love, 164 00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:19,360 it just amplifies the fun and the passion for the skiing. 165 00:08:19,360 --> 00:08:23,480 And just going skiing every day is... It's a dream come true. 166 00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:27,600 Oh, my God! 167 00:08:27,600 --> 00:08:32,080 Oh! That is, like, the best thing I've ever skied in my life! 168 00:08:32,080 --> 00:08:33,080 Ah! 169 00:08:34,760 --> 00:08:38,280 Just to be clear - don't try that at home. 170 00:08:38,280 --> 00:08:41,880 My legs have gone to jelly just watching Finbar. 171 00:08:41,880 --> 00:08:45,560 Now, I've been known to go off-piste before. 172 00:08:45,560 --> 00:08:48,280 That was many years ago in the Alps. 173 00:08:48,280 --> 00:08:52,360 To say I didn't find it easy is a huge understatement. 174 00:08:52,360 --> 00:08:53,640 Oh, Blimey O'Reilly. 175 00:08:55,280 --> 00:08:58,800 HE LAUGHS 176 00:08:58,800 --> 00:09:00,440 Right, come on, ski. 177 00:09:00,440 --> 00:09:02,480 Remember how to do that? 178 00:09:06,960 --> 00:09:08,600 Ah, hey-hey! 179 00:09:08,600 --> 00:09:11,360 That's called a faceplant. 180 00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:12,440 Oh, jeez. 181 00:09:13,560 --> 00:09:16,760 Well, that was then, and this is now. 182 00:09:16,760 --> 00:09:19,840 A bit of an unsatisfactory ending to my ski touring in the Alps, 183 00:09:19,840 --> 00:09:22,760 but the weather's been so good this year, I thought I'd give it 184 00:09:22,760 --> 00:09:26,080 a go here in Scotland - in the Cairngorms, more specifically. 185 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:29,360 I'm not the only one who wants to conquer my fear 186 00:09:29,360 --> 00:09:30,720 of going off-piste. 187 00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:35,000 Like many skiers, Cairngorm-based Zoe Laird finds no problems 188 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:36,480 on the groomed runs. 189 00:09:36,480 --> 00:09:39,440 But it's another thing when she leaves them behind. 190 00:09:39,440 --> 00:09:42,760 So on the basis that a problem shared is a problem halved 191 00:09:42,760 --> 00:09:46,560 I've invited her to join me to get some tips from one of Scotland's 192 00:09:46,560 --> 00:09:49,200 top ski instructors - Alison Thacker. 193 00:09:49,200 --> 00:09:52,920 And I'm wondering if Zoe is as apprehensive as me. 194 00:09:54,360 --> 00:09:56,720 I'm pretty scared, actually. I've never done this before. 195 00:09:56,720 --> 00:09:58,400 So it's a new experience. 196 00:09:58,400 --> 00:10:01,600 And I've heard lots of scary stories about things that can go wrong. 197 00:10:01,600 --> 00:10:04,360 So I'm nervous. Nervous. Yeah. 198 00:10:04,360 --> 00:10:06,920 I'm a wee bit nervous. In fact, a big bit nervous, as well. 199 00:10:06,920 --> 00:10:09,000 So, Alison, what can we expect today? 200 00:10:09,000 --> 00:10:11,800 We're going to head up the hill and try and find an ideal location. 201 00:10:11,800 --> 00:10:14,640 We're going to look for somewhere that's a bit like a piste - 202 00:10:14,640 --> 00:10:17,680 not too steep to start with, and reasonably firm snow 203 00:10:17,680 --> 00:10:19,600 so we're not sinking in too deep. 204 00:10:19,600 --> 00:10:21,920 But first of all, let's go and check the kit. OK. 205 00:10:23,680 --> 00:10:27,800 In my rucksack today, I've got ice axe. As I. 206 00:10:27,800 --> 00:10:30,320 Got my crampons. Yes. There you go. 207 00:10:30,320 --> 00:10:32,920 I take a helmet. OK, I've got one of those. 208 00:10:32,920 --> 00:10:35,240 I've got my sunglasses for skinning uphill. 209 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:38,800 I've got ski goggles for coming down in bad visibility. 210 00:10:38,800 --> 00:10:41,000 I've got some food for the day. Food is in there. 211 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:42,800 My food is slightly bigger than your food. 212 00:10:42,800 --> 00:10:45,320 I'm carrying quite a lot. You're bigger than me. 213 00:10:45,320 --> 00:10:48,840 Well, yes, I... I'm going to burn a lot of calories today. 214 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:51,320 Spare clothes and a warm jacket. Yeah. 215 00:10:51,320 --> 00:10:54,640 All of that stuff is actually still in there in a poly bag. 216 00:10:54,640 --> 00:10:57,520 Yep. Honest. And I've got my shovel. Shovel's there. 217 00:10:57,520 --> 00:10:59,760 In bits, at the moment. 218 00:10:59,760 --> 00:11:01,960 And my probe. Probe, yep. 219 00:11:01,960 --> 00:11:03,280 And it'd be better if you take 220 00:11:03,280 --> 00:11:05,440 the probe out of the bag, we'll get rid of the bag, 221 00:11:05,440 --> 00:11:08,120 and that'll save you time if we were to need it on the hill. 222 00:11:08,120 --> 00:11:10,240 No, of course. Yes, of course. 223 00:11:10,240 --> 00:11:13,360 OK, so that's the rucksacks checked. What's the next thing we have to do? 224 00:11:13,360 --> 00:11:16,000 We just need to make sure we're happy with how to use our shovel, 225 00:11:16,000 --> 00:11:19,200 transceiver and probe. Okey-dokey. So I've got my shovel. 226 00:11:19,200 --> 00:11:22,240 That goes together nice and easily with the press studs. 227 00:11:22,240 --> 00:11:24,520 And my probe, so I'm right handed, 228 00:11:24,520 --> 00:11:27,160 so I take the majority of it in my right hand, 229 00:11:27,160 --> 00:11:30,360 left hand on the end, and throw it away from me, 230 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:32,640 and then pull the cord for it all to go together. 231 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:37,120 I'm just checking your transceiver, Dougie, is working. 232 00:11:37,120 --> 00:11:40,200 BEEPING 233 00:11:40,200 --> 00:11:43,720 Which it is. And I'll just check yours, as well, Zoe. 234 00:11:43,720 --> 00:11:45,880 BEEPING 235 00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:48,240 And that's yours working. All set. 236 00:11:48,240 --> 00:11:51,560 So far, so good. Fingers crossed 237 00:11:51,560 --> 00:11:55,400 we'll not need to use the avalanche transceivers for real today, 238 00:11:55,400 --> 00:11:57,960 but they are a vital piece of safety kit. 239 00:11:57,960 --> 00:12:01,200 And later in the programme, Alison will demonstrate what to do 240 00:12:01,200 --> 00:12:03,560 if the worst should happen. 241 00:12:03,560 --> 00:12:07,440 Right now, though, we can't head up on the hill without putting skins 242 00:12:07,440 --> 00:12:11,720 on the bottom of our skis to stop us from sliding backwards. 243 00:12:11,720 --> 00:12:14,360 Make sure you brush all the snow off your skis, 244 00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:16,400 so there's no snow on them at all. 245 00:12:16,400 --> 00:12:19,920 And then checking which end of your skin goes on first. 246 00:12:19,920 --> 00:12:22,240 Some are the back, some are the front. 247 00:12:22,240 --> 00:12:25,000 You want the stretchy end to go on last. 248 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:27,480 So you do it flat out? Yeah. OK. 249 00:12:28,680 --> 00:12:32,240 And just gently pressing it down as you go. 250 00:12:34,600 --> 00:12:39,040 That's it. Just making sure it's nice and smooth. 251 00:12:39,040 --> 00:12:41,320 There's no wrinkles in it. 252 00:12:41,320 --> 00:12:43,360 The joy of skins. And how do you know? 253 00:12:43,360 --> 00:12:47,240 Do you rub your face against it to see which way is the pelt going? 254 00:12:47,240 --> 00:12:49,720 And then the last thing you do... Oh, I've done that. 255 00:12:49,720 --> 00:12:51,280 ..you switch the back bit over. 256 00:12:52,680 --> 00:12:54,720 That's it. Yeah. 257 00:12:54,720 --> 00:12:56,360 And just pull. 258 00:12:56,360 --> 00:12:58,800 And then we're going to skin to the chair lift, are we? 259 00:12:58,800 --> 00:13:00,480 THEY LAUGH 260 00:13:01,720 --> 00:13:03,840 I should be so lucky! 261 00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:05,880 From here in Glenmore Forest, 262 00:13:05,880 --> 00:13:08,320 it's uphill towards Meall a' Buachaille, in search 263 00:13:08,320 --> 00:13:11,920 of some beautiful - but hopefully easy - downhill runs. 264 00:13:13,120 --> 00:13:16,080 So, Alison, let's talk about off-piste skiing, 265 00:13:16,080 --> 00:13:20,480 and how easy is it for people to move from the pisted sort of snow 266 00:13:20,480 --> 00:13:22,960 to something like we're going to be doing today? 267 00:13:22,960 --> 00:13:25,680 Well, I suppose, practically, it's very, very easy, 268 00:13:25,680 --> 00:13:28,040 because we just step the other side of the markers. 269 00:13:28,040 --> 00:13:30,720 But that's where the real challenge is, and that's where it becomes 270 00:13:30,720 --> 00:13:33,960 difficult to ensure that we've got the right skills to be able 271 00:13:33,960 --> 00:13:36,000 to do that safely. 272 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:37,360 I've no idea what I'm doing. 273 00:13:37,360 --> 00:13:39,960 Lifting - what I shouldn't be doing. 274 00:13:39,960 --> 00:13:42,840 Just keep weight pressed down through your heels. That's right. 275 00:13:44,960 --> 00:13:48,720 It's having the right skiing skills, but it's also having the wider 276 00:13:48,720 --> 00:13:53,160 mountain knowledge, being able to navigate in winter conditions. 277 00:13:53,160 --> 00:13:56,240 It's easy, but it's difficult to have all the relevant skills. 278 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:01,360 We've got great things today cos, although it's clear, 279 00:14:01,360 --> 00:14:04,400 it's quite flat light, and that's quite common in Scotland. 280 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:06,560 Currently the sky and the snow are the same colour, 281 00:14:06,560 --> 00:14:08,280 so it's going to be interesting 282 00:14:08,280 --> 00:14:11,280 if you try to look for holes in the snow. If you go flying. 283 00:14:11,280 --> 00:14:13,720 Yeah, exactly. THEY LAUGH 284 00:14:13,720 --> 00:14:16,000 Ski by feel. Exactly. 285 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:20,520 So, Zoe, you mentioned that you find off-piste skiing 286 00:14:20,520 --> 00:14:22,760 slightly intimidating. 287 00:14:22,760 --> 00:14:26,520 What is it about the off-piste skiing that you find intimidating? 288 00:14:26,520 --> 00:14:31,120 I've heard lots of scary stories about people crashing in different 289 00:14:31,120 --> 00:14:34,840 conditions, and I'm particularly worried about crashing into rocks 290 00:14:34,840 --> 00:14:38,520 and trees and off cliffs, and all of those kind of things. 291 00:14:38,520 --> 00:14:41,760 Getting bundled down the hill in an avalanche, maybe. 292 00:14:41,760 --> 00:14:44,200 So, for me, it's a kind of dangerous place, 293 00:14:44,200 --> 00:14:45,800 so I don't go there. 294 00:14:45,800 --> 00:14:47,120 And, Dougie, what about you? 295 00:14:47,120 --> 00:14:49,480 Are there things that you find apprehensive about this? 296 00:14:49,480 --> 00:14:51,520 Sorry for not taking part in the conversation. 297 00:14:51,520 --> 00:14:53,280 I'm just actually trying to breathe! 298 00:14:54,720 --> 00:14:57,000 It's quite a steep wee hill, isn't it? 299 00:15:00,840 --> 00:15:03,280 I don't want to be the one at the back that's going, 300 00:15:03,280 --> 00:15:04,640 "How do I do this again?" 301 00:15:04,640 --> 00:15:06,840 It would be really tedious. 302 00:15:06,840 --> 00:15:09,160 Zoe, tell me, you've got your own sort of off-piste skis, 303 00:15:09,160 --> 00:15:10,480 cross-country skis. 304 00:15:10,480 --> 00:15:12,800 I know, and might sound a bit silly to have bought them 305 00:15:12,800 --> 00:15:15,240 before I knew what I was doing, but I figure in Scotland, 306 00:15:15,240 --> 00:15:18,120 if you don't grab and go the day the weather's good, 307 00:15:18,120 --> 00:15:19,520 you're not going to get out. 308 00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:25,120 And I like a journey, rather than an up and down, and being able to go 309 00:15:25,120 --> 00:15:28,720 to places that are near home that are different, 310 00:15:28,720 --> 00:15:31,560 maybe smaller hills than some of the big mountains, 311 00:15:31,560 --> 00:15:33,360 and just a bit of exploring, as well. 312 00:15:36,120 --> 00:15:38,760 So we're getting to our high point for the moment, 313 00:15:38,760 --> 00:15:41,280 and then we can put in some turns. 314 00:15:41,280 --> 00:15:46,800 So what we'll need to do is transition to downhill mode. 315 00:15:46,800 --> 00:15:51,280 Remember to take your uphill ski off first. 316 00:15:51,280 --> 00:15:53,200 And just pop that off. 317 00:15:53,200 --> 00:15:55,760 OK. And then pop the lower one on. 318 00:15:55,760 --> 00:16:00,560 You're better to stand beneath your skis on the downhill side. 319 00:16:00,560 --> 00:16:02,800 OK. And we can sit down, 320 00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:06,800 so we've got, like, our work bench, again for taking our skins off. 321 00:16:10,120 --> 00:16:12,120 OK, so I've got two jobs to do. 322 00:16:12,120 --> 00:16:16,560 I've got to change my bindings back into downhill mode, 323 00:16:16,560 --> 00:16:18,240 and I've got to get my skins off. 324 00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:21,560 And, again, we're really lucky today, it's really calm. 325 00:16:21,560 --> 00:16:23,840 But, actually, I want to have good practice 326 00:16:23,840 --> 00:16:25,200 for if it was a really windy day. 327 00:16:25,200 --> 00:16:27,960 So when I take my skin off, I just take a little bit 328 00:16:27,960 --> 00:16:30,240 of it off, and then I just roll it up. 329 00:16:30,240 --> 00:16:32,080 So I roll it up as I go, 330 00:16:32,080 --> 00:16:35,320 and then it's not going to blow away anywhere. 331 00:16:35,320 --> 00:16:38,360 One down, one to go. 332 00:16:38,360 --> 00:16:41,800 Better not to rush it, and just do it little bit at a time, 333 00:16:41,800 --> 00:16:45,600 Pull a bit off, roll it up. Pull a bit off, roll it up. 334 00:16:45,600 --> 00:16:46,880 Ooh! 335 00:16:51,840 --> 00:16:55,200 Ready! So just a couple of things to think about before we set off. 336 00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:58,280 Just do a double check that we're definitely in ski mode 337 00:16:58,280 --> 00:17:01,240 on our boots. That's quite a common thing to miss. 338 00:17:01,240 --> 00:17:04,840 And then I just take a moment to think about sort of warming up 339 00:17:04,840 --> 00:17:07,040 mentally and physically for going down the hill. 340 00:17:07,040 --> 00:17:08,960 OK, feel that you can bend your ankles, 341 00:17:08,960 --> 00:17:10,600 that you can bend your knees, 342 00:17:10,600 --> 00:17:13,200 and you can bend a little bit from the hips, as well. 343 00:17:13,200 --> 00:17:14,760 And, Zoe, just watch, just look ahead. 344 00:17:14,760 --> 00:17:16,200 Look ahead, don't look at my feet. 345 00:17:16,200 --> 00:17:17,880 Yeah, that's right. Exactly. 346 00:17:17,880 --> 00:17:19,800 Keep your head up. There we go. 347 00:17:19,800 --> 00:17:21,400 Suddenly my heart is racing. 348 00:17:21,400 --> 00:17:24,960 It's suddenly really scary with all these people watching! OK, Zoe. 349 00:17:24,960 --> 00:17:27,480 Oh. See, that looks nice. 350 00:17:27,480 --> 00:17:29,280 That's fine. 351 00:17:29,280 --> 00:17:31,280 Oh! Ah! 352 00:17:31,280 --> 00:17:33,760 Oh, good to have a helmet on. 353 00:17:33,760 --> 00:17:37,800 You all right, Zoe? I'm fine, thank you. 354 00:17:37,800 --> 00:17:39,720 VOICEOVER: Oh, no. This is beginning 355 00:17:39,720 --> 00:17:41,560 to feel a bit like my Alps experience. 356 00:17:41,560 --> 00:17:43,480 I'm definitely a bit wobbly. 357 00:17:47,360 --> 00:17:49,440 There you go. That's that inside edge. 358 00:17:49,440 --> 00:17:51,560 Let's have a chat through what happened there 359 00:17:51,560 --> 00:17:54,000 and how we can make it a bit better, a bit easier for you. OK. 360 00:17:54,000 --> 00:17:57,960 So, first thing, if we just think back to when you learned to ski 361 00:17:57,960 --> 00:18:00,880 and snowplough, it is absolutely essential 362 00:18:00,880 --> 00:18:03,280 right through the whole of off-piste skiing, OK? 363 00:18:03,280 --> 00:18:06,320 And don't be afraid to use it, OK? 364 00:18:06,320 --> 00:18:08,440 If we can get that ski on its edge, 365 00:18:08,440 --> 00:18:11,960 then we can plough that snow out the way as we come round the corner. 366 00:18:11,960 --> 00:18:14,280 And that will make a huge difference for both of you. 367 00:18:14,280 --> 00:18:16,240 One other thing I'll mention at this stage, 368 00:18:16,240 --> 00:18:17,720 is when we come around the corner, 369 00:18:17,720 --> 00:18:21,560 what we don't want to do is get caught leaning into the mountain. 370 00:18:21,560 --> 00:18:24,400 OK? And a really simple thing you can do to help 371 00:18:24,400 --> 00:18:26,080 you when the snow is difficult 372 00:18:26,080 --> 00:18:30,200 is just think about your lower hand being towards your knee. 373 00:18:30,200 --> 00:18:32,920 OK? So snowplough to start. 374 00:18:32,920 --> 00:18:34,360 Hand to knee. 375 00:18:34,360 --> 00:18:38,760 Snowplough to start. Hand to knee. 376 00:18:38,760 --> 00:18:42,440 Snowplough to start. Knee... 377 00:18:42,440 --> 00:18:45,160 Snowplough to start... Oh, dear. Hand to knee. 378 00:18:47,840 --> 00:18:49,160 Whoo! Icy bit. 379 00:18:50,400 --> 00:18:53,480 Well, that was better than last time. That's better. 380 00:18:53,480 --> 00:18:56,360 So, little secret - you might think when you've watched 381 00:18:56,360 --> 00:18:57,880 really, really good skiers 382 00:18:57,880 --> 00:19:00,360 that they're always in balance. They're not. 383 00:19:00,360 --> 00:19:03,640 What they're good at is constantly regaining balance, 384 00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:05,800 and they know where that balance point is. 385 00:19:05,800 --> 00:19:08,440 Yeah. All right! 386 00:19:08,440 --> 00:19:10,680 Oh, my God. Smooth! 387 00:19:10,680 --> 00:19:12,880 OK. 388 00:19:12,880 --> 00:19:15,960 Good. So that was more stable than the first time. 389 00:19:15,960 --> 00:19:17,680 Excellent. Good. 390 00:19:20,640 --> 00:19:24,960 Completely different from being on the piste. Completely different. 391 00:19:24,960 --> 00:19:26,960 Oh, my God. 392 00:19:26,960 --> 00:19:28,000 Ah! 393 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:32,000 Whoo! Woohoo! 394 00:19:32,000 --> 00:19:34,680 SHE LAUGHS 395 00:19:34,680 --> 00:19:36,480 Yeah! 396 00:19:36,480 --> 00:19:38,040 I'm trying to step round, 397 00:19:38,040 --> 00:19:40,160 instead of letting the snowplough happen. 398 00:19:44,560 --> 00:19:46,480 Whoo! Nice. 399 00:19:46,480 --> 00:19:48,160 Well done. 400 00:19:48,160 --> 00:19:50,720 That felt like skiing, it was really exciting. 401 00:19:50,720 --> 00:19:52,320 I really liked it. 402 00:19:52,320 --> 00:19:54,680 I nearly stopped to have a "whee!" 403 00:19:54,680 --> 00:19:56,880 and I thought, "That's too dangerous." 404 00:19:58,640 --> 00:20:01,040 People often talk about being centred on their skis. 405 00:20:01,040 --> 00:20:03,120 But you think, well, what do they actually mean? 406 00:20:03,120 --> 00:20:06,240 It's that you want your shins touching the front of your boots, 407 00:20:06,240 --> 00:20:09,000 but not necessarily pressing - touching - 408 00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:11,760 and then your heel, the sole of your heel, 409 00:20:11,760 --> 00:20:13,880 you want that pressing down in your boot. 410 00:20:13,880 --> 00:20:15,840 And if you've got shin and heel, 411 00:20:15,840 --> 00:20:19,800 that means that you're bang in the centre of the boot. 412 00:20:19,800 --> 00:20:22,680 I almost find the more you use the snowplough, 413 00:20:22,680 --> 00:20:24,520 the less it's actually there. 414 00:20:24,520 --> 00:20:27,480 Whereas if you try not to use it, you'll end up with lots of it. 415 00:20:27,480 --> 00:20:31,480 So actively use it at the start, and then it's not there. 416 00:20:33,680 --> 00:20:37,040 So here we are, back at our starting point. 417 00:20:37,040 --> 00:20:38,400 Well done. 418 00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:42,360 So have you each got one sort of key point that you can take away 419 00:20:42,360 --> 00:20:45,960 from the day, that you can take forward to next time you go skiing, 420 00:20:45,960 --> 00:20:49,320 off-piste skiing, and you know that if you do that one thing, 421 00:20:49,320 --> 00:20:52,680 you'll ski much better than if you didn't do it? 422 00:20:52,680 --> 00:20:55,240 For me, it was the hand to the downhill knee, 423 00:20:55,240 --> 00:20:57,480 which kept my balance a lot better 424 00:20:57,480 --> 00:20:59,560 than, obviously, it was when I started. 425 00:20:59,560 --> 00:21:02,200 Well, for me, it is all about embracing the snowplough. 426 00:21:02,200 --> 00:21:04,920 It worked when I was younger, and it still works. 427 00:21:04,920 --> 00:21:06,880 It's a great thing. Don't be afraid of it. 428 00:21:06,880 --> 00:21:09,360 Use it, and stay safe. 429 00:21:09,360 --> 00:21:12,240 My experience 12 years ago back in the Alps, 430 00:21:12,240 --> 00:21:14,400 it wasn't a good experience, and it finished - 431 00:21:14,400 --> 00:21:16,600 I was exhausted and felt really uncomfortable, 432 00:21:16,600 --> 00:21:19,400 and I lost my confidence and all that. So what a world of difference. 