Glasgow University Exploration Society

Skálanes Nature and Heritage Centre, a remote scientific research station located on a peninsula on the East Coast of Iceland, is situated in a 1250-hectare nature reserve, surrounded by rocky cliffs and steep mountains covered in rushing waterfalls. The reserve sits at the mouth of a vast fjord, which stretches out endlessly to what feels like the edge of the world, and its deep blue and green tones are highlighted by the endless purple fields of Alaskan lupine. Its secluded location, completely isolated from the noise pollution of our home city of Glasgow, would make it almost completely silent; if not for the constant sounds, screeches, cries and wing beats of the 47 bird species supported by this habitat. Under the continuous daylight and midnight sun of Icelandic summer , this beautiful and practically pristine environment is what we were lucky enough to experience every day as part of the University of Glasgow Iceland Expedition 2021.

Under the banner of our university’s Exploration Society, we lived and worked at Skálanes for 6 weeks throughout June – July 2021. Our self-organised team is made up of 6 undergraduate students of different disciplines: Avery, Lotta and Abi from Zoology; Clara from Genetics; Bethan from Physics; and myself (Emma) from Environmental Science. Despite coming from different fields of study, we were united by our interest in the outdoors, and in exploring and studying sub-arctic environments and the species within them. These species are fragile and highly vulnerable to environmental changes, and we designed our own research projects that focussed on monitoring the health of the local populations.

Full report can be found here.

Iceland was the perfect destination for our expedition, and the East Coast in particular ideal place for us to combine our research goals with our desire for adventure, to explore, and to learn about the culture and heritage of the country from the perspectives of the different people we met along the way. Through conducting our own research projects, we were able to develop our fieldwork and data analysis skills and learned many valuable lessons about the unpredictability of fieldwork, particularly in such a wild and unpredictable climate such as in Iceland, and how important it is to be able to adapt: the only certainty is that nothing will go according to plan! The expedition allowed us to develop a multitude of transferable skills which will be invaluable to us in presenting ourselves as strong, experienced candidates for research opportunities, employment, and hopefully for other exciting expeditions in the future. Our research will also be published on the International Network for Terrestrial Research and Monitoring in the Arctic, and so we hope that the projects we did here will aid in the conservation and future management of these species in Iceland and wider sub-arctic areas.

It is strange to look back on the days when our team were strangers; our expedition was such an incredible and inspiring experience for us all, through which we have bonded as scientific colleagues, team-mates, and most as importantly friends for life. We are so grateful to the Neil Mackenzie Trust for making our expedition possible, especially in such uncertain times, through the Educational Expedition Grant. As fellow Glasgow students it was a great honour for us to continue Neil’s legacy of combining scientific research with a love of adventure. It was hard to say goodbye to Iceland and our new friends after all the amazing memories we made, but I have no doubt we will back as soon as we can.

Summer Mountain Leader Assessment, Glenmore Lodge, July 2021

With the help of The Neil Mackenzie Trust I was fortunate enough to attend a Summer Mountain Leader (SML) Assessment at Glenmore Lodge.My first experience of Glenmore lodge was two years ago for the SML training course. During both the training and assessment, the lodge provided outstanding hospitality. The facilities leave you wanting for nothing and the food is certainly worth mentioning due to its quality. I would highly recommend Glenmore lodge.

The SML award allows successful candidates to lead others on walks in the lowlands, hills and mountains of the UK and Ireland. Throughout the week, candidates are assessed on their ability to lead, safely manage groups across a variety of terrain, inspire and educate others about the mountain environment and much more.

Monday – Introductions and Steep Ground. Initial introductions and discussion of why we wanted the award. Personally, I want to inspire adventure. I had the privilege of being involved with outdoor learning when I was young and I feel it is important for me to provide these same opportunities. I have had an excellent time learning more about the mountain environment during my two year consolidation period between training and assessment. From learning details of moss campion, weather fronts, leadership skills and beyond, each aspect of the syllabus has entertained me, enhanced my skill set and increased my passion for wanting to share it with others.  After the instructors had made expectations clear we drove to Coire Cas car park and ascended Fiacaill Ridge via Twin Ribs. I had the opportunity to demonstrate how I would lead a group on steep terrain, teach appropriate foot movements and safe guard group members with a rope in an emergency.

Tuesday – Emergency procedures, river crossings and a walk up Meall a’ Bhuachaille.A saunter up Meall a’ Bhuacaille, stopping every so often to discuss emergency procedures, flora and fauna etc. A portion of the day was also spent using a variety of techniques to cross a river while ensuring the safety of a group.  In the evening we were asked to plan a three day expedition and create a short presentation detailing what advice we would give to a novice who was looking to go camping (tents, sleeping bags, stoves etc).

