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Second day of the "walking retreat"

Friday morning - I wake at about 5.00am and lie for 15 minutes or so listening to the weather and doing a savouring exercise for the past, the present, and the future. The past: remembering yesterday, the two deer, the white-splashed ptarmigan flying so fast along the contour of the hill, the curve of the ridge between Meall a' Chrasgaidh and Carn na Criche as I looked up at it from below, and especially the mountain hare beginning to run, then stopping, looking at me sideways - "Who are you?" - listening to my voice as I say softly "Hello lovely! You're beautiful. I hope you have a great life." And then the hare was gone, off down the hillside. Savouring the present, being able to move easily in my sleeping bag - no obvious strains from yesterday. And savouring the possible future: imagining the day's walk back up to the main ridge, trudging slowly, steadily up and west to Meall a' Chrasgaidh (hill of the crossing), then south to the secondary ridge leading over Sgurr nan Clach Geala (peak of the white stones) maybe with views down into the hanging corrie, to Sgurr nan Each (peak of the horses). Then, learning from yesterday, allowing the next possible section of the walk to be a "maybe", depending on visibility, weather, my body, maybe down to the bealach (Gaelic for a mountain pass) and up to Sgurr Breac (speckled peak) and A' Chailleach (the old woman) before retracing my steps to the bealach and the long walk back home to the tent. Again time to get going!

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