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The alarm goes off at 4.15am and I wearily slip out of bed.
I'm picking Doug and Sean up in Dundee at 5.30, so I stumble about the kitchen making some porridge and a cup of tea, then put the final bits and pieces in my pack.
Today we are climbing a big one.......Ben Macdui along with Derry Cairngorm!!
I drive through to Dundee, pick up Doug and Sean and we hit the road.
1.5hrs later we arrive at the Linn of Dee car park and wait for Ian (Winks to his friends).
After a while we are geared up and start the fairly long walk firstly through the forest and then following the burn towards the Derry Lodge.
We decide to scale Ben Macdui first so we cross the Derry Burn and head left up Glen Luibeg
Soon we can see Sron Riach in the distance and we cross the burn again and start the long, long trek up
We keep going as the temp drops and the snow appears on the ground.
After a wee stop for a cup of coffee/tea and get ready for the final push up to the summit of Ben Macdui
- Sean the Ninja
The going gets tough as the big stones and boulders (covered in snow) make our muscles ache but the views just get better and better.
At last we reach the summit in an artic like wilderness, and stop for a break and something to eat and drink.
We head back down slightly and have a peek over the Coire Sputan Dearg cliffs for some great views.
We head down towards Creagan a'Choire Etchachan and I manage to catch a rainbow in the bleak looking distance.
We slip around the side of Creagan a'Choire Etchachan and carry on towards Derry Cairngorm with our legs growing heavier and heavier by the minute!!
The sun makes an appearance and the scenery around us looks awesome.
We stumble our way up to the summit and Doug and his weary legs pose for a photo.
We make our way back down in to the pine forest again and are glad to be off those damn stones and boulders!
We pass by Derry lodge and make the seemingly endless trudge back to the car again.
Great walk and we all enjoyed it and the weather was fairly kind to us, so all round a great day!!