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Well it has been awhile since we have updated this site. There are a number of reasons for that, one is that we haven't really done anything too exciting to tell about for sometime now since we have both been quite busy. Justin has been busy applying for his PhD here in Aberdeen. You will all be happy to know we was able to get his funding and we will be stationed in Aberdeen for another 3 yrs. This is both exciting and a wee bit frightening at the same time. I have been busy with essays and exams, and was quite ill for about a month. But now I am feeling better and ready to dig my heels into my dissertation. Other than that we are trying to to find ourselves a new flat for the fall, and trying to enjoy as much of Scotland as possible.
Yesterday we went on a hike with Justin's supervisor and some of his friends. We were under the impression we were hiking a "hill" and that the hike was a beginners hike. Well, this was no hill people! This was a mountain! Before I continue on with our experience, here's a
little bit of information about that MOUNTAIN we hiked up!
We hiked up to Mither Tap on the Bennachie Mountain:
Bennachie is the most northeasterly mountain in Aberdeenshire. It has several summits, the highest of which, Oxen Craig, has a height of 528 m (1733 feet). The most prominent peak, Mither Tap (518 m, 1699 feet) provides good views of the county to the north and east. Mither Tap has an Iron Age fort on its summit. Unlike with many other hilltop forts in the area, there are no signs of vitrification in the stone. It is traditionally claimed that Bennachie is Mons Graupius and that the Battle of Mons Graupius took place nearby. However, no definite evidence exists to support this claim.
Some people also believe that the peak had religious significance to the Bronze Age people who inhabited this area. This is supported by the large number of standing stones in the surrounding area. The significance is believed to be connected to the profile of the hill, which is shaped like a female breast, which is reflected in the name "Mither Tap" (Mother Top) and "Bennachie" (Beinn na Ciche)
Soooooo, it took a bit
of time just to reach the base of the mountain, and that was quite enjoyable. Much of the scenery, and the smells reminded us of a Canadian forest and a bit of the Australian rainforests we have visited. Once we finally reached the base of the mountain and started our ascent, it seemed to get steeper and steeper and became more challenging. We were with people who are fairly avid hikers and so I was trying my best to keep up, but these short legs can only go so fast. Justin had no problem at all going up the mountain.
Unfortunately once we did reach the top, due to the weather, we were not able to see the wonderful view, you are supposed to be able to see to the ocean apparently...But as you can see from the pictures the clouds were low and it was quite cold and windy at the top, so we only stayed there for about 10 minutes before we began our descent.
I hadn't realized just how steep the mountain side was until we started to descend . It required some slow stepping and careful foot placement. I definitely preferred the descent as
it was a bit easier on my sore knees, but Justin found it to be more difficult than going up the mountain as he found it was working his calf muscles in a way he has never worked them before!
It was a very interesting experience, Justin really enjoyed it and I think it was alright, would have been more enjoyable if my knees hadn't been hurting on the way up, but I think some more forest-like hiking is needed for me before I am ready to hike a mountain any higher than the one we hiked yesterday. The Bennachie guidebook said the hike we did was more like an intermediate hike...and I think it would be smarter for me to build up my skills a little more before I hike anything higher than that. But Justin seems ready and willing to jump to the next challenge, all he needs to do is get himself a pair of proper hiking boots, cross-trainers just don't do the trick when you are climbing up and down jagged rocks on a misty mountain!!!
Maybe we will attempt this hike again when the weather is better. I would love to be able
to see this spectacular view everyone talks about!!
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