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This was yet another Plan B, ideally we would have liked to have headed NW but the forecast of rain and strong winds wasn't very appealing, so I suggested to George & Parminder we stay local (Ochil Hills) as the forecast was more favourable. The Ochils are a very under rated range of hills and once you gain the height the views offered are awesome - assuming you aren't in the clouds. This would be a second visit to the two hills for George and myself, Parminder would finish them off with Blairdenon.
None of us had started from the car park at Alva so it was a new adventure and it was just as well I had a route plotted as there are paths going in all directions.
The car park on our arrival at 8.30 - empty
Car park full on our return
The blurb at the car park
Waterfall not far from the car park
Gaining height and we leave the wooded area the views open up
The path heading uphill
Looking down on Alva
Parminder taking in the views, Wallace Monument in the distance
Looking across towards the Forth
The way up and ahead
Arty shot
Good track uphill, so much so we went too far uphill and missed our turning point for Ben Cleuch
Looking back
Looking back downhill
We are just about to get back on course
The path - fairly obvious
Last look south before we enter the clouds
Summit area of Ben Cleuch
The way ahead to Blairdenon Hill
Summit cairn on Ben Buck which happened to be on our route west
Below the clouds and looking south again
The way ahead, we opted to follow a path west rather than try and direct route
One of the joys of getting a view - the inevitable wind turbine appears to enhance the view
Plenty of moisture in the ground
The path, not quite a motorway more a "B" class road
The summit area of Blairdenon Hill, not very exciting
A George photo, I was making the summit a bit more interesting by creating a wind vane with my poles
Parminder looking very impressed and so he should be
The descent off Blairdenon was fairly straight forward over thick tufty grass, we opted for the direct route option which would take us toward Alva Glen. Our first priority was to try and lose height as it was fairly chilly and we wanted our lunch. After about 150m of steep grassy descent we found a nice lunch spot that also offered pretty good views.
It looks fairly obvious that we are in for a steep descent soon
Yes we are going to go down there
Looking across to Cleuch, the grass on the hillsides looks like it has been freshly cut, trust us it hasn't
Still a bit more descending to do
Parminder in his usual position
Our lunch view
We even found 3 rocks to sit on
Plenty of fungi of varying sizes and colours
Looking back at what we descended, looks fairly easy
Looking back whilst on a gradual ascent, before entering Alva Glen
More fungi
The way ahead, Alva Glen - there is a path that stays on the right hand side of the burn, it is narrow and exposed higher up
One final bit to descend and then we pick up the path
Looking back up to Parminder shows the final descent
George surveying the burn for a suitable crossing point
Parminder making the most of his walking poles
All smiles before his final step/leap
We are now in the Glen, even from here you can see the problem - steep sides on both sides of the burn
Looking back
Parminder looks like he is about to use his pole as a javelin, you can see the path isn't exactly a motorway
I don't think this one is edible
An interesting bit
A surprise waterfall
The way ahead, you can see the path on the right
Looking back as George appears from round the corner
The waterfall from a different angle
This huge hollow is known as 'Smugglers Cave' and we met quite a few folk in the area and this is as far as most folk come
The cave again
The viewing point down to the cave
Never seen a bench so overgrown
The path is much better now for all the day trippers
Another waterfall lower down
Easy way to cross the burn
More water
There are a couple of these signs - and there is a bit of a drop
The motorway back to the car
A few camera photo's to finish off
Longannet chimney and Grangemouth in the distance
Wallace monument zoomed
The bridges at western end of the Forth - Kincardine & Clackmannanshire
A zoomed photo for the turbine lovers
Alva Glen zoomed a wee bit
Possibly the last photo I will take of Longannet chimney before it turns to rubble
Alva Glen was easily the highlight of the day.