433 00:21:19,400 --> 00:21:21,320 It was amazing. Yeah, it was really good. 434 00:21:21,320 --> 00:21:23,520 And right here in our own back yard. 435 00:21:23,520 --> 00:21:27,920 Where I live, there's a few small hills that I could probably 436 00:21:27,920 --> 00:21:29,760 comfortably go there now. 437 00:21:29,760 --> 00:21:30,760 I loved it. 438 00:21:32,880 --> 00:21:36,240 Well, that truly was a fantastic experience, and I'm really looking 439 00:21:36,240 --> 00:21:39,320 forward to exploring our back country on skis. 440 00:21:39,320 --> 00:21:44,000 And although we've had some of the best snow for years this winter, 441 00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:47,600 not everyone is attracted to skiing. 442 00:21:47,600 --> 00:21:50,400 Take blind adventurer Dean Dunbar, 443 00:21:50,400 --> 00:21:53,840 who's experienced a whole variety of adventure sports, 444 00:21:53,840 --> 00:21:57,080 in spite of losing his sight as a youngster. 445 00:21:57,080 --> 00:22:00,280 We've been following his exploits for a number of years, 446 00:22:00,280 --> 00:22:02,960 and they never fail to amaze. 447 00:22:04,680 --> 00:22:05,840 I think, in a certain way, 448 00:22:05,840 --> 00:22:07,640 I can get more out of an extreme sport than some 449 00:22:07,640 --> 00:22:09,000 other people because, I mean, 450 00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:11,240 even crossing the road for me is quite an extreme sport. 451 00:22:11,240 --> 00:22:12,920 I get to the edge of the road, I listen. 452 00:22:12,920 --> 00:22:15,360 I don't bother looking because I can't trust my eyes any more, 453 00:22:15,360 --> 00:22:18,160 and what I see. I've waited too many times for parked cars to go past. 454 00:22:18,160 --> 00:22:20,640 So now I stand, I listen. If it sounds clear, then I go for it. 455 00:22:20,640 --> 00:22:23,600 So the heart starts pumping just crossing the road. 456 00:22:23,600 --> 00:22:28,040 So it's even more remarkable that in the 25 years since he started 457 00:22:28,040 --> 00:22:33,000 to lose his sight, Dean has set an equal number of world firsts. 458 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:35,080 And here's just one example. 459 00:22:35,080 --> 00:22:37,920 He was the first person - blind or otherwise - 460 00:22:37,920 --> 00:22:42,360 to paddleboard the 40 miles to St Kilda in 2017. 461 00:22:42,360 --> 00:22:45,440 It's an incredibly dangerous and committing journey 462 00:22:45,440 --> 00:22:50,840 out into the Atlantic, where any rescue would be a major undertaking. 463 00:22:50,840 --> 00:22:55,120 Back then, our own Patrick Winterton accompanied him in a kayak, 464 00:22:55,120 --> 00:22:59,000 and he's caught up with Dean to reflect on that epic achievement. 465 00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:02,320 They met on a beach near Oban. 466 00:23:02,320 --> 00:23:05,120 That was some trip to St Kilda. Good memories or nightmares? 467 00:23:05,120 --> 00:23:06,800 I think there's a combination of both. 468 00:23:06,800 --> 00:23:08,920 But, you know, the thing with these adventures 469 00:23:08,920 --> 00:23:11,280 is the bad memories soon fade, but the good memories, 470 00:23:11,280 --> 00:23:12,720 they just last forever. 471 00:23:12,720 --> 00:23:14,920 OK, well, let's dig into the bad memories, if we can. 472 00:23:14,920 --> 00:23:18,000 What about that trip put you out of your comfort zone? 473 00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:21,560 The hardest part for me was most definitely when we got to Haskeir, 474 00:23:21,560 --> 00:23:24,160 and you told me to stay where I was on my board on the water, 475 00:23:24,160 --> 00:23:26,520 and you were going to head off and look for somewhere for us 476 00:23:26,520 --> 00:23:28,160 to land, a safe spot to land. 477 00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:30,720 And at that point I'd been comfortable because you weren't that 478 00:23:30,720 --> 00:23:33,480 far away from me. Well, I thought you weren't that far away from me. 479 00:23:33,480 --> 00:23:35,720 But now, all of a sudden, I felt I was on my own. 480 00:23:35,720 --> 00:23:38,000 And with the noise of the waves crashing off of Haskeir, 481 00:23:38,000 --> 00:23:40,440 off the rocks around her, then the sound of the birds flying 482 00:23:40,440 --> 00:23:43,800 above my head and diving into the water, it was... 483 00:23:43,800 --> 00:23:47,160 All of that just added up to not seeing, not really hearing, 484 00:23:47,160 --> 00:23:49,800 and, I'll be honest, that really kind of freaked me out. 485 00:23:50,880 --> 00:23:55,600 So, Dean, St Kilda is an amazing place, but you don't see much, 486 00:23:55,600 --> 00:23:57,720 so what do you get out of it? 487 00:23:57,720 --> 00:23:59,360 I do see some things. 488 00:23:59,360 --> 00:24:01,960 I don't see the clarity that you see of the cliffs and that. 489 00:24:01,960 --> 00:24:04,000 But I get to see the big lumps. I get the sounds. 490 00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:06,480 I mean, the sounds are amazing, with the birds and the waves, 491 00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:09,440 and just the feeling of knowing that you're out in the middle of nowhere. 492 00:24:09,440 --> 00:24:11,560 That's just amazing on its own. 493 00:24:11,560 --> 00:24:15,040 Now, every couple of years - or sometimes every year - I get 494 00:24:15,040 --> 00:24:16,840 a phone call from you, with 495 00:24:16,840 --> 00:24:19,240 another daft idea of an adventure 496 00:24:19,240 --> 00:24:22,200 you want to do, a race you want to get involved in or a sport 497 00:24:22,200 --> 00:24:23,760 that you've just discovered. 498 00:24:23,760 --> 00:24:26,120 And I'm sitting on a board that I've never seen before. 499 00:24:26,120 --> 00:24:27,560 So what's the latest? 500 00:24:27,560 --> 00:24:28,800 So this is prone boarding. 501 00:24:28,800 --> 00:24:32,040 This is my latest passion that I've got into over the last year or so. 502 00:24:32,040 --> 00:24:34,520 Prone boarding is, for me, it's lying down in the water, 503 00:24:34,520 --> 00:24:36,480 front crawling, powering through the water. 504 00:24:36,480 --> 00:24:39,000 If you're on the sea, you get waves thrashing over your head. 505 00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:42,120 If you're on the lochs, it's just being that close to the water. 506 00:24:42,120 --> 00:24:44,560 It's an amazing sport. We're going to find out. 507 00:24:44,560 --> 00:24:46,440 Let's have a go. OK, let's do it. 508 00:24:49,440 --> 00:24:51,880 It's very straightforward. Most people, if you can swim, 509 00:24:51,880 --> 00:24:55,200 you can prone board. The basic idea is lying on the board, 510 00:24:55,200 --> 00:24:56,640 get yourself central. 511 00:24:56,640 --> 00:24:59,400 For me, I lie on my front and I'm doing front crawl. 512 00:24:59,400 --> 00:25:01,280 I also do butterfly. 513 00:25:01,280 --> 00:25:04,040 And many people will actually kneel, rather than lying down, 514 00:25:04,040 --> 00:25:07,320 and just butterfly almost kneeling down. It's so straightforward - 515 00:25:07,320 --> 00:25:10,680 like I say, you'll pick this up in ten seconds. 516 00:25:10,680 --> 00:25:13,680 What is it about this that appeals to you? 517 00:25:13,680 --> 00:25:15,360 For me, I can do it on my own. 518 00:25:15,360 --> 00:25:17,560 I don't necessarily need a guide for it. 519 00:25:17,560 --> 00:25:20,280 I can go out on lochs that I know, such as Tummel, Tay, 520 00:25:20,280 --> 00:25:21,840 my local one, Cluanie. 521 00:25:21,840 --> 00:25:25,240 I can go out there on my own and just go out and have fun. 522 00:25:25,240 --> 00:25:27,720 It's just having that independence, which I can't do 523 00:25:27,720 --> 00:25:30,360 if I'm biking or I'm doing many of the other sports I do, 524 00:25:30,360 --> 00:25:32,800 I need to have someone with me - this I do on my own. 525 00:25:35,240 --> 00:25:37,360 Saying that, I still occasionally get lost, 526 00:25:37,360 --> 00:25:38,720 even on places that I know. 527 00:25:38,720 --> 00:25:42,080 Cluanie Loch, I've been paddling, swimming, kayaking on there for 528 00:25:42,080 --> 00:25:44,680 ten-plus years and now I'm lying on these boards, 529 00:25:44,680 --> 00:25:46,520 you're much lower to the water, 530 00:25:46,520 --> 00:25:48,920 so I'm seeing much less of what's around me. 531 00:25:48,920 --> 00:25:52,080 And even recently I've been getting lost on Cluanie Loch. 532 00:25:53,640 --> 00:25:58,280 But your vision, you can sometimes distinguish between dark and light, 533 00:25:58,280 --> 00:25:59,600 the horizon and the sky. 534 00:25:59,600 --> 00:26:01,240 Not today. 535 00:26:01,240 --> 00:26:04,240 You can sometimes see movement if it's brightly coloured. 536 00:26:04,240 --> 00:26:06,920 How on earth are you navigating when you're out 537 00:26:06,920 --> 00:26:08,520 in the middle of Loch Tay? 538 00:26:08,520 --> 00:26:09,880 That's a big stretch of water, 539 00:26:09,880 --> 00:26:12,080 and that is perfect for me to get lost on. 540 00:26:12,080 --> 00:26:14,280 So what I have is I have a piece of kit called Endomondo, 541 00:26:14,280 --> 00:26:16,240 and it talks to me and tells me every kilometre, 542 00:26:16,240 --> 00:26:17,520 and how fast I've done. 543 00:26:17,520 --> 00:26:21,560 So if I'm going out, I'll make sure that, say I'm doing a 10K trip, 544 00:26:21,560 --> 00:26:23,880 I'll do 5K up, five back. 545 00:26:23,880 --> 00:26:26,000 So when it says my 9th K out of ten, 546 00:26:26,000 --> 00:26:29,200 I know I'm a K within my end - hopefully I am. 547 00:26:29,200 --> 00:26:31,280 And from that point on, I count my strokes. 548 00:26:33,160 --> 00:26:36,480 When I'm lying down, I'm front crawling, I know it takes me 549 00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:39,840 500 strokes to cover 1km. 550 00:26:39,840 --> 00:26:41,480 So I'm constantly counting. 551 00:26:41,480 --> 00:26:43,880 So, again, I know when I'm getting close to that kilometre, 552 00:26:43,880 --> 00:26:46,160 and I'm normally within 40 strokes of that. 553 00:26:46,160 --> 00:26:48,800 And hopefully when I get to my tenth kilometre, 554 00:26:48,800 --> 00:26:50,920 if I have gone past where I'm supposed to finish, 555 00:26:50,920 --> 00:26:53,480 I'm only going to be 20 or 30 metres, maybe 50 metres from it. 556 00:26:53,480 --> 00:26:56,360 There's always a chance, certainly in Scotland, that the weather 557 00:26:56,360 --> 00:26:58,280 conditions are going to change. 558 00:26:58,280 --> 00:27:01,480 Usually it's for the worse. Yes. 559 00:27:01,480 --> 00:27:03,320 If you're then lost, the weather's changed, 560 00:27:03,320 --> 00:27:05,040 it's started snowing. 561 00:27:05,040 --> 00:27:07,560 I know you dress light, cos I've seen you in action! 562 00:27:07,560 --> 00:27:09,120 Yes. 563 00:27:09,120 --> 00:27:13,120 Have you ever been in a position where you think, "I've had it"? 564 00:27:13,120 --> 00:27:15,080 I have - fairly recently, in fact, 565 00:27:15,080 --> 00:27:17,400 whilst prone boarding on Loch Tummel. 566 00:27:17,400 --> 00:27:19,000 I'd read the forecast, 567 00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:21,320 everything looked fine for my abilities. 568 00:27:21,320 --> 00:27:24,360 When I started off, it actually was supposed to be 15mph winds, 569 00:27:24,360 --> 00:27:27,320 but it must have been all of five. Everything was great. 570 00:27:27,320 --> 00:27:31,160 I got halfway up the loch, the rain came in, a storm whipped up. 571 00:27:31,160 --> 00:27:34,080 I couldn't see past my deck bag, which is a foot and a half 572 00:27:34,080 --> 00:27:36,480 from my face, so I couldn't see the end of my board. 573 00:27:36,480 --> 00:27:38,600 That started getting scary. 574 00:27:38,600 --> 00:27:41,960 I knew because the wind was picking up, the waves were then picking up. 575 00:27:41,960 --> 00:27:44,480 I had to try and straighten myself, so I was going straight in. 576 00:27:44,480 --> 00:27:47,040 Any angle against the waves would have rolled me, so I had to go 577 00:27:47,040 --> 00:27:48,560 straight. When the rain stopped, 578 00:27:48,560 --> 00:27:50,240 I found myself in the middle of the loch 579 00:27:50,240 --> 00:27:52,040 instead of at the side of it. 580 00:27:52,040 --> 00:27:53,360 That was scare number one. 581 00:27:53,360 --> 00:27:56,440 Scare number two was when I had to then try and turn around 582 00:27:56,440 --> 00:27:59,040 between the waves without getting rolled. 583 00:28:00,440 --> 00:28:02,480 Whoa! Ah! 584 00:28:03,840 --> 00:28:05,560 I managed to do that, very luckily. 585 00:28:05,560 --> 00:28:07,720 Then I had scare number three. 586 00:28:07,720 --> 00:28:09,400 The waves were picking up behind me, 587 00:28:09,400 --> 00:28:11,440 and I was just getting launched down them. 588 00:28:11,440 --> 00:28:13,600 Every time I looked over my left-hand shoulder, 589 00:28:13,600 --> 00:28:15,680 there were bigger waves and bigger waves. 590 00:28:15,680 --> 00:28:18,120 And, yes, on at least two occasions at that point, 591 00:28:18,120 --> 00:28:20,000 I thought I'd maybe not get home. 592 00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:22,000 And you keep coming back for more. I do. 593 00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:23,440 HE LAUGHS 594 00:28:23,440 --> 00:28:24,520 I certainly do. 595 00:28:27,600 --> 00:28:29,920 Well, that was actually a lot more fun than I thought. 596 00:28:29,920 --> 00:28:32,800 But I'm going to wait till the summer before I give it a go again. 597 00:28:32,800 --> 00:28:36,200 I want now to introduce Dean to a really challenging sport. 598 00:28:36,200 --> 00:28:39,440 It's brand-new, it's very exciting, it's very fast, 599 00:28:39,440 --> 00:28:41,480 it requires a lot of balance. 600 00:28:43,040 --> 00:28:45,520 And it's so new it's got about five different names. 601 00:28:45,520 --> 00:28:47,000 We're going to call it wing foiling. 602 00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:48,920 And we'll show you that later in the programme. 603 00:28:51,440 --> 00:28:55,320 And while Patrick's perhaps happier on water, it's time now to join 604 00:28:55,320 --> 00:28:58,120 experienced snowboarder Duncan McCallum. 605 00:28:58,120 --> 00:29:00,160 Now, Duncan's been doing that sport for more years 606 00:29:00,160 --> 00:29:01,760 than he cares to remember. 607 00:29:01,760 --> 00:29:06,000 And back in 2006, between editions of The Adventure Show, he went 608 00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:08,920 on one of the first snowboarding trips to Kashmir - 609 00:29:08,920 --> 00:29:11,680 an exploratory and amazing journey. 610 00:29:22,640 --> 00:29:26,280 What we're doing here is we're skinning up from 3,500 metres 611 00:29:26,280 --> 00:29:30,440 to just over four, and I've got a snowboard that splits in half 612 00:29:30,440 --> 00:29:34,040 that you can put sealskins on, so you can walk uphill. 613 00:29:34,040 --> 00:29:37,400 And behind us is the whole of the Indian Himalaya. 614 00:29:37,400 --> 00:29:41,000 It's absolutely extraordinary. But it is a hot one today. 615 00:29:43,920 --> 00:29:46,320 Top of the world, about to go down. 616 00:29:58,320 --> 00:30:01,520 It's really hard to believe that that trip was almost 15 years ago, 617 00:30:01,520 --> 00:30:04,760 and my passion for snowboarding still continues. 618 00:30:04,760 --> 00:30:07,840 Now Duncan is sharing that passion with one of Scotland's 619 00:30:07,840 --> 00:30:11,960 top snowboarders, Hannah Bailey, whose interest in the sport goes way 620 00:30:11,960 --> 00:30:14,520 beyond simply getting down a hill quickly. 621 00:30:14,520 --> 00:30:16,000 And, as a photographer, 622 00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:20,400 she also often points her lens at other related sports. 623 00:30:20,400 --> 00:30:23,440 I actually took up snowboarding about 14 years ago, 624 00:30:23,440 --> 00:30:25,360 so when you were over in Kashmir. 625 00:30:25,360 --> 00:30:26,920 And I didn't grow up in the mountains, 626 00:30:26,920 --> 00:30:28,480 I grew up in Edinburgh, 627 00:30:28,480 --> 00:30:31,200 and I wasn't aware of snowboarding when I was younger. 628 00:30:31,200 --> 00:30:34,240 I didn't partake in any winter sports, actually, 629 00:30:34,240 --> 00:30:36,720 but I was very passionate about sport and I was also 630 00:30:36,720 --> 00:30:38,880 very passionate about nature. 631 00:30:38,880 --> 00:30:40,280 It wasn't until I left school 632 00:30:40,280 --> 00:30:42,760 and, you know when you have that moment, you're thinking, 633 00:30:42,760 --> 00:30:44,240 "What am I going to do with my life?" 634 00:30:44,240 --> 00:30:47,560 And I decided that I wanted to go out and just do some travelling 635 00:30:47,560 --> 00:30:50,240 and meet some people and see some things with my own eyes. 636 00:30:50,240 --> 00:30:52,400 And that introduced snowboarding to me. 637 00:30:52,400 --> 00:30:55,080 And it took me a long time to properly learn, 638 00:30:55,080 --> 00:30:57,800 where I felt like I was experienced and confident to then go into 639 00:30:57,800 --> 00:30:59,400 the back country. 640 00:30:59,400 --> 00:31:02,160 And from there, I've taken up splitboarding, which ultimately 641 00:31:02,160 --> 00:31:07,000 is going to more of a ski place, with the two skis into a board. 642 00:31:07,000 --> 00:31:10,560 Hannah, 15 or 20 years ago, when I took up snowboarding, I remember 643 00:31:10,560 --> 00:31:13,040 going to resorts and being told I couldn't go there 644 00:31:13,040 --> 00:31:14,760 because I was a snowboarder. 645 00:31:14,760 --> 00:31:17,360 So it did seem to have a much wider demographic. 646 00:31:17,360 --> 00:31:20,400 It was everybody from a housing estate to a lord, 647 00:31:20,400 --> 00:31:22,560 whereas skiing seemed to be quite a narrow thing. 648 00:31:22,560 --> 00:31:24,880 Was that part of the community thing that you liked? 649 00:31:24,880 --> 00:31:26,120 I think it is, yeah. 650 00:31:26,120 --> 00:31:29,600 I felt like it was a very accessible place and a very welcoming place. 651 00:31:29,600 --> 00:31:31,160 And I felt like, "This is great." 652 00:31:31,160 --> 00:31:35,480 It's a good thing for the world because everyone is invited. 653 00:31:37,000 --> 00:31:39,240 This is where it will get a little bit tricky. 654 00:31:41,240 --> 00:31:43,040 Choose your steps wisely. 655 00:31:45,400 --> 00:31:48,760 But I think, especially through splitboarding, I'd love to help 656 00:31:48,760 --> 00:31:51,800 more people get into it, get the access to splitboards, 657 00:31:51,800 --> 00:31:54,080 and the confidence to get out there. 658 00:31:54,080 --> 00:31:56,600 And you don't have to go to the highest peak 659 00:31:56,600 --> 00:31:59,320 or you don't have to go down the steepest gully. 660 00:31:59,320 --> 00:32:02,080 But you can just enjoy a nice, slow uphill, 661 00:32:02,080 --> 00:32:04,480 and a nice cruisy downhill. 662 00:32:06,520 --> 00:32:10,520 This is going to stretch the early morning technique, eh? 663 00:32:10,520 --> 00:32:14,360 Yeah, I know. We're breaking trail over the burn here. 664 00:32:14,360 --> 00:32:16,600 Let's hope this goes smoothly. 665 00:32:18,960 --> 00:32:22,080 Oh, man, I've got to manage to do that, as well. 666 00:32:22,080 --> 00:32:25,080 Well, you've got a bigger board to have to account for, so... 667 00:32:27,680 --> 00:32:29,600 That was... 668 00:32:29,600 --> 00:32:31,680 All that yoga paying off! 669 00:32:31,680 --> 00:32:33,520 HE LAUGHS 670 00:32:36,000 --> 00:32:39,040 Those big trees are fab, aren't they? Out in the left. 671 00:32:39,040 --> 00:32:41,000 Absolutely beautiful. I wonder how old they are. 672 00:32:42,200 --> 00:32:46,240 Think of all of the tours they've seen, and the hikers 673 00:32:46,240 --> 00:32:47,320 over the years. Yeah. 674 00:32:48,560 --> 00:32:52,280 So when you're trying to work out how many metres or kilometres 675 00:32:52,280 --> 00:32:54,840 you're doing per hour, 676 00:32:54,840 --> 00:32:57,440 do you have a calculation you use? 677 00:32:58,760 --> 00:33:01,800 Not so much. I mean, I might do these walks during the summer, 678 00:33:01,800 --> 00:33:03,360 and knowing how long it takes then. 679 00:33:03,360 --> 00:33:06,040 And also speaking to people who've done the route before. 680 00:33:06,040 --> 00:33:08,880 But you have a calculation, don't you? I'm a wee bit more nerdy. 681 00:33:08,880 --> 00:33:11,120 You're a bit more mathematical than me. 682 00:33:11,120 --> 00:33:13,680 Yeah, I kind of reckon if it's really deep snow 683 00:33:13,680 --> 00:33:16,000 and you're going slowish, 684 00:33:16,000 --> 00:33:20,000 maybe 2.5K and 350 metres, if it's really deep, 685 00:33:20,000 --> 00:33:24,440 or 400 metres of ascent in an hour. 686 00:33:28,640 --> 00:33:30,640 So I think, looking at the paper map, 687 00:33:30,640 --> 00:33:33,560 I think we're just below the C on corrie. 