Big Torry above Alva, Ochils

[U059361]

Didn't have a lot of time so didn't want to drive too far. Parked in Alva Glen car park and walked up to the fence and gate at top of official walk with return back to car park on west side of burn. Through the gate, we had a coffee break. Decided to go up to Big Torry and have a look.

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Steep climb straight up from here to a gully. It was a bit of a scramble but made it safely. The top of the gully was filled with snow, so we bailed out and walked up beside it.

Looking down the gully back to the gate and fence. Quite steep.

From there easy on to Big Torry. Weather kind at this point, sun came back out so we walked on up Craig Elsie for lunch. Well sheltered by crags and soaked up the vitamin D while we munched.

Path from Big Torry to Craig Elsie

Our lunch spot below the crags. Looking over to Ben Cleuch

Then walked up the crag and over to Mid Cairn. Snow was a bit deeper here, been collected by wind but still comfortable walking as 3 inches deep. Took a look round at the top. Bit more exposed and windy up here.

Looking down on Dumyat and Stirling beyond. The top had no snow on it.

We had taken a while to climb up, so we picked an easier decent down the back of the hill and across snow covered slopes. Made the descent easier, but gaiters kept filling with snow as deeper again here. 6 inches to a foot deep but on the slope made it deeper to walk in. Had to stop twice to get snow out of gaiters. Steep drop to get to path but by now clear of snow and grass and moss to walk on. Took the path back to where we left it and back to the car park.
A nice wee adventure.

[alfie]

brilliant!alva glen is lovely and yer right from the gate it is very steep up the gully!and when yer up on top ye can go on to bengengie and down on to sheep pens and track past craighorn and the nebit taking ye back to alva glen!on wee torry there is a plaque in honour of kenny cook a local lad winning the hill race of the alva games!really good guy he is tae ,i used to work with him when he too was a postie! hes still super fit!:

[Dave Hewitt]

Did you go to the top of Wee Torry (or just Torry as it's sometimes called)? It's the neat little summit about 30 secs to the left of the top of the gully as you come up - or the left-hand rim leads directly to it. Candidate for the best summit in the Ochils, and it's where the Kenny Cook plaque is that Alfie mentions. (The plaque is at the top of the southern slope. First time I came across it was after seeing it glinting in the sunshine - back in the days when there was sunshine - from Alva main street, so I went up to have a look. It's a rare example of a hill memorial to someone who is still alive.) The direct frontal-assault way up Torry is good too - if somewhat brutal. The race record - up, down and then a half-lap of the track in the park at Alva - is 18 minutes something, I believe - phenomenal given that the summit is upwards of 350m above the park.

[hills]

Familiar country, great country too, the ochils really are well worth a trip to anyone who hasnt visited, good to see.

[U059361]

We did go over wee torry but must admit to not seeing any plaque but then there was a bit of snow and we weren't aware so not looking. It is a surprise to hear its for someone still around right enough.
Bengengie is good too, been round that way myself.

[alvason]

What a great little climb! I enjoyed that a lot. Never been up there but was born in Alva many years ago and although now n Australia, still feel that is home so enjoy anything about the hills which were behind us when we were wee lads. We moved away when I was 5 I think. The pictures are great to see. We never got further than somewhere at the foot, where we used to roll easter eggs, eggs coloured by boiling in gorse flowers, rolling themn down until they hit rcks and cracked but I remember that we never got them to crack so our parents had to do that in the end.

Thanks very much for the story and pictures.

Cheers
Adam/alvason = Alva's son