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- Stoicism
Setting off from Inverness, with my lovely friend Kay and her grandson, Aiden. The weather forecast was to be sunny intervals, and hopefully we would be granted more than that.
This was a walk that I drove past on many an early summer morning a few years ago , when I was on my way to Skye , when I was managing the building the new Portree High School, and many a winter morning too, always concious of the sudden appearance of a darting doe deer at any minute. During my journeys then, I manged to avoid many , but unfortuneately battered three of them over the period.
We set off on the long path up Glen Torridon, not many others around, except three keen young cyclists, who I took it were not ascending the mountain, at least, if they did, they never came back down!
At Coire Fionnaraich there were a troop of campers and bothy dwellers, who were considering there ascent of the day whilst reflecting on their antics of the night before.
Young Aiden informed that this part of the Torridon Glen was known as 'Happy Bumland', yep, hard to believe but there you are.
Clach nan Con-fionn soon came into view and photos were duly taken, before the stalkers path veered sharply left to the ascent.
- The Giants Hound Post
- Resting Up
It was very 'close' on the way up with an inkling of heat coming from a vague sun .
The surrounding landscape was magnificent, a dynamic that never fails in this part of the world.
The stone staccato turrets, with their variable reds and pinks jutted everywhere. This is my favourite mountai nlandscape, I got energised from the quartzite in the multi-monolithic playground.
Young Aiden talked and talked , which was brilliant, but that was after an initial annoyance when I realised I wasn't going to get a word in edgeways. And I can talk too!
- straight lines
I did manage to relate to Aiden , the legend of the kelpie, which was good , and Aiden was fortunate to hear the chilling call of the Kelpie, which he agreed was very much similar to the sound of the human male passing wind!
Then there was the appearance of the Rock Ptarmigan and the croak that the made, which is a unique sound, hearing it before you see them.
Then the mist came and engulfed us suddenly, and all views were off the map, and the swirl followed us until we quickly got ourselves off.
- In Awe
The walk back off resulted in a good drenching, which was a scunner, but young Aiden showed me and Kay that he had the mettle to handle the blustering wind and rain and, probably much more in the future.