Well Done

Well done to my lovely niece Grace and her friend Morvern, who today walked the Race for Life course around a very misty and humid Holyrood Park.

It took a while to find them amongst the other 8000 competitors, but they eventually appeared. 

Well done girls.xx

Photos by Caroline Harvey

Last One Ticked

Yesterday was a momentous day for two reasons. 

Reason one. I was invited to walk with Tony while he completed his very last munro, Beinn Na Lap. That means this was his 284th munro. Amazing achievement, I think I have done about 6.

It was quite a long day but well worth it and the weather was extremely kind to us. Emma and Diff picked me up at 8:15 am and we set off for Crianlarrich. We had to get there for 10:20 or we would miss the train, so there were a few anxious moments when we got stuck behind caravans, lorries and Christian carrying mini buses. Thankfully we made it with about 5 mins to spare.

At Crianlarrich train Station we met with Tony and some of his friends and family, from there we got the train, which runs on the West Highland Railway line, to Corrour station. This is a very scenic train ride which takes about an hour. Arriving at Corrour, you are already 400m above sea level which only leaves a 540m to walk. 

The walk itself does not take too long, we lingered at the top long enough to have some food and drink some pink fizz, but it was blowing an absolute hoolie and quite chilly, so we headed down back into the sunshine after about half an hour.

We then rested and got liquid refreshments at the station house and waited for the next, only and last train at 6:25.

Loch Ossain

Tony, Emma and Diff taking a breather

Stuart and Tony

Jess striding out on her first munro

She did have fun, honest.

Slow and steady does it

Celebratory drinks for Tony

The cairn at the top

Beinn Na Lap

Pretty things, as usual

Corrour train station

What this sign should say is beware of the three trains that pass this way on a Saturday. I think if you got hit by a train here you would be extremely unlucky.

I loved the view plus the reflections from the train on the way home.

Momentous day, reason two.

I got a gluten free fish supper! Yay.

The Real Food Cafe in Tyndrum serves gluten free fish and chips. I have not had a fish supper in nearly 11 years, so was very excited by the prospect. It did not disappoint, truly delicious and extremely satisfying. The only thing missing was some chippie sauce, but hey you can't have everything.

Yumm

All photographs by Caroline Harvey

3 strikes and almost out!

It was a funny old week last week. I am not usually very clumsy etc but last week on 3 consecutive days I managed to injure myself.

Wednesday, walked out of Alien 2 after a nice wee bouldering session, tripped off a step, fell forwards and smacked my knee of the ground. It was a true comedy moment, but thankfully no one saw me.

Thursday, climbing at Alien 1, fell off the lead wall and swung sideways smacked into the side wall. This is normally fine but I had hung my belay plate on the back of my harness and so it was nicely positioned to cushion the blow between my butt and the wall. Very sore!

Friday, woke up and went for run, all good. Once home decided to stretch my very tight muscles, bending over I felt an all too familiar and sickening twinge in my lower back. Instant panic and ibuprofen for breakfast.

Thankfully the back pain has not done it's usual trick of putting me out of action for 3 months. At the moment anyway. Fingers crossed it was just a reminder that exercise is really just not that good for you.

All in all quite a pain full week, but I do love a good bruise!

Smoke gets in your eyes

Essential BBQ equipment, the brolly

It is exactly a year yesterday since Emma and Diff moved into their new home. To celebrate they decided at long last to have a house warming party. 

As always as soon as you mention the BBQ words the weather decides to not be very June like and heavy rain was forecast. However the small showers that came down were not enough to put us off, and eventually all came good and the fires did not go out.

Smokin!

Bong and Diff were chief cooks and did a great job. As far as I know all who attended are still alive and well.

Ah the banter

Mmm sausages

Looking good Mr D

Bong fashioning his sausage turning utensils

Is that an extra finger or a sausage?

Bong and his big meaty sausage. Ooh er missus!

I very much enjoyed my first BBQ of the year and the Pimms punch. Thanks for a great evening guys and heres to many more happy years together. xx

All photographs by Caroline Harvey

A Short Story

Wild life?

Once upon a time, 3 intrepid travelers ventured to the Lake District on a Bank Holiday weekend. Amidst all the other grockels out for a walk on a cloudy/rainy day, they came across some interesting wild life.

They climbed at a slow and steady pace up a long and winding road. 

The travelers were quite adventurous and veered off the normal tourist path for some peace and quiet, and took the short and steep route up the side of the hill.

Some of the rock was still quite wet so they had to be careful they did not fall off the edge. They were very brave!

At the top they found the sunshine and stopped for a wee refreshing cup of tea and a biscuit.

The view was pretty too. The flat lands of Englandshire spread out in front of them.

 

 The travelers were very thirsty after all there hard work. Luckily, liquid refreshments were close at hand. God bless the Scrumpy!

The End

All photos by Caroline Harvey