Carter Fell, Limestone Knowe, Buzzard Crags

[JonetCol]

I was aware pre walk that the route was boggy and difficult. An understatement. Even with no rain for a week, the peat held the water desperately. There are no distinct paths, so you must struggle acros deep peat hags, sturdy tussock and unavoidably, heather.

From the SP at the border car park, there is a paved path for 100m or so which gives way to a steep uneven boggy 'path' on the S side of the border fence. It climbs steeply up Catcleugh Shin to the almost featureless plateau of Carter Fell summit. It's only a further 2k to the trig pillar (to access it, you have to defy sturgeon and cross the stile into scotland) but reaching it took longer than expected, due to the difficult terrain.

From ther TP I had an arduous further 2k hike, incl crossing a stile in a fence not on the map, to a fence junction where I followed the left curving rails along to the ridge linking Limestone Knowe. Just shy of the summit elevation, the fence veers right towards the top. From here, being behind my predicted time, I passed on the summit to strike out NE across the plateau for Carter Pike.

The ground was pathless and covered with dense heather and tussock,. It was also immensely boggy, criss-crossed with small awkward to cross streams and pitted everywhere with precipitous troughs in the peat hags. After struggling a while and w ith the big cairn atop Carter Fell in view, but with no obvious route towards it, I opted to descend to the banks of a small stream at the base of the S flank of the Pike. Huge mistake. The stream was as bad to get to as crossing the plateau, and of course re-ascending the steep slopes was difficult (although a couple of very large feral goats seemed to manage with ease). After wading through the shallow stream bed for a few metres, I opted to skip the cairn, but climb a little and return along the contour line, passing just below the impressive Buzzard Crags.

After the crags I ended up heading down NE in a vain attempt to find easier going which only lengthened my journey. To return to the SP I had to descend NW to lower ground between the Pike and the A68, then climb back up to the car park.

Despite the tough going I'm glad I did the walk. The views to the N and NW from the pillar are grand and there are lovely views to the S and E, taking in Catcleugh Reservoir duringthe initial ascnt. That said I shan't be rushing back for seconds.