Now that’s what I call A Good Day.

Warm spring sun, birdsong, herds of deer scattering upon approach, velvety Moles wresting obliviously in the tussocky grass, squadrons of Red Kites wheeling and tumbling in the sky.

I was on my Hilly Chiltern walk, a 20 mile, 3000′ of ascent loop from Stokenchurch via Ibstone, Turville, Stonor, Pishill (pronounced pie-z-ill), Maidensgrove, Russell’s Water, Northend and Christmas Common. Part of the walk is through Wormsley Estate, where Sir Paul Getty built one of the prettiest Cricket grounds in the country.

This was my final training outing, in preparation for a bit of Monro-bagging with my erstwhile walking partner K. Next weekend we hope to be somewhere in the vicinity of A’ Maighdean and Ruadh Stac Mor in Wester Ross, Scotland. (A Munro is a mountain over 3000′ high). This early in the year we are hoping for Snow (crampons and ice-axe to standby) and an absence of midges or deer-stalking. Should I survive, I’ll tell you all about it upon my return.

~ by @mmonyte on March 15, 2009.