Torlum, Hickory Dickory Dock and Ailsa's first hill

[Graeme D]

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This was our little girl's first hill. A day over 9 weeks old and surely the first of many more to come. OK, it's not exactly Ben Nevis, or a long, airy, high level traverse of a razor sharp ridge of the Liathach or Aonach Eagach variety, or even the relatively modest Munros of Buachaille Etive Beag which I had done only three days previously with Kev, or even the even more modest and much maligned Ben Chonzie, the hill that back in 2008 had finally ignited my passion for climbing hills, a hill blessed with teeming wildlife, a great lochside walk in or out and superb views on a good clear day. Oh, and fenceposts as well. Musn't forget them, eh no???? No, it was the nearby 393 metre high Sub2K Marilyn of Torlum, a few miles to the south west of Crieff. Well, you've got to start somewhere haven't you, and it's a hell of a lot more than I had done by the time I was 9 weeks and a day old.

I had done the early shift that morning, feeding, bathing, dressing and generally entertaining Ailsa while Debbie enjoyed a well deserved and much needed lie in. We had recently purchased a load of picture books and audio CDs from Amazon, one particular CD featuring a mind-boggling array of seemingly endless "classics" such as Incy Wincy Spider, Pop Goes the Weasel and I'm a Little Teapot. However, after regaling my daughter with it this morning, it was Hickory Dickory Dock that had somehow lodged itself in my head and was now on repeat mode in there.

We stopped off at a little place in the square in Crieff where we fed Ailsa ahead of her big adventure and enjoyed a coffee and cake ourselves, before heading down the hill, across the River Earn ........

"Hickory Dickory Dock" - what the ****????

....... and onto the little side road heading for the start point at Ballochargie. I had recently read a report on the scottishhills site about this one, and had also studied Google Earth to try and confirm the position regarding the true extent of the afforestation that the OS map was showing. All seemed fine, and between all of these resources, I knew exactly what our plan of attack would be. Not a day to be faffing around in the forestry!

We parked up by the gate opposite the cottage (instantly recognisable from the photo on scottishhills)

Start of the walk

Ailsa cadges a lift from her mum

and headed up the track, taking a .......

"the mouse ran up the clock" - there it is again! Did anyone else hear that????

........ left turn almost immediately past the rather oddly shaped and randomly located table (also recognisable from the scottishhills report).

Immediate left turn

Strange woodland furniture

At the next junction we turned right for the long steady haul up through the ........

"the clock struck one" - jeezo, this is really starting to freak me out now!

......... spruce trees

Up the long, straight track

towards the first of two gates in quick succession

Looking back down the track from the first gate

Lucy keeps an eye on Ailsa

Ailsa takes a breather

It's a bit warm - time to shed a layer

after the second of which the track turns right and heads into woodland which reminds me a lot of the approach to the summit of Moncreiffe Hill near Perth.

Right turn at the second gate

Debbie and Ailsa through the gate

Shades of Moncreiffe Hill

Mum and daughter

Upon emerging from this, the track soon fades and turns into a good grassy path for the .......

"the mouse ran down" - right, enough's enough! Paul, can you call Security please??? Now!

Track becomes a steep grassy path

Looking a bit dodgy over Crieff

Balloch Loch and Pond of Drummond through the trees

......... final steep pull up to the summit with trig point and matching tree, where an emergency nappy change was performed - certainly the first time I've been involved in one of those, but possibly not the last????

The summit views were a little bit obscured by the weather closing in around about, but the Graham of Mor Bheinn near Comrie and the neighbouring Sub2K of Ben Clach stood out reasonably well. Sadly there was no view of my dear old friend Chonzie.

Ben Clach from the trig point

Mor Bheinn and Comrie

Nappy change

Proud Dad at his daughter's first hill

We then retraced our steps back to the car and headed home, with a quick stop at the Glovers Arms at Huntingtower.

Cheers!

Well, Ailsa needed another feed, didn't she!!! Any excuse for ...........

"Hickory Dickory Dock" - AAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

[Alan S]

Well done on your first hill Ailsa, You deserved that nap

Great report Graeme im sure thats the first of many

[andyroog]

Well done paving the way for future walks great report

[Scotjamie]

Great report...and as the last photo proves Ailsa drinks lager, I won't be surprised if she does make Kintail in September
I so empathise with the "bad tunes stuck in the head" syndrome whilst walking (I left the car when Radio 2 was playing Uno Palumo Blanco and ended up singing the bloody thing for the length of the South Glen Sheil Ridge .....
Might start a thread

Well done Ailsa

[ChrisW]

Great report Graeme and beautiful pics of your new addition - I love these little sub 2000's, they are a guilty pleasure of mine hickory dickory ...... dammit man

[rockhopper]

very entertaining Graeme

how come Debbie gets to all the hard work, all the carrying and the nappy changing.....but you do the posing at the top ?

[pollyh33]

Fantastic report! Great family day out. Bet you all slept well that night!

[gammy leg walker]

Great wee report G,looks as if you all had a great family day out,this includes Lucy who seams to have taken to that wee bundle of joy,looking forward to many more family walk reports

[kevsbald]

Congratulations to the Dewars. Good to see Debbie out too. She's right like her faither that wee yin.

[andrewdoggett]

Loving the pictures of Lucy - reminds me so much of Whiskey; she's gorgeous

Congrats on the whipper snapper too...

[monty]

Nice report Graeme. Think you need to see a shrink though Hick.......

Whats with letting the missus do all the hard work

[Graeme D]

Oh come on guys! What's all this about letting Debbie do all the hard work???? Who do you think carried the daypack up? Or do you think it walked up there all by itself???

[LeithySuburbs]

Dunno about the choice of hill . But... great to see some pics of Mrs and Miss Dewar .

[jimandandrea]

Well done to you all - it is such a feat getting all the extra kit together but it looks like you are in the groove. Look foward to reading lots more reports especially when Ailsa beats her Dad up to the tops