MEET THE ARRAN MOUNTAIN FESTIVAL WALK LEADERS - ANDY MCNAMARA

What do you do when you don’t lead walks for the Arran Mountain Festival?
I work at the Arran Outdoor Education Centre in Lamlash, play football for the worst team in Europe (Northend Thistle) and play guitar to the same standard as my football.

Why do you volunteer as an Arran Mountain Festival walk leader?
I enjoy being part of the team with the other volunteers, I enjoy meeting and chatting to people on the walks, if I wasn’t a leader I would go as a participant.

Tell us about a favourite mountain moment.
Walking along the A’Chir ridge with a friend. We were quicker than we thought we would be and decided to go onto the Witch’s Step despite both being booked on the ferry, after a great day in the hills I loved running down into Glen Sannox. We needed the first car to stop so we could hitch a ride to the ferry. This being Arran of course the first car stopped and we made the ferry,…just.

What is your favourite Arran walk?
From Sannox up Cioch na h-Oighe and along the ridge to Goatfell and down into Brodick.

Which piece of kit would you not head into the hills without?
A good quality pair of socks.

What is your favourite breakfast before a long day out in the mountains?

Big mug of milky weak tea, glass of orange juice and some muesli with a banana chopped up into it.

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Andy is leading Friday's Witch's Step & Castles walk.

MEET THE ARRAN MOUNTAIN FESTIVAL WALK LEADERS
 
ADELE PENNINGTON

What do you do when you don’t lead walks for the Arran Mountain Festival?

I am a full time Mountaineering Instructor busy at work on the Mountains of Scotand and when not working sea paddling, skiing and generally enjoying my time in the mountains.

Tell us about a favourite mountain moment.
Ahh a difficult one as there are so many moments...  Topping out on Ben Nevis after a winter climb is always great and especially on Christmas day last year.
 
What is your favourite Arran walk/climb?
Has to be the South Ridge Direct, Rosa Pinnacle.

Which piece of kit would you not head into the hills without?
Map, compass and sandwiches

 

What is your favourite breakfast before a long day out in the mountains?
Sausage buttie with tomato sauce.


Adele is leading the A'Chir ridge scramble and the Witch's Step climb. 

Find out more about Adele on her website www.adelepennington.co.uk.

MEET THE ARRAN MOUNTAIN FESTIVAL WALK LEADERS

MICK TAYLOR

What do you do when you don’t lead walks for the Arran Mountain Festival?

I am a freelance Mountaineering and Ski Instructor / Guide working worldwide including the Greater Ranges and the Himalayas.

Why do you volunteer as an Arran Mountain Festival walk leader?

I was employed on the Arran Mountain Festival last year and found it to be both enjoyable and interesting. Arran has a special place in my heart as I first visited the Island as a very inexperienced Mountaineer in my youth and was enthralled by its beauty and wild mountainous environment.

Tell us about a favourite mountain moment.

Many, many. Apart from reaching the summits of some of the world’s highest peaks and first ascents of some classic climbs completing all the Munros was a very special day albeit many years ago now.

What is your favourite Arran walk?

The A’Chir Ridge Traverse, Beinn Nuis to the summit of A’Chir. Although in places it is not a ‘walk’ but a scramble. Major difficulties however can be avoided but care is needed throughout.

Which piece of kit would you not head into the hills without?

A well fitting rucksack containing …………essentials!

What is your favourite breakfast before a long day out in the mountains?

Usually a bowl of cereal.

Mick is leading the A'Chir ridge walks.

MEET THE ARRAN MOUNTAIN FESTIVAL WALK LEADERS

The next in our series of volunteer walk leaders profiles is Alistair Hume.

Ali (on the right) co-leading last year's Mountain Festival A'Chir walk

ALISTAIR HUME

What do you do when you don’t lead walks for the Arran Mountain Festival?


For relaxation, I play the bagpipes with the Isle of Arran pipe band, I am also a keen sea kayaker and try to play golf as often as I can.

I also work part time for World Challenge, a company that specialises in taking groups of teenagers to mainly third world countries for up to five weeks at a time to experience other cultures and assist in project work such as toilet block construction.

I have also been a member of the Arran Mountain Rescue Team since 1976 and a lot of my time is spent training with them and being on call 24/7.


Why do you volunteer as an Arran Mountain Festival walk leader?

I like to try and help others experience the wonderful mountains of Arran and pass on any local knowledge and history and ensure that they have a memorable time.


Tell us about a favourite mountain moment.

There have been many favorite moments!!! But for feel good factor it must be a time in Northern Peru while descending from a high 4.500 meter pass and at -10 I came across a young local lad, his face full of snot and minus some fingers and toes from frostbite - he was wearing shorts and sandals.


I will never forget the way his face changed when I gave him my cosy warm mountain rescue buffalo jacket that I had cherished for some 20 years.


What is your favourite Arran walk?

Don't really have one, I love them all!!!


Which piece of kit would you not head into the hills without?

A whistle.


What is your favourite breakfast before a long day out in the mountains?

Anyone I can persuade my wife to make!!!


Ali is co-leading the A'Chir ridge traverse.

NEWSFLASH - there are still a couple of spaces left on the Sunday A'Chir walk, don't miss out, get booking! Have a look at the posts below written by participants in 2011, which I've just refreshed so it's easy to find!!  Please be tempted - just call 01770 302244 to book :-)

JoT

2011 Arran Mountain Festival A'Chir Ridge Walk Take 2

By David Lang, Lamlash

As a result of the great care taken by local mountain rescue guide Alistair and visiting guide Mick Tighe, our intrepid group thoroughly enjoyed the adventure of walking on Arran’s potentially dangerous A’chir Ridge last weekend. Many of us had travelled a long way to be part of this year’s Mountain Festival, including one from Australia! A few manoeuvres necessitated the indignity of an odd push from behind, however it was all worth it as we were able to ‘boldly go where none of us had dared go before’.

I also attended the excellent film show and illustrated talks on the two previous nights, both effectively building up the excitement, while showing the fun and challenges to be had when exploring mountain areas.

Arran is blessed with superb and extensive hill walking routes that many visitors sadly miss, and the festival celebrated these, while also enabling a wide range of abilities to access them in a safe way. The views from the top can best be described as ‘awesome’!

All those involved in its organisation should be very proud of this year’s success and if I find out they are ever organising a trip up Everest then you can count me in, as I am confident it would be equally well planned! To be honest I would still rather continue exploring Arran and am already looking forward to next year’s festival.