Marching up a Munro

Get your boots on

I am now busy getting ready for the first of the really physical challenges which involves travelling to Scotland. From where I live that’s a bit of a drive & Paddi the dog will also be tagging al

ong. We headed for the

alt="scenery from the car window of lakes & mountains" — On the Way

alt="view from car window as driving to Scotland" — View from the Car

Top tip :

Try to book accommodation within easy reach of a of a whisky tasting venue. The apartment in Cairngorm was within walking distance to such an emporium. This meant we could sample several drams of the local spirit in the company of other like minded souls. A great evening was had & still in contact with our drinking buddies now.

‘Claggy’ Weather

Typical dull grey & wet Scottish weather greeted us. The weather forecast for walking was not great. There was amount where we thought we would have to abandon the idea as it could have been dangerous. The plan was to check in with the mountain visitor centre & take advice on the day. This turned out to be a wise idea & as it turned out the weather did improve enough to make it viable.

This sort of adventure had been a had done a lot of this kind of adventure when younger so did have things like maps & compasses on us together with warm drinks & snacks. Stout boots & robust clothing is a must as the climate can be very different on the top compared to the base. We didn’t want to be calling upon the services of the Mountain Rescue.

alt="arial cable of ski lift" — Cable Aloft

alt="ski centre on mountain" — Snow Station

alt="model of the mountain range" — Mountain Map

alt="ski routes on a map" — Ski Route Map

alt="views coming down the mountain" — View

alt="getting your bearings in the fog" — White Out

Cold & Snowy but Undeterred

Walking up a mountain is no mean feat & something we had done a few times in our younger days. It was a cold somewhat misty day & there was snow on the top. It’s no fun walking in mist. Staying on the correct route is challenging especially while it was snowing. We walked through the ‘white out’ to reach the summit.

Paddi was like a dog with two tails & embraced the climb with gusto. For once I didn’t mind being ‘towed’ up the slope as he sniffed for all he was worth. It was hard to comprehend how we needed to take a break on the top yet he seemed to be still keen to keep going. Coffee at the top was welcome & as we came down the mist lifted & we were treated to some spectacular views.

alt="me in cold weather hat & coat" — Selfie

alt="snow on the ground in the fog" — Finding the Path

alt="glimpse of the surrounding mountain view as fog lifts" — Fog Lifting

alt="walking down a Munro" — Heading down

The Munro walking was fun and is duly recorded to show what it was like. It was a good taster in the preparation for one of the other challenges that will come along in the future.