Mist Cairn

Personal notes from the hills — cairns, weather, kit and finding the way. Updated when the fog lifts.

7 June 2025

Reading the ground against the map

A map is a promise; the ground is what actually happens.

22 February 2025

Winter notes

Microspikes, tea not coffee, and an earlier start than felt reasonable.

19 October 2024

Low cloud on the ridge

Forty metres of visibility, three cairns rebuilt, one gone.

5 January 2024

On turning back

The hardest skill on a hill is turning back earlier than you want to.

28 August 2023

Kit that earns its weight

After a few soakings you learn what actually earns its place.

12 March 2023

Cairns in the mist

On a clear day you barely notice them. In mist they are the whole route.