Cairngorms 4000's
Since arriving back from Scotland, I have to admit, I have been feeling very restless. After two amazing weeks going back to basics, living outdoors and hiking, getting back to work and real life has been a bit of a comedown.
Whilst we have the Peak District not too far away to adventure to, I have been thinking more and more about setting myself a big challenge. I want a challenge that will get me out of my comfort zone and test my resilience, so with this in mind, I started to look towards beautiful Scotland again.
One place I absolutely loved whilst we were there, was the Cairngorms, but with only a day there, we didn’t get to explore as much as we wanted. We managed to hike Meall a’Bhuachaille, which is a Corbett.
It was a fantastic hike up through the beautiful heather strewn woodland to the windy summit. On getting to the top, we were thankful to have the cairn to sit in to help shelter from the storm. Out in the distance though, was the beautiful and impressive mountain range. Shielded under dark, storm clouds, I was itching to explore, more so after reading Nan Shepard’s stunning Living Mountain book.
So with that in mind, I am looking at the Cairngorms 4000’s, five huge Munro’s that include Cairngorm, Ben Macdui, Cairn Toul, Sgor an Lochain Uaine and Braenach. I am hoping to tackle them over two days with a camp in-between, I’ve wanted to wild camp for a long time, so what better time. The thought of pushing myself with five mountains in the wilds of Scotland fills me with excitement and trepidation, what an amazing adventure it would be.
“The mountains are calling and I must go ”
To prepare myself for what is bound to be a tough challenge, I am hoping to pencil in some mountain days as well as camps. With my hillwalking and mountain course to complete, I am hoping to link it in with that too. Overall I am just looking forward to getting back out in the mountains, experiencing the ever changing weather and challenges that come with it.
So, to the planning…..