Are you a French speaking walks guide?

Glentrek, a guided walking and holiday company based in the Angus Glens, Scotland, is looking to hire the services of a French speaking walks guide. Glentrek has been in talks with a French walking company that is very keen to explore the possibilities of Glentrek's "Easter Highlands Trek" but they are requesting that the guide speaks French. So if you are a walks guide based in Scotland and you also speak fluent french – and you would like to hire your services to Glentrek or even just discuss your rates then please do get in touch with Janey at Glentrek. You can check out the website or call 01307 469 536/ 07934 443557 or you can tweet at "Glentrek"

Review: Test-walk of Hi-tec trail boots

Eleven-year-old daughters are notoriously difficult to please. Little Miss Outdoors is no different and she knows what she likes, especially when it comes to clothing.

"Funky, black, pink and purple are good," says Little Miss. "Brown, blue and boring are not."

Right!

Thank goodness then that outdoor clothing has come such a long way since my childhood when brown, blue and boring were about as funky as it ever got. These days jackets, rucksacks, fleeces - and even socks, gloves, hats and walking boots come in bright colours, pretty patterns, trendy designs and with a great deal of child-appeal.

Over the years I have been known to bribe Little Miss Outdoors into walking a hill by buying her a flowery fleece or a bright pink kagool. There was a beautiful lilac and purple rucksack that did the trick, too.

Then with the Easter hols looming the kind people at Hi-tec decided to pop a nice new pair of girls' walking boots in the post. The Junior Renegrade Trail Walking boots were timed well on two counts: firstly Little Miss had grown out of last year's boots (children do that annoying growing thing a little too often sometimes!) and secondly I was keen to get Little Miss away from the computer and up a hill.

At the same time those nice Hi-tec people also sent me a new pair of leather V-lit Altitude walking boots.

And so one one warm-ish and not too wet afternoon Little Miss and MumOutdoors set off to summit one of our local hills, Conic at Balmaha.

Said Little Miss of the boots: "Yeh, these look kinda cool. Not too boring and the pink is nice, especially on the bottom of the boot (she meant the chunky, grippy sole).

"They don't slip on my heel, either, and they are comfortable and I've tied the laces tight. All those things I know you're going to ask," she added, cheekily.

During the walk itself Little Miss answered my further quizzing: "Yes, they are light enough. No, they don't feel too heavy. Yes, they are gripping the ground. No, I'm not getting wet feet even in the puddles. No, I don't mind if they get muddy because I'm now 11 and not a baby who worries about the pink getting splashed. Yes, they make walking downhill and uphill easy. Yes, I definitely like these. I really do. MUM! Are there any more questions?"

So, I'm thinking, that if the boots are pleasing to an 11-year-old girl who can be short on patience and big on style then they must be pretty good boots, eh?

And mine? Surprisingly I found the leather boots to be really comfy, too. I'd memories of those leather walking boots from my teen years that took months of blisters to turn into something vaguely comfy. The Hi-tec V-lit Altitudes also felt light on my feet and despite having long, thin feet they remained snug for the full hill walk. In particular I thought the padding on the tongue and the inner sole was really generous. The soles were good and grippy. And the leather kept my feet really dry even when I joined Little Miss in a bit of mud wallowing and puddle paddling (well, any excuse really!).

If you want to read all about the technical attributes of these Hi-tec boots - and there are plenty of great details for the very reasonable price tag of £35 for the junior boots and the reasonably reasonable £100 for the women's leather boots – then click on the links above.

I prefer to talk about outdoor kit in terms of comfort and practicalities (and, of course, looks). Both these boots scored well if you're looking for comfortable, no-need-to-wear-in footwear that will handle spring and summer walking on good-to-better trails (puddles and mud included). For stockist check out the website

Sun and fab views on three Glenfinnan Munros

The G-Force had been "saving" the Munros at Glenfinnan for a spring or summer's day. He wanted to be able to savour the gorgeous surrounding scenery in nicer weather. As luck would have it he chose this weekend – and sure enough we were able to feast our eyes on some of Scotland's finest views over two days of remarkable sunny and warm weather.

