An Easy Stroll on a Lovely Day

It’s such lovely weather at the moment, so it was no hardship to go for a longer stroll. Going passed the quarry it was good to see dozens of sand martins swooping and chattering around a good many nest holes. I continued along my usual route through woodland and around the loch before taking the track behind the Big House before taking the track straight ahead.

Blossom

A different view of the loch

Another different view of the loch

Through the trees

Jurassic Lane, not going that way today

Onwards track

Blue skies

Gorse

After passing by the pheasant pens I took the right hand track over the ford and up the little hill. There was a moment of disquiet when I could hear chainsaws working nearby and I was concerned I would get up to the High Road and not be able to continue, but it became clear they were working in the small copse below, so I was able to continue as planned.

As I walked along the High Road, I became aware of a tractor, trundling towards me. I took evasive action and headed for the undergrowth. Shortly after this had passed me, another came trundling along. I have only seen one other vehicle on this track, so was a little miffed to find myself heading for the undergrowth again, but the driver was one I see regularly around the estate and he gave me a big wave and a cheery smile. As I wondered further along, it occurred to me the next 100m section of track had no escape should another tractor happen along, but none did and I continued on across the bridge and then down the little quiet green lane to bring me out just before the farm yard. At this point, I rejoined my usual track to cross the little bridge, go behind the cottages and then up passed the nest site to check on the birds – they’re still there, which is good.

Continuing through the trees

Through the trees some more

And a little more

Big blue skies!

Trying out my boots at a ‘ford’ (we all know a proper ford is boots off up to your knees in water!)

Yup, we’re good

Roughly centre pic you can see the green lane I’m headed for

Over the bridge

Moss and ivy on the bridge

Cows in the distance

Dead tree

Another dead tree

Just above centre you can see the track I came down

Altyre Burn

Green Lane

Little hills in the distance

Cowslips

Mossy tree trunk

The sand martins on my way back

As I approached my usual turn off, I was disappointed to see a dog walker take me track and I didn’t want to walk behind them, so I took an unintended longer route and went up through the woods and on to the Dava Way to come out the Dallas Dhu Distillery. From there, I briefly joined the road before nipping into the woods to come back to the quarry and the road home.

The furthest I’ve walked to date, post surgery, albeit without a pack, roughly 10.1 miles and 615 ft and on an utterly beautiful day.

Testing, Testing…

Laura and I had an opportunity, the last opportunity before the Challenge, to walk together, so we took it.

We originally planned to meet in Aberlour, but as the weather was not playing ball, plans changed and I drove to Laura’s. On arrival, we chatted a while. After quite some time, we looked out of the window and decided to carry on chatting. After some more time, we decided we were just taking advantage and that the weather was in fact improving, if we didn’t get out and walk it would be too late! We left the house.

We parked in Aberlour, not where we had originally planned, had the obligatory faff, and set off uphill (why?!!) We continued round and uphill on this road until it eventually turned into a track. We stayed on this track until it turned into a path having an identity crises, it definitely thought it was a burn. Or a river. But all this was good practice and felt remarkably Challenge like, except for the lightness of our packs

Metalled lane

View across farmland to Ben Rinnes, with a little bit of remaining snow

Winding track through the birch trees, before its identity crisis…

We continued up through forestry and birch woods until we popped out the other side and downhill, through a gate and stopped by the bench that Laura had promised me, where we sat and ate lunch gazing towards Dufftown and the hills of Glenfiddich Forest beyond.

The Lunch Bench

Laura, poised for lunch

The view over Dufftown and the Glenfiddich Forrest hills.

We enjoyed a pleasant lunch, sheltered from the cool breeze by the birch woods behind us, then we set off on the return leg. Once we hit the tarmac, we became aware of the weather, slowly tracking us down. We were glad to be heading downhill and therefore at a good pace. The rain started just as we reached the van and piled in.

…let’s get back to the van!!

What a great little walk, thanks Laura, thoroughly enjoyed some ‘proper’ walking for the first time in a few weeks, and I think we’re both ‘fit’ and ready for the Challenge. Bring it on!

Roughly 6.52 miles and 1,135 ft total ascent, a good ‘test’.

Preparation for The Great Outdoors Challenge 2017

I had no intention of applying for this year’s Challenge, or indeed for any future Challenge. It was just the decision I had reached. However, a week or so before the deadline for entries, I had a complete change of heart and with David’s agreement, entered. A couple of weeks later I heard that I had, yet again, been lucky and gained a place on the Challenge. Whoops!

