Pressendye

Time up in Aberdeen meant that a potential hill in the 'gorms was in the offing. However, the weather had deteriorated considerably and the snow meant that the roads in Aberdeenshire were brutal. Rather than drive all the way to Braemar and be rewarded by snow gates or a likely epic up Beinn Bhrotain, I decided on a shorter day. I parked up at the Petts farm after a harum-scarum drive and got clad to the hilt. I climbed the various zigzags and ventured into a snow storm. No route issues but a very pleasant walk, with picnic tables scattered around the summit of Pittenderich. The final climb to the summit of Pressendye was tough due to the thigh deep snow but the large cairn and shelter afforded phone calls back to worried relatives and wifelet. Views to Morven were obscured by the cloud level so in that sense, my choice was more than justified. 3 hours from bottom to bottom and a return to mother P's fine food meant that it was a victory rather than an opportunity lost.