Bareback Knowe and Windlwstraw Law

[jgregor]

I've been up Windlwstraw before, the last time from Blackhopebyre. On that occasion the sun and snow-clad upper reaches made it a bit of a frozen white winter wonderland. This time it was the more typical dark-green, brown and boggy

For this visit I started down the road a bit at Glentress and headed up to Bareback Knowe first. It's a long steady pull up to the summit, which is a short distance west of the cairn on the other side of the fence. The cairn is a better place to stop for a breather though, with good views around.

Then it was on to the trig at the summit of Windlestraw Law. I descended to the west, past the line of fancy grouse butts and onto the extremely muddy track. Even the bypass track beside it was a mire! It improved as I came down Glentress Rig.

I didn't follow the track all the way back to Blackhopebyre, but instead took the rest of the steep slope back down onto the road, and from there back to the car.

Starting off from Glentress

Looking down on Glentress from Dod Hill

Cairn on Bareback Knowe, looking towards Windlestraw Law

Descending Bareback Knowe, with the Eildon Hills by Melrose visible in the distance

Windlestraw trig

Looking down to Glentress from Windlestraw

Possibly the muddiest track in Scotland

Looking back at Windlwstraw and Bareback

Heading down Glentress Rig