What a glorious Sunday it was. The start of the day was a tad hectic as I was running late to catch the coach due to the car being iced up, but eventually made it just in time.
On the basis of the icy weather, I was so well prepared with my kit consisting of battery heated gloves, hand warming gel pads, extra thick socks, 2 woolly hats, a double thick fleeced jacket and copious helpings of piping hot tomato soup.
The reality was, that by 10.30, it was t-shirt weather so a great deal of energy was expended humping severe weather gear and a flask the weight of a welders gas bottle up the mountain.
I managed to arrange for my part-time companion, Digger the dog, to be picked up at Lochearnhead to accompany me for the day. Kathy herself couldn't manage as she's wangled a job that consists of her driving around in Ferraris, Lambos, Porches etc....and gets paid for it. Luxury. Still, she missed out on a wonderful day.
We had a group of 30 set off together, but 6 of us picked up the pace a tad and gained a considerable lead and got to the foot of the hill in record time. Then the decision was made that rather than head onto the bealach, we would go a more vertical route to the summit.
Very blue sky and stripping off the extra layers of clothing.
On hindsight, we should possibly have stuck to the intended route as the rocks that had not been exposed to sunlight were a slippery as eels, but we managed just fine as it happens with only a few 'oops moments', and gained the summit so early, we had an extended lunch at the cairn.
Looking behind us to Ben Vorlich and Stuc a'Croin
Digger awaiting more sandwiches from the others. (he'd finished mine by this time).
The views were stunning with the best visibilty I've encountered so far this year, and it felt as if you could reach out and touch the Lawers range and the Tarmachan ridge. Then it was downhill on the shaded side to head for the coach pick-up point at Glenogle cottages, and this was a bit scary with the ice, although Digger delighted himself by breaking through sheets of it to dive into bracken filled puddles.
Then off for High Tea in Comrie and home. A damn good day.
Meanwhile, it's now Monday and the next pair of Microlodges are coming on well and we had another press photographer in today, so with luck, some proper pics for the site later this week.
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