Wednesday – Final weather checks and start of the three day, two night expedition.  Presentations were given first thing followed by each candidate explaining their chosen route. Each route was taken into consideration and the instructor pondered what location would best suit. The forecast suggested wet and windy conditions in the Cairngorms. The occluded front did not look likely to move much over the three days. It was decided that we would centre our expedition around the cloudy but dry area surrounding Aonach Beag. After a short drive we began the walk from the west end of Loch Laggan. There were three candidates on the course and we rotated who led each leg. During the day, sections were becoming varied and as we headed off track into the wilderness, navigational tasks became more demanding. We walked up Creag Pitridh and along to Geal Charn before descending towards Allt Cam.Camp was reached around 1700 and I was able to sigh with relief as the instructor said we had finished for the day and we were not going to go out for night navigation.

Thursday – Day 2 of expedition and night navigation. It was an 0830 start and straight into more complex navigation. Throughout the day I relied heavily on contours and a variety of strategies to relocate. On the journey we crossed over Carn Dearg, Geal-Charn, Aonach Beag and Beinn Eibhinn before descending north toward camp two around 1630.At 2300 my alarm clock woke me from a deep sleep and I emerged from my sleeping bag for our night navigation test. We began around 2330. The weather had been favourable until then. The odd shower and passing of low cloud hadn’t caused too much difficulty. But as we emerged from the tents, the surrounding area was soakedin low lying cloud and persistent drizzle. We returned around 0230 after finding some knolls, spurs and re entrants under torch light.

Friday – Back to the lodge, shower, food and an intense wait for the result. At 0900 we began our walk from the base of Meall Cos Charnan back to the van. We each took a final leg to get the group back to the car park.  Back at the lodge, I was greeted with a warm shower and a great plate (once more) of food. It was a nerve-racking wait. Eventually I was called into the instructors office. A big handshake and ‘well done’ confirmed my pass of the award. I was immediately hit with immense relief and happiness. I cannot wait to put my new skills into practice and begin the journey of educating, providing opportunities and inspiring others in the wonderful mountains of Britain.

A huge thanks to The Neil Mackenzie Trust for your support.

Last September I took the opportunity to participate in a British Cycling Level 2 Mountain Bike Leadership Training course at Glenmore Lodge Outdoor Training Centre. This course allowed me to further develop my skills and understanding of group management and route planning when out riding on trails. I am currently a Dundee University student riding with the Mountain Bike club – with the skills and abilities gained from completing this course I intend to assist in the planning and delivery of future group rides in my final years.

Upon signing up to the course I was required to register with British Cycling, which supplied me with lots of valuable training materials including a sizeable instructional book and handout resources all specific to the level 2 course.

I travelled to Glenmore lodge on the 25^th September 2020, to prepare for the course to commence early the next morning. Fortunately, I had booked the course at a time when Coronavirus restrictions allowed me to participate in the course. I spent my first evening in the upper social space, the Lochain Bar, where I was warmly welcomed by another course participant along with a handful of very friendly Lodge trainees working to support courses at the lodge.

The first day was well-balanced. It began in the workshops, with an overview of the course whilst getting to know everyone. We had four people on our course, half the standard amount due to COVID, and were instructed by Emma Holgate. We moved onto basic bike maintenance and trailside repairs, which I really enjoyed as I love getting hands on with bikes. Their workshop is well organized and fully equipped with professional tool benches and bike stands which helped us practice our skills. We then evaluated the contents of our bikepacks and discussed what personal gear would be worth carrying when mountain biking and what would be necessary for a leader to carry when out riding with others. We studied our own bikes afterwards, learning how to make checks to ensure they were up to par for trail riding.

After our workshop morning, we moved onto skills development. We took our bikes around the Lodge on some purpose-built circuits and trails to perfect our riding techniques and to understand how we can use practices as a group leader to evaluate another rider’s capabilities. We then made our way out of the Lodge onto some trails to enjoy some riding while practicing what we had learnt, along with other group management techniques. We spent the last part of the day back in the workshop prepping for the second day. Provided with maps, we were presented with a 30km route through and around the Inshriach Forest from which we were each given a segment to practice leading using the skills we had learned. We used mapwork skills to calculate and evaluate various factors of the journey including time, distance, ascent and descent, and spent the night memorizing our allocated segment.

