First Hill of the Year
Mount Blair 744m (g)
D: 3.82km. El: 352m. T: 1hr 9mins ( 1hr 29mins)
https://www.strava.com/activities/6512264980
After spending a couple of nights down in Haddington primarily to see Ben after his attach of Covid and before he flies home to Canada. Always nice to spend time there. One the way back the weather was a bit better than the journey down so I made a detour to climb up Mount Blair. I finished the climb quicker than expected and instead of spending a night in the van I decided to head back home to my wood burning stove. It was a simple up and down a mostly grassy track. Nice views from the top of a few other hills on my list. They will wait for another day.
Cairngorm Mountain.
https://www.strava.com/activities/6486611415
D: 5.29m El: 359m T: 1hr 32mins (2hrs 40mins)
First turns of the season and year..
I was all set to spend the day sorting my accounts but my dear friend Anne had other ideas. So glad she did. We skinned up to the top of the cas and skied back down the gun barrel. Snow was surprisingly good considering it had mostly blow off in the wind. legs survived. Foot survived. But I do think I could do with better boots!
Slocht Loop
D: 6.39km. El: 108m T: 1hr 39mins ( 2hrs 59mins )
Carn Bad nan Luibhean 471m
https://www.strava.com/activities/6476621846
First proper Nordic ski of the year after my trial yesterday. I met up with Dot, Anne and Vicky at slocht. We hoped the snow would be a bit less sticky than lower down. It was a bit but at the pack of the loop there some vey sticky wet icy puddles but apart from that good cover. I was tired when I got back, so was every one. My bad arch held up ok. Which is good. I forgot my camera and phone so all the photos are stolen from others 😂
Birthday Ride with Mud, Pudding and Pals
D: 16.35 km El: 21m. T: 1hr 38mins
https://www.strava.com/activities/6457127009
Post from last time in 2013 https://mountaindays.blog/2013/10/26/was-it-the-book-or-was-it-usor-how-we-missed-europes-biggest-sand-dune/
It was a very windy birthday ride. Some great single track, lots of mud and great company from Vicky, Dot, and Chris. Chris made a nice pudding for us with custard when we get back to the vans. When I got home I checked strava and it was in 2013 that Roger and I rode that way. I remember going over the handle bars on a bit of a drop. Which I found again today but managed to swerve
Walking in the mist
Great Cockup 526m 
Meal Fell 550m Great Sca Fell 651m (w). Knott 710m
D: 13km. El: 700m. T: 3hrs 39 mins (4hrs 46mins)
https://www.strava.com/activities/6438643446
The forcast was for drizzle in the morning and maybe a bit drier in the afternoon and a very low cloud base. That was spot on we spent almost the whole day in the cloud. But it was a good day and at 4 wainwrights I completed my 100 hills for 2021.
I shall have to think what next years challenge is. The new boots were great. And I have managed to get my new cup/flask not to burn my mouth. Brilliant.
Back to joes for tea and tomorrow I am back at Kai’s playing with Rosie.
A return to Dodd
https://www.strava.com/activities/6434290795
Dodd 502m
D: 5.18m. El: 397m. T: 1hr 43mins (2hrs 26mins
I first climbed Dodd back in 2004 with Mum, Dad, Roger,Joe and Kai. This time just with Joe anne decided on different route that went up the open fell side towards White Stones. We then followed a wait the style and licked up the usual route from the car park. Suddenly it was busy with family groups. The top was clear and we had out lunch. We retraced out steps to the main path but then cut our down he old foresters paths laid which were used before the forest roads were build. Great little route and hill number 97 for my tops of 2021
Joe wore his new boots and after the walk we went into a bit too busy Keswick to look for boots for me
Up Above the Clouds
An Ruadh Mheallan 672 (g)
D: 7.39km El:241m T: 2hrs 43mins ( 4hrs 44mins)
https://www.strava.com/activities/6398914006
After a very pleasant evening in my van with Dot we decided to set the alarm and go for an early start and a reasonably long walk, however on rising we discovered a very low cloud base. This wasn’t deterring the walkers who were arriving at the car park for an early start in the dark up Beinn Eighe. We thought a shorter day was in order so we headed round to the hill that we were going to climb the day i locked myself out of my van.
It was a good choice as my legs were tired after yesterday and it was pretty rough going but….and a bit but eventually we popped out above the clouds….what an amazing day. Route finding went a bit wiggldy on the return to the van. After a cuppa we drove round the the view point and were rewarded in the morning by a fine view of the hill we had climbed.
Next year i have many more hills in Torridon to climb with out a doubt.
Tops for 2021 number 97
Little Wyvis
Little Wyvis 764m (c)
Tom na Caillich 705m
D: 12.52km El: 641m T: 3hrs 46mins (5hrs 24mins)
https://www.strava.com/activities/6395099246
The weather forcast was looking fine over the west and back home too actually. I decided i would go for a couple of nights in the van before xmas. I had arranged to walk with Janet on the Friday so we headed up Little Wyvis on my way west. The day wasn’t quite the blue bird day we had hoped for but nether the less it was grand. Not cold and no wind what more could we want. There was a little cloud on the summit but apart from that it was clear.
We walked up the main path to Ben wyvis but carried on along a arg track to the Bealach. Then headed up to Tom na Caillich from there it was a short hop to the top. A great day. A cuppa tea back in the van before we went our separate ways.
Top for 2021 number 96
Meall Mor and Beinn a’ Bheurlaich
Meall Mor 492m (sub 2000)
Beinn a’ Bheurlaich 482m
https://www.strava.com/activities/6378635276
A little break in the wild wet weather gave Dot Janet and I chance to go up a hill we had all had our eye on for a while as it is very visible from the A9 on the way into Inverness. A walk of two halves…a forest track and a pot holed nightmare of newly planted trees. Luckily it was only a short struggle. We made it back to the car just as the rain came on. This was Hill number 95 and i am still trying to decide if Beinn a’ Bheurlaich counts as number 96
Sgorr na Diollaid
Sgorr na Diollaid 818m (c)
https://www.strava.com/activities/6347468967
D: 8.35km El: 640m T: 3hrs 19mins
I had been unwell since coming home from my visit down to Cumbria and Haddington. A combination of the booster jag and a cold. So I was very glad that Anne Marie tempted me out for this walk. I had been up a year ago with joe but that time there was no snow. This time is was very snowy and what a wonderful day. So glad I went but also glad that Anne Marie drove. Dot and Helen (from the SLCC) came too.
Mountain Days and Photo Nights 