Scotland mostly - through nsl4u

On a really nice easy drive north to meet the lads for a 'Stag do', I went
off the new A9 to get to the Badenoch villages ...past Newtonmore where I
used to hill race to the turning point around a white pony (Creag Dhubh,
7km, 370m ascent; record by John Brooks [another Lochaber hardman, superb
athlete] 27.07, a world class athlete in his heyday, and started as a
brilliant junior often beating the senior internationalists). Then on to
Kingussie (miss the g ''ing'' out..as kin-you-see)..and the spectacular
Ruthven Barracks; a cavalry post for quelling the troublesome
highlanders....

Further on the views are of Badenoch and Strath Spey, then the glorious
Cairngorm plateau with it's regular chiselled corries and cliff faces, and
the deep glens of Lairig Ghru and Einich. As seen, the hills are high enough
to hold snow well into the Summer and it can regularly snow in every month
on the tops, where great care has to be taken by anyone not too experienced.
Some of the north facing corries have routinely had 'perpetual snowfields;
...I think sometimes more than 40 years old, though I recall that the very
long hot Summer of about 10 years ago banished them all. I don't think there
are any that develop now and maybe a sign of that insidious global warming
we hear about ....but maybe don't relate to quite so easily.

Aviemore is a wonderfully re-generated venue for some really great fun and
also wonderful outdoors activities...I can only strongly recommend ''go
there, try it..I seriously doubt if you'll be disappointed' - there's
something for everyone.

The Stag do was, for me, 'quite painful'...hmmm; I'd say down to the
servings at the Old Bridge Inn (excellent). However, thanks MD - what a
couple of days.

Br, Denis.

Labels: Ruthven Barracks, The CAIRNGORMS

Back safe and sound and still 'standing' at the Cairngorm car park, ready to
go for a refreshment! - Thanks Mark!!
Kenny and I chose the slightly more taxing hill-side route rather than the
Ptarmigan access track, but I guess we wanted to finish 'it'/ 'ourselves' -
off in style!

A 9.30 a.m. start and finished about 2.30 p.m., with quite few picture stops
and a couple of snacks and drinks grabbed too.
We maybe saw 15 people max. out in the wilds, in the full 5 hours out.
A fantastic hill opportunity grabbed and enjoyed as yet another grand
experience between like-minded folks ............
Thanks for keeping me going guys, appreciate your company and the craic.
Br, Denis.

Labels: by Ben Macdui, Glen Avon, The CAIRNGORMS, the Ptarmigan restaurant

Cameron, the 'beast master' drove us over to Loch Avon, then we mucked about
at the Shelter Stone, where Alan demonstrated his prowess!
The Glen is a favourite spot of many, because there's decent effort in
getting over to the Loch (A'an...as I was properly directed by the
knowledgeable ones...the Gaelic pronunciation of 'Avon'...).
We stopped again for some grub in the warm of the sun behind boulders out of
the wind, then the midges started, so we didn't hang about long!!
Richard and Cameron set the pace again and even though Alan had done 3 hours
from Glen Feshie the day before, he hung on bravely. Me'sel and Kenny, 'took
it easy'!

BR, Denis.
P.s. our rendezvous with Mark the Organiser, didn't quite click so he got us
a beer at the End, of course!

Labels: by Ben Macdui, The CAIRNGORMS, to loch Etchacan

Kenny, Cameron, Alan and Rich hauled me up onto the Plateau, on an epic day
out....Past the reindeer, the Ptarmigan restaurant, the Funicular railway
(white elephant), over the Cairn, down past the corries and over the Plateau
to The Macdui windbreaks. We needed to tog up quickly, bright and very warm
in the lea side, but chilled to about 5 deg C on the summit for a wee stop
to bite and drink (just about 2 hours in). Saw about 6 - 8 folks over the
tops.

More to follow (above..).

A wonderful day given the 'iffy' weather forecast, ...''deteriorating after
about lunchtime''....but fortunately it held up really good, way into late
evening.

Regards, Denis.

Labels: start, The CAIRNGORMS