is balancing the hike's difficulty against what we photographers call its production value. Time and again, however, I've learned—often the hard way—that I have a tendency to underestimate just how challenging some of these walks can be.

One such walk was the one I joined on Saturday, July 4. In my defense, the Balloch Park and Whinny Hill route was rated Category C+, and, rather naively, I assumed it would be fairly easy. I soon discovered that I'm really only fit for Category C walks.

Unfortunately, this hike was anything but easy. Much of the route consisted of steep uphill trails that were far more demanding than I had expected. In the end, I managed to complete only 5.9 of the planned 8 miles before I had to stop. By then I was out of breath and close to dehydration, having also underestimated how much water I would need to bring. Thankfully, the support and encouragement from the rest of the group were outstanding.

Despite the constant rain, the scenery was absolutely breathtaking, making the effort worthwhile.