688 00:33:33,560 --> 00:33:36,360 Do you want to have a look on your phone and give us 689 00:33:36,360 --> 00:33:37,680 an exact spot? 690 00:33:37,680 --> 00:33:40,560 We've got the route, the GPX that you sent me before 691 00:33:40,560 --> 00:33:44,720 on the route that we're aiming to do. Really handy here. 692 00:33:44,720 --> 00:33:49,280 Zooming in, though, I see that we're just after the first burn crossing. 693 00:33:49,280 --> 00:33:51,800 So we're not quite at where you're saying - the second burn. 694 00:33:51,800 --> 00:33:55,480 So I'm 500 metres too optimistic up the hill. 695 00:33:55,480 --> 00:33:57,160 500 more to go. 696 00:33:57,160 --> 00:34:00,000 But, yeah, no, it's great having it on this app, and I actually brought 697 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:02,400 the paper map, of course, as well. 698 00:34:02,400 --> 00:34:04,680 The phone doesn't last all day, so it's great to have it 699 00:34:04,680 --> 00:34:06,760 in the traditional sense on a map. 700 00:34:06,760 --> 00:34:08,920 And it looks pretty safe to get up there. 701 00:34:08,920 --> 00:34:12,320 So we've checked all the reports and feeling confident about it. 702 00:34:14,640 --> 00:34:16,680 I don't think I've ever been in the Cairngorms 703 00:34:16,680 --> 00:34:19,920 and it's been like this. This is like Icelandic beauty. 704 00:34:19,920 --> 00:34:21,920 It's fantastic. It's incredible. 705 00:34:21,920 --> 00:34:23,520 And now we're breaking trail. 706 00:34:23,520 --> 00:34:26,400 This is really what splitboarding is all about. 707 00:34:26,400 --> 00:34:28,840 You look down and just see your splitboard 708 00:34:28,840 --> 00:34:30,840 making the first tracks. 709 00:34:31,880 --> 00:34:35,080 It's really therapy to get out onto the hill, 710 00:34:35,080 --> 00:34:37,680 slow down, and just be taking each stride. 711 00:34:37,680 --> 00:34:41,840 And I think that is so, so valuable about it. 712 00:34:41,840 --> 00:34:46,000 It is a shame that the barrier to entry - 713 00:34:46,000 --> 00:34:49,360 the financial barrier - is quite high. 714 00:34:49,360 --> 00:34:52,120 I wonder how we can try and solve that. 715 00:34:53,160 --> 00:34:55,720 Well, it's difficult if you've not tried the activity, 716 00:34:55,720 --> 00:34:57,360 to then go out and buy all the gear. 717 00:34:57,360 --> 00:35:00,120 Yeah. It's hard to find and it's expensive. 718 00:35:00,120 --> 00:35:05,000 So, yeah, one idea I had recently was building up a stock 719 00:35:05,000 --> 00:35:09,200 of splitboard set-ups, just to allow people to be able 720 00:35:09,200 --> 00:35:12,720 to borrow them and kind of give it a try, 721 00:35:12,720 --> 00:35:16,200 and just giving people the opportunity to get out there, 722 00:35:16,200 --> 00:35:19,080 see if they like it, see if they want to invest. 723 00:35:20,960 --> 00:35:23,760 One of the things that you're a great advocate of 724 00:35:23,760 --> 00:35:27,520 is increasing the diversity within mountain sports. 725 00:35:27,520 --> 00:35:32,160 You know, I believe that everyone should have the right to access 726 00:35:32,160 --> 00:35:35,520 this, and to have this feeling that we get from snowboarding. 727 00:35:35,520 --> 00:35:37,720 I mean, it's done the world of good for me. 728 00:35:37,720 --> 00:35:41,640 And so I've committed a lot of my work to trying to increase 729 00:35:41,640 --> 00:35:47,000 accessibility and increase awareness of this sport, particularly around 730 00:35:47,000 --> 00:35:49,520 groups that are not shown so much in the media, because I think 731 00:35:49,520 --> 00:35:52,920 it is very channelled to show only a certain type of maybe 732 00:35:52,920 --> 00:35:54,800 Alpinist or adventurer, 733 00:35:54,800 --> 00:35:57,320 and there's so many people that can get out there. 734 00:35:57,320 --> 00:36:01,240 So you just managed to secure a grant to do a whole project 735 00:36:01,240 --> 00:36:02,960 on female skateboarders. 736 00:36:02,960 --> 00:36:05,520 Of course, the Olympics next year will include skateboarding 737 00:36:05,520 --> 00:36:08,240 for the first time, and for me and my work, and with 738 00:36:08,240 --> 00:36:09,480 my photography as well, 739 00:36:09,480 --> 00:36:12,440 it's very much about using these opportunities, 740 00:36:12,440 --> 00:36:14,320 that the spotlight is on these sports, 741 00:36:14,320 --> 00:36:15,760 whether that's skateboarding, 742 00:36:15,760 --> 00:36:17,920 whether it's splitboarding or snowboarding, 743 00:36:17,920 --> 00:36:20,360 to use that spotlight to show these other people 744 00:36:20,360 --> 00:36:23,240 that are doing it, to show these other faces, and whether that's 745 00:36:23,240 --> 00:36:27,360 in a way of diversity, gender, shapes, eyes, hair colour, 746 00:36:27,360 --> 00:36:29,080 whatever it may be, 747 00:36:29,080 --> 00:36:30,880 that's really, like, the aim of my work. 748 00:36:30,880 --> 00:36:33,360 And there's all these stories that are out there already. 749 00:36:33,360 --> 00:36:36,640 And for the past ten years, I've met these women that snowboard 750 00:36:36,640 --> 00:36:40,240 and skateboard in quite difficult countries and difficult places. 751 00:36:40,240 --> 00:36:43,440 So, really, my camera is my way to spread their story. 752 00:36:43,440 --> 00:36:46,000 And I'm kind of like the middle human in this 753 00:36:46,000 --> 00:36:47,680 to get it out there for them. 754 00:36:51,640 --> 00:36:52,640 Look at that. 755 00:36:55,080 --> 00:36:58,200 It's definitely living up to its hill name 756 00:36:58,200 --> 00:36:59,760 of the Windy Hill, isn't it? 757 00:36:59,760 --> 00:37:01,320 Yeah, the Windy Peak. Exactly. 758 00:37:03,400 --> 00:37:05,640 Oh, it's so spectacular. 759 00:37:05,640 --> 00:37:08,680 Not such a big cornice yet, but it's building up, isn't it? 760 00:37:08,680 --> 00:37:10,720 Yeah, you definitely have to be wary. 761 00:37:10,720 --> 00:37:13,920 It's suddenly when you're kind of on a nice rounded slope and you come 762 00:37:13,920 --> 00:37:18,280 up here and you get that enormous feeling of space and vertigo. 763 00:37:18,280 --> 00:37:23,320 It's amazing. The sheer drop. It's huge. absolutely huge. 764 00:37:23,320 --> 00:37:26,240 Is this what skiers call the splitboard faff? 765 00:37:26,240 --> 00:37:28,800 I'm trying not to make it a faff! 766 00:37:28,800 --> 00:37:31,000 We're trying to make it look easy, Duncan. 767 00:37:31,000 --> 00:37:32,600 Yeah, with the wind as well, 768 00:37:32,600 --> 00:37:34,640 it's like I don't want to lose any of this. 769 00:37:34,640 --> 00:37:36,720 Look at you, speeding ahead. 770 00:37:39,400 --> 00:37:43,760 I've just got that, like, thing of having done this so many times 771 00:37:43,760 --> 00:37:46,920 with skiers, and you're always the last one. 772 00:37:46,920 --> 00:37:48,560 They're all eating their sandwiches, 773 00:37:48,560 --> 00:37:52,440 we're just trying to basically build a board. 774 00:37:52,440 --> 00:37:55,440 But isn't it fascinating that we're building snowboards 775 00:37:55,440 --> 00:37:58,680 on top of Sgor Gaoith? I love it. It's so cool. 776 00:37:58,680 --> 00:38:00,640 Do you want to go first? Happy to. 777 00:38:00,640 --> 00:38:03,200 Scoot out, and then straight down. Scoot out and scoot down. 778 00:38:03,200 --> 00:38:05,360 Woohoo. Here we go. 779 00:38:06,640 --> 00:38:09,160 One of the things for me that's really important 780 00:38:09,160 --> 00:38:12,920 about being in the mountains, that you need to be very present. 781 00:38:12,920 --> 00:38:15,200 You need to be in the now. Definitely. 782 00:38:15,200 --> 00:38:18,040 One of the big factors is being in the moment 783 00:38:18,040 --> 00:38:19,600 when you're in these sports. 784 00:38:19,600 --> 00:38:21,280 And it's very addictive in that sense, 785 00:38:21,280 --> 00:38:22,880 because we live such busy lives, 786 00:38:22,880 --> 00:38:24,920 our phones are going off nonstop. 787 00:38:24,920 --> 00:38:27,520 But as soon as you're out there in nature, your mind 788 00:38:27,520 --> 00:38:29,520 is just there. 789 00:38:29,520 --> 00:38:31,360 Whoo! Beautiful. 790 00:38:32,920 --> 00:38:35,800 And I think it's also about being aware of your surroundings, 791 00:38:35,800 --> 00:38:40,520 obviously for your safety, but also just the beauty of it, as well. 792 00:38:41,720 --> 00:38:44,560 It just grounds you because we're in the Cairngorms. 793 00:38:44,560 --> 00:38:47,000 It's such a massive landscape and environment. 794 00:38:47,000 --> 00:38:48,600 We are so tiny within it. 795 00:38:48,600 --> 00:38:50,680 And I think that just brings you back down to Earth. 796 00:38:52,080 --> 00:38:54,320 Great day. Great day. Really amazing. 797 00:38:54,320 --> 00:38:56,840 Scotland delivered, lucky to live here. 798 00:38:56,840 --> 00:38:58,560 Look at those views. 799 00:38:58,560 --> 00:39:01,480 And there's at least another 400 metres of boarding to do, 800 00:39:01,480 --> 00:39:03,400 that should be quite good. 801 00:39:03,400 --> 00:39:06,600 Do you think you've got it left in you, though? Och, aye. 802 00:39:06,600 --> 00:39:07,960 THEY LAUGH 803 00:39:07,960 --> 00:39:10,440 "Do you think you've got it left in you?" 804 00:39:10,440 --> 00:39:14,000 Happy to report that, despite his advancing years, 805 00:39:14,000 --> 00:39:15,640 Duncan made it back safe. 806 00:39:15,640 --> 00:39:18,480 And I guess, when there's so much snow around, and we're in the middle 807 00:39:18,480 --> 00:39:22,040 of a pandemic, "safe" is a pretty important word. 808 00:39:22,040 --> 00:39:24,680 And I have to tell you, I'm pretty worried and scared 809 00:39:24,680 --> 00:39:26,880 about being caught in an avalanche. 810 00:39:26,880 --> 00:39:30,520 Now, of course, we have the Scottish Avalanche Information Service, 811 00:39:30,520 --> 00:39:34,240 who provide regular updates on the internet, and also recently 812 00:39:34,240 --> 00:39:36,160 on a phone-based app. 813 00:39:36,160 --> 00:39:39,000 But what happens if one of your friends gets avalanched? 814 00:39:39,000 --> 00:39:42,680 Well, Zoe Laird and I were taught by Alison Thacker how to use 815 00:39:42,680 --> 00:39:44,120 the vital equipment. 816 00:39:46,760 --> 00:39:50,400 If you unzip your jacket, so you can see your transceiver, 817 00:39:50,400 --> 00:39:53,600 and if you undo that orange clip on the front and take the unit 818 00:39:53,600 --> 00:39:57,480 out of its carrier, we're going to, first of all, learn how to put 819 00:39:57,480 --> 00:39:59,120 it into search mode. 820 00:39:59,120 --> 00:40:02,200 You've got to press down the button on the left 821 00:40:02,200 --> 00:40:06,800 and then move the right-hand button right across to the right-hand side, 822 00:40:06,800 --> 00:40:09,840 so it's in line with the word "search". 823 00:40:09,840 --> 00:40:10,960 Got that. 824 00:40:10,960 --> 00:40:13,000 BEEPING Ooh. And it should start beeping. 825 00:40:13,000 --> 00:40:16,000 I've got numbers and arrows now. And giving you number and arrows! 826 00:40:16,000 --> 00:40:18,040 So what you're going to do is you're going to follow 827 00:40:18,040 --> 00:40:19,320 the arrow. OK. 828 00:40:19,320 --> 00:40:22,280 Ensure that the numbers are going down. Yes. 829 00:40:22,280 --> 00:40:24,320 And the beeping should increase. 830 00:40:24,320 --> 00:40:27,000 Numbers going down. Oh, beeping increasing. 831 00:40:27,000 --> 00:40:28,240 So that's an indication 832 00:40:28,240 --> 00:40:30,360 you're getting much closer to the device. 833 00:40:30,360 --> 00:40:32,240 BEEPING INCREASES 834 00:40:32,240 --> 00:40:35,920 And I've got, like, a... Almost like a cross. Great. 835 00:40:35,920 --> 00:40:38,240 So when you get that cross, you're going to get 836 00:40:38,240 --> 00:40:40,840 down at surface level. OK. 837 00:40:42,400 --> 00:40:45,680 And you now want to ensure you keep your transceiver orientated 838 00:40:45,680 --> 00:40:48,560 in the same direction... OK. ..the whole time. 839 00:40:48,560 --> 00:40:50,160 So I've got here, 840 00:40:50,160 --> 00:40:52,760 and then the next step is to 841 00:40:52,760 --> 00:40:54,800 bring out the shovel and the probe? 842 00:40:54,800 --> 00:40:57,680 Not yet. What we do is we do a fine search, 843 00:40:57,680 --> 00:40:59,600 so that we've actually pinpointed 844 00:40:59,600 --> 00:41:02,560 exactly where we want to put our probe to start with. 845 00:41:02,560 --> 00:41:04,440 What we're trying to do is create a box. 846 00:41:06,360 --> 00:41:09,320 So there's a line there... And then what I can do 847 00:41:09,320 --> 00:41:11,040 is I can draw a cross. 848 00:41:13,080 --> 00:41:15,400 And I know that my closest signal 849 00:41:15,400 --> 00:41:17,560 is right in that central point, 850 00:41:17,560 --> 00:41:19,160 and that's where my first 851 00:41:19,160 --> 00:41:20,960 probe strike is going to go. 852 00:41:20,960 --> 00:41:22,840 And then I can probe out 853 00:41:22,840 --> 00:41:25,840 in a spiral motion until I'm certain 854 00:41:25,840 --> 00:41:27,280 that I've probed something 855 00:41:27,280 --> 00:41:28,480 that's a body. 856 00:41:28,480 --> 00:41:31,160 So if there's a group of people there, when someone, Zoe is doing 857 00:41:31,160 --> 00:41:34,040 this, would someone else be putting the probe and the shovel together? 858 00:41:34,040 --> 00:41:35,240 Exactly. 859 00:41:35,240 --> 00:41:38,640 Your chance of survival decreases significantly if you've been buried 860 00:41:38,640 --> 00:41:40,400 for more than 15 minutes under the snow. 861 00:41:40,400 --> 00:41:43,440 So if you're going to spend another five minutes putting your shovel 862 00:41:43,440 --> 00:41:46,800 and probe together, then you've lost a significant amount of time. 863 00:41:46,800 --> 00:41:49,320 So the quicker you can get that equipment together, the better. 864 00:41:49,320 --> 00:41:50,640 Wow. So I see, 865 00:41:50,640 --> 00:41:53,680 that's why it's really important to practise, because doing 866 00:41:53,680 --> 00:41:57,680 it quickly is... It's got to be, like, automatic, like putting 867 00:41:57,680 --> 00:41:59,720 on a seat belt or something. Exactly. 868 00:42:01,480 --> 00:42:03,480 And if the worst should happen, 869 00:42:03,480 --> 00:42:06,680 we have an amazing system of mountain rescue, 870 00:42:06,680 --> 00:42:09,920 with teams made up entirely of volunteers. 871 00:42:09,920 --> 00:42:12,560 There are 24 teams in Scotland, 872 00:42:12,560 --> 00:42:16,280 and we joined the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue team on a winter training 873 00:42:16,280 --> 00:42:19,520 exercise to see exactly how they work. 874 00:42:19,520 --> 00:42:23,760 And just to be clear, this item was filmed before the post-Christmas 875 00:42:23,760 --> 00:42:25,640 restrictions were put in place. 876 00:42:25,640 --> 00:42:28,600 We're going to just go through some avalanche transceiver stuff here, 877 00:42:28,600 --> 00:42:30,920 sort out some kit and head up the hill. 878 00:42:30,920 --> 00:42:32,880 We're going to work in two separate groups, 879 00:42:32,880 --> 00:42:34,920 with the stuff we built on on Thursday night, 880 00:42:34,920 --> 00:42:37,520 for those that were here, we're going to look at that in context. 881 00:42:37,520 --> 00:42:40,080 And if time allows, we might come together and look at a slightly 882 00:42:40,080 --> 00:42:41,840 bigger scenario, but we'll maybe 883 00:42:41,840 --> 00:42:43,960 just see what time is like by that point. 884 00:42:43,960 --> 00:42:47,920 Today, they're heading out onto the Cairngorms Plateau. 885 00:42:47,920 --> 00:42:52,920 Covid-19 has had a massive impact on their day-to-day operations. 886 00:42:52,920 --> 00:42:54,680 For team leader Iain Cornfoot, 887 00:42:54,680 --> 00:42:56,440 it's been a year like no other. 888 00:42:56,440 --> 00:43:00,920 2020 has been very different to a normal year for us 889 00:43:00,920 --> 00:43:03,600 as a mountain rescue team. To start with, 890 00:43:03,600 --> 00:43:06,960 we didn't know if we're going to be going out on call-outs 891 00:43:06,960 --> 00:43:11,160 after the whole Covid thing really kicked off. 892 00:43:11,160 --> 00:43:13,920 There's a lot of risks involved in being in a mountain rescue team, 893 00:43:13,920 --> 00:43:15,400 and dangers in the mountains. 894 00:43:15,400 --> 00:43:19,440 But I think Covid just added an extra bit of complexity 895 00:43:19,440 --> 00:43:22,320 to all those risks. 896 00:43:22,320 --> 00:43:27,040 Call-outs used to involve everyone piling into the base together, 897 00:43:27,040 --> 00:43:30,400 lots of people, everyone in the equipment store, 898 00:43:30,400 --> 00:43:33,440 lots of people everywhere, people in the kitchen grabbing 899 00:43:33,440 --> 00:43:35,640 themselves cups of tea before they move out. 900 00:43:35,640 --> 00:43:37,680 So that's actually all had to change. 901 00:43:37,680 --> 00:43:43,200 And the general idea is we call out within our little groups, 902 00:43:43,200 --> 00:43:45,200 and then when we arrive at base 903 00:43:45,200 --> 00:43:47,440 we stay outside, rather than going inside. 904 00:43:47,440 --> 00:43:49,280 One or two people who need to will 905 00:43:49,280 --> 00:43:52,320 go will go in and get the equipment, try and limit the number of people 906 00:43:52,320 --> 00:43:55,640 per vehicle, wearing masks in vehicles, 907 00:43:55,640 --> 00:43:58,720 just everything takes a bit longer. 908 00:43:58,720 --> 00:44:00,440 Everything, you just have to think 909 00:44:00,440 --> 00:44:02,320 a wee bit more about what you're doing. 910 00:44:02,320 --> 00:44:06,120 Gill is one of the team doctors, and therefore very aware 911 00:44:06,120 --> 00:44:10,000 of the importance of these training exercises, as the team continually 912 00:44:10,000 --> 00:44:12,840 adapt to our Covid-19 world. 913 00:44:12,840 --> 00:44:15,360 Today, they're working on core skills 914 00:44:15,360 --> 00:44:18,400 for getting people off the hills safely. 915 00:44:18,400 --> 00:44:23,920 The idea is that you're setting up belays with ropes to lower somebody 916 00:44:23,920 --> 00:44:26,760 down to a casualty, to collect the casualty and bring them back 917 00:44:26,760 --> 00:44:28,440 up again, or lower the casualty 918 00:44:28,440 --> 00:44:31,640 right the way down back down to the ground again. 919 00:44:31,640 --> 00:44:34,640 To actually make it realistic, to know what you'd actually do 920 00:44:34,640 --> 00:44:37,080 in a situation in a real rescue, you actually do need 921 00:44:37,080 --> 00:44:40,120 to be in the hills in a realistic situation, 922 00:44:40,120 --> 00:44:43,120 practising where can you put your belays, rather than saying, 923 00:44:43,120 --> 00:44:45,440 "Oh, we'd just put it as a few big blocks," 924 00:44:45,440 --> 00:44:46,760 you can set up a proper belay. 925 00:44:46,760 --> 00:44:49,360 You have to dig it out the snow cos it's a snowy day today. 926 00:44:49,360 --> 00:44:52,440 You do put things down and they disappear into the snow. 927 00:44:52,440 --> 00:44:56,320 So just all those things, just to make it a bit more realistic. 928 00:44:56,320 --> 00:44:59,800 The rough scenario would be build an anchor at an appropriate place 929 00:44:59,800 --> 00:45:02,600 back from the edge, and then one person on the end of the rope is 930 00:45:02,600 --> 00:45:07,080 going down, body weight, and you're basically doing a crag snatch 931 00:45:07,080 --> 00:45:10,120 to recover someone who's stuck on the slope. 932 00:45:10,120 --> 00:45:13,360 This is going to be probably the types of conditions 933 00:45:13,360 --> 00:45:15,840 that we're mostly out rescuing in. 934 00:45:15,840 --> 00:45:18,920 And even just getting up the hill today was a bit of a challenge, 935 00:45:18,920 --> 00:45:22,120 with the depth of snow through some of the rocky areas. 936 00:45:22,120 --> 00:45:26,480 So as part of our training process, on Thursday night, before today, 937 00:45:26,480 --> 00:45:30,240 we've gone and done all the rigging practice 938 00:45:30,240 --> 00:45:33,800 that we're doing today, to be able to just work through some issues, 939 00:45:33,800 --> 00:45:37,760 and the people who haven't seen the systems can get involved in that. 940 00:45:37,760 --> 00:45:40,520 That's not going to move, is it? 941 00:45:40,520 --> 00:45:43,800 Right. Is everyone happy with what I've done here? 942 00:45:45,120 --> 00:45:49,200 So if any of those fail, these are all independent, 943 00:45:49,200 --> 00:45:51,440 cos they all go through the big knot. 944 00:45:51,440 --> 00:45:55,720 Every member of the team gives up their time to prepare, 945 00:45:55,720 --> 00:45:57,200 train and rescue 946 00:45:57,200 --> 00:46:00,080 those in difficulty or danger on the hill. 947 00:46:00,080 --> 00:46:01,520 It's a huge commitment. 948 00:46:01,520 --> 00:46:03,720 I think, for most of the team, 949 00:46:03,720 --> 00:46:06,320 it's being able to help people in the mountains who may 950 00:46:06,320 --> 00:46:07,640 be in difficulty. 951 00:46:07,640 --> 00:46:10,240 And that's kind of what they would like to happen to them 952 00:46:10,240 --> 00:46:13,880 if they were mountaineering and they became injured 953 00:46:13,880 --> 00:46:15,280 or lost themselves. 954 00:46:16,480 --> 00:46:18,200 People are so grateful. 