The 2012 Challenge, Day 12: Is there a bed at Tarfside? (1)

Wednesday 23 May dawned bright and sunny ... just like the three days before it! I really should have bought myself some sun cream in Braemar ... but thankfully this morning Big John came to the rescue with a few squirts of his for my arms. The neck wasn't such a problem, as I'd be walking in my havelock again.

After breakfast Jim, Big John and I all packed and headed off at pretty much the same time. We were all going to the same place: Tarfside. And we were all getting there by pretty much the same route: Over Muckle Cairn and down Glen Lee. Jim and John were intent on staying north of the river once they got to Glen Esk, whereas I had put on my route card that I would use the tracks and paths to the south of the river; but I didn't need all that much persuading to change my route to be sociable!

John and I took a rather different path up Muckle Cairn from Jim. His route was rather to the south of ours. We thought we had picked the best line by reading the hill and the vegetation, but Jim was powering along a whole lot faster than us - with the result that we all met up together on the Land Rover Track as we began our descent. In this photograph Jim is in the lead, followed by Big John, and I am bringing up the rear.