Gurkha Highlander - the Big One - Day 5

It was still dark as the boys divvied up the packed lunches and loaded their bags into the back of the van. Breakfast had been enlivened by the fact that the toaster would not stay down without someone’s finger on the plunger. Even so, we were driving before 05:30, and made the layby at Cuaich before 06:30. The rain was lashing down, and I shook hands with them all as they headed up the path into the wilderness.
I heard later that until about 11 the rain kept up, but just as they got to Glen Feshie the weather cleared and allowed them that most stunning vista.
I had other things that needed doing. More knee supports, and more Compeed plasters and zinc oxide tape. I set off south as I had to take the long way round over Glenshee, which was misty and extremely cold.
I spent the day checking into our B& B, and checking out the Inver Hotel at Crathie , where we were to eat a late dinner. From there I drove on into Ballater to do my shopping and use the internet.. On the way back, there was great activity beside Balmoral. There was a photo-shoot which included the Queen and Camilla. Camilla in particular looked very smart, and she and Charles looked most relaxed and happy. They amuse me as a couple. They could almost be teenagers in love.
I got back to the B&B about 4 and started to make tea to put into flasks to take to the boys when they made RV1, which today was Linn o’ Dee. This is a fantastic ravine, carved by the rushing waters into extraordinary shapes, and spanned by a bridge opened by Queen Victoria. It sits in the Mar Estate, managed by the Scottish National Trust, and surrounded by signs saying how dangerous it is. As I sat waiting for the walkers, red squirrels ran about, deer trotted across the path and grouse called their unmistakable “ Go-Back! Go-Back!”
The boys finally appeared out of the rain at 7:20 pm having walked just under 13 hours. They fell on the tea and food I had prepared for them.
“ Oh Lear sahib, you are like angel! ” - and then they set off again to do the last hour and take their tally to just over 40 miles for the day. Captain Rajen was wearing flip-flops -” Can’t be bothered with these boots anymore sahib.”
Because they were wet, the flip-flops were making a sort of quacking noise, and with his hill stick, he was making good progress.
One of the boys suddenly shouted “ What looks like Mahatma Ghandi and sounds like a duck?“ In unison the rest of them shouted “ CAPTAIN SAHIB” and all roared with laughter. As Walker John said, they might start slowly in the morning,but ask them to put a bit of speed on after 20 miles and they were over the horizon before you could kukri. There had been a point when the mist had descended and they had had to use compass bearings to see them through. Of course, for the Gurkhas it was almost superfluous, as they have an instinct for the mountains and for the way to travel.At one point they had come to a stream which was too wide to cross - or so Walker John thought.. He was ready to make a mile detour to a bridge when Capt. Rajen said “ No sahib, let Lal have a look.” Whereupon Lal trotted up and down the bank a bit, and suddenly started leaping in a zig-zag across the river. He’d found the only way across, which was unmarked on any map. The boys had no problems once they’d seen Lal do it and were across in an instant. Walker John had a much more difficult time, with the boys shouting encouragement, and continually telling him the wrong way to jump. They were most disappointed when he didn’t fall in.
By the time they got to RV2 at Victoria Bridge,they were all really cold and wet. I shook all their hands as they got into the van and congratulated them on a fantastic effort. We were only 10 minutes from Mary Morgan’s B&B in Braemar,and after a quick wash and change we set off for the Inver Hotel.
There,a group of Englishmen were having dinner. They were up for the grouse. As soon as they saw us, and realised we were Gurkhas,the leader rushed over and emptied his wallet. Susan Snell, who owns the hotel, insisted on paying for our dinner, which it will not surprise you to learn was curry, and was excellent. Susan used to be a serious tennis player, and took the hotel over 3 years ago, coming from the south for a complete change of lifestyle, She seems to be thriving.
Breakfast is not until 8am, as its only about 20 miles tomorrow - but that includes Lochnagar, which is the only Ben in Scotland called a Loch. From the summit you can look straight down into Balmoral itself.
Can’t help but feel there ought to be a security guard up there to prevent snipers.
126 miles down, about 66 to go.