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First time out for what seemed like ages and the big decision was where to head. The forecast was dry, cold and if heading up high snow.
I was concious of the restricted daylight hours so opted for what I thought would be a relatively easy outing to break me back in gently.
I last visited these 2 in 1999 when I saw absolutely nothing due to clag so getting views would be a bonus. I had checked the traffic camera's for Drumochter and as there was snow lying at the side of the road I was ready to battle with the white stuff.
I left home at 7.30 and parked up in the large layby on the western side of the A9 and was off walking at about 9.15.
I had a few reasons to hit the hills, I bought new boots a couple of days earlier, leather Scarpa's along with a Berghaus padded jacket. Both were really well tested, over 6hrs in snow and my feet were dry, now that is a first after all my Salomons failed miserably and my jacket superb, nice deep pockets one for my new wee camera and the other for my phone and it kept me nice and warm.
One annoying thing that I overlooked was fluids, I had my usual camelback but due to the temperature that soon froze and left me feeling very thirsty. The temperature dropped to minus 10 on the dual carriageway before Dalwhinnie and was minus 8 when I left the car. Later in the walk I was resorting to eating snow, making sure it wasn't yellow!!
I started off by following a couple with a collie who I soon caught up with, then another walker who I had a long chat with, I would meet him again later on about half way from the bealach to A' Bhuidheanach Bheag, he was planning to visit Carn na Caim and would be struggling for daylight hours, having said that he was equipped with a head torch. I would meet plenty of folk on my travels and with that many walkers you would expect a well trodden path or two in the snow - certainly the route to Carn na Caim was the easier of the two. The main problem was the snow consistency, you expect with a temperature of minus 8 lower down the snow would be nice and crisp, it was in a few parts but after about 10 steps the snow would give way and it was then an energy sapping process to get my legs back out of the snow from below the knees.
Great to be out again and boy did I struggle, am glad the boots and the jacket worked a treat, hopefully get back out over the next week or so and hopefully George will be fit and well.