Now the planning has started seriously I’m just as impressed as ever at how people are preparing to help. Lots of you kind of know the route I’m taking and have sent in some quite detailed comments and route options — thanks a lot.

The ultimate advice (as always) comes from Humphrey. I received an email this morning and at the bottom it said, “call if you want”. I thought it might be nice to thank him in person. “When I said call I didn’t mean immediately …”

Humph is the Main Man of the Monadhliath mountains. A good thing this as the Monadhliath is a magical kind of wilderness and I might not have properly appreciated it without Humph. His guidance is of a different nature to that of others. He was talking me along one of the many tracks of the area that are often very unlike that marked on the map. “You’ll come to a wooden Chalet, in the middle of nowhere”.

“It has a wooden porch. A great place to eat a snack, sitting and taking in the sun.”

Humph seems to find these places with real ease. In case you think I’m exaggerating I’ve lost count of the times people have said something like. “there’s a hut at the end of the track — when we popped our head in there was Humphrey having lunch ..” And Humph doesn’t just have lunch.

I looked up this chalet on Google Earth and there it is! It does indeed look a splendid building and I shall loo forward to sitting on its porch and munching my lunch at some point or other (hopefully this year).

A special mention should go to Shirl as always. This year she seems to be starting in Oban but that still doesn’t stop her stravaiging all over the Cairngorms in search of spooks and ghouls. Shirl, if I was aiming for Ryvoan Bothy I would’t got hat way — mind you I seem to remember saying something like that last year

Talking of the Cairngorms, this is the only area for which I haven’t got any sort of plan yet. Advice and suggestions would be welcome.

I shall be approaching by way of Aviemore, after having sampled the as much as you can eat Italian before stumbling on up the road to Coylumbridge (simply because I haven’t any imagination!). I’ve been through the Lairig enough times now, and Feshie as well. I’ve been over Cairn Gorm and Ben MacDui on a few occasions. I do like the Fords of Avon and the other Lairig down to Derry Lodge. But there must be some other ideas! Any will be greatly received!