TGO Challenge 13/05/26

Day 7, Gaur power station to Innerwick.

It was a cold morning but dry and bright although the showers soon started with hail higher-up.

I was camping behind the power station near the fish ladder which is going up in the centre of the picture 

I had plenty of layers of clothes on when I started the walk although the outer layers had been removed by the time I had walked down the road to Bridge of Balgie.

Near Bridge of Balgie 

The weather stayed good as I walked up the track towards Meall Dubh in fact I was enjoying everything so much I completely missed the path that I had intended to take to cut round the hill.

Up the track 

The clothing all went back on as some hail showers moved over making it feel very cold. The high hills in the distance all had an extra covering of snow last night.

The long way round 

No problem just extra distance but it was on a good track rather than the probably boggy path.

Looking back down the hill

At this stage I am about half a day ahead of my original plan and when I got to the place that I had planned to camp there was nowhere really suitable. Ideal for a lunch stop though.

Towards Loch Rannoch 

I climbed over a deer fence by a locked gate and discovered a vague track marks going diagonally up the exactly the way I wanted to go. It always makes it easier when there is something to follow no matter how vague and boggy it is.

The top of Cam Chreag

I reached Cut Lochan and then faced a steep climb to the humpy ridge before today's high point..

Coming off the hill

A little further along the ridge then a short, steep drop to a track that wound down the glen. There was a tin shed where I met the track with a picnic bench inside, obviously for grouse shooting. It would be a useful shelter in bad weather

Looking back

The track made an easy descent of a long glen that would have been very awkward without it.

Camping space

I found a sheltered spot in some trees for the tent where there was a fire ring. And various wooden 'things'. Looks like it is or was used as an encampment of some sort.

Cold but happy 

It felt very cold when when I was sorting everything out and I was happy to get into the tent. There was some bits of sunshine later which made it very pleasant.