Fit for Summer - The Scottish Adventure!

I reckon getting 'fit' for summer is on pretty much every girl's wishlist. Unless of course you've already achieved it in which case feel free to continue reading looking amazing in your bikini and sipping your sugary cocktails...

Anyway getting back to the point, getting fit for summer means different things to different people. Everybody wants to look bangin' in their swimsuit and summery clothes, with lean limbs and a natural tan. For me, I wanted to get healthy. I wanted to literally get fitter. I started a health-food diet and cut out all processed foods including sugar. I've always been a healthy eater but I really boosted my intake of fresh fruit and veg as well as nuts, seeds and pulses. Unfortunately this kind of diet is quite high in calories so being more active comes hand in hand. I wouldn't call myself lazy by any means, but I don't do regular intense exercise. I walk my dog every day and I do toning exercises and that's pretty much it. So when I was challenged to climb Ben Nevis this summer I said yes without really realising what I was getting myself in for!

My fiance, Nick, completed the Three Peaks challenge last year and has wanted me to join him on a Ben Nevis hike ever since. We finally managed to sort ourselves out and recruited our cousins to join us for our Scottish adventure. We drove up to Fort William on saturday and started our ascent early Sunday morning...

The first 400ft or so was incredibly gruelling, adjusting to a higher heart rate and giving your glutes a good workout. 

After a while it levels out a bit and you can see how far you've come up the valley. Trying to stay cheerful helps a lot!

Here you can see the path in the distance.

I found so many heart shaped rocks but this one was my favourite!

Doing my stretches...

None of us were expecting snow near the summit! It was like a different climate.

Nearly there...

"Harry, I've reached the top!"

Whoop whoop made it to the summit in about 4 hours, not bad for my first time!

Very happy to be heading down, although going down wrecks your feet and joints.

Almost there...

7 hours 35 mins later we arrived back to the starting point, exhausted and elated. I can't believe I did it!

So there you go, I didn't just get fit for summer - I achieved something that I thought was beyond my reach and had a total blast doing it.