Review of the excellent Salomon Fury 0201-104 Sunglasses. Symbio PRO cat 3.

It was with excitement I received these funky looking sunglasses from Salomon to wear and review. Being designed for both summer and winter use I was keen to grab a day wearing them in both the sun and snow. On opening the esthetic minimal box the glasses looked very slick. The come with a cleaning bag, but no hard case, which for their price is a little disappointing. However often hard cases are bulky and take allot of room up in backpacks.

White frames have been in vogue for sometime now and continue to be so. The contrasting black lines on the arms break up the lines of the curved arms but also double up as a rubber backing to hold the glasses on your face. This works well as much as I tried to dislodge them from my head they never slipped off. A good design as the rubber runs the entire length of the arms, not just at the end like so many other manufacturers. The glasses are very light indeed and very comfortable to wear. They are reasonably wide across the face, If you have a very small or narrow face they would be a little large and possibly let some sun in around the sides. The nose piece is positive and doesn't slip. The lens and I say lens as it runs the entire length of the glasses is remarkably clear and gives a very natural view on the landscape. This design in itself makes the glasses look a little wider, but this is cosmetic and I like the design as it is different and challenges more normal glasses designs. Wearing them in the sun whilst mountaineering in the snow I felt they coped well with intense glare and the definition of the snow in lower light was good. They kept the wind rush off my eyes and they don't steam up whilst climbing, walking and skiing in them. They are cat 3 so not too dark for driving either and therefore offer a brilliant all round design and protection for general use as well as specific outdoor sports. They are not the darkest lens I have worn and therefore perhaps they may not suit all mountain goers especially on extended glacier expeditions, but for Alpine walking, kayaking, skiing and sailing I will be taking them with me. Well done Salomon as with their other products these sun glasses have well designed and it appears that those whom have designed them actually have been outside to test them and develop them. I love them. For more Salomon products check out pretavoir in Glasgow for a huge range of Salomon products.

Winter Climbing Course. Ben Nevis and The Dragon's Tooth.

A few shots from working in the mountains over last two days. The snow continues to fall and the temperatures are coming down, the snow pack is consolidating and the sky is promised to be blue tomorrow, fingers crossed. The last two day's theme and brief has been Winter Lead Climbing and all things mountaineering. It has been a great week in the hills and my legs can testify to that. Have a good fun and safe weekend out there.

Another few days of wild weather at work in the mountains.

The last three days have been challenging high up in the mountains. The warm front has brought allot of rain today but over the weekend it snowed heavily again above 600 m. With a combination of 75 mph winds and driving snow it was at times brutal to be on the summits. In between the gusts it was extremely beautiful. A lull tomorrow and then another front will hurtle in form the south. Having said all that we have had some fantastic clients on a variety of skills courses and they have really had a blast. Check out Face Book page Hebridean Pursuits to see what we have been up to in detail. It goes without saying or it should,it is pretty tricky to walk in the knee deep snow at present and the avalanche hazards are high. Without an understanding of appropriate route choice or employing a qualified instructor or guide the hills are potentially dangerous at present. Please be careful out there.

5 Day Winter Mountaineering Course. Day 1.

Today I was out working for Hebridean Pursuits with 5 folk in Glencoe on Meall a Bhuiridh. This was day one of five concentrating on winter mountaineering skills. We looked at packing, carrying and selecting equipment. We ascended the hill looking at a variety of essential skills. We had mixed conditions, but at 2 pm the cloud lifted we got beautiful views from the summit. The ski slopes are covered in deep snow. The fresh breeze

from the south was blowing in fresh snow onto the north facing lee slopes and we experienced some wind slab in the steeper hollows, something to be aware of tomorrow.

A few images from our work on courses in Glencoe and The Cairngorms over the last 5 days.

Conditions are good for mountaineering in Scotland. Much snow remains and the snow pack has consolidated well. Here are a few images of a variety of work HPL

have been involved with this week.

More like winter on Aonach Mor today and the sun came out!

I was working on Aonach Mor today with 6 students from West Highland College. We were concentrating on essential foot work and the traditional skills of mountaineering for moving around on steep snow. The snow was, at last solid providing a perfect medium for instructing on. No rain, a little snow shower and dry gloves, what more could a mountaineering instructor require? It lifts the spirits somewhat after a very damp spell. Check out the amount of snow in the pictures the ski touring will be awesome.

Snow in Oban after the storm.

Yesterday I failed to reach Fort William due to the storm and consequently didn't get to work on the hill. The desk beckoned and the hatches were battened down which was very sensible, as the winds were coming through at 144 mph on West Coast hills. I woke this morning to fresh snow fall in the garden and a picture post card view of Ben Cruachan. Happy days. I start Hebridean Pursuits winter skills courses off on Monday so any fresh on an old base will gratefully received. Strangely when the weather worsens I get an erge to run, but leaving the shoes outside is never a good idea. Cold feet it is then!

Navigation Training for ACOL West Highland College students.

Snow, sun, long distance views down to Jura, Ben Nevis covered in fresh snow and lots of learning. That was Thursday's work on one of the fine Grahams above Fort William. Fantastic conditions to start the mountain module for the students from West Highland College.

Crystal clear on the West Coast of Scotland this weekend. Coasteering, Climbing, skiing and Sea Kayaking.

What a weekend for being outside in Scotland. Fresh snow glistened high on the islands and in the highlands, the sun shone for hours on the coastline and the sea was really warm to be in. Something for everyone to experience today. When Scotland is as pristine as this there is no where finer to experience the outdoors. I was working for Hebridean Pursuits. We were running an annual adventure weekend for George Heriot's School pupils. Coasteering and climbing were are the agenda. Over the weekend the well attended Storm Gathering Sea kayaking event took place in Oban, but due to the calm conditions not much storm but allot of learning and coaching was on offer! Folk have been out sea kayaking, skiing and ski touring, walking and mountaineering and some have found mixed winter climbs to enjoy, although the turf and ground is still too warm for most mixed routes to not be damaged. Adventures are to be had throughout Scotland in all conditions. Imagination is the only limit to the quest for adventurous experiences. One thing is for sure the weather will change again and another set of skills will be employed to deal with what is thrown at us. But tonight the warm glow and slight sun burn on my face is enough to bring a large smile to my face. Until the next adventure.....

One of our instructors Chris Saunders with Mull in the background whilst Coasteering today.

Mull from Oban.

Morven enjoying some dry rock on Saturday.

The pupils having a blast at Seil Island today in a sweet swell.

Saying hello to some kayakers.