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After a 2 week enforced layoff due to the recent 'named' storms the forecast finally improved, Having said that there had been snow forecast the day before, so getting to the start point could be a challenge.
Parminder wasn't available as he had been down south and wasn't feeling too great, Tommy was going to join us and would travel across from Ayrshire the evening before and spend the night in his van. This was advantageous to us as we could get an early morning snow report.
George and I left Fife at 7am and we met Tommy just before 8.30am and were soon on our way huffing and puffing up the hill road.
Looking across Talla Reservoir to the steep snow covered slopes
The road that goes steeply uphill to the track
Looking down on the SE end of Talla
Looking across to what would be our final descent
Talla Reservoir looking stunning
The road uphill, you can see why we opted to park by the burn
Plenty of water coming downhill
The way ahead
Stunning view looking back
Any ideas what this is?
We opted to follow the track rather than traverse along Carlavin Hill
We were almost tempted to see if the keys had been left
Parked so that it is not visible from the road
Tommy crossing the burn
The big round lump of Broad Law
Track made it not so much of a slog uphill, snow thinly covered and predictable
The way up and ahead, we would swing round to the right for our first summit
The final push up to Molls Cleuch Dod at 785m
Looking back, Broad Law in the distance
Summit in the distance at the wall
Summit of Molls Cleuch Dod
The way ahead after one down, good walking initially
Decision time, do we swing to the right or head down to Rotten Bottom?
The way ahead, bit hazy
The way down to Rotten Bottom
Impressive views south to the area known as Raven Craig
Gradual descent before we head down to the low point at Rotten Bottom
Looking back at George taking photo's
I was expecting soft snow when it was very white, but this patch was firm - good news
Cracking view again, with drifts by the wall
We can't see the bottom of Rotten Bottom yet
Rotten Bottom, snow depth varied and soft, without snow it would be a tad mushy
We opted to avoid the white patches, especially on the slog uphill
The ascent is a bit more gradual, staying to the left of the fence
Looking back across Rotten Bottom
George looking at the ascent and licking his lips at the challenge
Follow the fence, we would cut the corner a wee bit as Cape Law is round to the left
Lunch time, the wall was perfect for resting on
Looking the other way
Not a bad view whilst dining
Not the biggest cairn
The way off Cape Law, we would follow the fence and then swing round to the right, staying to the left of the small lochan
Another bit of ascending
Looking back
Our improvised summit of Din Law (Donald top) there wasn't much of a detour so we opted to say hello
Fruid Reservoir now making an appearance
The small lochan from the earlier photo - Gameshope Loch
The way ahead, a bigt of going down then much more going up
George about to start the next ascent
Tommy caught after an incident, poles far too long for skiing
Going up
Looking down Ellers Cleuch
The way ahead
Looking back, you can see our route down
Looking back
Gameshope Loch
Tommy's dog Max looking back and waiting for his daddy
Trudging uphill, still plenty of going up
Looking back - undulating
Not far to our next stop Garelet Dod
Another improvised summit
Heading off Garelet Dod, I was trying to retain height, Fruid Reservoir in the background
Our final hill is the one in the foreground
The way ahead up Erie Hill
The way up Erie, we opted to avoid the white stuff
Admiring the views
Looking back
Loving the ascending
The small summit area of Erie Hill, by far the best summit of the day
Video on Erie Hill
Max posing
We should have gone through the gate further back to start the final descent, as a result we had to clamber over the "new" deer fence
George in the way of a cracking backdrop
The long descent, soft slippy snow didn't make for a rapid descent
The view without George in the way
Plenty of the snow has melted
Great view of the road that eventually takes you to St Mary's Loch via Megget Reservoir
Looking up Gameshope, the lower slopes of our descent have small saplings planted
Snow on the road uphill has melted in the 5 hours we were having fun
You can see the small saplings now
Looking back uphill
Fruid Reservoir zoomed on my camera
One of George's photo's heading down to Rotton Bottom
Snowball to make the cairn slightly higher
Another tough assignment, mainly because of the conditions, but we are not complaining as it was just so good to escape and get some fresh February air into our lungs. We are all nearing the compleation of the Donald's, like my first round I really do enjoy the Borders hills, one of the great challenges is linking hills together. A prime example is the 4 hills above, no one else has done the same 4 in a oner.
