Matt and I decided to go for a walk into the hills.  Matt has recently come around to the idea that ‘fast and light’ is the way forward.  After melting his bank card on the Internet h has a load of new equipment that he wanted to try.  We rode from the Linn of Dee and in the hills.

We rode up to the Derry Lodge and a little further and hid the bikes in the heather and then continued by foot for the rest.  We got up to the Luibeg Burn and turned North to take us up to Ben Macdui below is the route up the valley then

up the Sron Riach ridge and onto the Plateau.  But that is where it all went a bit wrong.  Something I had eaten had made my stomach very unhappy with me and made its annoyance well known.  I will spare you the details but it was more than a simple case of the shits.  We decided that carrying on and staying out over night far from the car would not be a wise idea.  So we retreated back.

Me on the way out.  I rode my cyclocross bike in.  Quite enjoyed it as it was very fast on the access road and I evilly enjoyed listeneing to Matt huff and puff keeping up with me on his big wide mtb tyres!  Although he got his own back when it rough and went whizzing past me.

The day was not lost though, like any true explorers we went home and Matt put up his tent for the first time in the back garden, and used his new stove in the kitchen to make himself a brew!  Who said our adventure was dead!

Everywhere else you look people are showing there snow pictures, so whilst I was outside digging a clearing for Lara to park her car, I grabbed the camera

So this is the state of play in Crombie Drive. There is loads.  I have resisted the urge to make igloos like last time (thus far!)  We have even had icicles this year, never seen them on the house before

Enough raffle, I need to go get the ski stuff ready, the forecast is looking good for this weekend!  Excited is an understatement.