… it takes you twenty minutes to find your rucksack.

… the plasters in your first aid kit no longer stick.

… you can’t find a compass anywhere even though you own three.

… in yer pipe and smoke it!

Early starts and draughty Land Rovers. Blue skies and snow. Fry-ups at ropey cafes. Breathtaking views. Crushed sandwiches and tired legs. Time with friends. A sweaty back and freezing hands. It’s a mixed bag the old hillwalking but I’ve missed it.

So, (shock!) here’s a video without a baby in it.

I gave the camera a good workout as well so there’s a wee bundle of photies.

With further apologies to the people who still pop in hoping for Scottish landscape photos, here’s another baby video.

Right then, eighty minutes to walk up and back down Ben Rinnes. Away and beat that and I’ll buy you a pint.

A few photos.

The bairn has been scooting around in reverse for a wee while now but he’s just cracked forward motion in the last few days. Actually, maybe cracked isnae quite the right word yet - it’s a bit wobbly.

Reverse parking next.

Congratulations to Mr and Mrs Kormylo!

Ben Rinnes in the sun.

New bike light. I’ll need to come up with a way of dipping the beam for road use but it’ll be grand off-road.

I should really take holidays more often! :O)

The lad’s properly mastered rolling over recently, so multiple rollovers are now the preferred means of travel. He seems delighted with his wee personal milestone.

Frankly, I quite liked it when he stayed where I’d left him.

The last time I walked through Glen Feshie and down to Linn of Dee, on a failed coast to coast walk in 2007, my enjoyment was somewhat moderated by ankles that decided they had walked quite far enough already and wanted a long sit down. I spent the night with my feet up then hobbled on to the doctor’s office in Braemar and then didn’t get out walking for another two months in probably one of the best parts of the year, missing April and May entirely.

So here’s a suggestion: don’t push your luck if you’re injured on a long walk. You can always go back, take your time, take some more photos, wonder why they’ve closed the perfectly good upstairs room in the bothy, say “Christ - I just hopped across this river last time” and quite simply do it all again with a smile on your face.

It’s good to be back.

Edinburgh to Galloway turned into Edinburgh-to-nearly-Moffat-via-Peebles thanks to the A701 being closed at the Leadburn junction for resurfacing work, and the small matter of two burst pedals and not enough cable ties. The constant headwind was slowly breaking me anyway.

Still, it was a good bike ride while it lasted and I had a nice wee break in Galloway. More importantly, I tried something challenging for the first time in a wee while. I’ve missed that a bit, even wrapped up in this new parenthood gig as I am.