Day 57 Thurs 10th June

24 miles from Blair Atholl to wild camp on Gaick Pass.
The BIG day. This is the hardest part of the whole walk. Instead of following the A9 over Drumochter Pass I decided to take a cut through the mountains, camping at the highest point over night. We will be 5 miles from the nearest person - not the place to break a leg or feel sick! Especially as there will be no signal on my mobile
I went to the Blair Atholl General Store and stocked up for a minimum of two days walking.





A good healthy diet! (Remember I don't carry a stove). When I bought the Jumbo sausage rolls I assumed it referred to size - once I had eaten one I realised it probably referred to the contents. Anyway Gyp liked them.
After a 5 mile road walk to Calvine we then followed the old road next to the new A9 as it is now a cyclepath. A pleasant 6 miles later, including spotting a sunbathing adder, we arrived at Dalnacardoch. From here we headed due North through forestry tracks on the way to the Gaick Pass.





Yes that is snow on the mountain tops. The rough gamekeepers' track wound up and up before it ended at a ruined lodge. After passing over an indistinct path over boggy ground





a narrow path led around an isolated loch





Although I was surprised by the lack of birds and animals I did see several deer (roe not red as I was hoping for). But the best sight was of mountain hares, a pair of adults and later two separate leverets. All had distinct white tails and I got a really good view of one adult which also had white 'socks' its front feet. I assume these are remnants of their winter coats.

At the summit of the pass it was simply a matter of finding somewhere to pitch the tent. Yet again we had to pitch on sphagnum moss. The midges were out in force and we had to zip up the doors of the tent and sit tight. No phone signal. No Radio5Live. Looks like more instant erudition from Radio4.