Our Shop Window

Lots of you drop by on a Friday afternoon for last minute bits and pieces before you head off for the weekend's adventures so we wanted to let you know that the Peebles shop will be shut a little earlier than usual this Friday at 5pm

You might have noticed that it's been unseasonally cold lately. The BBC News team certainly did and prepared a piece which they filmed at Harlow Carr Gardens in Harrogate about the late frosts and the problems they might cause for gardeners. They also came to Out & About and filmed and interviewed Pat about the things we've been selling this month that we wouldn't normally expect our customers to need in May, which included a down jacket the other day. It was scheduled to be shown on the evening news last night "unless Gordon Brown does something dramatic..........." So unfortunately our soon-to-be-ex-Prime Minister prevented Pat from enjoying his few seconds of fame.

We have just taken delivery of new products from Paramo in our Harrogate Branch . There are fresh new colours for established favourites like the men’s and ladies’ Cascada Jacket and some technical new introductions in the guise of the versatile Summit Hoodie co-ordinated with the Fuera Ascent windproof jacket.

Not a great deal of work got completed yesterday afternoon as we all succumbed to the temptations that lie between the covers of Scotland Outdoors magazine after Richard Rowe dropped off our copies of the latest edition. If the front cover cyclists riding along a Hebridean beach aren't enough to convince you that Spring is nearly here and that you should start making your outdoor expeditions plans then there is plenty more inspiration inside. There are articles on sea kayaking, hill-running, sea-eagles, bothies and an Exploration of Wester Ross. Scotland Outdoors is available in store all spring for £3.80

Since the middle of December, the hills and mountains of Scotland have been covered, to varying degrees, in snow but before that, in November you might recall it was just very wet and very windy. In the middle of what was probably the wettest and windiest weekend of them all we headed up to Loch Tulla with the intention of climbing Stob Gabhar. Strong winds and swollen rivers put paid to that plan but the weekend was salvaged with a trek along the stretch of the West Highland Way running north towards Kingshouse. It rained...alot but in between the extremely heavy showers we enjoyed the desolation of Rannoch Moor and glimpses of peaks that we'll save for another day. Overnight camp at Loch Tulla- not raining yet The rain clouds headed our way from the south with the wide-ranging view giving us plenty of warning of when to don waterproof overtrousers. We've used this next photo in our window display cards this March taken high up on the moor looking back towards Bridge of Orchy...

Back in November we reported on the success of ex-Out & About Saturday Staff Andy Houseman on the North Face of Chang Himal. In partnership with Nick Bullock he suceeded in this notable first ascent. Their climb has now been recognised by the selection committee of the prestigious Piolet d'Or and is one of five nominees for the 2010 award. The news is extensively covered in the climbing media: The British Mountaineering Council UKclimbing Piolet d'Or

Sealskinz socks have a unique seamless three-layer construction that works together to keep your feet warm, dry and comfortable. The inner lining wicks moisture away from your skin and is made from either Coolmax, or in the case of the newly introduced Walking Sock £28 , Merino wool for warmth and comfort. The waterproof, breathable membrane that makes up the mid layer typically has a breathability greater than 65% WVP. The outer layer is designed for extra durability and abrasion resistance with stretch properties to ensure a good fit. There are approximately 10 models in the Sealskinz sock range, each aimed at a different end-use. Sealskinz Walking Sock with elasticated arch and ankle support