955 00:46:18,200 --> 00:46:20,320 They might have been a bit silly, and they know that, 956 00:46:20,320 --> 00:46:22,520 but always so grateful, delighted to see you. 957 00:46:22,520 --> 00:46:23,960 You get a huge buzz out of that. 958 00:46:23,960 --> 00:46:26,040 People say, "Oh, thank goodness you're here." 959 00:46:26,040 --> 00:46:29,320 "Oh, wow." What seems to us as nothing huge, 960 00:46:29,320 --> 00:46:31,560 it can be folk lost on the plateau, 961 00:46:31,560 --> 00:46:34,400 which we still get, and, you know, inadequately equipped, 962 00:46:34,400 --> 00:46:36,600 or they're just a bit cold and miserable. 963 00:46:36,600 --> 00:46:39,400 And to them, suddenly, the cavalry has come. 964 00:46:40,640 --> 00:46:43,640 A lot of people probably you would put in the tourist bracket, 965 00:46:43,640 --> 00:46:44,920 that we rescue 966 00:46:44,920 --> 00:46:48,440 probably think that we are a paid service. 967 00:46:48,440 --> 00:46:51,080 So they... You know, they ask how long are we on shift for, 968 00:46:51,080 --> 00:46:54,360 or something like that, or do we like doing our job, sort of thing. 969 00:46:54,360 --> 00:46:55,600 So they don't understand 970 00:46:55,600 --> 00:46:58,640 that, you know, when we're out rescuing them, that's purely 971 00:46:58,640 --> 00:47:00,000 as a volunteer role. 972 00:47:00,000 --> 00:47:02,680 Whereas I think the more experienced sort of hill-goers 973 00:47:02,680 --> 00:47:05,680 are quite aware of that and very supportive of what we do. 974 00:47:07,560 --> 00:47:11,480 And we've probably seen that a little bit more this year, maybe, as well. 975 00:47:11,480 --> 00:47:14,240 Just after lockdown, as there were more people that 976 00:47:14,240 --> 00:47:18,000 maybe didn't go into the mountains and hills in Scotland before 977 00:47:18,000 --> 00:47:22,640 have started travelling up to the Highlands in particular and getting out, 978 00:47:22,640 --> 00:47:28,040 which is great, but it just comes with a few added challenges for the rescue team. 979 00:47:28,040 --> 00:47:31,120 Is that OK, Jill? Absolutely fine, yeah. Steady. 980 00:47:31,120 --> 00:47:33,880 Try and keep it like that all the way. 981 00:47:33,880 --> 00:47:37,600 These volunteers come from a wide variety of backgrounds. 982 00:47:37,600 --> 00:47:40,040 However, what unites them all 983 00:47:40,040 --> 00:47:44,080 is a shared love of our mountains and wild places. 984 00:47:44,080 --> 00:47:46,000 You all right with that, Jill? OK? 985 00:47:46,000 --> 00:47:48,960 Fine, yeah. Shall we stop there? Yeah. 986 00:47:48,960 --> 00:47:53,400 The Scottish mountains are always about a challenge in some form. 987 00:47:53,400 --> 00:47:55,200 OK, off the rope. 988 00:47:55,200 --> 00:47:59,120 The weather we get is very changeable. It can be very extreme. 989 00:47:59,120 --> 00:48:02,400 And it's just absolutely stunning to be out when it's... 990 00:48:02,400 --> 00:48:04,480 ..when there's snow cover. 991 00:48:04,480 --> 00:48:08,680 This is a benign day today, but it's unlikely to be like this 992 00:48:08,680 --> 00:48:10,320 most days during the winter. 993 00:48:10,320 --> 00:48:13,640 It's going to be a major challenge to be able to get around 994 00:48:13,640 --> 00:48:17,280 and to function and to be able to achieve your goals, 995 00:48:17,280 --> 00:48:20,440 so some people really like that challenge. 996 00:48:22,760 --> 00:48:25,560 You don't really get anywhere quite like this anywhere else. 997 00:48:25,560 --> 00:48:29,440 Up on the Cairngorm plateau, miles of snow and things. 998 00:48:29,440 --> 00:48:31,400 And if it is a good day, great. 999 00:48:31,400 --> 00:48:34,280 If it's not, it's a challenge. 1000 00:48:34,280 --> 00:48:36,520 And obviously, you can climb, you can ski, 1001 00:48:36,520 --> 00:48:40,160 all the other things that you can do in snow that you can't do otherwise. 1002 00:48:40,160 --> 00:48:42,400 The Scottish hills in winter are pretty special. 1003 00:48:45,280 --> 00:48:48,640 And that's exactly why we're staying with the white stuff. 1004 00:48:48,640 --> 00:48:50,400 Earlier in the programme, 1005 00:48:50,400 --> 00:48:53,400 we saw the outstanding skiing of Finbar Doig. 1006 00:48:53,400 --> 00:48:56,400 Another backcountry star is Amy Marwick. 1007 00:48:56,400 --> 00:49:00,280 In recent years, she's been at the forefront of Scottish skiing - 1008 00:49:00,280 --> 00:49:02,320 and here's why. 1009 00:49:02,320 --> 00:49:06,160 I do really enjoy skiing deeper terrain. 1010 00:49:06,160 --> 00:49:08,160 I love to kind of find myself 1011 00:49:08,160 --> 00:49:10,920 in a kind of more technical descent, 1012 00:49:10,920 --> 00:49:15,000 where you're kind of having to really think about each turn 1013 00:49:15,000 --> 00:49:18,880 and you're sort of really in the moment of what you're doing. 1014 00:49:22,200 --> 00:49:23,720 Woohoo! 1015 00:49:23,720 --> 00:49:26,280 I do it for the fun and the, 1016 00:49:26,280 --> 00:49:30,360 sort of, the thrill of enjoying the motion 1017 00:49:30,360 --> 00:49:32,560 and the feeling of skiing down. 1018 00:49:32,560 --> 00:49:35,640 For me, there's not something mystical about it, 1019 00:49:35,640 --> 00:49:38,120 it's more just... It's just good fun. 1020 00:49:38,120 --> 00:49:40,880 And, like, the feeling of getting to the bottom and looking up 1021 00:49:40,880 --> 00:49:43,120 and seeing your friend coming down after you, 1022 00:49:43,120 --> 00:49:45,320 or getting to the bottom and getting a high-five 1023 00:49:45,320 --> 00:49:49,480 and just feeling really accomplished that you've skied a section 1024 00:49:49,480 --> 00:49:53,480 that, like...that, like, looks really intimidating, potentially, 1025 00:49:53,480 --> 00:49:57,960 or it might just have been really nice turns, but... 1026 00:49:57,960 --> 00:50:01,200 Yeah, it just feels really good fun. 1027 00:50:01,200 --> 00:50:06,560 But Amy is not an adrenaline junkie - far from it. 1028 00:50:06,560 --> 00:50:10,960 For me, like, the actual just ski touring and just getting out there 1029 00:50:10,960 --> 00:50:14,240 is what it's really all about. 1030 00:50:14,240 --> 00:50:18,160 More and more, I'm realising that my enjoyment 1031 00:50:18,160 --> 00:50:21,360 comes out of just being outside and being in the mountains, 1032 00:50:21,360 --> 00:50:24,760 and it doesn't actually matter what terrain I'm on 1033 00:50:24,760 --> 00:50:26,200 or what the weather's doing. 1034 00:50:28,320 --> 00:50:32,880 I mean, I feel like I've barely scratched the surface of the terrain 1035 00:50:32,880 --> 00:50:37,280 that is possible to ski in Scotland on a good snow year 1036 00:50:37,280 --> 00:50:42,680 and there are just an array of options to get out and explore. 1037 00:50:43,840 --> 00:50:48,680 Amy's love of backcountry skiing has now developed into a career. 1038 00:50:48,680 --> 00:50:51,560 As a ski instructor, she shares her passion 1039 00:50:51,560 --> 00:50:53,800 for the mountains and wild places. 1040 00:50:53,800 --> 00:50:56,240 It was never, like, a conscious decision, 1041 00:50:56,240 --> 00:51:00,280 it just snowballed and I just got more and more involved in skiing. 1042 00:51:02,200 --> 00:51:04,240 The ski industry is one of those industries 1043 00:51:04,240 --> 00:51:08,040 that, if you want to work and live that experience, 1044 00:51:08,040 --> 00:51:11,680 then you have to really kind of carve out a living for yourself 1045 00:51:11,680 --> 00:51:16,040 and just keep going in all the possibilities that you can. 1046 00:51:16,040 --> 00:51:19,400 So, obviously, my bread and butter is teaching skiing 1047 00:51:19,400 --> 00:51:23,320 and that's just instructing mostly in France, 1048 00:51:23,320 --> 00:51:26,720 and that's probably the way I earn my living. 1049 00:51:26,720 --> 00:51:28,160 But, in addition to that, 1050 00:51:28,160 --> 00:51:30,800 I work writing articles and bits and pieces, 1051 00:51:30,800 --> 00:51:33,960 doing some ski-touring guiding in Scotland, obviously, 1052 00:51:33,960 --> 00:51:38,320 and just kind of being open to whatever possibilities come up. 1053 00:51:38,320 --> 00:51:41,680 And, in the summertime, 1054 00:51:41,680 --> 00:51:44,320 yeah, I've done all sorts of different jobs 1055 00:51:44,320 --> 00:51:47,160 to kind of allow myself to ski through the winter. 1056 00:51:50,680 --> 00:51:53,960 Sometimes, when I'm at home and I've got my cup of tea, 1057 00:51:53,960 --> 00:51:57,520 I do have to force myself to sort of get going on a rainy day, 1058 00:51:57,520 --> 00:52:00,040 or if I know it's going to be really windy and cold. 1059 00:52:00,040 --> 00:52:03,000 But, actually, once you get walking 1060 00:52:03,000 --> 00:52:05,560 and you're out in the environment 1061 00:52:05,560 --> 00:52:08,400 and the terrain kind of unfolds before you, 1062 00:52:08,400 --> 00:52:12,320 and you sort of see all the possibilities of where you can go that day, 1063 00:52:12,320 --> 00:52:15,520 the actual weather sort of stops bothering you 1064 00:52:15,520 --> 00:52:18,200 and you just enjoy being outside. 1065 00:52:18,200 --> 00:52:22,400 Amy Marwick putting a capital A into adventure. 1066 00:52:23,640 --> 00:52:26,400 That was truly inspirational. 1067 00:52:26,400 --> 00:52:28,080 Lots more to come on The Adventure Show. 1068 00:52:28,080 --> 00:52:31,520 We'll be returning to the backcountry later in the programme. 1069 00:52:33,960 --> 00:52:35,920 Whoo! 1070 00:52:35,920 --> 00:52:38,600 But, before that, we'll go in search of the most remote place 1071 00:52:38,600 --> 00:52:40,840 on the Scottish mainland. 1072 00:52:40,840 --> 00:52:44,320 This snow is so thick, 1073 00:52:44,320 --> 00:52:46,640 it's really slowing us down. 1074 00:52:48,600 --> 00:52:51,680 And we'll do a bit of scrambling in Glencoe. 1075 00:52:51,680 --> 00:52:55,680 I really enjoy scrambling - it just adds a wee bit more interest to the day. 1076 00:52:55,680 --> 00:52:58,120 It's a bit more of a challenge. 1077 00:52:58,120 --> 00:53:01,360 When I'm scrambling, I don't really think about the uphill. 1078 00:53:01,360 --> 00:53:02,800 You're so focused on other stuff, 1079 00:53:02,800 --> 00:53:05,240 it's kind of a bit more of a surprise when you get to the top. 1080 00:53:08,120 --> 00:53:10,680 Now, meet Jenny Graham - 1081 00:53:10,680 --> 00:53:13,520 somebody who only got into adventure sports 1082 00:53:13,520 --> 00:53:16,520 when she found an access course at her local college. 1083 00:53:16,520 --> 00:53:19,800 Who would have thought she'd have been the fastest woman EVER 1084 00:53:19,800 --> 00:53:21,680 to cycle right around the world? 1085 00:53:21,680 --> 00:53:24,480 And get this - she did it without any support. 1086 00:53:24,480 --> 00:53:26,280 Now, THAT is impressive! 1087 00:53:28,160 --> 00:53:30,400 Opportunities happen all the time, 1088 00:53:30,400 --> 00:53:33,080 and sometimes we're just not ready to take them on board 1089 00:53:33,080 --> 00:53:34,640 and then they pass us by 1090 00:53:34,640 --> 00:53:37,200 and someone else takes them on and then runs with them. 1091 00:53:37,200 --> 00:53:40,360 So it's that thing - I was ready. I was ready for it 1092 00:53:40,360 --> 00:53:42,360 and then these opportunities came my way. 1093 00:53:42,360 --> 00:53:45,280 But it was big chat. It was really big chat! 1094 00:53:45,280 --> 00:53:47,680 Saying that I was going to ride around the world 1095 00:53:47,680 --> 00:53:50,360 and break the Guinness World Record and put myself up there 1096 00:53:50,360 --> 00:53:52,640 with all these, you know, people that I admired 1097 00:53:52,640 --> 00:53:55,880 and would go and see at talks and would watch their films 1098 00:53:55,880 --> 00:54:00,280 and be like, "Whoa! I could actually be, you know, an adventurer." 1099 00:54:00,280 --> 00:54:02,320 That was...that was a big deal. 1100 00:54:02,320 --> 00:54:03,960 Oh! 1101 00:54:03,960 --> 00:54:08,920 Jenny's world record attempt spanned four continents, took 124 days 1102 00:54:08,920 --> 00:54:12,280 and covered nearly 18,500 miles. 1103 00:54:12,280 --> 00:54:14,920 And she chose to begin and end in Berlin, 1104 00:54:14,920 --> 00:54:18,360 rather than her home city of Inverness. 1105 00:54:18,360 --> 00:54:22,640 In comparison, today's bike ride is infinitely more accessible. 1106 00:54:22,640 --> 00:54:24,760 It's a ten-and-a-half-mile roundtrip, 1107 00:54:24,760 --> 00:54:28,280 setting off from Achnashellach station in Wester Ross. 1108 00:54:28,280 --> 00:54:32,440 But getting out on a bike in winter is still a challenge. 1109 00:54:32,440 --> 00:54:35,280 We've come up to Achnashellach this morning 1110 00:54:35,280 --> 00:54:37,840 and we're going to go round one of the most classic 1111 00:54:37,840 --> 00:54:41,120 mountain-biking routes in Scotland, Achnashellach Loop. 1112 00:54:41,120 --> 00:54:44,360 But it's going to have a little bit of a twist today 1113 00:54:44,360 --> 00:54:46,320 cos, instead of coming down the gorge, 1114 00:54:46,320 --> 00:54:48,720 we're going to be hiking up it. 1115 00:54:48,720 --> 00:54:52,520 So I can imagine every mountain biker in the country 1116 00:54:52,520 --> 00:54:55,040 is going to be screaming at the telly right now, saying, 1117 00:54:55,040 --> 00:54:56,760 "What are you doing?! 1118 00:54:56,760 --> 00:55:00,120 "That is the classic mountain-biking route in Scotland 1119 00:55:00,120 --> 00:55:02,240 "and you're walking up it with a bike." 1120 00:55:02,240 --> 00:55:05,200 But do you know what? I've never walked up it with my bike before, 1121 00:55:05,200 --> 00:55:08,640 so it's good to try new things, isn't it? 1122 00:55:08,640 --> 00:55:11,760 Oh! Wow! So pretty! 1123 00:55:15,120 --> 00:55:17,160 My route this morning takes me up 1124 00:55:17,160 --> 00:55:22,320 in-between two Munros - Sgorr Ruadh and Beinn Liath Mhor. 1125 00:55:22,320 --> 00:55:25,360 And, oh, boy, it's my first view! 1126 00:55:27,920 --> 00:55:29,560 Ha-ha-ha! 1127 00:55:29,560 --> 00:55:31,080 It's looking good! 1128 00:55:38,360 --> 00:55:43,280 The route's just starting to climb up now and it is just gorgeous! 1129 00:55:43,280 --> 00:55:47,120 It's one of those days where you're getting your head into the climb 1130 00:55:47,120 --> 00:55:49,640 and then you lift up and you're like, "Wow!" 1131 00:55:52,080 --> 00:55:55,080 The rest of our lives are so busy, 1132 00:55:55,080 --> 00:55:58,280 not only practically, but also digitally now, as well. 1133 00:55:58,280 --> 00:56:01,720 You know, like, life is full-on, people are asking a lot of us 1134 00:56:01,720 --> 00:56:04,320 and our minds are constantly going. 1135 00:56:04,320 --> 00:56:06,000 But when I've got a day on the hill, 1136 00:56:06,000 --> 00:56:09,920 I've got a day on the hill and that is all that is going on in my head. 1137 00:56:11,960 --> 00:56:15,840 I'm not thinking about my to-do list, my emails, what bills I've got to pay, 1138 00:56:15,840 --> 00:56:18,120 the fact that my car's just failed its MOT! 1139 00:56:18,120 --> 00:56:20,840 You know, it gives you perspective, doesn't it? 1140 00:56:24,600 --> 00:56:26,600 I work a lot with young girls and women, 1141 00:56:26,600 --> 00:56:29,400 and I think it's so important that they see it, 1142 00:56:29,400 --> 00:56:32,680 like, we show our young girls that being feminine 1143 00:56:32,680 --> 00:56:35,000 can also mean being muddy, being sweaty, 1144 00:56:35,000 --> 00:56:37,280 being dirty, going hard on the hill. 1145 00:56:37,280 --> 00:56:38,960 You know, you can do all that stuff. 1146 00:56:40,240 --> 00:56:44,200 Do you know what? It'd probably be a bit slidey to ride down, anyway, today. 1147 00:56:45,920 --> 00:56:49,440 And it's also important that they see another woman doing it 1148 00:56:49,440 --> 00:56:53,760 because I think, if it's male predominant, white-male predominant, 1149 00:56:53,760 --> 00:56:55,960 then young people looking up are, like, 1150 00:56:55,960 --> 00:56:57,600 "Well, maybe that's not for me". 1151 00:56:59,720 --> 00:57:01,640 These places are for everybody. 1152 00:57:03,160 --> 00:57:05,440 Oh, there's the little deer! 1153 00:57:05,440 --> 00:57:08,800 They're very chilled, aren't they? 1154 00:57:08,800 --> 00:57:10,800 Must be hungry, huh? 1155 00:57:13,040 --> 00:57:16,840 So that's me, made my way up the toughest bit off the gorge there 1156 00:57:16,840 --> 00:57:20,560 and most of the climbing's out of the way, and the hiking with the bike, 1157 00:57:20,560 --> 00:57:23,160 and I've just got these little sections that lure you in 1158 00:57:23,160 --> 00:57:25,840 and make you believe that you can ride your bike a little bit. 1159 00:57:26,960 --> 00:57:29,760 It'll be a bit stoppy-starty, but I'm just going to see what I can get in. 1160 00:57:31,120 --> 00:57:32,600 SHE CHUCKLES 1161 00:57:34,920 --> 00:57:38,000 Do you know, around the world, when I look at it, it's, like, 1162 00:57:38,000 --> 00:57:40,680 that's huge. You know, that's massive. It was a massive trip, 1163 00:57:40,680 --> 00:57:43,920 but it actually felt like a really natural progression. 1164 00:57:43,920 --> 00:57:45,840 You know, I was doing these adventures, 1165 00:57:45,840 --> 00:57:47,560 I was going away and living on my bike, 1166 00:57:47,560 --> 00:57:51,480 I was travelling to foreign places, going on my own. 1167 00:57:51,480 --> 00:57:54,200 I was, you know, building up my endurance 1168 00:57:54,200 --> 00:57:59,080 and my sort of love for that kind of adventure over years and years. 1169 00:58:03,000 --> 00:58:05,400 I was trying to ride for 15 hours a day. 1170 00:58:05,400 --> 00:58:07,280 I was completely self-supported, 1171 00:58:07,280 --> 00:58:11,160 so I just carried on my bike what I needed to sleep and to stay warm 1172 00:58:11,160 --> 00:58:14,400 and to fix myself or my bike if either of us broke. 1173 00:58:14,400 --> 00:58:17,240 And carry enough food, you know, for a couple of days, 1174 00:58:17,240 --> 00:58:19,880 sometimes in sort of remote places. 1175 00:58:19,880 --> 00:58:23,440 So it was a very... It was a very simplistic way of living. 1176 00:58:23,440 --> 00:58:26,120 I basically had to stay on that saddle 1177 00:58:26,120 --> 00:58:28,880 for as long as I could every single day 1178 00:58:28,880 --> 00:58:32,080 and then sleep for as little as possible. 1179 00:58:32,080 --> 00:58:34,920 But, you know, it's a fine balance, isn't it? Get enough sleep 1180 00:58:34,920 --> 00:58:37,360 that I've got enough energy to ride the next day. 1181 00:58:37,360 --> 00:58:40,000 But equally, there was no, like, ten-hour lie-ins there. 1182 00:58:40,000 --> 00:58:44,280 And cafe stops, just making sure you're not staring at your feet for too long, 1183 00:58:44,280 --> 00:58:47,720 you're actually getting back out the door and getting on your bike! 1184 00:58:47,720 --> 00:58:51,760 So that was, you know, the whole way around, 18,000 miles, 1185 00:58:51,760 --> 00:58:53,760 just getting into that sort of rhythm. 1186 00:58:55,960 --> 00:58:59,280 Everybody wants to know about the rubbish places I slept. 1187 00:58:59,280 --> 00:59:01,520 You know, that was the thing that I would tell, 1188 00:59:01,520 --> 00:59:04,720 that I would post on social media about the most, I think. 1189 00:59:04,720 --> 00:59:06,320 Whoo! 1190 00:59:06,320 --> 00:59:08,800 It was important that I found somewhere safe to sleep, 1191 00:59:08,800 --> 00:59:11,160 but I was never looking for a good view. 1192 00:59:11,160 --> 00:59:13,800 You know, it wasn't like if you go out camping and you're touring, 1193 00:59:13,800 --> 00:59:16,400 you're looking for all these, "Oh, where's the sun coming up?" 1194 00:59:16,400 --> 00:59:18,360 God, I didn't care about the sun coming up, 1195 00:59:18,360 --> 00:59:20,720 I cared where the next coffee stop was! 1196 00:59:20,720 --> 00:59:23,960 I wanted coffee in the morning as soon as I woke up. 1197 00:59:25,400 --> 00:59:27,120 Whoo! 1198 00:59:27,120 --> 00:59:29,120 When I was out in Australia 1199 00:59:29,120 --> 00:59:32,320 and it was extremely bad weather out there, 1200 00:59:32,320 --> 00:59:35,760 there was toilet stops, like, truck or toilet stops, and stuff, 1201 00:59:35,760 --> 00:59:37,960 or bus shelters that I could get into 1202 00:59:37,960 --> 00:59:40,320 and just get that little bit of shelter. 1203 00:59:42,360 --> 00:59:44,560 And then, out in Alaska and Canada, 1204 00:59:44,560 --> 00:59:47,000 I mean, I was terrified of the bears. 1205 00:59:47,000 --> 00:59:50,480 As soon as it got dark, I was imagining them coming up behind me, 1206 00:59:50,480 --> 00:59:53,480 like, tiptoeing up behind me and tapping me on the shoulder, 1207 00:59:53,480 --> 00:59:55,480 you know, eating me on the spot. 1208 00:59:55,480 --> 00:59:59,320 So I had to do what I could just to keep going when it got dark. 1209 00:59:59,320 --> 01:00:02,680 And I'd look for, again, any sort of toilet stops, 1210 01:00:02,680 --> 01:00:06,080 any sort of sheds that I could find, just so I could lock the door. 1211 01:00:06,080 --> 01:00:08,320 Like, that would never have kept a bear out, 1212 01:00:08,320 --> 01:00:12,320 but, in my mind, I just needed to get out of the way of them. 1213 01:00:15,160 --> 01:00:19,720 I just believe that everybody has got their own round-the-world. 