3 points, £60 and frozen Tors
Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2012 12:00 amI love hill walking but find the drive back down the A9 a nightmare. Tankers, smallish cars,(always seem to be Vauxhalls) towing big trailers and caravans. When the chance comes you take it, get past the majority and just before the lanes merge into one again you speed up to get past the last few stragglers. Only to find the local police up their bonuses by zapping you with their speed cameras. Getting a £60 fine and three points for doing 73 mile per hour in a 60 miles zone is frustrating (the lanes had only just merged). The feelings of entrapment and frustration are even worse than being stuck behind a tanker doing 30ish.
However the day started with us all chilled especially Gerry who was still suffering from the night before. Great result for a guy who had decided to go on the wagon?? We headed up to Glenmore lodge. The forecast was sunny but at Dalwhinne the snow was coming in and we all thought blizzards on the hills. Glad to say things improved but the ice around Aviemore was vicious.
Bynack more is a great walk, the forest is gorgeous, the paths excellent and the Lochan Uaine is a 1 minute detour off the path and great to see. What a colour. It is like seeing the ocean floor off the south sea but here in the middle of the highlands. Mind you not the only wonder that awaits on this walk.
The walk up is a gentle climb and some great views. As you walk up you can see the summit but this trek does have a few gems along the way.
Unsure of the glen we are looking down but it is breath taking and the pictures do not do it justice.
This picture of these steps makes you look in awe of mother nature that she can sculpture this out of the rock. However more pleasures await on the way.
I
Getting to the summit is hard work. You transverse around the summit and there are so many false dawns that you are unsure where you are meant to be. Must admit we had taken off a few layers of cloths as we had a good shelter from the wind which had been gusting a fair few knots. It is the chill factor that eats into you. I had taken my gloves off, thinking only a couple of hundred meters to climb. Will soon be at the summit, i thought. Never again!! We followed the path, came around by the side and the wind hit us with a vengeance. This is when i should have put the gloves on. The plateau just keep climbing and going. By the time we reach the summit I cannot get into my bag, my fingers are totally numb and even unwrapping a chocolate bar is a task. Gloves on, a bit of heat and I can only mange to click for a couple of photos. However the views are great and we see for miles and the gray clouds and snow that is coming.
We decide as we are up here we might as well go to the barns and see the Tors. Recommend you visit these monolithic beauties. The wind always make a noise as you walk through it but as the wind brushed these giant Tors it plays music. The Tors invite you in with some great melodies, the view, their size and the sounds make this a haunting but captivating experience. Just wish I was able to get my hands and fingers to work so that I could get some photos. I only managed the one.
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The trek back is nice and pleasant, even passed a lady running up the hills and lots of groups going on their way up. A great day out with the only blemish being a trigger happy police man with a speeding zapper thing. That’s life. My hands are back to normal (felt like the granite that the Tors are made from and frozen). I need to buy a pair of gloves that are nimble for clicking the camera but keep your hands warm!
However the day started with us all chilled especially Gerry who was still suffering from the night before. Great result for a guy who had decided to go on the wagon?? We headed up to Glenmore lodge. The forecast was sunny but at Dalwhinne the snow was coming in and we all thought blizzards on the hills. Glad to say things improved but the ice around Aviemore was vicious.
Bynack more is a great walk, the forest is gorgeous, the paths excellent and the Lochan Uaine is a 1 minute detour off the path and great to see. What a colour. It is like seeing the ocean floor off the south sea but here in the middle of the highlands. Mind you not the only wonder that awaits on this walk.
- Lochan Uaine
The walk up is a gentle climb and some great views. As you walk up you can see the summit but this trek does have a few gems along the way.
Unsure of the glen we are looking down but it is breath taking and the pictures do not do it justice.
This picture of these steps makes you look in awe of mother nature that she can sculpture this out of the rock. However more pleasures await on the way.
Getting to the summit is hard work. You transverse around the summit and there are so many false dawns that you are unsure where you are meant to be. Must admit we had taken off a few layers of cloths as we had a good shelter from the wind which had been gusting a fair few knots. It is the chill factor that eats into you. I had taken my gloves off, thinking only a couple of hundred meters to climb. Will soon be at the summit, i thought. Never again!! We followed the path, came around by the side and the wind hit us with a vengeance. This is when i should have put the gloves on. The plateau just keep climbing and going. By the time we reach the summit I cannot get into my bag, my fingers are totally numb and even unwrapping a chocolate bar is a task. Gloves on, a bit of heat and I can only mange to click for a couple of photos. However the views are great and we see for miles and the gray clouds and snow that is coming.
We decide as we are up here we might as well go to the barns and see the Tors. Recommend you visit these monolithic beauties. The wind always make a noise as you walk through it but as the wind brushed these giant Tors it plays music. The Tors invite you in with some great melodies, the view, their size and the sounds make this a haunting but captivating experience. Just wish I was able to get my hands and fingers to work so that I could get some photos. I only managed the one.
- A poor photo of the Tors. these are magnificent.
The trek back is nice and pleasant, even passed a lady running up the hills and lots of groups going on their way up. A great day out with the only blemish being a trigger happy police man with a speeding zapper thing. That’s life. My hands are back to normal (felt like the granite that the Tors are made from and frozen). I need to buy a pair of gloves that are nimble for clicking the camera but keep your hands warm!