On Saturday we headed from Glenfinnan village, in sight of the railway viaduct made famous recently thanks to the filming of the second and third Harry Potter movies, to summit Sgurr Thuilm (963m) and Sgurr nan Coireachan (956m). To reduce the length of the day of walking we decided to mountain bike the first few miles along a track to the base of the first Munro. This was a smart move, especially when it came to the end of the long and challenging walk.

Pretty much from the outset, the views were every bit as entrancing as we'd hoped for. (In fact from the moment we left Glasgow in the morning and headed via Glencoe to Fort William and then Glenfinnan the sun cast a magical light on Scotland's scenery.) And while the walk took in a challenging amount of ascent and descent with numerous "non-Munro" summits to negotiate along a long ridge before ticking off Thuilm and Coireachan, the landscape that spread for many miles in all directions was wonderfully distracting. The fact that the whole scene basked in warm sunshine and beneath a deep blue sky only added to the stunning sense of "Scotland surreal".

Summit of Thuilm

The G-Force on the summit of Coireachan

This weekend, too, we met more people than we have during all our months of winter hiking. It was fantastic to find that the sun had warmed many more people towards the idea of a decent hike and so we met several groups of people and a fair few solo walkers. It seemed that spring had raised everyone's spirits and during passing conversations we found that every walker was as thrilled as us to be walking through such amazing countryside in such equally amazing weather.

Even the long, hard descent from the final Munro did little to dampen out spirits. I admit, though, that the terrain and taken a toll on my leg muscles and feet so it was with undisguised glee that I jumped back on the bike to whizz the final few miles back to the car. Sorry to any walkers who we passed at speed. I can only imagine how tough it was to walk those final few miles on a road perfectly fit for a car – and then to see two cyclists delightedly riding past.

Due to a lack of organisation (yes, Mr G-Force, you know who was to blame!) at 6pm we still did not have any overnight accommodation. Thanks to the wonders of the iPhone and Google, however, we quickly located a spare room in a B&B a half hour's drive away. When booking this way you can not be sure of the quality of accommodation but there was little choice – and luck was clearly on our side because the B&B turned out to be good. In fact, if you want a room and breakfast for £30 per person then I'd thoroughly recommend Coire Glas.

Amazingly, Sunday turned out to be even warmer and sunnier. Wearing less clothes and even more sun lotion we headed off again on mountain bikes from Glenfinnan to reach the base of a beast of a steep climb to the summit of Gulivan or Gaol Bheinn (9787m). Cameron McNeish describes the ascent as "relentless" and I wouldn't disagree. Thankfully, though, the views were again spellbinding. Because of jaded legs I needed to make frequent rest stops but at every stop I found myself in utter awe of the landscape. Lucky, lucky us!

The G-Force atop Gulivan. And, no, this is not

some fancy camera magic but a

clearly knackered gadget. Time for a new one..

The "relentless" up also included a false "south" summit, some frustrating descent and then further ascent. But the opportunity to bask in sunshine at the summit while eating lunch made the hard work more than worthwhile. "You could never ever tire of such amazing views," commented the G-Force. So true.

And then came the "relentless" descent. After two long days of walking my legs and feet were aching and so the descent felt every bit as tough as the ascent. Again it was a huge bonus to be able to hop on to our bikes to cycle the final four miles back to the car. And, again, I can only imagine how hard it was for walkers to see us whizzing by as they tramped back along the trail to the car park. Really, the bikes were a stroke of genius for both of these Munro bagging expeditions.

It comes as no surprise to find that this beautiful area, and including the historic viaduct, has been the location of several films and is also known as Monarch of the Glen country. No doubt the TV and movie producers were as transfixed as any walker.

Let's hope the weather is as good as we set off for a family campervanning adventure in a Big Tree Campervan this weekend...

Loving the fitness buzz at Arthur's Seat

With half an hour to spare after an Edinburgh meeting and before sunset I headed to Arthur's Seat for a quick jog. I have run up and around Arthur's Seat a few times over the years but never on an evening. So I was amazed to see how many people come to the iconic hill for their post-work keep-fit session.