The second day began with a short drive to the start of the loop at Feshiebridge. Because we had studied the route the night before, the loop was fairly straight forward to find and follow, and provided good practice for the use of cycle computers – an essential tool for efficient route management when leading. Unfortunately, one of our group members was unable to complete the last segment of the loop due to a pre-existing injury. This meant we had to adapt our route. This was good practice as things don’t always go to plan when leading groups. Once we finished the ride and returned to the Lodge, we completed a final review of the course and received our individual feedback from Emma.

The experience provided by the Lodge was excellent. Because of Covid restrictions, we were each allocated a twin room each. Food was brilliant, with a good choice for breakfast and dinner along with a variety goodies for lunch. Hot drinks were also complimentary at all times when on site. Needless to say, the hot chocolate machine took a big hit!

Even though I have been riding mountain bikes for years and have experience with mountaineering, I have learned more essential skills in the areas of bike maintenance and group management that will be put to good use. I would really like to thank the Neil Mackenzie Trust for helping me fund my course with their grant scheme and providing me with the opportunity to participate in this course – I really look forward to applying my new knowledge and putting these skills into practice. Once I’ve gained enough experience and completed the required hours for my log book, I intend to complete my Level 2 assessment, which the Trust has kindly offered to contribute towards.

Thanks to The Neil Mackenzie Trust, In February 2020,I had the opportunity to attend a winter skills course. The five-day course was organised by Glenmore Lodge and focused on improving skills in winter navigation and route planning in the Scottish mountains. As a confident walker with extensive experience hiking abroad, I had a foundational understanding of navigation and leadership skills. However, I am incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to further develop my skills. There is always more to learn to improve your own, and others safety. On the first day of the course, I met the other participants and we were introduced to our instructor with whom we discussed our aspirations and ambitions. After going through the equipment and route for the day we set off. Walking into the mountains this first day, as the snow-coated landscape stretched out before us, I was reminded of true wilderness. Over the course of the week, numerous aspects of winter hill walking were covered, such as preparation, planning, navigation and emergency procedures. The dynamic environment, and the volatile weather conditions, meant we were able toput our knowledge and newly-learned techniques into practice. I was particularly impressed by how my instructor navigated the various elements of planning, showing an excellent example of how to tackle adverse situations whilst maintaining calm and rational thinking. A pertinent example of her successful leadership skills was when we encountered issues as one of the group members expressed difficulties with ascending. Consequently, as a group, we made a sensible decision to select a different route that was better suited for the overall competence-level of the group, as opposed to the route we initially intended to take. Adapting my approach as conditions change and unanticipated situations arise, is an important lesson I will take forward. As part of the course, Glenmore Lodge provided evening lectures which were thoroughly tailored for outdoor enthusiasts. The lectures included route planning with limited visibility, avalanche awareness and gave an insight into how other guides would solve situations presented to them in the mountains without sacrificing safety. Aside from providing critical information and encouraging us to develop our knowledge of the outdoors, these evening sessions were a wonderful opportunity to meet like-minded people and walking away with new contacts and friends was certainly an added bonus of the course!

Taking part in this winter skills course was a very formative experience for me. Throughout the course, I felt that I was both doing and developing my passion; spending time outdoors in the mountains and challenging myself both mentally and physically. This course allowed me to develop the in-depth and holistic understanding required to confidently navigate Scottish mountains during the winter. The emphasis put on avalanche risk and how to mitigate potential risks was a part of the course that I found particularly interesting as these skills are transferrable and, I feel, have equipped me to go far beyond the mountains surrounding Glenmore Lodge. I am confident that I will use the knowledge and practical experience I gained from this training course trekking in the UK and in other regions with similar landscapes. With the support of The Neil Mackenzie Trust,I have improved my planning skills and feel much more confident in my decision making. I am now eager to explore the country’s unique landscape by myself while applying the essential skills I have learnt! I also look forward to applying these skills further afield and to continuing to develop them in the future through more advanced levels of training.

£20 offered – who’ll give us £50?

“Free” weekend paddle hire for 2 people

Thanks to a generous donation, from a supporter, we are holding an auction in aid of the Trust.

Place your bid in contact us, on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pg/theneilmackenzietrust/posts/?ref=page_internal, #NeilMacTrust on Twitter or to theneilmackenzietrust@dr.com.  We will post the latest bids on the website, facebook and Twitter.

Start planning your trip!

Who’s going to start the bidding – maybe £25?

