The assualt on the remaining Munros continues.

Fi fae work messaged me on Thursday asking if I fancied chumming her to Glen Nevis on Saturday; it got a resounding 'hell yeah' from me.

Having been good on Friday (3 pints, one of which was shandy) I was ready for the 5am departure. Thankfully I was already awake when Nadia (pronounced Nad-ja) and her boyfriend began creating drama up and down W Granton Road so that kept my interest as I grabbed boots and socks and bananas and jelly babies.

I remember little of the drive up; save a few mental notes of stop off points for the incoming Australian tourists; due in June.

Midges were in evidence at the car park but we didn't linger and at 0830 started up Sgurr a Mhaim - my aim was the Ring of Steall; Fiona wanted the solitary Sgurr a Mhaim and then would swing westwards to take in Stob Ban and its neighbour (I'd already nabbed this in 2017)

It's a straight up slog for the 1st 1000 metres. Strava recorded 3 hours for the first 3km! Thankfully we were in shade most of the way up and there was a most refreshing breeze to also help keep us cool.

Summiting, we could then see our respective days unfolding in front of us.

But before we went off on our separate adventures, there  was the small matter of the Devil's Ridge. A lovely wee high level wander with views all around. Not many folks out - but then I was going largely against the grain and Fi was sightly off piste in her route, too.

And having successfully not lost Loki off the Devil's Ridge, Fi veered off to the west in a Stob Ban kind of a direction; she's not done many solo Munros in her 180 so far, but headed off armed with good directions and plenty of water.

Loki and I continued on - although it's only 4 Munros on the circuit, you cross at least double that in summits; it's a bit of a rollercoaster....!

Fi and I exchanged messages, both summiting on our 2nd hill of the day within 3 minutes of each other.

As the day wore on, the crowds got busier. The bastard descent off Am Bodach saw me pass 80 folk heading in the opposite direction! Loki did his best to prove he's not a pure bred springer by revealing his part feral mountain goat genes. 

And onwards. I had a vague notion to try and hook Na Grugachean into the day, but - nah! Too hot; feet to sore. Let's stick to the game plan.

And one final near vertical pull up onto An Gearanach; where I met the 12 year old girl fae Inverness who had recently completed her 2nd round of Munros whilst still at primary school. To say she looked glum woudl be an understatement - I felt like slipping her Childline's number. (They were out for all 10 Mamores in a day - some feat!!)

And so Loki and I duly bimbled up to the final summit; before begining the descent to the Steall Falls; seemingly right below me. I got the impression if I'd dropped a stone, it would have pretty much fallen all the way down! 

Fi also summited her 3rd of the day not long after I had done my final one; and we were on course to finish at roughly the same time.

Downwards we went; Ben Nevis looming large in the forefront; a never ending series of switchbacks before Loki finally got his reward of a dip in the river. 

We picked our way back to the upper car park past the tourists; my sweaty Hull City t-shirt and panting dog at odds with the slightly more manicured Instagram conscious folks looking for dramatic shots of waterfalls  and alpine meadows. 

As we approached the car park, Fi announced she was driving up to fetch me; saving my achng feet the final mile and a half. 

Fort Bill for liquid (4 litres on the day - gone! So i was in need of rehydration!) and back via the A96 to Dalwhinnie (managing to avoid Orkney's 2nd most notorious blipper in Newtonmore)) and home for 8. 

She was in; and by the time I'd bathed, dinner was ready and Loki was full up and his back; feet in the air, and out for the count. 

It wasn't too much longer before I too was similarly spark out. 26 to go. Do you think I might actually manage this...?

Extras - 1 self approaching the Devil's Ridge, 2 Loki /  Ben Nevis 3 Loki skips across the rocky ridge onto An Gearanach,  4 Fi and Loki heading onto the Devil's Ridge