1214 01:00:19,720 --> 01:00:23,400 You know, not everybody wants to ride around it, like I did, 1215 01:00:23,400 --> 01:00:27,120 but we've all got that thing that absolutely terrifies us 1216 01:00:27,120 --> 01:00:30,520 when we think about, you know, that we might want to do it. 1217 01:00:30,520 --> 01:00:35,960 That barrier for me, now, like, something's opened in my mind, 1218 01:00:35,960 --> 01:00:37,800 you know, and I can see, I just know 1219 01:00:37,800 --> 01:00:41,880 that if I can get to the start line - not the finish line! 1220 01:00:41,880 --> 01:00:45,680 You know, so much of that was chance, to get to the finish line. 1221 01:00:45,680 --> 01:00:48,160 If I can get to the start line of a trip like that, 1222 01:00:48,160 --> 01:00:50,720 then we are all capable! 1223 01:00:50,720 --> 01:00:52,000 Whoa! 1224 01:00:52,000 --> 01:00:53,360 Ha! 1225 01:00:56,240 --> 01:00:58,680 You know, riding from the top of the gorge 1226 01:00:58,680 --> 01:01:01,920 and that beautiful, flowy single track 1227 01:01:01,920 --> 01:01:05,440 just goes to show that you should never write a route off 1228 01:01:05,440 --> 01:01:07,280 as only being one way round 1229 01:01:07,280 --> 01:01:10,320 because I was a bit dubious about carrying my bike up 1230 01:01:10,320 --> 01:01:12,880 what I knew was going to be a really nice descent. 1231 01:01:12,880 --> 01:01:16,120 But, actually, I just got the most incredible riding, 1232 01:01:16,120 --> 01:01:19,680 and I've not ridden that before, and it flows really well, 1233 01:01:19,680 --> 01:01:23,080 with a different set of views, as well, that I wouldn't normally be looking at 1234 01:01:23,080 --> 01:01:25,120 because I'd normally have my back to them. 1235 01:01:26,320 --> 01:01:29,000 And now I've got these Land Rover tracks coming down the path 1236 01:01:29,000 --> 01:01:32,120 and taking me back down to the train station, 1237 01:01:32,120 --> 01:01:33,680 where I started this morning. 1238 01:01:36,720 --> 01:01:40,440 This has been quite a big adventure for midwinter in the Highlands. 1239 01:01:40,440 --> 01:01:43,480 The days are short and the weather is often bad. 1240 01:01:43,480 --> 01:01:46,120 It did get quite cold there. We were up at 400 metres 1241 01:01:46,120 --> 01:01:48,480 and I could definitely feel it at the snowline. 1242 01:01:48,480 --> 01:01:50,120 But I think I've lucked out today. 1243 01:01:50,120 --> 01:01:52,840 I'm not going to be arriving back in the dark. 1244 01:01:52,840 --> 01:01:55,800 I have definitely arrived home in the dark unplanned 1245 01:01:55,800 --> 01:01:57,840 on many an occasion. 1246 01:02:00,160 --> 01:02:03,160 Well, do you know, I think that was just a perfect day. 1247 01:02:03,160 --> 01:02:05,760 It was only ten-and-a-half miles round there, 1248 01:02:05,760 --> 01:02:08,200 but there was such a variety of terrain. 1249 01:02:08,200 --> 01:02:10,920 Yesterday, it was absolutely pouring down with rain. 1250 01:02:10,920 --> 01:02:14,000 Tomorrow, it's going to be absolutely pouring down with rain. 1251 01:02:14,000 --> 01:02:16,080 And when you manage to squeeze in a day 1252 01:02:16,080 --> 01:02:18,960 where you've got a blue sky and sunshine 1253 01:02:18,960 --> 01:02:21,200 and these gorgeous mountain tracks, 1254 01:02:21,200 --> 01:02:23,160 then it feels even more special. 1255 01:02:26,680 --> 01:02:28,320 That was Jenny Graham there, 1256 01:02:28,320 --> 01:02:31,200 showing us literally just how far you can go on a bike. 1257 01:02:31,200 --> 01:02:35,240 And equally as important, that anyone can push those pedals. 1258 01:02:35,240 --> 01:02:39,160 And I tell you what, some of those single-track sections looked amazing. 1259 01:02:39,160 --> 01:02:41,040 I'd love to have the chance to go out with Jenny. 1260 01:02:41,040 --> 01:02:42,960 Absolutely. Better you than me. 1261 01:02:42,960 --> 01:02:45,680 But the way I'd describe Jenny is that she's like a... 1262 01:02:45,680 --> 01:02:49,760 You know, she's a bundle of energy wrapped up with massive enthusiasm 1263 01:02:49,760 --> 01:02:52,520 and I guess we can all learn from her. Oh, totally! 1264 01:02:52,520 --> 01:02:55,760 And, you know, it gives me such inspiration cos, at the moment, 1265 01:02:55,760 --> 01:03:00,160 me and my friends are kind of planning where we want to go, and, you know, 1266 01:03:00,160 --> 01:03:03,440 once the restrictions lift, you know, all those amazing trips 1267 01:03:03,440 --> 01:03:05,080 we're going to be able to go on again. 1268 01:03:05,080 --> 01:03:06,800 Such an inspiration. She certainly is. 1269 01:03:06,800 --> 01:03:09,840 And another person who's ahead of the curve is adventurer James Cave, 1270 01:03:09,840 --> 01:03:13,040 who's built up a huge following for his quirky, different way 1271 01:03:13,040 --> 01:03:15,160 of looking at the outdoors. 1272 01:03:15,160 --> 01:03:19,480 The adventure is real, but that doesn't mean you can't have fun. 1273 01:03:19,480 --> 01:03:21,520 And, to put you in the right mood, 1274 01:03:21,520 --> 01:03:23,920 here's a short extract from one of his films, 1275 01:03:23,920 --> 01:03:26,120 The After Work Adventure. 1276 01:03:26,120 --> 01:03:27,840 It was shot almost three years ago 1277 01:03:27,840 --> 01:03:30,680 during one of our wonderful Scottish summers. 1278 01:03:32,080 --> 01:03:36,000 I'd packed the essentials, called on a friend and we were ready! 1279 01:03:36,000 --> 01:03:39,200 My first after-work adventure, easy as that. 1280 01:03:47,320 --> 01:03:50,640 The goal for the evening was the Munro summit of Meall nan Tarmachan, 1281 01:03:50,640 --> 01:03:53,240 excuse the Gaelic, just north of Loch Tay. 1282 01:03:53,240 --> 01:03:57,080 But, like this guy, I didn't just want to climb it and tick a box, 1283 01:03:57,080 --> 01:04:00,360 I wanted to do the mountain, and the evening, justice. 1284 01:04:00,360 --> 01:04:02,000 I wanted to sleep on the summit, 1285 01:04:02,000 --> 01:04:05,200 watch the sun ebb away and break bread beneath the stars... 1286 01:04:05,200 --> 01:04:07,080 RECORD SCRATCHES Who's written this?! 1287 01:04:09,960 --> 01:04:12,320 Anyway, what a relief. 1288 01:04:12,320 --> 01:04:14,520 A few hours of peace and quiet, 1289 01:04:14,520 --> 01:04:18,240 a place with no texts or emails, or nagging social media, 1290 01:04:18,240 --> 01:04:20,640 just some quality time with an old mate. 1291 01:04:20,640 --> 01:04:22,720 But seriously, in the modern world, 1292 01:04:22,720 --> 01:04:24,880 when do you ever get chance to escape like this? 1293 01:04:27,800 --> 01:04:32,760 For his latest film, James wanted to settle the age-old pub argument - 1294 01:04:32,760 --> 01:04:35,280 where is the most remote place on the Scottish mainland? 1295 01:04:35,280 --> 01:04:37,360 But he wanted to do it in winter. 1296 01:04:37,360 --> 01:04:39,560 A quick note, he made this film 1297 01:04:39,560 --> 01:04:42,920 before the latest restrictions came in in early January 1298 01:04:42,920 --> 01:04:46,520 and he did it within a bubble, with two brothers who live together. 1299 01:04:46,520 --> 01:04:48,440 Finally, professional film-making 1300 01:04:48,440 --> 01:04:50,800 has been permitted throughout the pandemic 1301 01:04:50,800 --> 01:04:53,960 and, although they are all experienced outdoorsmen, 1302 01:04:53,960 --> 01:04:56,400 we had The Adventure Show's safety team on standby. 1303 01:05:00,440 --> 01:05:05,360 I've had this idea to travel to the most remote location 1304 01:05:05,360 --> 01:05:08,760 in the Scottish mainland on the shortest day of the year 1305 01:05:08,760 --> 01:05:14,000 and the rationale behind it is that this year, with the pandemic, 1306 01:05:14,000 --> 01:05:17,480 it's all been about getting away from each other, isolating, 1307 01:05:17,480 --> 01:05:19,360 so I've taken it one step too far. 1308 01:05:19,360 --> 01:05:22,000 I'm not quite sure where this location is, 1309 01:05:22,000 --> 01:05:24,840 so I've called a few adventurers. 1310 01:05:24,840 --> 01:05:28,120 The famous photographer Colin Prior, unbelievably, responded to me. 1311 01:05:28,120 --> 01:05:31,000 Hopefully, Colin would shed some light on the challenge ahead. 1312 01:05:31,000 --> 01:05:33,440 James. Hiya, Colin. How are you? 1313 01:05:33,440 --> 01:05:35,600 The most remote spot I can think of 1314 01:05:35,600 --> 01:05:38,240 is A' Mhaighdean in the Fisherfield Forest. 1315 01:05:38,240 --> 01:05:41,800 Any sort of top tips for getting out into that wilderness, then? 1316 01:05:41,800 --> 01:05:43,720 The biggest challenge, as you know, 1317 01:05:43,720 --> 01:05:46,240 of getting on to these remote locations 1318 01:05:46,240 --> 01:05:48,680 is always weight... 1319 01:05:48,680 --> 01:05:52,320 ..particularly if you're going to shoot...a film. 1320 01:05:52,320 --> 01:05:56,440 After speaking to Colin, I contacted mountain legend Cameron McNeish 1321 01:05:56,440 --> 01:05:58,320 for some winter survival tips. 1322 01:05:58,320 --> 01:06:02,600 I also asked him whether this plan was really such a good idea. 1323 01:06:02,600 --> 01:06:04,280 Of course it's a daft thing to do! 1324 01:06:04,280 --> 01:06:06,720 It's completely and utterly loopy! 1325 01:06:06,720 --> 01:06:10,120 But what a delectable form of loopiness it is! 1326 01:06:10,120 --> 01:06:14,960 For me, winter camping is normally a glorious experience, 1327 01:06:14,960 --> 01:06:16,680 but only if you're comfortable. 1328 01:06:16,680 --> 01:06:22,360 A sleeping bag is simply a flimsy nylon sack with some fluff in it. 1329 01:06:22,360 --> 01:06:25,560 In itself, it's incapable of producing warmth, 1330 01:06:25,560 --> 01:06:27,880 so you have to make sure your body is producing heat 1331 01:06:27,880 --> 01:06:30,160 before you get into the bag. 1332 01:06:30,160 --> 01:06:33,640 Now, that might mean jogging on the spot for five minutes or so 1333 01:06:33,640 --> 01:06:35,800 before getting into the tent. 1334 01:06:35,800 --> 01:06:39,000 The next job was to contact the Ordnance Survey. 1335 01:06:39,000 --> 01:06:42,400 By enlisting the help of one of my favourite X-Men, Cyclops, 1336 01:06:42,400 --> 01:06:45,040 the OS agreed to query their supercomputers 1337 01:06:45,040 --> 01:06:47,160 to locate the exact grid reference 1338 01:06:47,160 --> 01:06:50,080 of the most remote point on the Scottish mainland. 1339 01:06:50,080 --> 01:06:52,120 An email was due any minute. 1340 01:06:52,120 --> 01:06:55,880 READS: If you imagine a map of Britain showing every single road and nothing else, 1341 01:06:55,880 --> 01:06:58,680 then we treated all the gaps between the roads as different shapes. 1342 01:06:58,680 --> 01:07:01,080 We then looked for the shape which could fit 1343 01:07:01,080 --> 01:07:02,720 the biggest circle inside it 1344 01:07:02,720 --> 01:07:05,760 and the most remote point was in the centre of that circle. 1345 01:07:05,760 --> 01:07:09,560 And it looks like we are heading to the Fisherfield Forest. 1346 01:07:09,560 --> 01:07:12,400 We're kind of between Loch Maree to the south 1347 01:07:12,400 --> 01:07:14,400 and then Dundonnell to the north, 1348 01:07:14,400 --> 01:07:17,880 so it's that wilderness area there, which is pretty cool. 1349 01:07:17,880 --> 01:07:21,800 "We've answered similar questions," the OS say, "from other expeditions 1350 01:07:21,800 --> 01:07:23,960 "who have attempted routes in these regions 1351 01:07:23,960 --> 01:07:27,600 "and, even in better conditions and at better times of the year, 1352 01:07:27,600 --> 01:07:29,720 "they were all unsuccessful." 1353 01:07:29,720 --> 01:07:31,200 That bodes well. 1354 01:07:31,200 --> 01:07:33,800 With my hair shortened, but the days even shorter, 1355 01:07:33,800 --> 01:07:35,640 it was finally time for off. 1356 01:07:35,640 --> 01:07:38,720 So, here we are, heading north towards the Northwest Highlands. 1357 01:07:38,720 --> 01:07:41,440 Snow on the ground everywhere, really cold. 1358 01:07:41,440 --> 01:07:44,160 But it's the best weather that seemed to suit our window, 1359 01:07:44,160 --> 01:07:45,280 so we're just going for it. 1360 01:07:45,280 --> 01:07:47,160 But I wasn't travelling alone. 1361 01:07:47,160 --> 01:07:50,640 I'd persuaded long-time adventure companions, the bubbled brothers, 1362 01:07:50,640 --> 01:07:53,960 Robert and Patrick Barbour, to indulge in the madness, too. 1363 01:07:53,960 --> 01:07:56,160 Is this one of your madder trips with James? 1364 01:07:56,160 --> 01:08:00,040 It's all on a spectrum of insanity. 1365 01:08:01,720 --> 01:08:03,720 Not insanity. Um...but... 1366 01:08:03,720 --> 01:08:05,880 That sounded like a yes. 1367 01:08:05,880 --> 01:08:07,440 Yes, probably. PATRICK LAUGHS 1368 01:08:11,520 --> 01:08:14,240 After crossing middle Earth towards Mordor, 1369 01:08:14,240 --> 01:08:16,840 we completed a disorganised scramble through the kit, 1370 01:08:16,840 --> 01:08:19,800 before stumbling, quite literally, into bed. 1371 01:08:22,160 --> 01:08:24,320 LAUGHTER 1372 01:08:24,320 --> 01:08:26,520 Though groggy, we rose early next morning 1373 01:08:26,520 --> 01:08:30,240 to make the final preparations for the wilderness up ahead. 1374 01:08:30,240 --> 01:08:34,280 We are about to follow the river up along this track here. 1375 01:08:34,280 --> 01:08:36,240 We're going to be cycling. 1376 01:08:36,240 --> 01:08:39,240 Leaves the river and continues around the loch. 1377 01:08:39,240 --> 01:08:41,000 We're going to the side of Loch Kernsary, 1378 01:08:41,000 --> 01:08:44,520 through the forest here, and then out on to the moor. 1379 01:08:44,520 --> 01:08:46,680 And then it takes us on to the next map. 1380 01:08:46,680 --> 01:08:48,120 So, three maps, is it? 1381 01:08:48,120 --> 01:08:49,880 It's a three-map job, unfortunately, 1382 01:08:49,880 --> 01:08:52,360 cos it's, er...it's right on the seam. 1383 01:08:52,360 --> 01:08:56,680 So, tonight, we are staying just up here, and it is... 1384 01:08:56,680 --> 01:08:58,400 ..Carnmore bothy. 1385 01:08:58,400 --> 01:09:00,240 So, off we went. 1386 01:09:23,520 --> 01:09:26,200 With a few calories burned and the weather closing in, 1387 01:09:26,200 --> 01:09:27,760 it was time for some lunch. 1388 01:09:27,760 --> 01:09:30,280 But we'd made a fatal error. 1389 01:09:30,280 --> 01:09:32,240 We forgot to put the bread rolls in, so... 1390 01:09:32,240 --> 01:09:36,240 it's an animal-heavy lunch today, 1391 01:09:36,240 --> 01:09:39,560 consisting of ham and cheese and probably a bit shortbread, as well, 1392 01:09:39,560 --> 01:09:41,520 to substitute for the bread. 1393 01:09:41,520 --> 01:09:44,840 Undernourished, but undeterred, we cracked on, 1394 01:09:44,840 --> 01:09:48,320 dropping the bikes and striking out towards the high mountains. 1395 01:09:58,480 --> 01:10:02,880 There's a bit of a yellow sky behind us, but... 1396 01:10:02,880 --> 01:10:05,880 ..up ahead, it's all grey. It's all grey. 1397 01:10:12,880 --> 01:10:16,040 After crossing the causeway, the light finally dissipated, 1398 01:10:16,040 --> 01:10:19,200 before we reached our accommodation for the evening. 1399 01:10:19,200 --> 01:10:23,200 Though one review had described this bothy as "pretty Spartan", 1400 01:10:23,200 --> 01:10:27,480 this emergency shelter was our sanctuary in the snow. 1401 01:10:27,480 --> 01:10:29,640 Time to pop the kettle on. 1402 01:10:29,640 --> 01:10:33,520 Just tucking into a Moroccan main meal. 1403 01:10:33,520 --> 01:10:35,720 We're a little bit anxious about the night coming up 1404 01:10:35,720 --> 01:10:37,760 and how cold it's going to be. 1405 01:10:37,760 --> 01:10:41,640 Rob's sleeping bag has gotten completely soaked. 1406 01:10:41,640 --> 01:10:44,680 I spilt a whole litre of water into my rucksack. 1407 01:10:44,680 --> 01:10:46,720 We've all got plastic bags in our boots. 1408 01:10:46,720 --> 01:10:49,640 It's a bit grim, but this is the best part of the day. 1409 01:10:49,640 --> 01:10:51,960 We've got some hot water on, tea's coming up. 1410 01:10:51,960 --> 01:10:54,560 I've brought my own little sort of home-made spice mix, 1411 01:10:54,560 --> 01:10:57,520 just to add some seasoning to these bad boys. 1412 01:10:57,520 --> 01:11:00,840 Bit of Moroccan couscous, it's a real taste of the Highlands! 1413 01:11:00,840 --> 01:11:04,120 But as the effects of our spicy gruel began to wear off, 1414 01:11:04,120 --> 01:11:06,640 the gritty reality of the situation, 1415 01:11:06,640 --> 01:11:09,920 and the sub-zero temperatures, started to sink in. 1416 01:11:19,880 --> 01:11:25,160 Oh! So it's very cold just now. 1417 01:11:25,160 --> 01:11:28,560 Brrr! The sort of... 1418 01:11:28,560 --> 01:11:31,960 ..warmth has gradually seeped away during the night 1419 01:11:31,960 --> 01:11:36,520 and...not really slept at all. Um... 1420 01:11:37,960 --> 01:11:41,080 Yeah, been quite, quite, quite brutal. 1421 01:11:44,360 --> 01:11:48,160 The next morning was like waking up on the barren surface of Pluto. 1422 01:11:48,160 --> 01:11:51,080 Alone and miles from the nearest road, 1423 01:11:51,080 --> 01:11:53,600 we really were on the edge of nowhere. 1424 01:11:54,880 --> 01:11:56,880 But we had a mission to complete, 1425 01:11:56,880 --> 01:11:59,400 a pass to climb and a long day ahead, 1426 01:11:59,400 --> 01:12:01,920 and so we punched out bravely into the snow. 1427 01:12:04,320 --> 01:12:07,200 However, as we moved further into the wilderness, 1428 01:12:07,200 --> 01:12:11,160 the feeling of isolation really started to become a reality. 1429 01:12:11,160 --> 01:12:13,040 This was no picnic. 1430 01:12:24,600 --> 01:12:26,640 We also began to realise why no-one 1431 01:12:26,640 --> 01:12:29,400 had completed this winter challenge before us - 1432 01:12:29,400 --> 01:12:32,760 and then the mountains threw yet another curve ball. 1433 01:12:35,280 --> 01:12:38,160 But Rob there, behind us, he's got a fairly bad bout of cramp, 1434 01:12:38,160 --> 01:12:41,080 so I've taken his rucksack, 1435 01:12:41,080 --> 01:12:46,160 we've got some rehydration solution down his...down his gizzard. 1436 01:12:46,160 --> 01:12:50,040 This snow is so thick. 1437 01:12:50,040 --> 01:12:52,720 It's really slowing us down. 1438 01:12:52,720 --> 01:12:55,920 But we can sort of see... 1439 01:12:57,800 --> 01:13:01,280 ..the edge of, er...where we need to be. 1440 01:13:01,280 --> 01:13:03,680 And, at that point, we'll see the loch 1441 01:13:03,680 --> 01:13:07,520 and we'll be at the most remote point in Scotland! 1442 01:13:13,520 --> 01:13:16,680 After some salts, Rob was thankfully back to map-reading. 1443 01:13:16,680 --> 01:13:20,640 Right, OK, good. We're almost there - close. 1444 01:13:20,640 --> 01:13:23,200 We could almost taste success. 1445 01:13:23,200 --> 01:13:26,240 Just beyond the frozen lochs, we would be there. 1446 01:13:26,240 --> 01:13:28,920 But it was turning into a race against the light. 1447 01:13:31,400 --> 01:13:33,760 However, after some scrabbling through the mist, 1448 01:13:33,760 --> 01:13:37,240 we eventually settled on a somewhat uninspiring point, 1449 01:13:37,240 --> 01:13:39,400 lost within the cloud. 1450 01:13:39,400 --> 01:13:41,240 We've not got a GPS with us, 1451 01:13:41,240 --> 01:13:44,160 so we're within a few hundreds metres for sure. 1452 01:13:44,160 --> 01:13:46,760 We've got A' Chailleach just over there. 1453 01:13:46,760 --> 01:13:49,600 Er...A' Mhaighdean and Ruadh Stac Mor. 1454 01:13:49,600 --> 01:13:52,240 Good pronunciation? Getting there. 1455 01:13:52,240 --> 01:13:55,680 A' Mhaighdean and Ruadh Stac Mor that way. Um... 1456 01:13:55,680 --> 01:14:00,880 So, yeah, within a few hundred metres, for sure, of... 1457 01:14:00,880 --> 01:14:03,680 ..the most remote point in Scotland. 1458 01:14:03,680 --> 01:14:08,560 We can't see a lot cos it's pretty much a white out. Er... 1459 01:14:08,560 --> 01:14:12,560 But, yeah, I think that was one of the toughest 5ks of my life. 1460 01:14:12,560 --> 01:14:14,960 With just enough time for a frozen snack 1461 01:14:14,960 --> 01:14:17,400 and a quick burst of jubilant celebration, 1462 01:14:17,400 --> 01:14:20,160 we began the trudge back to the bothy. 1463 01:14:20,160 --> 01:14:23,760 But the mountains had one final surprise for us. 1464 01:14:23,760 --> 01:14:25,760 This is why we do it! 1465 01:14:25,760 --> 01:14:27,520 Look at that view! 1466 01:14:27,520 --> 01:14:30,240 Just unbelievably beautiful 1467 01:14:30,240 --> 01:14:32,400 and a real just reward 1468 01:14:32,400 --> 01:14:35,880 after a couple of days of really brutal climbing. 1469 01:14:35,880 --> 01:14:38,360 So what a reward! 1470 01:14:38,360 --> 01:14:41,600 A bit of colour in the sky. It's absolutely stunning! 1471 01:14:41,600 --> 01:14:43,640 Wow! What a place! 1472 01:14:43,640 --> 01:14:46,520 Fisherfield Forest, here it is! 1473 01:14:48,080 --> 01:14:50,120 Stunning was an understatement. 1474 01:14:50,120 --> 01:14:52,840 Scotland had finally opened up for us. 1475 01:14:55,760 --> 01:14:58,040 As we embarked on the long journey back, 1476 01:14:58,040 --> 01:15:00,800 I had time to reflect on what we had managed to pull off. 1477 01:15:03,600 --> 01:15:05,680 At times, the adventure had been tough. 1478 01:15:05,680 --> 01:15:09,280 Navigating in the dark, trying to sleep in sub-zero temperatures, 1479 01:15:09,280 --> 01:15:12,120 surviving on ham alone. 1480 01:15:12,120 --> 01:15:14,320 But, in the end, adventure is not just about 1481 01:15:14,320 --> 01:15:16,200 reaching a specific point on a map. 1482 01:15:16,200 --> 01:15:18,480 For me, it's all about the journey, 1483 01:15:18,480 --> 01:15:22,520 the challenge, the camaraderie, the unrelenting connection to nature 1484 01:15:22,520 --> 01:15:24,920 and, of course, the cake. 1485 01:15:24,920 --> 01:15:27,080 Honestly, I never thought we'd make it, 1486 01:15:27,080 --> 01:15:31,360 but the mountains welcomed us in for four days of perfect escapism. 