As luck would have it, I did have a route planned that just required a bit of minor tweaking to be ready to submit and was fully vetted by the end of November. For the last four months, it would normally just have been a matter of research and details, but I had the added excitement of having found I’d developed an Inguinal Hernia. I saw my surgeon in January who hoped to be able to operate in time for me to go ‘on my holiday’ (…he really did not understand the concept of ‘backpacking’…) but the date came through for my repair as 23rd March. This meant I would be 7 weeks post-op at the start of the Challenge, cutting things a little fine I thought. However, I had left my name on the short notice cancellation list and as luck would have it, that was the phone call I received the day I was walking with Mick and Gayle. The new date for my operation was 9th March, meaning I am currently 5 weeks post-op and I will be 9 weeks post-op when I leave home for my start point. As the advised recovery period is 6 to 8 weeks, I should be fully recuperated and raring to go by then.

I am making a good, steady recovery. I now have no pain to speak of (if I poke the scar hard enough, I can still feel a little bruising, but I don’t tend to do that) the general swelling, of which there was more than I was expecting, has gone, with just a small amount remaining under the scar itself. I am beginning to gradually phase back into the things I haven’t been allowed to do, I am driving short journeys now, emptying the dishwasher a couple of plates at a time, taking smaller items from the shelf at the supermarket and contemplating doing a little light housework, although I wouldn’t hoover or cook a family meal for all six of us yet. I’m quite sure in four weeks time I’ll be ready to heft that 12.5kg rucksack…as I ever am.

I left the house for the first time nine days after the operation, just for a little trip to the supermarket, but built up from there and two weeks later I was back to my normal length walk, although not up to my usual speed. That doesn’t worry me, I’m walking at Challenge speed, so this is a good thing!

I have my Challenge main meals from mountaintrails.org.uk as usual, the main snack items are stashed in the cupboard, I have all my maps, new socks and new Meindl Bhutan boots being gradually worn in (gradually ‘cos I don’t want to get them dirty, they don’t really need worn in!) I’ve done all my print outs, laminated my route sheet, booked the only B&B of the trip and booked my seat on the bus.

All I need to do is pack.

So, on the whole, preparation for the Challenge is going well, all things considered.

There has been walking, just not a lot…

Laura and I have enjoyed a couple of local walks lately that have been repeats of local walks. We were more focussed on the chatting and lunch than having adventures. We repeated a recent walk at Logie Steading before Christmas, then did a longer walk from my front door before she went on her travels again. Both walks were lovely, despite being somewhat familiar to us.

Logie’s rare breed cattle, feeling a little itchy

Happened across a stag!!

Reflections

‘The Castle’

Hellooo!!

5.93 miles 711 ft total ascent

9.65 miles 647 ft total ascent

Mick and Gayle have been for a visit, primarily to introduce Bertie to us. He is very smart and I am quite smitten!

There was walking too, both from my front door. I have taken M&G onto Altyre Estate before, but not since we moved into town. I chose to take them on one of the longer walks that I do from my door, some parts of which they were vaguely familiar with but we had a lovely day and a good news phone call at lunch time, so we were all quite happy.

Gayle, taking advantage of my Photograph Rock…

9.28 miles 602 ft total ascent

And it was all lovely!!! Thank you.

So, That Was 2016…

Well, there was some walking this year, totalling around 1,201.84 miles 88,478.12 feet ascent, but I didn’t walk with Laura until February. We also went to a family wedding in February, which was a lovely social for us in Glasgow.

March saw some walking with Laura and our three young athletes were competing in the Scottish Air Pistol Championships in Edinburgh.

April saw more Challenge preparation with Laura on the Fishwives Walk.

And then there was May, when I backpacked across Scotland with my world on my back to for two weeks, this time crossing from Oban to Stonehaven. I had a fabulous time.

More local strolling for me around Altyre Estate during June, with a little DofE thrown in for fun.

July saw us venture to York for a few days of leisure.

August was a bit busier, we took the athletes to Surrey to compete in the Junior International Championships, we did some more DofE, we had a wonderful time with visitors Mick and Gayle and Rhiannon and Ciara moved into the flat they’re sharing in Aberdeen whilst they are both at University there.

A fab walk with Mick and Gayle

In September, as well as finally seeing our Silver Group pass their Expedition, I also found ‘Harry Houdini, the Disappearing Hernia’, hopefully he should be sorted in the next couple of months…

October, November and December saw me enjoying lots of local walks and some with Laura too. Aedan was still competing and performing well at two competitions at Cardiff.

The Lovely Laura

All in all, we’ve had a busy year, all good fun and hopefully there’ll be more to come in the New Year, who knows!

Slàinte mhor!!

PS I apologise for the lack of photographs, I’ll come back and add some over the next few days!!