Weather/Conditions: Dry with a little mist on Udlamain for the first half. Then over the eastern two the winds rose to become very strong! Reasonable conditions all day though, really.
Distance/Ascent/Time: 37.5km / 1800m / 8h 20m
Accompanying: Colin 'Monty'

This was a really tremendous day out with Monty. Everything went better than planned and I enjoyed it a lot. The hills were efficient, the distances were far, the gratification was enormous.

I picked Monty up in Perth and parked at Balsporran. The plan was the first four on the west side, then to nip across and do the two on the east, thus forming a natural loop.

We battered up Geal-charn in good time, and ran to the base of A' Mharconaich. On the way to Udlmain the mist closed in - I'm fairly sure I've never had a really clear view from this one. Sgairneach Mhor was a nice plod up to the trig, and beyond that we were heading back down to Drumochter. We were back at the road four hours on the dot after leaving the car.

We took a quick break here then were on our way again, up broad open slopes to A' Bhuidheanach Bheag. This is an incredibly broad mountain, and here the wind began to pick up. On the summit we were pushed along by the wind, which roared up from the south. Carn na Caim was several miles distant but arrived in good time, pushed along as we were. By this point it was almost deafening, and our return route was walking straight into it. But I enjoyed the fight, and we dropped back into Drumochter once more, to walk down tracks to the car.



For some reason I have no photos of this day, just a couple from my phone. I know I had my SLR on the hills - it's in Monty's photos of me. So I've obviously misplaced those photos and who knows where they are?

Here I have just borrowed some of Monty's photos, all credit go to him.

But my main feeling on this day was one of deep enjoyment; the simple pleasure of moving for hours over the hills. What a simple, stunning act that can be. The satisfaction can be so much greater than the sum of the parts.