Getting on with my life and thinking about things.
Back in Braemar. Weather too changeable to get caught on hill. Just camped a couple of hours up track n tabbed it back after breakfast. Photos and non-trip report later.
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Ready for anything - except the weather playing mindgames.
Looking back to Inverey - the only climb I tackled that weekend.
A buzzard losing the battle of air superiority to 2 gulls or lapwings.
Ey Burn, looking south-west. The wind had got stronger, spits of rain in the wind, and then the clear view of the clouds. The weather forecast had stated continuous rain in the afternoon, and Sunday was going to be worse. Decided to tab it to the Lodge and camp there instead of walking on into the rain, and back through on Sunday.
Looking south-west along Glen Ey to Beinn Iutharn Mhor.
Altanour Lodge in Glen Ey
The view from my tent, between the river and the lodge.
Alpkit titanium mug, with duct tape on handles, and plastic tie instead of the supplied wooden knob. Pie-foil windshield.
Cooking mug in pot-cosy.
There's a 2-person tent in the hidden hollow. Honest.
Red deer on the hill. I don't know which one is Shaka.
I had the cunning plan of going out to where the deer had been grazing. I eventually found this cast-off antler.
Beinn Iutharn Mhor in the morning.
I walked out of the valley later in the morning. Back in Aberdeen in the evening, the weather forecasters were still saying there was heavy rain. At the end of the night, they said we had rain - which we hadn't. A 16km trek and a night under canvas.
7 comments:
Penultimate pic: couldn't quite manage it all then - might explain the expression in the first snap
Aye, Paul. NECR had broadcast the forecast "continuous rain in the west of our broadcast region". Not knowing where their broadcast region was, apart from the North East corner, I thought it would include Braemar for sure. It backed up the MWIS detailed forecast. And the fast-moving darkening clouds overhead. Plan B became - get an hour up glen as there's a sheiling I can shelter in when the 50mph winds hit. Plan C was the Lodge. Spending a holiday weekend with 1 1/2 days of rain walking never entered into it.
So very pretty! Your hiking area does look quite like our Olympic Mountains here in the Pacific Northwest :-)
Thanks, Sarah. Oh, you were talking about the view ;-)
You guys have way bigger hills, and many more trees. I'll need to see it some day. I'm tempted by the 100 mile wilderness on the AT after reading Bryson's book, but I'd need a squad of bodyguards to keep the fear of bears at bay. I'm bad enough with ticks, let alone something that'd rip off my head just to eat my last Snickers bar!
Other places I'd like to see: Sharpsburg/Antietam - in a previous lifetime, I've painted 15mm ACW figures based on that battle.
And some historical First Peoples locations. To see how they really lived before us Europeans came along.
Probably not surprised that I'm not interested in shopping in New York, plays on Broadway or studio tours in Hollywood. Maybe to see an REI store to compare with the outdoor stores here.
Keep up the good work and good photos, Sarah
Heh! Everyone comes to Seattle, Washington and wants to go visit the flagship REI store. Well, cannot blame them..it is like being a kid in a candy store!
Then we stuff them with wild salmon and take them to one of the many snow covered volcanoes to hike ;-)
But...you have so many lovely treeless areas. I love hiking where I have unlimited views!
A pity that you couldn't stay longer. Still, looks like you had a good time whilst you were out. I remember that when I did Carn Bhac as an afternoon quicky from Inverey - which, incidentally, has the best youth hostel in Scotland - looking longingly at the valleys and thinking how great it would be to camp there.
To be honest, Simon, I think I'm just making excuses. I've only been under canvas three times this year. The biggest hill I've climbed was the one up from Inverey.
I'm definitely in the "escape from" mood instead of the "escape to". If I'd just decided to go up the valleys and camp wherever I found a decent pitch, then I probably would. I just need to push work off to one side and stop making excuses.
I'm toying with the idea of the SUW again. With dental work kicking in, the high cost of fuel (and everything else), it makes more sense to go for long stints than short ones.
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