In the dry Cairngorms

[prophetofdom]

Started the walk after a super Italian Coffee Aviemore and then pushed on out of a busy car park and across the moor into the very French like lower forrested slopes.

Soon out of the forest and on an excellent track, peppered with downhill cyclists up to the first summit of the day. I wandered a little further seduced by a not to far top but with my partner resting and likely to get chily I turned back.

Then crossed the astonishing dry flat plains of the Cairngorms to pick up the stalkers track which lead quickly to our one munro of the day where Cecile slept for an hour and I considered our route back which was to go up and over a little further but after her sleep elected the shorter and easier route to the the stalkers track again and alongside the shoulder of a mountain, where I found torn remains of several feasts from a feathered preditor and down down down steeply into the wonderful Scots Pine and superby tall (relative for Juniper) Juniper trees rich with fruit.

Long walk back to the car and not as much invested in the forest as I had hoped. But what there was was excellent. Car park festoned in midgies as we returned, glad of a car to divest into and share a bottle of home brew before setting of to find a wild camp for the night. Cecile's 5th Munro, with the obligatory whisky at the top. Jelly babies proved quite popular for tired walkers as well.

[ken reid]

did this route in feb excelent day out