1487 01:15:31,360 --> 01:15:34,280 A quarantine in the hills I'll never forget. 1488 01:15:34,280 --> 01:15:35,800 PHONE RINGS OUT 1489 01:15:35,800 --> 01:15:39,400 Hiya, Mum! Yeah, I'm... No, I'm still alive. Don't panic. 1490 01:15:42,560 --> 01:15:45,720 James Cave and friends solving at last the mystery 1491 01:15:45,720 --> 01:15:48,440 of the most remote point on the Scottish mainland. 1492 01:15:50,840 --> 01:15:55,480 But you can still have a great adventure even closer to home. 1493 01:15:55,480 --> 01:15:59,080 Many years ago, Bhola Khanal and his family left Nepal 1494 01:15:59,080 --> 01:16:00,720 to settle in Scotland. 1495 01:16:00,720 --> 01:16:03,880 He now lives in Perth and manages a restaurant. 1496 01:16:03,880 --> 01:16:06,880 His daughter Sabina works in IT. 1497 01:16:06,880 --> 01:16:09,080 Both are keen walkers 1498 01:16:09,080 --> 01:16:11,440 and even if, during the Covid pandemic, 1499 01:16:11,440 --> 01:16:13,720 that means getting out for an hour or two. 1500 01:16:16,080 --> 01:16:19,960 I was born in Kathmandu, outside Nepali. 1501 01:16:19,960 --> 01:16:24,680 That's a village, maybe eight...seven, eight kilometre 1502 01:16:24,680 --> 01:16:26,720 from Kathmandu centre. 1503 01:16:26,720 --> 01:16:29,440 And many mountains surrounding. 1504 01:16:29,440 --> 01:16:32,200 Is not big mountain, the hills. 1505 01:16:32,200 --> 01:16:36,280 And, er...always, even in normal life, 1506 01:16:36,280 --> 01:16:40,960 we walk up and down behind our village, in the hill there. 1507 01:16:42,880 --> 01:16:45,000 I was 15 when I came here 1508 01:16:45,000 --> 01:16:48,600 and I didn't do much walking before I came up here 1509 01:16:48,600 --> 01:16:51,200 cos I guess I was just too busy with school 1510 01:16:51,200 --> 01:16:52,840 and then getting your homework done. 1511 01:16:52,840 --> 01:16:54,880 I was just a good kid. Huh! 1512 01:16:54,880 --> 01:16:57,680 So, yeah, not done much walking before at all. 1513 01:16:59,400 --> 01:17:03,200 When I came over to Scotland, we used to love driving, 1514 01:17:03,200 --> 01:17:06,400 so Dad used to take us, as a family, 1515 01:17:06,400 --> 01:17:09,280 and then we used to do a little walk. 1516 01:17:09,280 --> 01:17:12,000 I remember when we first walked 1517 01:17:12,000 --> 01:17:16,360 and we were all dressed up in nice dress and things 1518 01:17:16,360 --> 01:17:17,800 cos is was nice and dry. 1519 01:17:17,800 --> 01:17:20,480 And then, everyone there were, like, in their walking gear 1520 01:17:20,480 --> 01:17:22,960 and, you know, with walking boots and stuff. 1521 01:17:22,960 --> 01:17:26,040 And everyone was just looking at us, and we were like, 1522 01:17:26,040 --> 01:17:27,520 "Why are you looking at us?" 1523 01:17:27,520 --> 01:17:29,400 Because we were not prepared for walking. 1524 01:17:29,400 --> 01:17:31,080 We just went for a day out. 1525 01:17:32,640 --> 01:17:34,080 That's how we were kind of introduced 1526 01:17:34,080 --> 01:17:36,680 and we realised we can do outdoors. 1527 01:17:36,680 --> 01:17:39,800 We should probably do more walking, rather than just sightseeing. 1528 01:17:41,160 --> 01:17:44,000 Today, Sabina and Bhola have chosen a walk 1529 01:17:44,000 --> 01:17:47,040 that starts from The Hermitage, north of Perth. 1530 01:17:47,040 --> 01:17:49,960 Their route follows the dramatic River Braan, 1531 01:17:49,960 --> 01:17:53,600 before they head up to the great viewpoint on Birnam Hill. 1532 01:17:53,600 --> 01:17:55,800 In total, it's around six miles. 1533 01:17:56,800 --> 01:17:58,360 It's one of my favourite places. 1534 01:17:58,360 --> 01:18:01,680 I've been here many, many times that I've lost count of it. 1535 01:18:01,680 --> 01:18:04,360 So, whenever we've got friends or something, 1536 01:18:04,360 --> 01:18:07,880 or it's a nice day out, or even it's an all-right-sort-of-day out, 1537 01:18:07,880 --> 01:18:10,120 we just come here with a packed lunch. 1538 01:18:13,120 --> 01:18:16,080 Whenever I talk to people, most of my friends, 1539 01:18:16,080 --> 01:18:18,200 we are always complaining about weather. 1540 01:18:19,520 --> 01:18:21,760 But, for me, I actually enjoy all the weather. 1541 01:18:22,880 --> 01:18:26,360 Like they say, it's not the weather, you're just not properly dressed up for it. 1542 01:18:27,480 --> 01:18:29,040 Wow! 1543 01:18:29,040 --> 01:18:32,000 In Nepal, there is a fixed season. 1544 01:18:32,000 --> 01:18:35,920 Sometimes two, three months, three, four months, there is no rain. 1545 01:18:35,920 --> 01:18:39,360 Sometimes three months continue rained. 1546 01:18:39,360 --> 01:18:43,720 And, in the winter, sometimes two, three months, no sun. 1547 01:18:46,520 --> 01:18:48,800 Scotland weather, we prefer that. 1548 01:18:48,800 --> 01:18:50,720 You can see all weather in a day. 1549 01:18:50,720 --> 01:18:52,280 HE LAUGHS 1550 01:18:56,720 --> 01:19:00,280 The problem in the winter is it's getting darker earlier. 1551 01:19:00,280 --> 01:19:03,880 So, by the time I finish my work, around 5:00 or 5:30, 1552 01:19:03,880 --> 01:19:08,680 it's already dark and you're not as much motivated to get out. 1553 01:19:08,680 --> 01:19:14,280 So I've kind of blocked myself a half-an-hour sort of time on the day 1554 01:19:14,280 --> 01:19:16,920 to make sure I go out and get some fresh air. 1555 01:19:18,240 --> 01:19:20,560 And I always find myself thinking better. 1556 01:19:20,560 --> 01:19:23,480 Or, you know, if there was some problems before at work, 1557 01:19:23,480 --> 01:19:26,600 I could come back with a different idea or view to that, 1558 01:19:26,600 --> 01:19:28,440 so I think it does really help. 1559 01:19:30,280 --> 01:19:33,520 Especially for us, we are working in hospitality, 1560 01:19:33,520 --> 01:19:36,400 it's quite stressful sometime. 1561 01:19:36,400 --> 01:19:38,480 After I finish at weekends, 1562 01:19:38,480 --> 01:19:42,960 Sunday, Monday, it's go out walking. 1563 01:19:44,440 --> 01:19:48,120 In my experience, Nepalese people, 1564 01:19:48,120 --> 01:19:51,240 they like to walk wherever they are. 1565 01:19:51,240 --> 01:19:54,440 When I went to stay in England sometime, 1566 01:19:54,440 --> 01:19:56,840 I looked at walking areas. 1567 01:19:56,840 --> 01:19:59,080 I went to Kent 1568 01:19:59,080 --> 01:20:02,480 and, er...I asked, "Where is the walking place here? 1569 01:20:02,480 --> 01:20:04,400 "Where is the hill?" 1570 01:20:04,400 --> 01:20:08,000 We are few people, but we like to do walk. 1571 01:20:10,440 --> 01:20:13,960 I've been to just a few other countries walking 1572 01:20:13,960 --> 01:20:18,080 and this, Scotland, is best in world. 1573 01:20:21,240 --> 01:20:23,680 People like me, mostly, they are immigrants. 1574 01:20:23,680 --> 01:20:25,440 I don't know if I should use this word! 1575 01:20:25,440 --> 01:20:28,600 But, yeah, they're mostly here for a purpose. 1576 01:20:28,600 --> 01:20:31,080 Like, they are a student studying, 1577 01:20:31,080 --> 01:20:35,160 or they are a businessman working too hard, you know? 1578 01:20:35,160 --> 01:20:37,760 So they probably don't find enough time 1579 01:20:37,760 --> 01:20:40,960 to maybe get out and look around. 1580 01:20:40,960 --> 01:20:43,800 And I think, you know, there are different walking groups 1581 01:20:43,800 --> 01:20:48,640 that's been set up specific for a minority group. 1582 01:20:48,640 --> 01:20:50,160 So that culture is developing 1583 01:20:50,160 --> 01:20:53,560 because I think there are more younger families now settling here 1584 01:20:53,560 --> 01:20:56,040 rather than just working or studying people. 1585 01:20:59,040 --> 01:21:02,560 Sometimes I just feel like, "Oh, I probably am too tired 1586 01:21:02,560 --> 01:21:06,560 "and I don't think I want to get up to the hill," or something. 1587 01:21:06,560 --> 01:21:09,160 But once I get to the hill, I love the view. 1588 01:21:09,160 --> 01:21:11,840 I love to just take my time, 1589 01:21:11,840 --> 01:21:14,840 make sure I just look around and take that all in. 1590 01:21:14,840 --> 01:21:16,480 It just refreshes me. 1591 01:21:20,720 --> 01:21:22,560 You get everything here. 1592 01:21:22,560 --> 01:21:24,800 There's a freshness and nice here 1593 01:21:24,800 --> 01:21:27,680 and you see there a good view. 1594 01:21:27,680 --> 01:21:30,840 A good mood. You can make your fresh mood. 1595 01:21:30,840 --> 01:21:33,880 And all positive. You're thinking positive, all are. 1596 01:21:33,880 --> 01:21:36,600 No, no problem. 1597 01:21:36,600 --> 01:21:40,840 If I get this opportunity, I'd do this every day. 1598 01:21:41,880 --> 01:21:44,600 Mm! Wow! Looks great! 1599 01:21:46,120 --> 01:21:49,600 And the weather, it's fantastic weather. Clean, bright. 1600 01:21:49,600 --> 01:21:51,840 HE INHALES DEEPLY Ah! 1601 01:21:51,840 --> 01:21:54,240 It's beautiful. Magnificent view. 1602 01:21:54,240 --> 01:21:59,160 And I think we're just lucky with the sunset, as well, just in time. 1603 01:21:59,160 --> 01:22:01,040 Yeah, brilliant. 1604 01:22:01,040 --> 01:22:04,000 It just refreshes from everyday life. 1605 01:22:04,000 --> 01:22:06,720 Yeah, it just energises. 1606 01:22:06,720 --> 01:22:09,680 HE BREATHES DEEPLY 1607 01:22:09,680 --> 01:22:11,920 Ah, it's fantastic! Great! 1608 01:22:11,920 --> 01:22:14,320 SHE CHUCKLES It's nice. I like it! 1609 01:22:14,320 --> 01:22:15,800 I like it! Love it! 1610 01:22:16,960 --> 01:22:19,640 Bhola and Sabina proving that it's always possible 1611 01:22:19,640 --> 01:22:23,320 to make your own adventure and get outdoors in winter. 1612 01:22:23,320 --> 01:22:25,760 And even if you're not a skier or snowboarder, 1613 01:22:25,760 --> 01:22:28,600 we're still spoilt for choice here in Scotland - 1614 01:22:28,600 --> 01:22:31,720 just ask blind adventurer Dean Dunbar. 1615 01:22:31,720 --> 01:22:34,440 He's never afraid to step out of his comfort zone. 1616 01:22:34,440 --> 01:22:36,560 So, back on the beach near Oban, 1617 01:22:36,560 --> 01:22:38,760 Patrick Winterton's about to introduce him 1618 01:22:38,760 --> 01:22:41,480 to Scotland's most exciting new sport. 1619 01:22:41,480 --> 01:22:45,480 Wing foiling's the latest water sport to hit the British shores 1620 01:22:45,480 --> 01:22:48,720 and, judging by how hard it is to get hold of kit, 1621 01:22:48,720 --> 01:22:51,000 its popularity is going through the roof. 1622 01:22:51,000 --> 01:22:53,800 And before we take Dean out on the water to see how he gets on, 1623 01:22:53,800 --> 01:22:58,240 we need to meet Andy Corbe, who's the local king of the wing. 1624 01:22:58,240 --> 01:23:02,080 I did it for an afternoon, actually, when I was in Key West in Florida. 1625 01:23:02,080 --> 01:23:04,560 I was kitesurfing and I decided to try 1626 01:23:04,560 --> 01:23:07,040 the kite foiling for the first time. 1627 01:23:07,040 --> 01:23:09,200 I got home that night and I couldn't sleep that night. 1628 01:23:09,200 --> 01:23:10,760 I couldn't stop thinking about it. 1629 01:23:10,760 --> 01:23:14,840 I literally rang up the guy the next morning, I said, "OK, how much?" 1630 01:23:14,840 --> 01:23:17,240 Ha-ha-ha! "How much for a board and foil? 1631 01:23:17,240 --> 01:23:20,480 "Cos I need to get one of these. This is just so incredible." 1632 01:23:20,480 --> 01:23:24,560 Do you think we've got a chance of getting Dean up with the wing, or on the foil? 1633 01:23:24,560 --> 01:23:27,280 Dean's a very talented man, so we'll see how we go. 1634 01:23:27,280 --> 01:23:29,520 I think he'll definitely get up on the board. 1635 01:23:29,520 --> 01:23:31,560 If he gets up on the foil, it'll be amazing. 1636 01:23:31,560 --> 01:23:33,280 Shall we have a quick go before it...? 1637 01:23:33,280 --> 01:23:35,000 Absolutely! Let's get out there. 1638 01:23:35,000 --> 01:23:36,840 Is it waterborne or airborne? 1639 01:23:36,840 --> 01:23:38,600 A bit of both. A bit of water, a bit of air. 1640 01:23:38,600 --> 01:23:40,560 Good. Let's do it! 1641 01:23:42,520 --> 01:23:45,720 It's a very steep learning curve. It's a very easy learning curve. 1642 01:23:45,720 --> 01:23:48,720 Anyone who comes from a kitesurfing background 1643 01:23:48,720 --> 01:23:52,320 who's done some foiling will pick it up very quickly. 1644 01:23:52,320 --> 01:23:56,400 The advantages over kitesurfing is that it's much safer 1645 01:23:56,400 --> 01:23:59,320 because the wing is really easy to handle. It's got 100% power. 1646 01:23:59,320 --> 01:24:01,040 So you're never going to get overpowered, 1647 01:24:01,040 --> 01:24:03,360 you're never going to get dragged around on the beach. 1648 01:24:03,360 --> 01:24:05,880 You can just let the thing go and it'll just float in the sky. 1649 01:24:07,240 --> 01:24:09,080 Because you've actually got two wings. 1650 01:24:09,080 --> 01:24:11,240 You've got the wing that you hold in your hands, 1651 01:24:11,240 --> 01:24:13,480 and that's a true sense of a wing. 1652 01:24:13,480 --> 01:24:15,920 It's shaped like an airplane wing. 1653 01:24:15,920 --> 01:24:18,800 The foil that we ride is also a wing, 1654 01:24:18,800 --> 01:24:21,200 so it has the same sort of profile as an airplane wing 1655 01:24:21,200 --> 01:24:25,480 and it's attached to a mast. And the mast is below the board, 1656 01:24:25,480 --> 01:24:27,920 so the mast is actually bolted on to the bottom of the board, 1657 01:24:27,920 --> 01:24:30,440 and then the whole thing sits down there. And this is the... 1658 01:24:30,440 --> 01:24:34,560 The weird thing is that you're essentially flying the wing underwater. 1659 01:24:34,560 --> 01:24:37,160 So you're surfing on a magic carpet, essentially. 1660 01:24:39,640 --> 01:24:45,040 The beautiful sensation is that, as soon as the board leaves the water, 1661 01:24:45,040 --> 01:24:49,160 everything becomes incredibly smooth and very, very quiet. 1662 01:24:49,160 --> 01:24:52,200 The only thing you really hear is water dripping off your wet suit. 1663 01:24:54,880 --> 01:24:57,080 The first time that I got up on a foil, 1664 01:24:57,080 --> 01:25:00,200 I just couldn't believe the sensation. It's this... 1665 01:25:00,200 --> 01:25:02,520 You could compare it to snowboarding in the cleanest, 1666 01:25:02,520 --> 01:25:06,040 smoothest powder snow, you know, where there's just no resistance 1667 01:25:06,040 --> 01:25:08,480 and you're just kind of cutting through. 1668 01:25:08,480 --> 01:25:11,240 A little bit like that, but different. 1669 01:25:11,240 --> 01:25:13,320 HE LAUGHS 1670 01:25:13,320 --> 01:25:16,480 Dean's itching to get back on the water, but, before that, 1671 01:25:16,480 --> 01:25:20,320 we've got a couple of essential pre-flight details to sort out. 1672 01:25:20,320 --> 01:25:24,280 OK, Deano. Right. So you're going to throw the kite to your left. 1673 01:25:24,280 --> 01:25:26,440 My left. Flip it over. Cool. 1674 01:25:28,320 --> 01:25:31,000 Push it over. Flip it over. There. 1675 01:25:31,000 --> 01:25:33,880 OK. So your right hand, cos you're going to the right, 1676 01:25:33,880 --> 01:25:36,880 at the top end of the tube... This end? You've got it. 1677 01:25:36,880 --> 01:25:39,840 And then slide the left hand as far down as you can. 1678 01:25:39,840 --> 01:25:41,960 Slide it down...? That's it. That'll do there. 1679 01:25:41,960 --> 01:25:44,240 OK. OK. So to power up... Yeah. 1680 01:25:44,240 --> 01:25:46,680 ..keep your right hand nice and high. Hand. Yep. 1681 01:25:46,680 --> 01:25:50,160 And you just pull your left in, left hand in towards you a bit. Right. 1682 01:25:50,160 --> 01:25:53,840 OK. And as you do that, drop your right hand down in front of you, 1683 01:25:53,840 --> 01:25:56,400 but keep... You mean...? Keep the arm straight-ish 1684 01:25:56,400 --> 01:25:58,640 and move it forward. Got you. OK, yes. 1685 01:25:58,640 --> 01:26:01,240 Forward with the other. That's it, there. All right, OK. There. 1686 01:26:01,240 --> 01:26:03,640 And then you feel the power in the wave. 1687 01:26:03,640 --> 01:26:06,760 If you get into trouble, release the left hand, the lower hand. 1688 01:26:06,760 --> 01:26:09,080 Bang! All the power's gone. All the power's gone, yeah. 1689 01:26:09,080 --> 01:26:12,200 OK, we're in business. Right. So, what's next? 1690 01:26:13,440 --> 01:26:15,080 It's time to hit the water. 1691 01:26:15,080 --> 01:26:18,480 Now, it may seem simple, trying this out on the beach, 1692 01:26:18,480 --> 01:26:20,280 but we're heading out to sea. 1693 01:26:20,280 --> 01:26:23,760 And don't forget, Dean has virtually no vision. 1694 01:26:23,760 --> 01:26:26,120 So, how's he feeling right now? 1695 01:26:26,120 --> 01:26:28,240 Are you filming? Yeah. 1696 01:26:28,240 --> 01:26:30,960 I'd better not say, then! THEY LAUGH 1697 01:26:30,960 --> 01:26:33,360 Right! Your board is here. Where? Are you sat on it? 1698 01:26:33,360 --> 01:26:35,120 I'm sitting on it. Right, OK. 1699 01:26:35,120 --> 01:26:37,320 There's only room for one. LAUGHTER 1700 01:26:37,320 --> 01:26:39,680 Going down. Wahey! I'm down on it. 1701 01:26:39,680 --> 01:26:42,080 And then you can paddle away from the boat. Righto! 1702 01:26:42,080 --> 01:26:44,600 Don't worry about the sail too much. Right. 1703 01:26:49,600 --> 01:26:52,080 OK, let's try it to the right. So, that way, yeah? 1704 01:26:52,080 --> 01:26:55,080 Yeah. Right. One, two... 1705 01:26:55,080 --> 01:26:58,200 Got it? Have you got it? Got it. Well done. OK. 1706 01:26:58,200 --> 01:27:00,400 That's it. So keep that right hand high. 1707 01:27:01,680 --> 01:27:03,440 One more... 1708 01:27:03,440 --> 01:27:04,840 Whoop! 1709 01:27:06,120 --> 01:27:08,200 You never said I was going to get wet! 1710 01:27:08,200 --> 01:27:11,040 I'd better lean back the other way! Oh! 1711 01:27:13,200 --> 01:27:16,240 When I first went out, I really wasn't sure if I was going to be able to... 1712 01:27:16,240 --> 01:27:19,880 ..certainly not stand up, but kneeling, I was not sure if that was going to happen. 1713 01:27:19,880 --> 01:27:23,160 So, when I got on my knees, that was one step and that was fantastic, 1714 01:27:23,160 --> 01:27:26,720 but to stand up and then move, and it wasn't just standing still! 1715 01:27:26,720 --> 01:27:28,760 I didn't know at the time that I was moving, 1716 01:27:28,760 --> 01:27:30,440 I was concentrating on the wing, 1717 01:27:30,440 --> 01:27:32,280 I was concentrating on just standing up. 1718 01:27:32,280 --> 01:27:35,120 And it was only when I heard Patrick's voice disappear backwards 1719 01:27:35,120 --> 01:27:38,320 I realised I'd either moved forward or he'd swam very fast backwards. 1720 01:27:38,320 --> 01:27:40,280 LAUGHTER AND WHOOPING 1721 01:27:46,640 --> 01:27:48,160 Whoo! 1722 01:27:48,160 --> 01:27:49,920 JUBILANT WHOOPING 1723 01:27:53,800 --> 01:27:56,040 It's one of these things I don't think I'll do on my own. 1724 01:27:56,040 --> 01:27:58,440 I'll need to have a guide with me, I'll need to have help. 1725 01:27:58,440 --> 01:28:00,520 There's no way, I don't think, with my sight issues, 1726 01:28:00,520 --> 01:28:03,160 I don't think I could do that on my own. I'd need a lot of help. 1727 01:28:03,160 --> 01:28:05,040 So that would be one thing, if I'm doing it, 1728 01:28:05,040 --> 01:28:08,080 it would be doing it with friends, or hopefully with Patrick again 1729 01:28:08,080 --> 01:28:09,840 or with Andy or whoever, but not on my own. 1730 01:28:09,840 --> 01:28:11,800 And go. 1731 01:28:13,160 --> 01:28:14,560 You're away. 1732 01:28:20,600 --> 01:28:22,960 Whaa! 1733 01:28:22,960 --> 01:28:25,760 Dean's doing amazingly for his first time out, 1734 01:28:25,760 --> 01:28:28,000 but it's going to take a couple more sessions 1735 01:28:28,000 --> 01:28:30,920 before he actually gets the board up and off the water. 1736 01:28:30,920 --> 01:28:34,280 Right, and again. And again. 1737 01:28:35,440 --> 01:28:36,880 Got it! Thank you. 1738 01:28:36,880 --> 01:28:40,320 But we should be able to speed up the process by using the safety boat 1739 01:28:40,320 --> 01:28:43,960 and giving him that sensation of actually flying the foil. 1740 01:28:52,560 --> 01:28:54,120 That's a winner! 1741 01:29:11,400 --> 01:29:13,640 DEAN SHRIEKS WITH DELIGHT 1742 01:29:13,640 --> 01:29:17,000 Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo! THEY LAUGH 1743 01:29:17,000 --> 01:29:19,680 Amazing! Amazing! 1744 01:29:19,680 --> 01:29:22,280 Yeah, man, that's the way it is. THEY LAUGH 1745 01:29:22,280 --> 01:29:24,000 He was flying! He was flying! 1746 01:29:24,000 --> 01:29:26,640 Yeah, that was pretty crazy! THEY LAUGH 1747 01:29:26,640 --> 01:29:28,320 Yeah. I mean, I... 1748 01:29:28,320 --> 01:29:30,920 Yeah, when we were going to the sun, I couldn't see anything, 1749 01:29:30,920 --> 01:29:34,400 so I just was... It was all how you feel, rather than what you're doing. 1750 01:29:34,400 --> 01:29:37,120 It all just went from bumpy to flat, and then nosedive. 1751 01:29:37,120 --> 01:29:39,040 THEY LAUGH 1752 01:29:39,040 --> 01:29:40,720 Oh! I think that was amazing! 1753 01:29:41,760 --> 01:29:45,120 With the wing, he did more than most people on their first effort. 