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So trying to keep up with my new years resolution to climb all the hills in Moray, doable but perhaps not in the 12 weeks that I have living here between Jan and April
I had grand plans for the weekend involving Ben Rinnes and the two Conivals.... These were dashed when the snow came and I also realised that I am not hill fit enough to do a 20km day in limited daylight in January. So something a little smaller was called for. Enter Ben Aigan.
A surprisingly long drive from where I was staying got me to the forestry commission car park. I was slightly worried that I was going to get my car stuck in there with no way to get out due to the ice and snow but I just figured I could deal with that emergency if it came.
So I parked up and set off up the forestry track which winds its way up the hill. There were several footprints in the snow already pointing me to the fact that this is a popular local hill. The route was pretty boring I just followed the forestry track and the footsteps. I was cursing myself on the first section as to how unfit I was before I realised that I had actually been going quite steadily uphill and had already climbed 100m.
The weather was glorious sunshine and freezing cold it was wonderful. There wasnt really too much snow on the forestry tracks but once you were out of the trees there was a fair bit of drifted snow over the path which made things a tad interesting but generally fun.
As usual the slog to the top was 100% worth it, the views over Moray and to the South were amazing. It was just a fantastically beautiful day.
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- The view towards Dufftown from one of my many uphill stops
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- A fab view, blue sky!
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- Quite an unusual trig point, no tapering to the top.
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- Looking South East
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- Ben Rinnes
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- I just had to stop on the way down to take a photo of the beautiful light with the trees and the snow.
So I have started to get my head around the lay of the land so to speak in Moray, it seems you can see Ben Rinnes from everywhere and it is quite a distinctive hill. I will have to go up it at some point so I will be able to point out all the other hills that I have been up all around it!
