Spectacular buts

So, I’m a little behind with my write ups as I’ve been having a few technical difficulties, but I’m back now and bringing up the rear.

We had some visitors recently, Mick and Gayle came to stay for the weekend at the start of November and I planned a couple of walks for them and some fabulous weather, ‘cos I’m good at that, apparently.

I usually get myself in a terrible tiz, planning a walk with other walkers, I’m always concerned that, if it’s a walk I know, then they won’t enjoy it as much as I do, or if it’s an adventure, it’ll be a miserable disaster. I don’t know why I take the responsibility so seriously, especially as neither situation has ever become reality. Especially not with Mick and Gayle, as they enjoy walking in all sorts of environments and are always up for an adventure! So I was quite chuffed with myself when the morning of The Adventure dawned and I didn’t feel sick.

It was indeed a beautiful day that dawned, despite the weather forecast suggesting a wet afternoon was in prospect, and we set forth for the Dava Moor with cake in our daypacks and smiles on our faces.

David neatly abandoned the car about a mile north east of Huntly’s Cave by the side of A939 and The Executive decided it was time for second breakfast. I handed out the homemade date and walnut granola bars (homemade granola, made into granola bars…) and there was much munching as we stood in the chill breeze before finally setting off. Having cleverly lightened my load before leaving the car, we tackled the first obstacle, just feet from the car. A locked gate, but it was quite a new one and quite sturdy, so with just a bit of whinging (me) we heaved ourselves over (me again) and took the track that runs roughly perpendicular to the Dava Way at this point. (Exhausted now, big word).

This track had upulation from the start, which was not very welcome right at the beginning of the walk, but did get the blood pumping to most parts (apart from Gayle, who may have been suffering from a lack of fingers by now) still, we puffed and panted our way up (…me) and then negotiated some mud and sheep and a few buildings. It’s always the buildings. And then the woodland. Trees, always a bit tricky. Gayle and I didn’t think this part of the track looked particularly well used, but we were sort of pleased to see the stile in the deer fence, even if it was of the rather tall variety. It was at least in good repair. Shortly after, the track seemed to become better used, but for no particular reason. Then there was the next huge stile, which was again successfully negotiated. Even when the conversation turned to the subject of spectacular buts and those in view ahead of us were less so, no one fell off the stile.

Before they made their get away

Discussing spectacular buts

The terrain around here was rather lovely. Rolling yet craggy hills, nice views of the Cromdale Hills and the Cairngorms beyond, good track under foot, I was quite pleased! Could have done without Mick deciding he needed a comfort stop just as I turned to get the camera out for a shot of the views… We didn’t go for a poke around the crags to find the Other Huntly’s Cave (the first one is a popular spot with climbers and easily accessed from the road) but kept going until The Executive decided it was time to stop and we found The Perfectly Placed Lunch Hut, at almost exactly the half way point.

I’m good at this.

Even better, it was an unlocked hut, so in we went to sit on benches around a large table with lovely views through the open door as it swung gently in the breeze. Most of us ate all of our sandwiches before forcing down some absolutely disgusting chocolate fruit brownie (yuk, horrible, all chocolatey and gooey and eugh!) and then some yummy fruit loaf. Flasks were emptied, noses powdered and then we were ready for The Next Bit.

Views

Ruins at Badahad

Lunch hut with a view

The backside of the Knock of Braemory

This was probably the only bit that had given me any real cause for concern, a ford. There was no knowing, as ever, quite what to expect and there had been an amount of rain of late, but I needn’t have worried, it was perfectly doable, so long as nobody helps you by lengthening your poles first (I like them short and stumpy, leave them alone!) We all managed safely across and I didn’t even skewer David as I hurled my poles across for him to borrow, a bonus.

There was more upulation, not too sharp, but a bit persistent, although we didn’t notice it too much. At least, David and Mick obviously didn’t as they sped into the distance whilst Gayle kindly ambled alongside me as I hauled my sorry carcase along the track. A mild moment of interest as we happened across a chap with his dog and a hawk and probably a couple of ferrets in the boxes by the side of his truck. He waved hello and we waved back and walked on. He very kindly approached us slowly from behind as he drove along the track later, giving us time to find a hole to stand in and let him by.