1754 01:29:45,120 --> 01:29:48,960 And then, on the foil, most of us would dive off in a second, 1755 01:29:48,960 --> 01:29:51,800 but to hang on in there on that last run was amazing. 1756 01:29:51,800 --> 01:29:55,280 Absolutely fantastic! That was just unbelievable! 1757 01:29:55,280 --> 01:29:57,640 The whole thing was just...! Just doing it with the wing 1758 01:29:57,640 --> 01:30:00,480 and then getting towed behind the boat was just...that was crazy! 1759 01:30:00,480 --> 01:30:03,120 Oh, look, I couldn't tell the difference when I was up or down, 1760 01:30:03,120 --> 01:30:06,120 I just... Then I dived. Honestly, on the wing, you did better 1761 01:30:06,120 --> 01:30:08,880 than Andy and I did on our first session... Thank you. 1762 01:30:08,880 --> 01:30:11,440 ..and on the boat you did better than either of us. 1763 01:30:11,440 --> 01:30:14,160 That's a fantastic achievement. Maybe not being able to see 1764 01:30:14,160 --> 01:30:16,400 what I can do is a bonus. Are you coming back for more? 1765 01:30:16,400 --> 01:30:19,440 Definitely. When can I come back? 1766 01:30:19,440 --> 01:30:21,480 What an epic day. 1767 01:30:21,480 --> 01:30:24,560 Introducing Dean to another crazy new sport. 1768 01:30:24,560 --> 01:30:26,520 Wing foiling is infectious, 1769 01:30:26,520 --> 01:30:27,840 it's almost addictive, 1770 01:30:27,840 --> 01:30:31,200 and Dean can't wait to get back out. 1771 01:30:31,200 --> 01:30:34,320 Later in the programme, there'll be a complete role reversal, 1772 01:30:34,320 --> 01:30:37,440 as I go from being supposed instructor to total novice, 1773 01:30:37,440 --> 01:30:41,200 trying something that I last tried 35 years ago. 1774 01:30:41,200 --> 01:30:43,640 Whoa! 1775 01:30:43,640 --> 01:30:46,640 That was the one they were after. HE CHUCKLES 1776 01:30:46,640 --> 01:30:49,520 There could be some poetic justice here. 1777 01:30:49,520 --> 01:30:50,800 I just can't wait to see if 1778 01:30:50,800 --> 01:30:53,080 Patrick manages better than I did on the snow. 1779 01:30:55,200 --> 01:30:58,720 But, before that, we're heading into the hills above Glencoe 1780 01:30:58,720 --> 01:31:01,800 on a scramble with Kirsty Pallas. 1781 01:31:01,800 --> 01:31:04,800 She's not only passionate about the Scottish mountains, 1782 01:31:04,800 --> 01:31:07,560 but also wants to open them up to everyone, 1783 01:31:07,560 --> 01:31:09,920 regardless of their background. 1784 01:31:09,920 --> 01:31:12,360 In winter, an early start is essential, 1785 01:31:12,360 --> 01:31:16,840 and that doesn't get any easier - no matter how experienced you are. 1786 01:31:16,840 --> 01:31:18,480 SHE CHUCKLES 1787 01:31:18,480 --> 01:31:20,040 I'm not a great early morning person. 1788 01:31:20,040 --> 01:31:22,040 I don't like it particularly, 1789 01:31:22,040 --> 01:31:26,280 but you get into the swing of things and it becomes the norm. 1790 01:31:26,280 --> 01:31:29,520 And, once you're actually out of the house, it's really nice, 1791 01:31:29,520 --> 01:31:31,960 and, if you're on the hill before the sun's up, 1792 01:31:31,960 --> 01:31:35,000 just being there during the dawn is amazing. 1793 01:31:36,240 --> 01:31:38,440 Even when it's bad in winter, I still think it's good. 1794 01:31:38,440 --> 01:31:39,960 SHE CHUCKLES 1795 01:31:39,960 --> 01:31:42,120 I like suffering a little bit. 1796 01:31:44,000 --> 01:31:48,000 Erm, so the plan is to head up a wee scramble called Pink Rib, 1797 01:31:48,000 --> 01:31:50,440 which is on Beinn a' Chrulaiste. 1798 01:31:50,440 --> 01:31:53,280 So, we're just on the other side of the A82 from the Buachaille, 1799 01:31:53,280 --> 01:31:57,880 and, hopefully, if the drizzle stops, and the cloud clears, 1800 01:31:57,880 --> 01:32:00,640 we'll get really lovely views over the Buachaille and Rannoch Moor 1801 01:32:00,640 --> 01:32:03,440 and right down Glencoe, as well. 1802 01:32:06,720 --> 01:32:09,600 I really enjoy scrambling, and it just adds a wee bit more interest 1803 01:32:09,600 --> 01:32:11,200 to the day. 1804 01:32:11,200 --> 01:32:13,400 It's a bit more of a challenge, 1805 01:32:13,400 --> 01:32:15,360 just thinking about route choice. 1806 01:32:15,360 --> 01:32:18,520 It's not always obvious where you need to go. You can do a little bit 1807 01:32:18,520 --> 01:32:22,720 of exploring, seeing which the best route is. 1808 01:32:22,720 --> 01:32:25,880 When I'm scrambling, I don't really think about the uphill. 1809 01:32:25,880 --> 01:32:28,800 You know, it's not really a slog. You're so focused on other stuff, 1810 01:32:28,800 --> 01:32:31,600 and it's kind of a bit more of a surprise when you get to the top. 1811 01:32:31,600 --> 01:32:34,680 I think it just takes your mind off the...the uphill bit. 1812 01:32:34,680 --> 01:32:37,480 SHE CHUCKLES 1813 01:32:37,480 --> 01:32:39,600 So, the weather's not quite as bad as forecast, 1814 01:32:39,600 --> 01:32:41,320 we've got a wee bit of visibility. 1815 01:32:41,320 --> 01:32:44,760 You can see the Buachaille just appearing out of the dark. 1816 01:32:44,760 --> 01:32:46,560 There's a wee bit of snow on top. 1817 01:32:46,560 --> 01:32:49,200 Hopefully, we'll get good views from the, er, from the top, 1818 01:32:49,200 --> 01:32:51,160 if the clouds stay lifted. 1819 01:32:54,120 --> 01:32:58,320 So, I did my school work experience at a local outdoor centre, 1820 01:32:58,320 --> 01:33:00,400 and I thought it'd just be a bit of a jolly for a week 1821 01:33:00,400 --> 01:33:02,320 and just really, really enjoyed it. 1822 01:33:02,320 --> 01:33:04,480 Did a few more weeks through the summer holidays 1823 01:33:04,480 --> 01:33:07,040 and then kind of decided that, actually, it was... 1824 01:33:07,040 --> 01:33:09,880 ..it was well worth having a go at as a full-on career. 1825 01:33:12,520 --> 01:33:16,200 So, you can just see the scramble we're about to do, 1826 01:33:16,200 --> 01:33:20,280 just a lighter covered...coloured bit of rock. 1827 01:33:20,280 --> 01:33:23,680 Today, Kirstie not only earns a living in the outdoors, 1828 01:33:23,680 --> 01:33:27,720 but, for the last seven years, she's also been an active member 1829 01:33:27,720 --> 01:33:30,000 of the Oban Mountain Rescue team. 1830 01:33:30,000 --> 01:33:33,280 At first, she was worried if she had the right skills, 1831 01:33:33,280 --> 01:33:37,200 especially as there are fewer women on the teams. 1832 01:33:37,200 --> 01:33:41,040 So, I'd say mountain rescue as a whole is male-dominated. 1833 01:33:42,920 --> 01:33:44,320 We're lucky in Oban. 1834 01:33:44,320 --> 01:33:48,360 We've got a really good representation from women. 1835 01:33:48,360 --> 01:33:50,840 We're about between a quarter and a third women, 1836 01:33:50,840 --> 01:33:53,240 which is really good for a team. 1837 01:33:54,680 --> 01:33:59,640 There's also, certainly in Scotland, next to none from black 1838 01:33:59,640 --> 01:34:01,240 and Asian communities. 1839 01:34:03,320 --> 01:34:07,880 I'm mixed race, my mum's Indian and my dad is British. 1840 01:34:09,200 --> 01:34:12,360 I could count on one hand the people I met that weren't white 1841 01:34:12,360 --> 01:34:15,880 through, like, maybe two or three years of training. 1842 01:34:15,880 --> 01:34:18,320 I could probably still count on one hand up to five years... 1843 01:34:18,320 --> 01:34:19,920 SHE CHUCKLES 1844 01:34:19,920 --> 01:34:21,720 ..of people I met that weren't white. 1845 01:34:23,640 --> 01:34:27,800 Everything in the outdoor space and outdoor industry 1846 01:34:27,800 --> 01:34:31,760 has been designed with generally white men in mind 1847 01:34:31,760 --> 01:34:34,760 because they have been the primary hill-goers. 1848 01:34:38,480 --> 01:34:42,360 Historically, they've had the privileges to be able 1849 01:34:42,360 --> 01:34:44,480 to access those spaces. 1850 01:34:47,480 --> 01:34:50,800 They've had maybe jobs where they have weekends off, 1851 01:34:50,800 --> 01:34:53,320 or they've been able to have vehicles. 1852 01:34:58,640 --> 01:35:03,480 I think the thinking needs to change to tackle the problem as a whole. 1853 01:35:05,280 --> 01:35:07,520 The mountains aren't saying, "Oh, you can't be here." 1854 01:35:07,520 --> 01:35:10,120 There's so much more to it than that. 1855 01:35:13,680 --> 01:35:18,440 There's the Windrush generation, India was a British colony, 1856 01:35:18,440 --> 01:35:22,160 folk were given the opportunity to come over to the UK 1857 01:35:22,160 --> 01:35:26,360 and become a British citizen and get a British passport, and stuff. 1858 01:35:28,280 --> 01:35:31,320 They were coming into a new country, they were trying to integrate 1859 01:35:31,320 --> 01:35:36,720 into a new community, and a new culture, quite often having to work 1860 01:35:36,720 --> 01:35:39,960 several jobs to keep their families going. 1861 01:35:39,960 --> 01:35:41,480 They maybe didn't have vehicles. 1862 01:35:41,480 --> 01:35:45,440 They didn't have expendable cash, where they could get something 1863 01:35:45,440 --> 01:35:48,640 like a waterproof jacket to head into the hills. 1864 01:35:51,520 --> 01:35:56,320 So, I work for a charitable organisation, and we raise funds 1865 01:35:56,320 --> 01:35:59,040 to subsidise outdoor activity courses. 1866 01:36:00,920 --> 01:36:03,400 We subsidise the courses for young people 1867 01:36:03,400 --> 01:36:06,880 coming from slightly more vulnerable or more disadvantaged 1868 01:36:06,880 --> 01:36:10,880 backgrounds, so we work a lot with young carers, 1869 01:36:10,880 --> 01:36:15,800 LGBT Youth Scotland and young people coming from lower income areas, 1870 01:36:15,800 --> 01:36:21,680 or maybe young people who are disengaged with school... 1871 01:36:21,680 --> 01:36:25,800 ..people who are maybe finding it a wee bit difficult 1872 01:36:25,800 --> 01:36:29,200 and getting a way into the outdoors, maybe picking up some new skills, 1873 01:36:29,200 --> 01:36:34,280 learning new activities is a bit of a welcome relief, a bit of a change. 1874 01:36:34,280 --> 01:36:38,400 You know, it might spark a real interest in something new. 1875 01:36:44,160 --> 01:36:46,880 I really love working with these groups. 1876 01:36:46,880 --> 01:36:48,880 I've been able to show people something new, 1877 01:36:48,880 --> 01:36:51,440 something that they've never done, or never seen, 1878 01:36:51,440 --> 01:36:55,520 and just seeing their reactions from that and knowing that, 1879 01:36:55,520 --> 01:36:58,600 you know, for a lot of the young people that we work with, 1880 01:36:58,600 --> 01:37:02,440 they might not have had the opportunity to do that otherwise. 1881 01:37:02,440 --> 01:37:04,880 It's really special to see...see that happening 1882 01:37:04,880 --> 01:37:06,640 with those young people. 1883 01:37:11,960 --> 01:37:15,880 Folk who are, like, new to the outdoors and maybe, you know, 1884 01:37:15,880 --> 01:37:19,720 learning about certain aspects of the outdoors, you know, 1885 01:37:19,720 --> 01:37:23,280 aren't, like, logoed up in outdoor gear, maybe wearing what they would 1886 01:37:23,280 --> 01:37:26,560 around town, can get judged by people who've been in the outdoors 1887 01:37:26,560 --> 01:37:29,440 for a long time, which, again, makes it feel unwelcoming. 1888 01:37:30,920 --> 01:37:34,360 It takes a long time for those things to change. 1889 01:37:36,360 --> 01:37:39,200 Uh! Made it to the top! 1890 01:37:39,200 --> 01:37:43,160 Even though we had a bit of an unusual and damp forecast, 1891 01:37:43,160 --> 01:37:46,360 we've still managed to get an atmospheric view. 1892 01:37:46,360 --> 01:37:51,640 So, sometimes it's just as nice to come out when it's a bit wet. 1893 01:37:51,640 --> 01:37:56,200 It's such an incredible experience that it just doesn't make sense 1894 01:37:56,200 --> 01:37:58,520 that people don't have those opportunities, like, 1895 01:37:58,520 --> 01:38:02,320 why wouldn't we want to share these spaces? 1896 01:38:02,320 --> 01:38:05,800 It has such an impact on everybody who spends time in the outdoors. 1897 01:38:05,800 --> 01:38:08,880 So, it should be as accessible for everyone. 1898 01:38:12,520 --> 01:38:13,800 So, that was Kirsty, 1899 01:38:13,800 --> 01:38:16,960 just one of us opening up the outdoors for everyone. 1900 01:38:16,960 --> 01:38:20,440 Look at those outdoors behind us. Absolutely fantastic, isn't it? 1901 01:38:20,440 --> 01:38:22,320 It's just breathtaking. 1902 01:38:22,320 --> 01:38:23,800 It's absolutely amazing. 1903 01:38:23,800 --> 01:38:26,080 And that's why people are saying this is one of the best 1904 01:38:26,080 --> 01:38:28,040 winters for years. 1905 01:38:28,040 --> 01:38:30,240 So, let's get back to the white stuff, shall we? 1906 01:38:30,240 --> 01:38:33,200 Earlier in the programme, I was put through my paces trying to ski 1907 01:38:33,200 --> 01:38:35,360 in some ungroomed pistes. 1908 01:38:35,360 --> 01:38:37,280 Now it's Patrick's turn. 1909 01:38:37,280 --> 01:38:40,320 And, Lauren, you were his teacher! SHE CHUCKLES 1910 01:38:40,320 --> 01:38:44,040 Yes, I was, and, you know, like, snowboarding is...was my kind of 1911 01:38:44,040 --> 01:38:46,800 gateway sport, and I love it, but Patrick wasn't too sure because 1912 01:38:46,800 --> 01:38:48,680 he hadn't been on a snowboard for 35 years, 1913 01:38:48,680 --> 01:38:50,920 and, to be honest, both of us were a bit nervous because 1914 01:38:50,920 --> 01:38:53,520 I hadn't taught a snowboard lesson in about six or seven years, 1915 01:38:53,520 --> 01:38:55,200 and it was my first day on snow. 1916 01:38:55,200 --> 01:38:57,440 But we thought, "You know what? Let's just go for it!" 1917 01:38:57,440 --> 01:38:59,120 A couple of mates, get out there and do it, 1918 01:38:59,120 --> 01:39:00,760 because that's what it's all about. 1919 01:39:00,760 --> 01:39:03,000 I can't wait to see it, and little point of order, 1920 01:39:03,000 --> 01:39:07,000 this was filmed while the lift was still open for business. 1921 01:39:07,000 --> 01:39:08,560 Yeah, that's right, Dougie. 1922 01:39:08,560 --> 01:39:11,280 I'm at the Lecht Ski Centre, which is currently open. 1923 01:39:11,280 --> 01:39:13,760 Beautiful conditions, but I'm a bit apprehensive. 1924 01:39:13,760 --> 01:39:16,640 I'm about to take on something I haven't done for many, many years. 1925 01:39:16,640 --> 01:39:18,960 I have no gear, I have no idea, 1926 01:39:18,960 --> 01:39:22,560 so the first thing to do is go and get kitted out. 1927 01:39:26,600 --> 01:39:31,280 So, that's me, kitted out, boots, board and the all-important lid. 1928 01:39:31,280 --> 01:39:33,760 Now, I did one day of this 35 years ago. 1929 01:39:33,760 --> 01:39:35,840 I can still remember the laughter 1930 01:39:35,840 --> 01:39:37,640 and I can definitely remember the bruises. 1931 01:39:37,640 --> 01:39:39,800 But, luckily, Lauren's on-hand. 1932 01:39:39,800 --> 01:39:42,720 She's a bit of a snowboard expert and she's going to put me 1933 01:39:42,720 --> 01:39:45,960 through my paces, and hopefully keep me in one piece. 1934 01:39:45,960 --> 01:39:48,400 Patrick, good to see you again. 1935 01:39:48,400 --> 01:39:49,840 How are you? It's so good. 1936 01:39:49,840 --> 01:39:51,360 You...you nervous? 1937 01:39:51,360 --> 01:39:54,720 I'm really nervous, but I always get nervous with new things. 1938 01:39:54,720 --> 01:39:57,560 Yeah. I'm trying to get my head around this business 1939 01:39:57,560 --> 01:40:00,080 of going sideways, not going forwards. Yeah. 1940 01:40:00,080 --> 01:40:03,040 And you're going to have to teach me from scratch. 1941 01:40:03,040 --> 01:40:04,840 It's going to be fine. The snow is great. 1942 01:40:04,840 --> 01:40:08,000 There was a snow fall last night. It's about minus two, minus three, 1943 01:40:08,000 --> 01:40:11,360 so it's given us that nice grippy snow, which is great for beginners, 1944 01:40:11,360 --> 01:40:13,160 and we're going to have a pretty good day. 1945 01:40:13,160 --> 01:40:15,320 Off-piste videos by the end of the day? Well... 1946 01:40:15,320 --> 01:40:18,240 HE CHUCKLES ..you called it. We'll see. 1947 01:40:18,240 --> 01:40:19,280 BOTH: Let's go. 1948 01:40:21,120 --> 01:40:24,040 The trick is to not start too big. Yeah. I can go with that. 1949 01:40:24,040 --> 01:40:26,640 And then we're going to do something what you call falling leaf. 1950 01:40:26,640 --> 01:40:29,160 So, if you go for a snowboard lesson, it's probably one of the 1951 01:40:29,160 --> 01:40:30,960 first things that the instructor will do. 1952 01:40:30,960 --> 01:40:33,920 OK. So, we're going to turn our board around, 1953 01:40:33,920 --> 01:40:36,520 and I tend to just dig...dig it in a little bit, 1954 01:40:36,520 --> 01:40:38,960 just to kind of give me something to rest on. 1955 01:40:38,960 --> 01:40:41,520 Yeah. And it's probably actually easier if we sit down 1956 01:40:41,520 --> 01:40:43,720 and get your back foot binded in. 1957 01:40:43,720 --> 01:40:46,640 We'll start with our two feet, and just... 1958 01:40:46,640 --> 01:40:48,800 Woo! We're there. We're there! 1959 01:40:48,800 --> 01:40:51,040 Oh, Jesus. You'll be fine. We've got this. Right, OK. 1960 01:40:51,040 --> 01:40:53,040 We're going to start really, really slow. Yeah. 1961 01:40:53,040 --> 01:40:56,240 So, we're going to work on our heel side, and we're going to shift 1962 01:40:56,240 --> 01:40:59,040 our weight from out front to our back foot. 1963 01:40:59,040 --> 01:41:02,440 Come on, come on, come on. 1964 01:41:02,440 --> 01:41:04,560 First... 1965 01:41:04,560 --> 01:41:06,400 That's it! 1966 01:41:06,400 --> 01:41:09,480 Oh! If I want to go right, I'm going to look and lean, put my weight 1967 01:41:09,480 --> 01:41:11,880 over my right foot. Yeah. If I want to go left, I want to look 1968 01:41:11,880 --> 01:41:14,320 and put weight over my left foot. OK. 1969 01:41:14,320 --> 01:41:16,080 Not sure I'd be where you guys are. 1970 01:41:17,360 --> 01:41:20,720 OK, this is actually a bit mellow. 1971 01:41:20,720 --> 01:41:22,480 It's actually quite hard. 1972 01:41:22,480 --> 01:41:25,200 So, I need a slightly steeper... Yeah. 1973 01:41:25,200 --> 01:41:27,880 Like, on the snow, on your heel edge... Yes. 1974 01:41:27,880 --> 01:41:31,080 ..you want to be kind of, like, going from left to right, 1975 01:41:31,080 --> 01:41:33,640 but on your heel edge. So, you don't want your board pointing 1976 01:41:33,640 --> 01:41:35,880 down the hill. You want your board to kind of be, like, 1977 01:41:35,880 --> 01:41:38,240 90 degrees at all times. Yeah. OK. Yeah. 1978 01:41:38,240 --> 01:41:39,960 How did that feel, Patrick? 1979 01:41:39,960 --> 01:41:42,880 It works one way, but not the other. THEY CHUCKLE 1980 01:41:42,880 --> 01:41:45,640 So, I'm OK if we just go round and round the same hill. 1981 01:41:45,640 --> 01:41:49,200 Yeah. We've kind of got to feel our board a bit. 1982 01:41:49,200 --> 01:41:52,080 I think we should head over to the poma and try and tackle that. 1983 01:41:52,080 --> 01:41:53,240 Suits me. 1984 01:41:56,240 --> 01:41:58,520 Whoa! 1985 01:41:58,520 --> 01:42:00,240 We're on! 1986 01:42:03,840 --> 01:42:06,360 We've done our falling leaf, now we're going to turn 1987 01:42:06,360 --> 01:42:08,320 that into linking the turns together. 1988 01:42:08,320 --> 01:42:11,440 And then we've just got to remember, when we're going across 1989 01:42:11,440 --> 01:42:13,040 the fall line, nice, bent knees 1990 01:42:13,040 --> 01:42:14,800 and then we're coming up to turn, 1991 01:42:14,800 --> 01:42:17,520 we're taking the pressure off, standing up. 1992 01:42:17,520 --> 01:42:20,120 And then it's head, shoulders, knees, toes. 1993 01:42:20,120 --> 01:42:21,960 And it will all come round. 1994 01:42:21,960 --> 01:42:24,000 And just don't freak out, cos it will come round. 1995 01:42:24,000 --> 01:42:25,560 It sounds so easy. OK. 1996 01:42:25,560 --> 01:42:27,040 Down the fall line. 1997 01:42:27,040 --> 01:42:28,520 Squish, squish, squish. 1998 01:42:28,520 --> 01:42:29,680 Up. 1999 01:42:31,200 --> 01:42:32,520 Nice, bent knees. 2000 01:42:36,760 --> 01:42:38,120 Whoo! 2001 01:42:38,120 --> 01:42:40,760 That's it, slow it down a little bit. 2002 01:42:43,480 --> 01:42:45,320 That was the one they were after! 2003 01:42:46,960 --> 01:42:48,240 Right, you're fine. 2004 01:42:48,240 --> 01:42:51,000 So, let's just slow it down slightly. 2005 01:42:51,000 --> 01:42:53,280 A little bit more controlled... Yeah. 2006 01:42:53,280 --> 01:42:56,160 ..because it gets a bit rushed and a bit all over the place. 2007 01:42:56,160 --> 01:42:57,920 Squish it down. 2008 01:42:57,920 --> 01:42:58,960 Up. 2009 01:42:59,960 --> 01:43:02,360 That's it. Now, sit back down. 2010 01:43:02,360 --> 01:43:04,040 Yes! 2011 01:43:04,040 --> 01:43:05,440 Whoo-hoo! 2012 01:43:12,640 --> 01:43:15,400 You're doing amazing, well done. We're getting there. 2013 01:43:16,520 --> 01:43:20,200 That's it, really squish those knees to stop. 2014 01:43:20,200 --> 01:43:21,680 Five turns. 2015 01:43:21,680 --> 01:43:23,200 Well, I'm in one piece. 2016 01:43:23,200 --> 01:43:25,880 I've got a river of sweat running down between my shoulder blades, 2017 01:43:25,880 --> 01:43:29,200 so I'm probably needing a break, but it's good. 2018 01:43:29,200 --> 01:43:32,040 Let's go get a coffee and save our energy for the afternoon. 