Day 7
Thursday 15th May - Burma Road to Glenmore campsite
A breakfast of fish pate and oatcakes put me on the Burma road proper. I've no idea why its got this name. At the summit there's a memorial to the late head keeper Alasdair Polson ("A better friend had no man" says the inscription - a better memorial had no man, I think). I left the rucksack by the summit cairn and strolled off to bag the Corbett Geal Charn Mor which sports a fantastic view of the snow streaked Cairngorm Mountains Various mountain bikers were met struggling their way up the other side and I was soon in the fleshpots of Aviemore, where I briefly met Bob from Bristol.
I bought lots more scoff and another bottle of scotch and somehow set off the store alarm on the way out. I little erk jumped out from somewhere and invited me to "step back into the store, Sir" He looked in my shopping bag but couldnt spot anything amiss (cos there wasn't anything!) So he let me go. Alarms went off again and I was invited back again (Sir). This time a supervisor joined in. She eyed my rucksack and I could sense the desire to explore its contents, and then the realisation that this might take a while..... "On yer way" she barks - the inference being that I've got away with it this time..... I retire to the Bridge Inn. Tesco's alarms still sounding. At the Bridge, Bob turns up but sits outside in the sun and I have a fab salmon and salad and several pints of amber nectar.
I then leave for Glen More, following the paths through the forest, over the Cairngorm Club footbridge, through Piccadilly (3 paths junctions - this is the path to the Lairig Ghru - and on to Loch Morlich and the campsite. Its a pleasan stroll through Scots Pines. I meet several challengers and there's a few camping at select spots. The FC campsite peeps are friendly and welcoming and there's hot showers and sock washing.....
18 miles ( up to 112 miles now) and 1900 feet of height gain.... and a Corbett and I'm back on schedule.