It didn’t take too long to reach Dava, where we left our little adventurous route and joined the Dava Way. It felt very strange to be heading south on the Dava, as I’m used to doing most of it heading north, apart from one tiny section I sometimes join on the Altyre Estate and follow to Clashdhu. However, I got over my discomfort by chatting away continuously (as we had all the way round) with Gayle as Mick and David disappeared in to the distance until they could not be seen at all. Still, they weren’t going to get lost…

This creepy guy was back at the car (looking back to Gayle in the distance, she’d been inspecting a gateway…)

Thoroughly enjoyed this little adventure, totally different landscape from the bleak and barren looking west side of the Dava Moor and in excellent company as ever.

Approximately 12.4 miles and 1,173 ft total ascent (said there was upulation!!) in just over 5 hours including lunch, fording, climbing and photo opportunities, so not bad.

During the previous little sojourn, The Executive had decided the walk for Sunday need only be a little stroll and I had a Plan.

Sunday dawned a little less nice looking and The Plan was put in to action. The car was again neatly abandoned by David, this time in the car park at Cloddymoss in Culbin Forest. I had done this route (or maybe just parts of it, and maybe in a different direction) but a while ago when I was in charge and would definitely would not have been paying attention. After a pleasant enough path through the forest that spit us out onto the road, I decided to avoid too much of it and headed off along a wooded track to a farm. For some reason, I then decided we shouldn’t take the obvious track to the right to avoid the buildings and that we should instead take a muddy (?!) path to the left and through a dodgy gate. However, we did get to the track we definitely did want into the woods at the back of Brodie Castle. It was plain sailing from here.

The way through the woods

Looking back to where we should have come from, on the left there…

Heading to where we want to be!

The backside of Brodie Castle

Popular pond

We took a right and headed to the big pond where there were droves of people (that arrived in cars and walked a few yards) admiring the swans and ducks. We hung a left straight to the level crossing, which we crossed, then as we met the A96, we turned right and paid a visit to Brodie Countryfayre, where I happened to know they’d just opened a new extension to the restaurant.

We had a very civilised lunch on proper seats at a proper table indoors and then got to visit a proper powder room too. After briefly making like tourists, we went back to our preferred environment and continued our stroll. Back over the level and into the castle grounds to take a wiggly path, visiting Rodney’s Stone before popping back onto the road again, briefly.

Rodney’s Stone

…like I said

Educating themselves (apparently, they can read)

At Dyke we popped onto a Moray Core Path to Loanhead, but en route spotted a trig I’d mentioned to David might be an easy nab. “There’s a bit of fence here without barbed wire!” said Mick as he hopped over it and held the top wire down, “I’ll come with you!” he said, inviting me to hop over to join him. So I did. Quickly followed by Gayle and David. We made our way across a slightly muddy ploughed field to find the trig (that does not appear to be on the highest point) Photographic evidence of the bag was taken, then we headed straight down hill to the road, intending to find the easiest bit of fence to hop back over. We found a very easy bit, that other people appear to have hopped over before us, but mid hop something caught David’s eye. Something was attached to the wire of the fence, looked a bit like a modern dog collar tag, the sort that screws…a Geocache! We found a pen, signed the Geocache and put it back, quite chuffed with an Unintentional Trig and Accidental Geocache.

A trig-pointing we will go

The evidence that we found it

And looking back to the trig on the horizon from the Accidental Geocache.

A surprisingly pleasing little stroll on a grey but dry day.

Approximately 5.74 miles and 369 ft of total upulation.

Thanks for the company and do call again!!

More pride

This has been a busy summer at times and yet again I’m bursting with pride because of my amazing children.

Aedan was entered as part of team Scotland in the Junior International at Bisley. Entered for what, you may ask? Well, 10m Air Pistol Mens Grand Prix, 25m Air Pistol Men and 10m Air Pistol Men.

This was his first international competition and we had to drive all the way down south for the pleasure. Fortunately we were able to borrow his coach’s static caravan which saved us a small fortune and as it’s on site, was very convenient.

He performed incredibly well. In the first competition he was fourth overall, (first out of the Scottish squad) not a medal obviously and the others kept telling me fourth is the worst place, but in his first international competition? I couldn’t help but beam from ear to ear.

The second competition was a bit of a surprise, I was unaware that he would be required to shoot this discipline as part of the team and he’s never shot it before, but he did really well and thoroughly enjoyed it. He shot an individual twelfth and the team were fourth overall (no medal, again, but so close!!)