Snow and Ice Climbing – Improvers course

Very Scottish protection technique

In March 2019, thanks to The Neil Mackenzie Skills Grant 2018, I attended a 5-day Snow and Ice Climbing Improvers course, organized by Adventure Peaks. The course took place in the Western Highlands in Onich, which is situated midway between Fort William and Glencoe. The course was aimed at improving winter climbing skills in the Scottish landscape which requires specific techniques to protect oneself on unbolted walls.  This winter was very mild with unstable conditions, ice was not well formed and a lot of snow had fallen. This reduced the number of climbable routes and made the accesses challenging.

On the first day, we headed up to the Stob Coire Nan Lochan on Glencoe to climb the Ordinary Route (IV, 4). This was tough, with a 2.5 hours approach under rain and winds, and a 3.5 hours climb in deep powder snow. Arriving on the Summit Buttress at dusk, we needed to leave the summit quickly to descend before dark. In the foggy landscape hidden by deep snow, we then learned how to retreat using only charts, compass and short visibility landscape reading. The guides did an amazing job providing walking techniques and cheering us on.

On the second day, we climbed the South-West Ridge (180 m, IV, 5) of the Douglas Boulder North-West Face on Ben Nevis……………….The third day, we headed to the West Face of Aonach Mor, the UKs eighth highest mountain, and climbed Western Rib (500 m, III+). Despite its proximity to the ski area, the climb offered true wilderness, solitude, and adventurous or spectacular moves, such as walking on very narrow snow shelves and ridges……………………………………..

Besides improving climbing skills, I wanted to attend this course, in Scotland, to honor and remember my friendship with Neil. Neil introduced me to Ice Climbing in 2013 in Canada, when nobody would take a complete beginner, female, and with poor English skills, on vertical ice walls. He took me to very challenging routes in British Columbia, near Pemberton and Squamish, on the Boston falls of Vancouver Island, and in Colorado near Snowmass. Neil showed me that, with a good teaching and thorough gear and landscape checking, one can take almost anyone on these amazing ice walls. Since then, I have been practicing every winters and encouraging other climbers. Neil always laughed about “those rubbish ice walls of Scotland, where one have to deal more with mud and rocks than with ice and snow”. I know now what he meant and I am very grateful and proud for having had the opportunity of climbing in the Highlands thanks to The Neil Mackenzie Skills Grant 2018!

For full report: Magalie CASTELIN report-1

GRAND RAFFLE in aid of  The Neil Mackenzie Trust (SC046080) to be drawn at the Ceilidh at Glenmore Lodge on 28th September, 2019

Buy your tickets online – NOW!  £1.00 per ticket. £5.00 per book of 5 tickets.

Amazing prizes including:

2 Day Glenmore Lodge Course (your choice), £250 Grant from The Neil Mackenzie Trust, 1:1 Climbing Session with Robbie Phillips, Cuillin Photography with Adrian Trendall, £100 accommodation voucher for the Lake district, meal vouchers, whisky and many more – for full list, and donors see below.

To get your tickets:

• send your payment to The Neil Mackenzie Trust: Sort Code: 87-39-01. Acc. No: 87597463 with your reference as your name and postcode,
• and contact us with your name and address, including postcode, and your prize preference: GL course/Activity voucher/other
• Your payment will be acknowledged by email, and you will be allocated raffle ticket numbers. Winners will be notified, and listed here after the event.
• If you wish to receive the actual tickets please send a stamped adressed envelope to: The Neil Mackenzie Trust Raffle, The Old School, Flichity, Inverness.  IV2 6XD

Prizes: Donors

Course at Glenmore Lodge (your choice): donated by Glenmore Lodge

Voucher (up to £250) towards The Neil Mackenzie Trust Outdoor Skills training voucher: The Neil Mackenzie Trust

£100 Voucher towards accommodation in the Lake District: Sally’s Cottages

1:1 Performance climbing session with Robbie Phillips: Robbie Phillips

1 day rock, mountain, ice or kayak (river or sea) training with Chris Dickinson: Chris Dickinson

EICA, Ratho, 1 hour climbing taster for 2: Edinburgh Leisure

Lunch for 2 in the Flying Stag, Fife Arms Hotel, Braemar: Fife Arms

£50 voucher towards dinner for 2 at Jury’s Inn, Inverness: Jury’s Inn

£20 voucher towards food or accommodation at Cairngorm Hotel, Aviemore: Cairngorm Hotel

SMC climbers guide – Highland Outcrops South: Rob Anderson

Useful accessories, including Goretex water bottle: Ellis Brigham

Whisky: Anonymous