Out of hibernation for a charning day in the Monadlaith

[Huff_n_Puff]

Funny how it goes, you scan the weather forecasts for a decent spot of weather for weeks, then wander off to do something else and immediately your back's turned the weather gods come out to play. We almost missed the spell of good weather at the end of February but managed to squeeze in an outing on St David's day - so headed for the hills with a Dutch friend to celebrate living in Scotland

Menno had volunteered for this outing, having done some hill walking in the past and wanting to get back into it. We'd picked a relatively easy hill so that we (well I really) could build up a bit of fitness after the winter lay-off. It seems to me that even the so called 'uninteresting' mountains have their strengths and Geal Charn was a great way to ease ourselves back into the outdoors, it took us to a lovely area I'd never visited before (although the well-traveled Roger had bagged munros in the area and backpacked across the Corryairack Pass many years ago) and the route provided us all with the stimulation to get out again. Also a shortish walk meant a later start - hopefully late enough to miss the morning traffic on the Kessick Bridge.

Biggles and Bertie have never really understood why they've been consigned to low level, short walks for months so were eager to get going, and for most of the walk put on displays of energy their humans could only dream of.

Come on then!

Not much snow for most of the walk, weather good and views of the surrounding Monadhliath and over to Cairngorm let us indulge in some mountain spotting and future trip planning.

View south

An easy romp up

Eying up the final push for the top

Cairn in sight

Liz and Roger make it!

Once at the top the dogs scoured the area round the cairn for any tasty left overs, until Menno altered their focus of attention with almond croissant - yes 1 for him and 1 for the dogs

Dogs hunt for left over lunches

Tempting views

Views west

The Cairngorms

It was great fun having someone else with us, helping us put the world to rights, bribing our dogs and loving being out in the hills as much as we were. On the way down I couldn't help musing about the number of accidents this year that have also started out as a group of friends doing something they loved together, our venture today was a much simpler and safer one than theirs. But on the way south that morning we'd passed a serious looking accident on the A9 and as we neared the Garva Bridge it dawned on me that we were just about to start on the most dangerous thing we'd done that day - the drive home - and yes I was the driver

Garva Bridge

Back at the car Biggles and Bertie were given a bridie that Menno had failed to eat - he's definitely a must for future walks

[The Rodmiester]

Biggles and Bertie certainly looked like they enjoyed themselves. Good to be back out on the hills with a bit of blue sky to boot. Now for the next one.

[dogplodder]

Good to see B & B in action again - and doing the sniffer dog routine round the cairn! I'm sure my two think that's the purpose of climbing hills - so they can mop up fallout from other walkers' lunches!

[Huff_n_Puff]

Biggles and Bertie certainly looked like they enjoyed themselves. Good to be back out on the hills with a bit of blue sky to boot. Now for the next one.

Dogs love the hills - and there was plenty of blue sky on the next route! http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=30299

Good to see B & B in action again - and doing the sniffer dog routine round the cairn! I'm sure my two think that's the purpose of climbing hills - so they can mop up fallout from other walkers' lunches!

Yeap - dogs as self propelled recycling machines