Sometimes the best made plans of mice and men.....etc etc.

My cousin and her two kids came up for the weekend from Perthshire. They were raring to buff up their snowboarding skills, so it was with some trepidation that I looked out of the window on Sunday morning. On Saturday the weather had been pretty stormy and I was hoping it might calm down for Sunday, but things didn't look good out there. Optimistic Susannah, Fearn and Zac set off for Nevis Range before 9am but winds were too high for the gondola to run. At 10.30am, after hot chocolates, cappucinos and the papers in the café by the car park we decided to call it quits and head down to Kinlochleven and the Ice Factor. Here no matter what it's doing outside you can get active in an indoor capital stylee: which we did.

Susannah, Fearn and Zac got shown the ropes (literally) by myself and a friend and after a brief introduction went off for a climbing lesson with an instructor. Meanwhile Ken and I spent two hours on the ice wall - which was great fun and pretty strenous. My technique definately improved - I never climb anything that steep outside!

Collapsing with more cappucino (is there a theme here?) everyone had a rest in the café. 13 year old Fearn polished off a full sunday roast (she's tiny - where does she put it?) the grown ups chatted whilst the kids continued to climb using the auto-belayers; really nifty devices that mean you can climb without a partner (meaning responsible adults can, once they have checked the kids are attached OK, lounge around with -yes you guessed it - more cappucino's). I am not sure whether it was the climbing the kids liked or the fact that the the auto-belayer lets you launch yourself off into space to get down - pretty much like flying!!

So from a dubious start the day was a good one.

For more ideas of what to do when the weather lets you down, click through onto the 'rainy day' section of the Outdoor Capital site.

Anna