There were walkers, runners, cyclists and a group of BMF style addicts. I saw all ages, all fitness levels and a pretty even split of men and women. While I normally enjoy running away from the madding crowds last night I loved the up-beat atmosphere of being out with lots of folk doing the same kind of thing. Then again, perhaps my brain had been cooked by the unusually warm and bright evening, or maybe I was just a little dizzy after a day of mad driving and lots of business chat?!

I'd recommend Arthur's Seat for a nice countrified-but-still-in-the-city run/cycle, for the wonderful views and for the fun of being out and about keeping fit with lots of other likeminded folks.

Most of the seasons in one day on Drumochter Munros

The day started with pouring rain, then headed through snow, low cloud and mist - before finally turning into a gorgeous, sunny afternoon. It was warm, then cold, then freezing, then cooler and then really quite hot. The three of us – the G-Force, Top Sandwich Man and I – first donned heavy duty waterproofs, then peeled off layers, then added on fleeces, then took off our layers before enjoying a good couple of hours of only light baselayers and sunshine.

When you walk in Scotland's great outdoors, and especially at this time of year, you become familiar with days that can often feature several seasons in the space of just a few hours.

Our hike on Sunday began at a car park on the Drumochter Pass (that fearfully long road of ascent that I once had the misfortune to cycle one hot day a few years ago. It's 13 miles of neverending climbing, if you want to picture it.) Since the G-Force had previously summitted one of four Munros in the area (being forced to return to his car due to poor visibility that day) we had a grand plan to complete the other three in one go.

The outset, following a reasonably easy-going trail, did not seem that promising, however, as we tramped through the rain. It wasn't cold though so we kept on with the ascent, cheerfully chatting and trying to keep our eyes focused on the fast disappearing summit of A'Mharconaich (975m). Around half way up the clouds enveloped us and we spent the rest of the climb navigating by compass and wondering if we'd ever arrive at the top. Then, all of a sudden the cairn was in front of us. Stopping for a while to eat our first snack, the G-Force and I looked on in envy as Top Sandwich Man (TSM) unwrapped amazing-looking home-made seeded rolls stuffed full of salad, crumbly cheese and baby tomatoes. We'd managed only a few hastily prepared buttered pancakes. Hmm.

Top Sandwich Man, the G-Force and FionaOutdoors

in the clouds on A'Mharconaich

Just as suddenly as the cloud had arrived, so it disappeared as we made our descent of A'Mharconaich and then another gentle ascent to the summit of Munro number two, Beinn Udlamain (1011m). (More tasty sandwiches for TSM, and a chocolate bar for me.) Having expected to spend the whole day in rain and cloud and with only a compass to guide us, the change in the weather really lifted our spirits. Now we began to take in the wonderful views of the surrounding mountains in the stunning part of Scotland. There is something so special about a landscape covered in snow yet lit by bright sunshine.

Heading onwards towards Munro number three, Sqairneach Mhor (991m) the sun really came out to play, while the wind dropped, and we found ourselves walking in wonderful spring-like weather. We couldn't believe our luck having started the day in such dreary conditions. It was so warm that I was able to shed my gloves, which, for anyone who knows me, is quite unbelievable. Even on summer days I quite often wear a thin pair of gloves because of very poor circulation in my hands, while on a winter's day I'll have a base glove layer plus a pair of thick and/or heated gloves on top! Sometimes even that is not enough to stop my fingers going numb.

FionaOutdoors on Sgairneach Mhor

As you can see from the photos there was still a fair amount of snow around although it wasn't too deep. (You can also spot TSM tucking into yet another delicious sarnie!) In fact, instead of hampering our day's hike, the snow actually offered a fast and effective way to descend the last Munro. Ensuring that we were on "safe" snow – and not about to walk on an avalanche-prone snow field – we were able to utilise the slushy snow to bound/slide down the slope at considerable speed. With the snow covering a lot of bumpy terrain we avoided a lot of tiring up-and-down walking over rocks and heather. On some steeper sections we could sit down on our waterproof trousers and whizz downhill as if on a huge slide. This was a big bonus after six hours of walking.

The only thing that would have improved my Munro bagging day out with the G-Force and TSM would have been - a batch of those tasty TSM sandwiches. Next time I'm going to pay him to make mine!

