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Hods Hill instead of a motorway service station

Hods Hill instead of a motorway service station


Postby gld73 » Sun Jan 16, 2022 9:38 am

Sub 2000' hills included on this walk: Hods Hill

Date walked: 13/01/2022

Time taken: 1.3 hours

Distance: 5.5 km

Ascent: 230m

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Rather than going via Edinburgh, for a change I was doing the drive from West Cumbria to Inverness directly. Didn't get the early-ish start I'd hoped for which would have given me enough daylight time to do 2 walks up small hills on the way, but at least I managed one in place of pulling over at a service station for a break. Not having a map for the area where I was wanting to stop, I needed a hill which was straightforward (I don't like just relying on a phone map), and Hods Hill fitted the bill - a short, easy marilyn which wasn't too far off the A74(M).

I parked at the Daer waterworks up towards the dam and followed the Southern Upland Way (signed) which passed within about 100m of the actual summit. Hopped over a fence to the summit, and returned the same way. I'm not getting the chance for many big hill days just now, but bagging any hill when I get a chance in decent weather is appreciated, even wee 'uns like this.

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APDC8119.JPG
I walked the short distance up the access road to near the dam (turns out I could have parked there), then took the waymarked path up - this looking back at the start of the walk on to Daer reservoir and dam

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The trodden path was clear on the ground, but Southern Upland Way markers also made the route one that was hard to lose

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Another benefit to following this bit of the SUW was nice stiles over the fences to Hods Hill straight ahead

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Looking back to the reservoir again

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This was where I left the SUW for the short walk to what is, apparently, the actual summit. Climbed over the fence at this wooden section and followed the fence along about a 100m metres.

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Hods Hill summit. No impressive cairn, just a slight turn in the fence!
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gld73
 
Posts: 899
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Sub 2000:94   Hewitts:60
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Joined: Aug 11, 2015
Location: Inverness

Re: Hods Hill instead of a motorway service station

Postby Robertgee » Sun Jan 16, 2022 1:46 pm

Enjoyed reading your report, as it's one I climbed 19 years ago when walking the Southern Upland Way...or at least I THOUGHT I'd climbed it. :shock: It was when you said you'd to leave the path and go 100m to reach the true summit, I realised I hadn't done that, just sticking to the main path. In my defence, the OS map 50K version has, what I thought, the summit of 567m on the SUW path. It's only when looking at the 25K map, does it have the summit a little further north, off the main path at 569m.

I'm currently climbing all the Marilyns in the south of Scotland, with only 5 left, all in Galloway. So can I still claim to have climbed Hods Hill? :? What do people think? Will I have to return, and do it properly? :lol:
Robertgee
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Posts: 81
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Re: Hods Hill instead of a motorway service station

Postby gld73 » Sun Jan 16, 2022 11:53 pm

I can't imagine anyone will begrudge you claiming it; all you missed was a hop over a fence and a very short walk along the exact same terrain you'd been doing before and after. Your secret is safe here ... :shh: :-D
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gld73
 
Posts: 899
Munros:178   Corbetts:76
Fionas:69   Donalds:12
Sub 2000:94   Hewitts:60
Wainwrights:107   Islands:13
Joined: Aug 11, 2015
Location: Inverness

Re: Hods Hill instead of a motorway service station

Postby Robertgee » Mon Jan 17, 2022 12:29 am

Thanks gld73, I'll likely give a return visit a miss for the time being. Though as the Daer is less than an hours drive from home, it could be a nice short afternoon walk sometime in the summer.

Looks like this hill catches a few people out. I've had a look at the trip reports, and see Fife Flyer and Graeme D both have route maps that fail to reach the true top. So thank goodness it's not just me :lol:
Robertgee
Walker
 
Posts: 81
Munros:104   Corbetts:39
Fionas:32   Donalds:89
Sub 2000:147   Hewitts:36
Wainwrights:38   Islands:60
Joined: Dec 5, 2015

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