With the boys in Devon with their Grandma - a Friday off!
0457 - alarm goes off; 0535, in the car, heading north.
0835 - Sugarbowl Carpark, 8 miles east of Aviemore.

I want to walk the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 131st highest Munros; 22.5 miles, 1850 metres of ascending. Book says 13 hours to complete and a traverse that is "possible in a single, epic day for the extremely fit" Gulp...!

The forecast is for a bright morning and showers into rain for the afternoon, so I decide to do the hills on the outward journey and leave the slog back through the Lairig Ghru for the return.

The Chalamain Gap duly negotiated (translates from the Gaelic as 'hell on earth', a boulder field that there's no escape from), and its passed the Simpson Memorial and onto the NW ridge of Braeriach, a hill I've wanted to climb since 2008 when I first clapped eyes on it from the summit of Sgor Gaithe across Loch Einich.

A long hot rocky slog takes you high onto the plateau; gazing down into the Lairig Ghru, across at the imposing Lurcher's Crag. The scale of Braeriach is unlike anything I've tackled before; even when above Munro height, you still have miles to walk, and a load of climbing still to do.

But 2 hours 50 minutes into the day, I get onto the summit plateau; suddenly the views south open up and - wow. An astonishing panorama unveils itself and the rest of the day becomes clear.
Nearly an hour later I make it to the summit of Britain's third highest mountain, perched high above the south facing corrie, views to the next three hills and across the Lairig Ghru is Ben Macdhui (2nd highest Munro) (done in a snowstorm in May 2008) are immense (the photo is from the summit of Braeriach)

Then its onwards across the top of the cliffs that lead you all the way around the back of the corrie and slowly on to Sgurr an Lochan Uaine (The Angel's Peak) - that's the one just in on the right)

Soup (sweet potato, chilli and lime) for lunch gazing into the abyss before a short descent / climb to Cairn Toul (4th highest Munro) - the middle of the shot.

And then finally a long painful descent on rocks and boulders to the Devil's Point (no. 131) - you can just see it poking out behind Cairn Toul.

6 and a half hours of pretty much constant walking / climbing. Sun is out, shirt is off and it's glorious.

Now the small matter of getting back; a sharp descent past the already packed Corrour Bothy and across the Dee to the path up the Lairig Ghru - no one told me it climbed up to Munro height in the middle..!

Lairig Ghru translates from the Gaelic as long arduous rocky pain in the ass walk (I think)
Mostly the ascent is fine, but towards the highest point there are the Pools(?) Wells(?) of Dee, a series of pools from which the Dee rises; it's a mile of scrambly rocky hell and really what you need 8 hours into your day.

I got so fed up I sat down in the sun, lay back and closed my eyes and drifted of for a few minutes....

Then back to it; over the top, down the other side and the endless endless endless trudge back. About quarter to 8 - 11 and a bit hours later - I was back at the car. Now the small matter of the 2 and a half hour drive home.
With the added complication that the Forth Road Bridge was closing at 10 for the night for repairs and if I didn't make that I was looking at 30 mile detour. Foot went down and with a couple of minutes to spare, I made the bridge; in bath, jacket potato and zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

A brilliant day in an amazing setting, really enjoyed myself. Only 115 left to do...