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After a couple of weeks break from the hills having fled to Catalonia to escape the Scottish weather I was itching to get back out there and had decided on the longish trek around Culter Fell.
Driving down past Biggar I kept seeing the odd vintage British car, "must be a show on somewhere near here" i thought. As I took the minor road towards Culter Allers Farm, I saw a few more. "The show must be in a field near to the start of the walk." I figured. I parked up where the road splits for the two reservoirs and began to walk the short distance to the bottom of Culter Fell. As I walked three vintage cars came hareing past and I had to dive onto the verge to avoid being taken out. It was all a bit Toad of Toad Hall (peep peep!) as the drivers with their aviator hats and Biggles style goggles came flying round the corners. I quickly began the ascent on the path up by Kings Beck when a steward said to me "watch out they are driving up here seing how high they can get the car up the fell." Apparantly, the idea was you floored your vintage car up 8 different hills getting points for doing so. Each to their own, I suppose. I then had to get out the way as another car came flying up the path past me and seeming slightly out of control as it spun round and headed back down. I'm a vintage car fan, though admittedly American Classics, but i wasn't sure about this. Whatever happened to pedestrians right of way
- Start of the walk with Culter Fell peak in the background
- Peep Peep
- The Toads!
I quickly began the steep ascent up Fell Shin, glad to leave the noise behind. I had wandered off the path to escape the cars so was a little off course and had to pick my way through the heather before finding the path to the summit. The views heading up were fantastic, with Tinto dominating the landscape.
- Tinto appearing on the horizon
- Looking back down with Tinto now in full view
Great views from the summit. I had noticed that there was a donald, Chapelgill Hill, not included in the WH route just across from Culter Fell and I could now see the path looked fairly straightforward albeit a detour from the round. The weather was cold but no fronts looked on the way in, and not being one to miss opportunities to bag extra hills, I headed over following the fence line. The path was wet in places but was definately worth the trip over, the detour added about 40 mins onto the walk.
- Trig Point at Culter Fell
- Next destination, Chapelgill Hill
After returning to Culter Fell, it was onto the second Graham of the day, Gathersnow Hill. The descent off CF was steep but the ground was not too bad. Arriving at the base of GH, I could see the fenceline veer off left and in a broad curve ascend to the summit. As usual, seeing the opportunity for a shortcut proved too tempting so I set straight up the steep north face. This was tough going due to the gradient, whether it was faster than following the fence the longer but easier way, i'm not sure but it felt quicker, if lung bursting

- Gathersnow Hill, I took the path straight up beside the cleugh
Anybody else doing this route who is not bagging would be wise to head down Holm Nick following the ATV path down to the reservoir. From here on the walk is a bog fest of snorkel like proportions
After lunch in the brief snow flurry on top of Gathersnow (great timing

) it was off to the next donald, Hillshaw Head. The path was very wet in places but was recompensed by the short distance to the next summit.
- Looking back at the 3 completed peaks. L-R Culter Fell, Chapelgill and Gathersnow
A quick glance at the views and it was off to the swamps between here and the next donald, Hudderstone. Now, I don't mind a bit of bog traversing, it adds a bit of variety to the terrain, but this was unrelenting. There is perhaps two steps of dry land between each mire, this carries on for km's all the way up to Hudderstone. I was glad to reach the top and dry land

- Bog...
- more bog..
- Glad I checked with my pole before taking the next step!
- 80's TV presenter Pat Sharpe was an unfortunate victim of the bog, only his mullet remains
From here the terrains dries out and soon I picked up the ATV path alongside the reservoir descending to the road below. Normally walking on a road is not a fun part of a walk, but I was craving terra firma after scuba diving earlier.
- The descent down in the shadow of Tinto
My legs were shot but it was a entertaining day out on the hills. Just a wee walk back to the start. Where was a vintage car when you needed one?...
