Rehab...

So, the WBD coped with Meikle Bin two weeks back; the longish on-lead road walks continue apace, and the question last Saturday was how to try and move things forward.

The answer - as it often is with me after a hill layoff - was Ben Vrackie. It's not that far away, it's a proper hill, and it is eminently doable in the short daylight hours this time of year.

It catches a lot of snow too. And while I've done it in winter conditions before, I hadn't experienced it quite so consistently deep and soft straight from the car park. Every year, I forget how much more tiring that makes walking up a hill. What I could claim, I suppose, is that I was ever so slightly concerned about how the extra effort of wading through dog-oxter deep white stuff was liable to affect Jorja's return to fitness campaign; and that as a result, I decided to turn back about 15 minutes before the summit.

On the other hand, a blog is nothing if it's not an outlet for honesty, so I'll admit I was Donald Ducked, and when the weather closed in I'd had enough of slipping and sliding up a rather steep wee bit of mountain.  Accordingly, no hilltop photies, but plenty of my faithful (unless there's a better food-related offer elsewhere) companion back to doing what is largely her...reason for being. ;)

...and the weather closed in. I did go a bit further, honest.

Incidentally, on a practical note, there's forestry stuff occurring at the minute, so you actually wander through the farm grounds - it is pretty well flagged up - and regain the original path a wee bit before the cool fingerpost pictured earlier.

It was a proper workout, summit or not. A good jaunt. :)