One with Nature

Climbs 5 & 6

Tuesday Sept 6 & Wednesday Sept 7

Time: 30 minutes-ish both days.  Too windy for much lingering.

Weather:  mid fifties, VERY windy, radio reporting "gale force winds."

Number of times I wondered if I could keep this up in the forthcoming unpleasant weather of the late fall and winter ("dreich"):  4

I was hoping for something interesting to report this week and was more than amply rewarded.

After reaching the peak yesterday and trying to select a path down that would not involve being blown to death and dismemberment by the strong wind gusts, I very quickly noticed something I had not yet seen on these hikes.

About 1/4 of the way down from the peak on the Dunsapie Loch side, a gent had selected a sunny grassy knoll on which to engage in some calisthenics.  While I watched he was doing those leg lifts which involve raising the legs in a straight line from the torso, bending the knees, then straightening the legs at a 90 degree angle from the body, then reversing that motion.  This maneuver was performed repeatedly at a very controlled, yoga-like tempo.

Because the grass and heather is rather high, I couldn't see the rest of him, and used the zoom  to take the picture.  I don't think he knew he was being observed.  As I passed below the knoll he was on,  I could only see his legs going up and down, almost as if a modern art installation had been placed in Holyrood Park below Arthur's Seat.

The wind these two days has been invigorating, but as I would like to return in one piece, I'm trying to be very cautious.  One last area near the peak is tricky in the wind, but if I clamber up low using my hands, it seems to be OK.

The wind was crazy just getting out of the car and getting started!