Scottish Gold

Alison Culshaw ready to set out from Dalwhinnie towards our base in the Ben Alder Forest, in the Cairngorms National Park

We finally came across a group on a track

Alison picking up speed on her bike

My tent - a luxury home for 3 nights

View from the tent - a group is camped in the photo with Ben Alder on the left hand side, Sgor Lutharn to the right

Groups A and B having lunch

A group decamping on the 2nd morning

The top of the NE ridge leading up to Ben Alder. Can you see the white spot in the photo below the left loch (Loch Pattack) - which is Culra Lodge? On the RHS is Loch Ericht.

A view from the summit of Ben Alder. Ben Nevis on the RHS and Glencoe and the Buachaille on the left. Also visible were the Cuillins! and snow on the Cairngorm hills!

A view from below the Bealach Breabag - of the southern end of Loch Ericht

Finally a group arrive at the Bealach Breabag - I've been waiting for hours !!

Sunset from my tent - awesome.. (as the sun goes down, so does the temp - this was my coldest night)

Morning... This is my stream next to the tent, and Beinn Bheoil behind

Early on the 4th morning I was off, and passed the glass like Loch Pattack - with the post dawn sunlit clouds perfectly reflected in the still waters - awesome..

At the end of the 4th day, I'd got to the end expecting the groups to be an hour behind me - stupid me!! So I got Alison's bike and went to find them.. I managed to do so, finding them struggling with the forest trails that seem to change as often as the weather! So I had some spare time to enjoy the beach here at Kinloch Laggan looking SW into Loch Laggan.. There's always time for a beach (unless you're climbing!!).

This week I was working for Alison Culshaw in the Cairngorm National Park, on a D of E Gold Qualifying Expedition, with 20 girls form Aberdeen. We met the day before Exped day 1 - and I did the kit check for everybody, making sure they had enough kit, warm clothing etc, but not too much stuff weighing down their pack, like too much choc for example - is there such a thing as too much choc (not in my world!). Just after this, I started packing, throwing all the rules aside and instead of 1 luxury item, I packed a car load - intending to live in the lap of luxury for 4 days.... What would you take if weight wasn't an issue (top 5 items? I took my top 10 items!)..

Alison had her bike so was zipping about like a fire fly for 4 days, I had 2 feet, and a belly full of chocolate that I kept finding in the tent! So no fire flies for me!!

At the end most of them were successful, and I finally got reunited with my sick car - which then limped it's way to a garage where it still is now..