thirty three AND thirty four down, 248 to go!

With all this amazing weather we've been having recently, I was itching to get a day in the hills that involved blue skies and amazing views, with no worries about clouds coming in. A day with some straightforward Munros and no navigational issues.

Glenshee seemed like the perfect fit. I had a tentative arrangement with my friend Kate, who had expressed an interest in joining me in the hills, that Monday 8th May would suit us both should the forecast be good. And it was...

The day didn't start too well when it took me over half an hour to get from Dobbies on the A7 to Hillend, a journey that would normally be 10 minutes max. I picked Kate up then we joined the traffic again on the bypass. However thankfully it moved fairly steadily, and we were over the Forth Bridge and on our way before long. A smooth journey saw us reach the Glenshee Ski Centre at 10.30am. It was a beautiful morning, and it had been a stunning drive north. There was a wee bit of cloud above Carn Aosda, but I was hopeful it would shift.

This was a slightly unusual Munro adventure for me, as it involved repeating a Munro I'd already done. I bagged Carn Aosda on a winter skills course in January 2013. I didn't mind doing it again because of course it would look completely different in May than it did in the winter, and it would also be Kate's first Munro and Tig's fifth! It made sense to include it on the way to Carn a'Gheoidh and The Cairnwell.

It was a bit of a steep push from the car park when we began at 10.45am. Instead of opting for the stony path, we made our way up a grassy slope. It eventually joined the path, and continued upwards - our calves and thighs feeling every step up.

The push up Carn Aosda

Looking back to the ski centre with The Cairnwell in the distance

We reached the directional sign to Carn Aosda, and then...we were at the top! It was a super quick Munro bag, only 40 minutes from the car park to the summit. The views were great and the skies were getting even more blue above us.

My first repeat Munro and Kate's first Munro!

Kate's 1st Munro!

We then made our way back to the path and headed out to the second Munro of the day, Carn a'Gheoidh. The path was obvious at this point, although it looked reasonably far away! The scenery was just wonderful, with extensive views opening up in front of us. Loch Vrotachan looked particularly scenic.

It was pretty windy, and we took wee rest breaks as we made progress towards the summit of Carn a'Gheoidh. We detoured to the small plateau Carn nan Sac, which provided us with lovely views to The Cairnwell, which would be the 3rd Munro of the day.

Looking to the The Cairnwell

The Cairnwell from the summit of Carn nan Sac

A wee bit further, and we finally reached the summit of Carn a'Gheoidh, around an hour and a half after leaving Carn Aosda. My 33rd Munro, Kate's 2nd and Tig's 6th!

Wee figures in the distance approaching Carn a'Gheoidh

I'm feeling 33

 

There was a walking group at the summit, so we hunkered down on the other side of the cairn for a wee bite to eat. It was a bit of a struggle getting back to our feet!

We now retraced our steps towards the main path, although we didn't go back via Carn nan Sac. We skirted around the side of The Cairnwell, and after a short rest before the final push to the top, reached the summit around 2.45pm. My 34th Munro, Kate's 3rd and Tig's 7th!

Top of the Cairnwell just visible in the distance

Wee breather at the chairlift!

It is bizarre to see concrete buildings at the summit of a Munro. We walked a wee bit further past the human creations, and enjoyed an unspoiled view down Glen Shee. We soaked up the peace and quiet.

34!

 

For the return to the car park we decided to stick to the paths rather than picking our way through the heather for a more direct, but steeper, descent. It took us around 45 minutes to get back to the ski centre. We were both tired and looking forward to getting a drink and some food back at the cafe - which is exactly what we did! We were just under 5 hours for the whole walk - this could have potentially been quicker, but we took our time and enjoyed the beautiful scenery and weather on offer.

It was pretty much the perfect day in the hills. Good company, good exercise and stunning views/weather!

I think Kate enjoyed her first three Munros and is keen to go out again - although we won't always have the high starting point these hills offered!