Meal nan Luath

It was an unexpected non site day today. Resumtion is now organised for tomorrow so I suppose I have made this my Saturday morning.

The girls were doing a run so I took Bob and Caley up Meall nan Luath. The starting point for this is shared with that for doing our regular Upper Inverroy walk. In about 500 metres you depart left (west) from the forest track through a gate on to very rough moorland. To my surprise the gate was padlocked shut and the fencing either side is of barbed wire. Not particularly high Caley can jump it and clear the top strand by about two feet. However, Bob carries an old injury and his family (understandably) don't encourage him to do jumping like this. I was going to lift him gently over. Initially, Caley sees this as Bob getting some special attention that he's not getting so "nuzzles in" to get his share. After, he has been appeased I gently lift Bob over and lower him carefully to the other side.

I turn to call Caley over and Bob has appeared back at my side again. The perceived 4 inches of clearance below the gate is to the surface of a muddy puddle. The puddle is about another 2 or 3 inches deeper and this is ample clearance for Bob to sneak under, albeit with a very muddy belly.

Ten out of ten to Bob for problem solving!

After this the guys had great fun as we made our way to the top. It is a bit of a slog, not like Bohuntin Hill with its punishing gradient but the deep heather and soft rough ground adds to the exertion. The summit is a wonderful Lochaber view point though doesn't have quite the feel of being a mountain in the way BH does. I had a banana and the dogs shared a bit of my pear. What a difference a few calories makes to the legs.
We returned via the upward route and it was nice knowing there was no problems at the gate although Bob, in bypassing it the same way, got exceptionally muddy for going home.

It was a morning for posting an extra.