The third competition is a knock out and Aedan was the only member of the Scottish squad to make it into the final by taking fifth place. The final is a grand, televised affair, with commentary and pressure and in the end, he was sixth, but I have to say I was so proud, what a little star and to really top it off, the boys got team bronze, woo hoo!!

It was a fabulous experience and we’re looking forward to a lot more competitions in the future, not least as Ciara is shooting well and has also been invited into the squad.

To really top the trip off, we stopped en route to meet up with our pals Mick and Gayle to have a quick social and a pub lunch. That was rather nice too.

The long and the short of it

I’ll confess straight away, this is nothing to do with walking or hills. This is about our girls.

The girls decided three weeks ago that they would get sponsored to have their hair cut off and donate both the hair and the sponsorship monies to the Little Princess Trust. This is a charity that makes real-hair wigs for young people that have lost their own hair through cancer treatments and other serious illnesses.

Before…

…and after!

That was 9” from Ciara’s hair and 17” from Rhiannon’s.

We are so proud of our girls and they look stunning to boot! If you should feel inclined to support this wonderful cause, here is a link to their donations page, and thank you.

An out and back, in a round about way

Trigpointing #2

There’s a small, fairly isolated, rounded hill that we have passed on almost every journey down south for the past twenty odd years and I’ve walked passed it too on a few occasions and every time I’ve thought, “I really must climb that hill sometime.”

Well, today, we did.

We headed south towards Grantown-on-Spey and parked up in the layby so that we could pick up the Dava Way and head north. As we set off, the local chap using his sit on mower to cut the grass verge stopped us and persuaded David to move the car to a more convenient spot, just opposite the start of our walk. I walked along the verge and David moved the car. Then, we joined the Dava Way and headed north. Our goal, the Knock of Braemory, soon hove into view.

Information board

The Knock

Another information board

There are no paths or tracks leading up the Knock, so after following the Dava a short way, we left it and cut across what should normally be quite boggy ground to pick up a vague ancient track that runs parallel with the road, taking in a few gentle contours on the way. After not quite a mile of fairly dry bog and a bit of heatheriness, we started to head slightly more directly uphill, over rough ground. Very rough ground. With a choice of much longer heatheriness or very long grass with lots and lots of really jaggy thistles. It was a bit of a struggle either way. So we struggled. Or at least, I struggled, David found it a whole lot easier.

It was quite a warm day despite being overcast, a mere 25 deg C as we I toiled up hill. After a little while, and a brief pause sitting on a handy rock, we made it to the top of the little hill and to the trig point. The views are stunning up there! Or would have been without the haze, but still worth the hard work. I have never sat on a trip point before. It wasn’t until after David had persuaded me that I could, that I realised once up, I’d have to get back down again. I didn’t hurt myself too much…

Fence line, but we didn’t follow it

No wonder I was struggling, I was carrying a donkey!!

I look nothing like a garden gnome, they don’t wear Tilley hats…

Ben Rinnes

We don’t have matching Tilley hats, noooo….

Playing with panorama on my camera

Over the bog cotton to Lochindorb

Over the bog cotton to the Cairngorms

There were a couple of small pools at the top, I think normally they might be small lochans, but it’s been very dry over the last year or so. I was puzzled by the strange fluttering noise I could hear as I was taking photographs of the scenery but eventually spotted a dragonfly, then another, then a couple more!

In the middle of that photograph, there is a dragonfly. I did not have the right equipment with me!

We made our way off the little hill in a slightly different direction, knowing that we would eventually drop onto the the Dava Way again and could head south back to the car. From this view point, we could just about see the spot Laura and I camped just over a year ago on our Pre-TGO Challenge overnight camp at Bogeney

Camp spot, almost centre of the photograph

All in all, a really rather lovely walk and I’m glad that, at last, I won’t ever pass this small hill and think, “I really must climb that hill sometime!”

In total (roughly, as usual) 4.63 miles and 747 feet ascent

Reflections of The Great Outdoors Challenge 2014

Here we are, a week after my return home from the Challenge and I’ve posted my write up, washed all my kit, cleaned and waxed my beautiful boots and aired my tent and sleeping bag. What’s left to do?

Well, there has to be a few thoughts on how it all went and a bit of planning for next time of course!

So, how did it go?

I really enjoyed the route. It was, essentially, quite simple and I was familiar with quite a bit of it, but it was testing enough at times and certainly beautiful. I loved it. We loved it!