Adventure on the island of Jersey

Yes, yes, Scotland will always be my number one country for adventure. But sometimes it's good to head off overseas to discover what other places have to offer. While I would never have imagined Jersey scoring highly on outdoors pursuits and adventure I now know I was very wrong. Read my recent travel article in The Herald to find out more

Stunning ski touring in the Cairngorms

The G-Force and FionaOutdoors on their first ski touring adventure

I had never tried ski touring before. I'd imagined it to be a duller version of downhill skiing, and certainly nowhere near as thrilling as snowboarding. But after Friday's outing in the Cairngorms I am hooked.

Indeed, according to various people in the know - including the very friendly and accommodating chaps at Mountain Spirit in Aviemore who hire the skis – ski touring has seen unprecedented growth this year in Scotland. Of course, this new trend will have a lot to do with the amazing snow conditions (the best in decades, say many). But it could also be due to the fact that on touring skis you need only your own energy and direction to head off into the mountains. There is no requirement for lifts, funicular trains or even groomed pistes.

What you do need as a novice, however, is an experienced ski touring leader. Heading off into the winter mountains can be extremely dangerous (as I recently found out while Munro walking). Which is how the G-Force and I found ourselves following in the ski tracks of friend and fab skier Super Stu MacBroom (and his girlfriend) on Good Friday.

Having spent many days this winter trudging through knee-deep snow to bag a few more Munros, it felt utterly enlightening to be gliding over the top of the snow. But there was a weirdness to this activity that took a while to embrace. Thanks to the "skins" that are attached to the bottom of the skis it's possible to glide uphill. A certain amount of technique and rhythm is required to fully master a smooth progression up different angles but in only a short time both the G-Force and I were happily skiing, well, uphill. I had never imagined it would be quite so simple but there we were heading out of the lower car park at the Cairngorm Mountain Centre and upwards towards the first summit, Cairn Gorm (at 4084ft the sixth highest peak in the UK).

This is not to say that ski touring is easy. It does require a good level of fitness and it certainly gives the muscles in your legs, bum and hips a huge workout. Because you also use poles to help with the propelling motion I found that my arms and shoulders were given a good pummelling, too. But on skis we did manage to cover a lot of miles in just one day.

By lunchtime we'd reached the summit of Cairn Gorm and then a couple of hours later we skied up to the top of neighbouring mountain Ben MacDui, the second highest peak in the UK.

Thanks to gorgeous clear blue skies the views of the surrounding mountains, including many over 4000ft, were out of this world. In fact, it is hard to imagine views more stunning than the snowy landscape that lay for many, many miles before us.

I was also fascinated by the way that the wind had created a snowy landscape that looked akin to sand dunes made of caster sugar. As Super Stu reminded me (he knows masses!) this is know as Sastrugi. For much of the adventure I felt as though we were skiing across a fabulously large "iced cake". How very fairy tale!

A picture of Sastrugi

And then it was time to head downhill. While we had removed our skins a few times during the day to descend short sections of the Cairngorm plateau, it wasn't until the final hour that we could truly appreciate the amazing opportunity to ski off-piste in such wonderful wild surroundings. The only problem was that as a snowboarder my skiing experience is limited and so the downhill became something of a challenge. Skiing downhill over a landscape of windswept "icing" is a lot trickier than I ever imagined.

While I watched in envy as experienced skiers Super Stu and Super Jen carved beautiful tracks over the snow, the G-Force and I were forced to plod a less than pretty and only just effective route back to the bottom of the mountain. We were so much slower and so much less relaxed than the Super Skiing Couple! By half way I found my thighs were screaming with exhaustion, by three quarters of the way down I thought all the muscles in my body would explode and during the final few hundred metres I thought I'd never ever reach the car park again. But eventually I did – and then I suddenly felt a huge burst of exhilaration at what I'd achieved. (I think, too, that my skiing had suddenly improved immeasurably thanks to the many challenges of off-piste snow!)

During my first ski tour adventure we'd summitted two of Britain's highest mountains, enjoyed a day of great chat, seen Scotland's landscape at its best and had a physical workout to beat almost anything else I've done. You can understand why I'm now hooked!