Mount Keen on the hottest day of the year!

[Alfachick]

So having started a new job I find myself with less and less time to get out on the hills. Although I should manage to get out most weekends, weather dependant.

So we start the weekend walking with a "warm up walk" on the Saturday trying to find the wellington bomber that crashed up Tom Titlach, we approached from Glen Lethnot which was a really long walk in.... and a really long walk out. We SAW the plane but didn't have time to get to it.
So with my legs now nice and sore from a cool 19.4km walk at a brisk pace yesterday I texted a friend to see if he fancied going up Mount Keen today. Unfortunately he said yes....

So here we are.

We took the classic approach from Glen Esk past the Queens well and then up the hill. Leaving the car at just the back of 1000. Oh god it was hot! SO HOT! The uphill parts were a fair struggle due to the previous days epic walk my legs felt like lead! I made my way slowly up the hill while my companion trotted up no bother. Some people just don't seem to be affected by gradients, where as they really mess me up!

As I am sure most of you know its a fairly boring hill walk really. We made it to the top at 1245, had the obligatory panorama from the trig point, our sandwiches and a chocolate bar and then headed back down. We came across quite a few folk on the summit and also quite a few groups making their way up while we were on our way down.

At the top, choosing a suitable lunch spot out of the wind.

The views were amazing today as the weather was so good and there was no haze, you could see all the way to Bennachie to the North, the sea to the East and Lochnagar to the West. I was pointing out to my mate the month munro circuit that I would like to do this summer and he sounded reasonably keen ( ) on the idea.

Bennachie in the distance

Lochnaggar in the distance

We made it back to the car in record time, no hanging about on the way down in that heat! It was a bit of a slog back from the Queens Well but we just powered through it arriving back at the car for 1450.

Now to nurse my sunburn! Even though I slathered myself in P20 before leaving.

[Tom282]

Lovely report! I was up Mount Keen yesterday and the views were nothing like as good as that because of the cloud on the higher hills-still a great day out though. I climbed it from Glen Tanar to the north with the help of a mountain bike. Glen Tanar is well worth a visit-if not for Mount Keen then for a stroll up the glen through the native pinewoods.