There are many good and bad points about living where ever you live, one of the good points of living in Aberdeen is that at this time of year it doesn’t get dark until around 11pm.   This makes it possible to go out and play in the hills after work.  Over the last few days the “loving wife” has let me go out and play.  A few days ago, Andy and I ventured to Clach na Beinn to go climbing .

The last time I climbed outside was when Lara was 4 months pregnant on afterthought arete, tonight was to be a bit of a mission to get my head back into it.  Was great fun but I soon remembered why it had been so long since I had been up to the crag to climb, it is the roughest rock in the world and the climbing is not that pleasant!  Alot of jamming your body into cracks and wriggling up etc. 

Still Andy was very patient and was very encouraging, it was a great place to be after work up there on a hill top, the clouds where rolling in and out over adjacent hills and we were lucky not to get them where we were.  I led two climbs then Andy had a turn at leading a route of his choice.

A lovely night was spent swearing at rock and getting disco leg.  When we looked at our watches wondering what time it was …… we were stunned to see it was nearly 10pm!  Time to pack up and hot foot it back.

Just as we packed up the cloud came in over the hill and we jogged down the hill back to where we had stashed our bikes and went home to bed.  A great evening.

Last night was of course “Thursday night boys bike night”.  With these long nights, again it is great to go slightly further into the hills and explore new trails.  We parked at Pass of Ballater car park and set off up to below Morven,  the views where great climbing upto Creagan Rhiabhach looking over to Lochnagar and Mt Keen

From here we followed a path below Morvern Eastwards and then spent a little time trying to find the path we wanted to get on to descend.

Amazingly when we left Aberdeen it was being bombarded with massive showers of biblical proportions but we managed to avoid all off these and it never rained on us once.  Once we found the descent it was awesome apart from the odd bush jutting out into the path at head height that you just had to go through and take the whipping!   After this we climbed back to the top of Cnoc Dubh and went down the ‘roller coaster’ to Loch Kinord and then back up through Burn O’Vat to the van – a good 35km ride after work.  We just managed to get last orders at the local once back in westhill, tired we happily drank beer.

I love these long nights!  only another 2 or three weeks till the nights start drawing in again though …….  Better make the most of them!