2019 01:43:32,040 --> 01:43:34,640 Yeah, look forward to it. 2020 01:43:34,640 --> 01:43:37,720 So, Lauren, what got you into snowboarding as opposed to skiing 2021 01:43:37,720 --> 01:43:39,840 or any other sort of snow sport? 2022 01:43:39,840 --> 01:43:43,480 So, I didn't actually start snowboarding till I was around 2023 01:43:43,480 --> 01:43:46,520 19 or 20, but it was actually a bunch of guys, 2024 01:43:46,520 --> 01:43:49,480 I used to work at the climbing wall and skate park in Aberdeen 2025 01:43:49,480 --> 01:43:51,000 and they said, "Come along with us." 2026 01:43:51,000 --> 01:43:52,920 And I think that's how most people start, 2027 01:43:52,920 --> 01:43:54,640 you just kind of get dragged along. 2028 01:43:54,640 --> 01:43:57,720 And I just picked up just second-hand bits of kit 2029 01:43:57,720 --> 01:43:59,680 here and there, you're not having to go out 2030 01:43:59,680 --> 01:44:02,320 and buy the best of the kit all the time. 2031 01:44:02,320 --> 01:44:06,160 Free sports had always captured my imagination - 2032 01:44:06,160 --> 01:44:09,480 surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding. 2033 01:44:09,480 --> 01:44:11,520 And I just always watched, 2034 01:44:11,520 --> 01:44:14,760 especially the women's snowboard films, 2035 01:44:14,760 --> 01:44:17,480 how they just looked like they were having so much fun. 2036 01:44:17,480 --> 01:44:19,880 And I just thought, you know, "I'm going to have to get a piece 2037 01:44:19,880 --> 01:44:22,400 "of that, I think." Yeah, you watch enough of those videos 2038 01:44:22,400 --> 01:44:24,600 and you start to think you can do it yourself. 2039 01:44:24,600 --> 01:44:28,560 After this morning, I realise it's quite a long way off. 2040 01:44:28,560 --> 01:44:31,520 Now, I have to admit that, decades ago, I raced at the Olympics, 2041 01:44:31,520 --> 01:44:33,560 but that was on cross-country skis. 2042 01:44:33,560 --> 01:44:36,240 Most of the training was done in the Scandinavian mountains, 2043 01:44:36,240 --> 01:44:39,120 a million miles from lifts and queues. 2044 01:44:39,120 --> 01:44:41,320 To be honest, that's where my heart is 2045 01:44:41,320 --> 01:44:44,280 and Lauren's promised to give me a taste of what can be done 2046 01:44:44,280 --> 01:44:45,800 on a splitboard. 2047 01:44:45,800 --> 01:44:47,200 Here we go. 2048 01:44:47,200 --> 01:44:50,080 So, the first thing I do is I take my bindings off, 2049 01:44:50,080 --> 01:44:52,280 so I pull up forward 2050 01:44:52,280 --> 01:44:55,320 and it should just slide off. 2051 01:44:55,320 --> 01:44:57,360 We start with what you call your nose clip... 2052 01:44:58,720 --> 01:45:01,200 ..and then tail clip. 2053 01:45:01,200 --> 01:45:02,680 Hold that. 2054 01:45:02,680 --> 01:45:04,480 Then just flick that out of the way. 2055 01:45:05,480 --> 01:45:08,440 And then... OK, so when you're putting your skins on, 2056 01:45:08,440 --> 01:45:11,600 your board actually goes on the opposite foot. 2057 01:45:11,600 --> 01:45:14,240 So what I usually do is I just flip them over, 2058 01:45:14,240 --> 01:45:15,720 like this, 2059 01:45:15,720 --> 01:45:17,080 and then I get my skins out. 2060 01:45:18,640 --> 01:45:21,240 What's the most common mistake, putting these things on? 2061 01:45:21,240 --> 01:45:24,160 If you can imagine, if you're on top of a mountain, it's really windy, 2062 01:45:24,160 --> 01:45:26,480 people are rushing to get them on. 2063 01:45:26,480 --> 01:45:30,120 And the most common mistake is people put them on the wrong way 2064 01:45:30,120 --> 01:45:32,320 cos there's one direction to these skins, you see? 2065 01:45:32,320 --> 01:45:35,440 Now for the bindings. Yeah. 2066 01:45:35,440 --> 01:45:37,320 Is there a right and left? 2067 01:45:37,320 --> 01:45:40,200 Yes. Yeah. So, you want your buckles to be on the outside. 2068 01:45:40,200 --> 01:45:42,600 That's it. That's done. 2069 01:45:42,600 --> 01:45:46,240 I think I'll ski down with them like this as well. 2070 01:45:46,240 --> 01:45:48,440 Might be better. 2071 01:45:48,440 --> 01:45:51,360 All right. You know how to tour. We should be OK with this. 2072 01:45:51,360 --> 01:45:52,800 So you should be OK with this. 2073 01:45:57,240 --> 01:46:00,600 Now, Lauren, it doesn't matter where you are in the world, the snow 2074 01:46:00,600 --> 01:46:06,120 looks the same, beautifully white, but every country has its own 2075 01:46:06,120 --> 01:46:09,280 nature and Scotland's very specific in the hills. 2076 01:46:09,280 --> 01:46:10,760 The hills are so accessible, 2077 01:46:10,760 --> 01:46:13,480 but they're no less dangerous than anywhere else. 2078 01:46:13,480 --> 01:46:15,680 Yeah, I mean, you've got the Alps, you get that 2079 01:46:15,680 --> 01:46:18,560 more traditional pointy peak, 2080 01:46:18,560 --> 01:46:20,840 but the Scottish hills are not to be underestimated. 2081 01:46:20,840 --> 01:46:23,640 You can get in a lot of trouble very quickly 2082 01:46:23,640 --> 01:46:25,720 and it's also the changing variations. 2083 01:46:25,720 --> 01:46:27,920 You know, this is an Arctic landscape, 2084 01:46:27,920 --> 01:46:32,240 so you get sheet ice, you get poor visibility, buffeting wind, 2085 01:46:32,240 --> 01:46:34,240 and it can change very quickly. 2086 01:46:34,240 --> 01:46:35,880 So, you might leave the car park, 2087 01:46:35,880 --> 01:46:38,560 it might be a beautiful day, and then it'll just change 2088 01:46:38,560 --> 01:46:40,000 and it can catch you out. 2089 01:46:40,000 --> 01:46:43,200 And if you don't have the skill set, that mountaineering skill set, 2090 01:46:43,200 --> 01:46:47,400 you're in risk of putting yourself and your friends in a lot of danger. 2091 01:46:49,880 --> 01:46:51,520 Amazing. 2092 01:46:51,520 --> 01:46:52,920 We've got to the top and then 2093 01:46:52,920 --> 01:46:54,880 I guess we'll just put our board together. 2094 01:46:54,880 --> 01:46:55,960 Bindings off. 2095 01:46:57,160 --> 01:46:58,480 Peel it off. 2096 01:47:00,160 --> 01:47:03,920 And stick your skin saver on 2097 01:47:03,920 --> 01:47:05,320 as you're going. 2098 01:47:07,040 --> 01:47:08,440 OK, you ready? 2099 01:47:10,040 --> 01:47:11,960 Ready? 2100 01:47:11,960 --> 01:47:14,080 You away? I'm away. 2101 01:47:15,400 --> 01:47:17,120 SHE LAUGHS 2102 01:47:18,320 --> 01:47:19,840 Oh, yeah. 2103 01:47:19,840 --> 01:47:22,880 When you're going well, when everything seems easy, 2104 01:47:22,880 --> 01:47:25,160 I was just wondering what you actually feel when 2105 01:47:25,160 --> 01:47:27,640 you're flowing nicely on the board. 2106 01:47:27,640 --> 01:47:31,240 For me, that feeling of locking in a turn, 2107 01:47:31,240 --> 01:47:34,440 and it's just that amazing feeling of just fun. 2108 01:47:36,320 --> 01:47:38,080 You're floating and you're carving. 2109 01:47:38,080 --> 01:47:41,080 And I think, you know, that's when I know it's going well 2110 01:47:41,080 --> 01:47:43,280 because it's just kind of effortless 2111 01:47:43,280 --> 01:47:46,160 and it's almost like you're not even trying. 2112 01:47:47,200 --> 01:47:49,160 Yeah, Patrick! 2113 01:47:49,160 --> 01:47:51,440 If you're relaxed, one, it feels good, 2114 01:47:51,440 --> 01:47:52,720 and, two, it looks good. 2115 01:47:52,720 --> 01:47:54,600 But when you're learning a new sport, 2116 01:47:54,600 --> 01:47:56,880 the first thing you do is tense up. 2117 01:47:56,880 --> 01:47:59,760 Maybe it's just hours and hours and hours. It's just practise. 2118 01:47:59,760 --> 01:48:02,960 And I think the other thing is not being too hard on yourself. 2119 01:48:02,960 --> 01:48:06,120 We have this expectation in society 2120 01:48:06,120 --> 01:48:08,680 that we have to be amazing at it straight away and it's not 2121 01:48:08,680 --> 01:48:09,960 going to happen overnight. 2122 01:48:09,960 --> 01:48:11,800 But that's what makes it rewarding 2123 01:48:11,800 --> 01:48:13,760 and that makes it fun, that journey. 2124 01:48:13,760 --> 01:48:17,840 And the learning process is so rewarding. 2125 01:48:17,840 --> 01:48:20,080 It doesn't have to be a sport, it can be anything. 2126 01:48:20,080 --> 01:48:23,680 But when you start, every ten minutes, you notice the difference. 2127 01:48:23,680 --> 01:48:25,120 This is such fun. 2128 01:48:26,280 --> 01:48:27,800 We got carried away. 2129 01:48:29,320 --> 01:48:30,640 That was perfect. 2130 01:48:32,480 --> 01:48:34,120 I really like the splitboard idea. 2131 01:48:34,120 --> 01:48:39,040 I'm not one for the pistes but I love getting out the back 2132 01:48:39,040 --> 01:48:42,440 and, even if it's a small hill round the back of the house, 2133 01:48:42,440 --> 01:48:45,480 it's just a fantastic way to spend the day. 2134 01:48:45,480 --> 01:48:47,040 Ooh, la-la-la. 2135 01:48:48,440 --> 01:48:49,720 Woohoo! 2136 01:48:51,000 --> 01:48:55,040 Everything that I did for cross-country I tend to apply 2137 01:48:55,040 --> 01:48:58,680 to every sport, which is ridiculous, but you still want to get better 2138 01:48:58,680 --> 01:49:01,080 and you want to be faster and you want to go higher. 2139 01:49:03,720 --> 01:49:08,040 It's crazy but, you know, that's what motivates us. 2140 01:49:08,040 --> 01:49:09,440 Good old... 2141 01:49:10,960 --> 01:49:13,360 Wouldn't be a day without some ice. 2142 01:49:13,360 --> 01:49:15,440 Whoa! Yes, Patrick! Well done. 2143 01:49:17,400 --> 01:49:21,000 Had I seen how steep it was, I wouldn't have come it. 2144 01:49:21,000 --> 01:49:24,880 Your first day on a snowboard in 30, 35 years? 2145 01:49:24,880 --> 01:49:26,760 Will you be back for more? I think so. 2146 01:49:26,760 --> 01:49:29,120 I'm slightly surprised I've still got all my limbs 2147 01:49:29,120 --> 01:49:30,680 and my shoulders aren't hurting 2148 01:49:30,680 --> 01:49:33,480 because I do remember, from last time, I was sore for a week. 2149 01:49:33,480 --> 01:49:34,800 You did really well 2150 01:49:34,800 --> 01:49:37,440 because there were some really icy patches in there. 2151 01:49:37,440 --> 01:49:40,720 Hopefully, we'll have another day together soon. 2152 01:49:40,720 --> 01:49:43,280 DOUGIE: Well, what a winter it's been. 2153 01:49:43,280 --> 01:49:46,600 Scotland's never looked better, but don't forget to follow 2154 01:49:46,600 --> 01:49:50,800 all the regulations before you head out to the hills. 2155 01:49:50,800 --> 01:49:54,200 The latest information can be found at the Scottish Government website 2156 01:49:54,200 --> 01:49:56,760 and, as it specifically relates to outdoor activity, 2157 01:49:56,760 --> 01:49:59,760 at Mountaineering Scotland. 2158 01:49:59,760 --> 01:50:02,440 And although this winter has been quite exceptional, 2159 01:50:02,440 --> 01:50:06,520 there's good backcountry skiing to be found almost every year. 2160 01:50:06,520 --> 01:50:10,680 And to prove that point, here's our final foray into the mountains, 2161 01:50:10,680 --> 01:50:14,520 with two of our backcountry experts, off-piste guidebook writer 2162 01:50:14,520 --> 01:50:17,880 Kenny Biggin, from Spean Bridge, just outside Fort William, 2163 01:50:17,880 --> 01:50:20,960 and ski coach Rob Kingsland, from Glencoe. 2164 01:50:20,960 --> 01:50:22,440 Prepare to be amazed. 2165 01:50:27,240 --> 01:50:30,760 And once you've made the effort, Scottish backcountry skiing 2166 01:50:30,760 --> 01:50:33,600 delivers a special experience. 2167 01:50:33,600 --> 01:50:36,640 I always think of Scotland as having, in many ways, 2168 01:50:36,640 --> 01:50:40,640 a lot more character than the Alps, in terms of the culture 2169 01:50:40,640 --> 01:50:44,080 and the environment, the geology of the mountains. 2170 01:50:44,080 --> 01:50:46,560 It's so variable, from the west coast, 2171 01:50:46,560 --> 01:50:49,000 we're here, below Ben Nevis right now, 2172 01:50:49,000 --> 01:50:52,000 with these steep, towering peaks going down to the sea. 2173 01:50:52,000 --> 01:50:55,520 Whereas, if we drive an hour, an hour and a half, you're into these 2174 01:50:55,520 --> 01:51:00,160 rolling plateau mountains, with these deep corries. 2175 01:51:00,160 --> 01:51:02,480 I think the nature of skiing in Scotland 2176 01:51:02,480 --> 01:51:07,720 does lead to a stronger community 2177 01:51:07,720 --> 01:51:10,120 of backcountry skiers. 2178 01:51:10,120 --> 01:51:14,040 I think perhaps, because of the difficult conditions 2179 01:51:14,040 --> 01:51:19,400 in Scotland, it almost distils the essence of skiing, 2180 01:51:19,400 --> 01:51:22,880 so that, when people do get a good day, it's more special. 2181 01:51:26,760 --> 01:51:30,880 Growing up, it was all about the skiing. All you wanted to do 2182 01:51:30,880 --> 01:51:34,240 was hit the lift, ski from start to finish of the day, 2183 01:51:34,240 --> 01:51:37,240 ski as much as possible, find all the biggest jumps 2184 01:51:37,240 --> 01:51:39,440 and all the fun features on the hill. 2185 01:51:39,440 --> 01:51:42,800 I guess, once you've started to explore beyond that 2186 01:51:42,800 --> 01:51:47,120 and you realise that what you really want to do is ski 2187 01:51:47,120 --> 01:51:49,480 maybe one really good run. 2188 01:51:49,480 --> 01:51:52,360 And sometimes you're waiting a whole year for that, 2189 01:51:52,360 --> 01:51:54,760 sometimes you'll never even get in the winter. 2190 01:51:54,760 --> 01:51:57,960 So, you're really looking at some of the best runs 2191 01:51:57,960 --> 01:52:00,280 that you're ever doing might be almost 2192 01:52:00,280 --> 01:52:02,720 a once-in-a-lifetime run that you're doing, 2193 01:52:02,720 --> 01:52:05,960 which really is quite exciting. 2194 01:52:05,960 --> 01:52:09,880 Scottish backcountry skiing is more popular than ever, 2195 01:52:09,880 --> 01:52:11,640 but it isn't new. 2196 01:52:11,640 --> 01:52:15,080 It goes right back to the start of the sport. 2197 01:52:15,080 --> 01:52:19,040 The roots of backcountry skiing go way back to before there were 2198 01:52:19,040 --> 01:52:24,000 any lifts in Scotland, when people first got their hands on skis 2199 01:52:24,000 --> 01:52:26,760 and basically went hill walking with them up 2200 01:52:26,760 --> 01:52:28,840 to the top of the hill, skied down. 2201 01:52:28,840 --> 01:52:31,560 And then, when the lifts got built, 2202 01:52:31,560 --> 01:52:36,160 I think certainly a lot of skiers basically just stuck to the lifts 2203 01:52:36,160 --> 01:52:39,320 and almost stopped going up hills with skis. 2204 01:52:40,800 --> 01:52:45,360 But then, I think more recently, there's been a real resurgence, 2205 01:52:45,360 --> 01:52:50,520 partly fuelled by social media, partly fuelled by improvements 2206 01:52:50,520 --> 01:52:52,920 in ski touring equipment - light skis, 2207 01:52:52,920 --> 01:52:56,240 light touring bindings, light boots. 2208 01:52:56,240 --> 01:52:59,960 And I think these things have all contributed to a real growth 2209 01:52:59,960 --> 01:53:01,680 in backcountry skiing. 2210 01:53:04,280 --> 01:53:08,680 I think, all through the period where people were skiing 2211 01:53:08,680 --> 01:53:10,560 on the lifts more and more and more, 2212 01:53:10,560 --> 01:53:14,200 there were still the enthusiasts and the guides and the instructors 2213 01:53:14,200 --> 01:53:18,520 who were still going out there and just hiking up beyond the lifts. 2214 01:53:18,520 --> 01:53:20,800 So, I don't think it's anything new. 2215 01:53:20,800 --> 01:53:24,880 And certainly skiing steeper gullies and the more consequential 2216 01:53:24,880 --> 01:53:27,560 lines or the more exciting lines isn't anything new, 2217 01:53:27,560 --> 01:53:30,680 that's been happening since day one, really, 2218 01:53:30,680 --> 01:53:34,160 it's just a different sliding scale of how someone 2219 01:53:34,160 --> 01:53:37,560 perceives it as being steep or challenging or extreme. 2220 01:53:37,560 --> 01:53:40,200 So, there's not really anything new there, I'd say, 2221 01:53:40,200 --> 01:53:44,640 but the prevalence has now shot up through the roof. 2222 01:53:44,640 --> 01:53:48,120 There's more backcountry skiing than you might think, with many 2223 01:53:48,120 --> 01:53:50,520 new lines still to be discovered. 2224 01:53:50,520 --> 01:53:54,320 And for the Scottish backcountry community, finding, planning 2225 01:53:54,320 --> 01:53:58,280 and attempting these lines is a major part of the attraction. 2226 01:53:58,280 --> 01:54:01,680 I think, if there's a particular objective, 2227 01:54:01,680 --> 01:54:05,840 a gully or a couloir that we've wanted to ski for a long time, 2228 01:54:05,840 --> 01:54:09,040 it can be a real art, getting the right conditions for that. 2229 01:54:09,040 --> 01:54:11,120 You've got to have exactly the right weather, 2230 01:54:11,120 --> 01:54:13,280 you've got to have the right snow there, 2231 01:54:13,280 --> 01:54:16,400 you've got to have safe avalanche conditions. 2232 01:54:16,400 --> 01:54:19,640 So, getting all these things to line up perfectly 2233 01:54:19,640 --> 01:54:21,040 can be really challenging 2234 01:54:21,040 --> 01:54:24,800 and it's exactly why some of the harder ski routes, 2235 01:54:24,800 --> 01:54:29,560 some of the steeper couloirs, may have only been skied 2236 01:54:29,560 --> 01:54:33,640 a small handful of times, only once or twice, in some cases. 2237 01:54:36,960 --> 01:54:38,880 CHUCKLING: Skiing in Scotland! 2238 01:54:41,560 --> 01:54:45,320 The process of choosing where to go, I really enjoy it, 2239 01:54:45,320 --> 01:54:48,920 it's a very creative process and it really consumes me 2240 01:54:48,920 --> 01:54:50,960 when I get an idea into my head. 2241 01:54:50,960 --> 01:54:54,760 I'm looking through maps and looking through pictures, blogs. 2242 01:54:54,760 --> 01:54:56,600 I'm always looking for an aesthetic line, 2243 01:54:56,600 --> 01:54:58,680 so I don't really mind how steep it is. 2244 01:54:58,680 --> 01:55:00,920 I'm not looking for the steepest or the longest 2245 01:55:00,920 --> 01:55:04,520 or anything like that, I'm looking for something that's fun to ski, 2246 01:55:04,520 --> 01:55:07,560 so maybe something that comes right from the summit 2247 01:55:07,560 --> 01:55:10,880 all the way down into the corrie is a really nice line to ski, 2248 01:55:10,880 --> 01:55:13,720 or something that's bordered with big granite walls 2249 01:55:13,720 --> 01:55:18,120 or big stone walls, where you're really tucked inside the mountain. 2250 01:55:18,120 --> 01:55:21,120 Sometimes you might figure out that if you hop on a bike, 2251 01:55:21,120 --> 01:55:22,800 you can do it in a day. 2252 01:55:22,800 --> 01:55:25,840 Other times, you might be looking for this sense 2253 01:55:25,840 --> 01:55:27,240 of expedition and excitement. 2254 01:55:27,240 --> 01:55:29,480 So you're like, right, let's take a tent, 2255 01:55:29,480 --> 01:55:32,360 let's get all our food together, get the supplies, 2256 01:55:32,360 --> 01:55:35,840 get the friends together, head up there, set up camp, 2257 01:55:35,840 --> 01:55:39,640 get a really good atmosphere, little homely feel in your tent. 2258 01:55:39,640 --> 01:55:42,080 And then you can go off there and you can ski the line 2259 01:55:42,080 --> 01:55:45,320 that you wanted to ski and then you can have a nice evening, 2260 01:55:45,320 --> 01:55:48,760 have a nice meal, and then the next day, you can go and ski 2261 01:55:48,760 --> 01:55:50,440 two or three more lines. 2262 01:55:54,080 --> 01:55:58,320 When you do finally get that perfect day, that perfect moment at the top 2263 01:55:58,320 --> 01:56:02,240 of a line you've maybe wanted to ski for a long time, 2264 01:56:02,240 --> 01:56:06,920 yeah, hopping off a cornice into a gully, turning your way 2265 01:56:06,920 --> 01:56:10,360 down it, hiding under a rocky buttress and waiting 2266 01:56:10,360 --> 01:56:12,960 for your friend to join you, 2267 01:56:12,960 --> 01:56:14,840 I think that's hard to beat. 2268 01:56:17,840 --> 01:56:20,400 That was truly inspirational. 2269 01:56:20,400 --> 01:56:22,840 I really wish I could ski half as well as that, 2270 01:56:22,840 --> 01:56:24,880 but I guess that's not really the point. 2271 01:56:24,880 --> 01:56:27,800 It doesn't matter what age you are, where you live, 2272 01:56:27,800 --> 01:56:31,320 what your ability is, you can still have a fantastic adventure. 2273 01:56:31,320 --> 01:56:34,680 Thanks for watching. Please do stay safe and we'll leave you 2274 01:56:34,680 --> 01:56:37,800 with some highlights, both on and off the snow. 2275 01:56:37,800 --> 01:56:38,800 Bye for now. 2276 01:56:41,560 --> 01:56:43,080 Beautiful! 2277 01:56:43,080 --> 01:56:44,840 Really, really, really good. 2278 01:56:55,400 --> 01:56:57,200 Whoa! 2279 01:56:57,200 --> 01:56:58,280 Ha! 2280 01:56:59,800 --> 01:57:01,840 Snowplough to stop. 2281 01:57:01,840 --> 01:57:03,000 Whoa... 2282 01:57:03,000 --> 01:57:04,760 Snowplough to stop. Ooh, dear! 2283 01:57:06,840 --> 01:57:09,800 You don't really get anywhere quite like this anywhere else. 2284 01:57:09,800 --> 01:57:14,000 up on the Cairngorm plateau, miles of snow and things. 2285 01:57:14,000 --> 01:57:16,520 Scottish hills in winter are pretty special. 2286 01:57:16,520 --> 01:57:20,120 Whoa! Yes, Patrick! Well done. 2287 01:57:20,120 --> 01:57:23,760 Had I seen how steep it was, I wouldn't have come down it. 2288 01:57:27,840 --> 01:57:31,440 That is like the best thing I've ever skied in my life! 195450

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