Sunday 2 August 2009

Day 21 - Scotland West Coast - Kinlochleven - Climbing ice...and mysteries on Ben Nevis

Before leaving Kinlochleven, I dropped by Ice-Factor, the climbing facility where visitors can learn how to climb on traditional indoor walls, but also on the unique ice-wall, which is kept cool inside a massive refrigerator about the size of a mini-warehouse. I took some video – check it out (will upload as soon as I find a good Internet connection in the Highlands!). Very cool (bad pun I know!)


Climbing on the ice wall at Ice Factor in Kinlochleven...



I also bumped into the Knight family from Northern Ireland, who were trying out the ice-wall. I got talking, and they had walked up Ben Nevis the day before (they said it was very busy on the route up – peak season.) Anyway, father Steve had taken some photos of the very rare and mysterious Brocken Spectres. Essentially, when conditions are exactly right, a strange halo of rainbow colours surrounds the shadow of a person. Check out the photos they took...

A Brocken spectre, taken by the Knight family on Ben Nevis...

4 comments:

  1. ey this is some kind of artificial ice wall? wow now all is made it to enjoy in home, after some time nobody go to practice sport outside.

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  2. Hi there I would also like to try mountain climbing.

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  3. whoa!!!, you had a passion in blogging, thumbs up for your work of love.. Hehe very inspiring ideas,


    anyway I'm william
    mind if I put a link back to you?


    (clickable) ------> Big and Tall Suit

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  4. Hi there,

    I’m working on the weather channel TV series, ‘Strange Weather.’

    We would really like to use the images of the broken spectres on this blog.

    Can you put me in touch with the person that owns them?

    We are on a really tight deadline so a quick response would be appreciated.

    Kind Regards,

    David

    Pioneer TV
    32 Galena Road, London W6 0LT
    email: david.studwell@pioneertv.com
    Tel +44 (0) 208 748 0888
    Fax +44 (0) 208 748 7888

    ReplyDelete