Day - 10 Sunday
I woke up at eight to rain. Although the weather wasn’t really bad I decided to take my Foul Weather Alternative (FWA) as wandering about on a featureless moor in the cloud didn’t appeal. The plan had been to walk over the rolling hills to the east and then dropping down into upper Glen Feshie. Instead I would skirt round the hills to the north.
In the rain I followed the track back down past Gaick Lodge and Lochan an t-Seilich….
and then cut across to the Allt Bhran (where it stopped raining) which I followed upstream, although I had difficulty finding a path. I stopped for lunch at 12:45 at the SW corner of the conifer plantation. The weather was clearing up now, not sunny but much warmer.
There was a bit of a path up the side of the plantation and then a proper track along the top. I followed the track along and down into Glen Feshie which was very dramatic after the last, rather dull glen.
I was a bit worried about crossing the River Feshie which drains a large area of melting snow on the Cairngorms, but I met somebody on a mountain bike (with trailer and dog) who told me it was possible to cross further up stream, but it needed care.
When I arrived at the ford it did look a bit daunting. I put camera and water bottle into the rucksack, left the hipbelt undone and waded across with boots and socks still on – I needed to change my socks anyway.
I set off up the glen again, stopping to take pictures…..
and watching a pine marten dash from cover to cover across a landslide.
A little further on there was an adder on the track.
I didn’t want to go too far as I wanted to stay in this outstanding scenery, but I also wanted to get far enough to be in easy distance of Mar Lodge the next day. At Ruighe nan Leum I found the perfect spot – a side stream coming out of a gorge with a perfect grassy spot for a tent. It was 5pm.
Before putting the tent up I thought I’d have a rest, and putting the rucksack down I lay back against it. I woke with a start. My back was soaking wet. I’d forgotten that I’d put my wet socks on the outside of the rucksack to dry.
Whilst I was eating dinner another Challenger turned up, the first I’d seen since leaving Glenelg. We chatted awhile. Mark was hoping to get much further tonight, but it was already seven so that didn’t seem likely to me. He did get a few miles further however, and I later learned that I walked earlier hours than he did, and in fact I’d passed his tent the previous lunchtime while he was still having a lie-in. I liked his style. After all, it was supposed to be a holiday, and whereas I was consciously hurrying eastwards he was taking his time. For all my hurrying I didn’t arrive in Montrose much before him.
Day 11 Intro