How did my gear perform?

Splendidly as expected, on the whole.

As food has become a bit of a Challenge issue for me, I tried different food this time, from Mountain Trails. I chose two of each of Minced Beef Dinner, Chicken in Cream and Mushroom Sauce, Four Cheese Pasta and Mushrooms, Creamy Mushroom and Tomato Pasta and Vegetarian Rainbow Couscous, Hot Chocolate Pudding and Hot Apple and Custard Dessert. I inadvertently found out that the apple pudding is still actually quite nice when cold, but then, I am known to eat cold apple pie or crumble with cold custard for breakfast, so this is no surprise.

I wasn’t keen on the couscous, too spicy for me whilst backpacking, but the rest was very good. I also thought it was very good value for money, there are two portion sizes available and the small size was perfect for me. They all rehydrated well. I’ve previously had problems with meat, mushrooms and pasta with rehydration, but these were good. I only accidentally made one pasta soup, but it was still very tasty! I do like my food, but I don’t like paying over £10 for a dried meal that I may not finish or that there aren’t enough that appeal to me to give a bit of variety. These meals ranged between £2.99-£5.99 in the size I chose. Over all, I intend to use them again, but as always, I would note that each to their own.

I also discovered that if I buy four crusty rolls for a £1 and two small camembert from Co-op they will last me four days and do lunch admirably or dinner if I have a tomato soup too. Sorted.

My new Paramo Quito trousers. I initially found them very comfortable and it was great to just wear the trousers with no need to stop and pull on over trousers. They were very quiet too, which is a pleasant change. I would say I found them a little warm towards the end of the Challenge and opted not to wear them for the long, warm stroll to North Water Bridge, (wearing my Ronhills instead) although I did not walk with them vented as I could have done. At that point, I just wanted them OFF! I also found them to be a little too delicate…

This is a little rip in my bottom, about 1.5” across

I didn’t rip my trousers during the gracefully controlled slide down the waterfall. This was probably done just sitting on a rock as we did the Lairig and Laoigh. Just sitting. No slipping, sliding or wriggling, just sat right down. On a rock. I also grazed the knee slightly as I threw myself gently at the ground on the way to Glenmuick and there may be one or two other nicks around the ankles caused by the heather we trudged through.

I do like them, but I don’t think they are rugged enough to cope with the Challenge. I shall save up and get them repaired, they will be useful for day walks or D of E.

My new camera, an Olympus Tough, is excellent. Easy to use, produced photographs good enough for me and was certainly waterproof as it got a good drenching in the two downpours we had.

My little Laser is my darling. I love it! I do need to do a bit of repair work though as some of the stitching is coming loose on the pegging point at the tail end. Nothing major, I just need to get my needle and thread out.

Just a stitch or two

I also love my Osprey Exos 58. Everything fits, there’s rummage room and it’s comfy to carry. This also needs a bit of repair however. On its first Challenge, I carried a tube of sun cream in the hip pocket. Now, these tubes have a sharp bottom and this one managed to wear a hole in the side of the mesh hip pocket and then also in the mesh on the frame. I don’t think I want to repair this myself, so I shall save up and send this away too. I know carry a handy pocket size bottle with no sharp edges. And I used it this year!

Not a brilliant illustration of the problem

My Meindl Burma boots are the dogs doodahs! My feet were dry the whole way across, although that had something to do with the almost complete lack of rain and the fact that the paths and tracks we used were not doing a good impression of a river bed! My feet were comfortable. Apart from the days when we had substantial or unexpected road walking at the end of the day. Then the soles of my feet felt a bit sore and bruised and a little pounded but nothing that wasn’t recovered by the next day after changing into my sandals and giving them a rest.

The only other issue I had were the joints of my left foot which felt sore and inflamed at the end of a long day. I’m not sure if it was due to the change in my footbeds, my right foot which usually has the problems was fine. We’ll see what happens.

My new fleece, whilst a bit chunkier and heavier than I would have liked, was comfy and cosy and really useful.

I found it easy enough to use my filter bottle to drink during the day and then treated my water as usual for my night meal and breakfast. Yes, yes, I know, it’s Scotland, I don’t need to do that, blah blah, but it’s what I’m drinking and cooking with and what I choose to do.

I think everything else did what I wanted it to do, so I’m happy.

As to next time? I have a route. And I’m very excited!