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Compass - Check.
Map - Check.
Food that could feed the 5 thousand - Check.
Things were looking good. Everything checked and packed. It was a fine sunny morning, running a bit behind schedule but everything looked good. The weather forecast was for light showers for late afternoon/evening but surely we would be back before then!!!!! As Andrea and I headed out I couldn't contain the excitement. I was like a kid on Christmas Day again. The weather was still good but you could see the cloud coming in from the far distance but surely this wasn't coming our way as it had only turned 11o'clock when we pulled into the car park at the Back O' Bennachie. As we headed off I suddenly realised how busy it seemed to be. A few tents were pitched up in a field just to the side of the car park and we could see a lot of kids up ahead. It must have been a school trip of some sort. Oh, how it brought back some memories. "Dear me, I can feel the back of my legs already honey". "So can I" she replied. Now, I'm not sure how far we had walked but put it like this I could still see were we had parked the car looking back through the trees.
Not good. Not good at all.
We hadn't been walking long when we came across a small path with about 7 "stepping stones" leading to a flat stoned seat just off the main path. This was time for some photos, water and an excuse for a quick breather
.
- Stepping Stones
- The Stone of Scone maybe ????
Soon we could see the tree line at about 300mtrs. "Are we nearly there yet" Andrea asked. "Yeah, not far to go now" Although we were only about halfway up Bennachie I felt I had to say that just for a bit of encouragement. The longer we walked on though the better I seemed to feel.
- The only way is up.....
That small "ache" I had in my legs when we had just started had now long disappeared. Maybe it was the view that was opening up behind us as we climbed above the tree line or the sight of Little Oxen Craig just in front of us (appox. 430mtrs).
- Andrea and Little Oxen Craig in the distance
- The view of Insch behind us.
- Hawk Hill I think???
- Little Oxen Craig
- Craigshannoch to the left with Mither Tap in the distance
Now before we started we decided that we would see how we were feeling, how the weather was and how we were doing for time as I really wanted to do Oxen Craig, Mither Tap and then over to Craigshannoch on the way back down to the car.
- That's were we want to be!!!!
- Almost there
- Oxen Craig, 528mtrs.
By the time we reached Oxen Craig (528mtrs) I was up for anything. We had made it but now the journey had just begun as we looked across to the Mither Tap 2km away to the east.
- Mither Tap and Craigshannoch
- Which way now???
- Millstone Hill
Time for a quick snack and refreshments. As I sat down to have a sandwich I could see in the far distance the sky as black as the ace of spades. "I think we need to start moving" as the black cloud seemed to be getting closer.
- Black cloud over Watch Craig
If we had gone back to the car we probably would have made it to the forest as it started to rain but being determined as I was we carried on. We were about halfway when we heard it, the rumble that is. "Did you hear that?" I asked. Then a flash and another rumble. This was new to me being 500mtrs up with a thunder storm in the distance. If I was to say I wasn't worried then you could call me a liar but knowing we could seek shelter by the side of Mither Tap kept us going.
- On route....
By now we were climbing the side of Mither Tap. The thunder and lightening seemed to be a fair distance away still but i wasn't taking any chances. I think we spent about two minutes at the top (518mtrs) when the heavens opened.
- Mither Tap
- Was that a flash of lightening
I had noticed that the cliff face on one side of the Tap seemed to cornice outwards forming a nice shelter where we decide to have lunch and wade out the storm. At one point the rain was bouncing off the hill side and a few bolts of lightening striking just a couple of miles away but we were dry, fed and watered so all was good.
- View from cliff side with Millstone Hill to the right
- Has the rain has passed yet??
An hour had passed when it finally stopped raining and although still looking as it could open up again we thought it best to make a move.
- On the road again
- Last photo of Mither Tap
Craigshannoch was our next point of interest as it was on the path back to the car and after a few more photo's
- Craigshannoch, 480mtrs
- Looking North
- Wish YOU were here
we were soon walking though the woods with the car in sight. Back at the car I've got to admit that I was glad I had came to a stop and was ready to go home for a much needed rest but in the same breath I felt really good about myself and what I had just accomplished and to think how I'm going to feel when the time comes to walk the Lairig Ghru, well like I said, bring it on.
