Crock - By the Tourist Trail
Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2013 7:39 pm
I'll start this report with the credits.
GraemeD - the intrepid explorer who first brought this hill to my attention
The Rodmiester - the challenger (find me an easier route he said!)
Foggieclimber - the enlightener (without whose post and link this would not have been possible.
Having read GraemeD's report on this hill a couple of times I was determined to have a go at it. Following the challenge being made I got the OS out. My first thought was to do Hare Cairn then look to sneak up on Crock from the East. I had this image of a fire break appearing in front of me and leading all the way to the summit - yeh, right! The forecast for today was decent without being brilliant so in the end I decided just to head up the track past Loch Shandra but to keep on it for longer than GraemeD to gain more height before heading off track. I then read Foggieclimber's report and the decision was taken.
My starting point was Kirkton of Glenisla as I wanted to head up the Cateran Trail as far as Loch Shandra.
When reaching Loch Shandra leave the Cateran Trail and take a track on the right which heads past the mouth of Loch Shandra. Passing through a couple of gates, turn left on a wide track heading uphill towards Tulloch.
There is still a lot of timber operations on the go at the moment and the usual warning sign is in place.
The track continues to climb after Tulloch and eventually I reached the area where work was taking place.
Once the track levels off there is a clearing for a couple of hundred yards and at the end of the clearing there is a track heading right uphill and hugging the line of trees on the left.
The climb here is easy and only lasts for about 300 yards before reaching an entrance to a wide avenue of trees to the right of the track.
This is a really great part of the walk. The wind outside the wood is quite strong but once you enter this dark avenue everything just goes quiet with only the odd creak of moving timber to be heard. The avenue starts off easily then the incline gets steeper towards the exit onto the open hill.
Once out of the woods it's a short 10 minute walk to the summit.
And before you know it the summit is reached.
The views weren't great at the top (because of the low cloud and lack of sun) so after a quick sandwich it was back down the same way I came up (no temptation to turn this walk in to a circular!!!!!!!!!!).
On the way down through the avenue I took this shot and decided it wasn't an avenue, it was a portal through what could have been really difficult terrain.
Back on to the main track and a quick shot of some of the machinery.
If you've been bought a new pair of boots for your Xmas this probably isn't a track for them to make their debut!!
Easy downhill walking now as I head back down the track and heading towards Loch Shandra then back down the Cateran Trail. With a mile to go I met up with this character.
Looks can be deceiving!! This was the psycho beast from hell and for a couple of hundred yards we sparred down the track with him running directly at me and trying to peck me and me having to kick out to stop him from connecting. Industrial language seemed to upset him even more and he was one determined *******!! In the end I decided that the only thing I could do was run away from him so I took off for 100 yards down the track with him chasing me off his territory (I thought about missing this bit out but I'm not proud)!!! Not my proudest moment if anybody had seen me running towards Kirkton with a pheasant in hot pursuit!!
Please, please don't follow in my footsteps. There is no honour in climbing Crock in this way, you are left with a feeling of shame that you have not had to fight your way through the vegetation like GraemeD. So please, with machete in hand, head for Crock and follow Graeme rather than me but get there quick before all the trees disappear!
PS Sorry about the attachment at the end, I can't seem to delete it.
GraemeD - the intrepid explorer who first brought this hill to my attention
The Rodmiester - the challenger (find me an easier route he said!)
Foggieclimber - the enlightener (without whose post and link this would not have been possible.
Having read GraemeD's report on this hill a couple of times I was determined to have a go at it. Following the challenge being made I got the OS out. My first thought was to do Hare Cairn then look to sneak up on Crock from the East. I had this image of a fire break appearing in front of me and leading all the way to the summit - yeh, right! The forecast for today was decent without being brilliant so in the end I decided just to head up the track past Loch Shandra but to keep on it for longer than GraemeD to gain more height before heading off track. I then read Foggieclimber's report and the decision was taken.
My starting point was Kirkton of Glenisla as I wanted to head up the Cateran Trail as far as Loch Shandra.
When reaching Loch Shandra leave the Cateran Trail and take a track on the right which heads past the mouth of Loch Shandra. Passing through a couple of gates, turn left on a wide track heading uphill towards Tulloch.
There is still a lot of timber operations on the go at the moment and the usual warning sign is in place.
The track continues to climb after Tulloch and eventually I reached the area where work was taking place.
Once the track levels off there is a clearing for a couple of hundred yards and at the end of the clearing there is a track heading right uphill and hugging the line of trees on the left.
The climb here is easy and only lasts for about 300 yards before reaching an entrance to a wide avenue of trees to the right of the track.
This is a really great part of the walk. The wind outside the wood is quite strong but once you enter this dark avenue everything just goes quiet with only the odd creak of moving timber to be heard. The avenue starts off easily then the incline gets steeper towards the exit onto the open hill.
Once out of the woods it's a short 10 minute walk to the summit.
And before you know it the summit is reached.
The views weren't great at the top (because of the low cloud and lack of sun) so after a quick sandwich it was back down the same way I came up (no temptation to turn this walk in to a circular!!!!!!!!!!).
On the way down through the avenue I took this shot and decided it wasn't an avenue, it was a portal through what could have been really difficult terrain.
Back on to the main track and a quick shot of some of the machinery.
If you've been bought a new pair of boots for your Xmas this probably isn't a track for them to make their debut!!
Easy downhill walking now as I head back down the track and heading towards Loch Shandra then back down the Cateran Trail. With a mile to go I met up with this character.
Looks can be deceiving!! This was the psycho beast from hell and for a couple of hundred yards we sparred down the track with him running directly at me and trying to peck me and me having to kick out to stop him from connecting. Industrial language seemed to upset him even more and he was one determined *******!! In the end I decided that the only thing I could do was run away from him so I took off for 100 yards down the track with him chasing me off his territory (I thought about missing this bit out but I'm not proud)!!! Not my proudest moment if anybody had seen me running towards Kirkton with a pheasant in hot pursuit!!
Please, please don't follow in my footsteps. There is no honour in climbing Crock in this way, you are left with a feeling of shame that you have not had to fight your way through the vegetation like GraemeD. So please, with machete in hand, head for Crock and follow Graeme rather than me but get there quick before all the trees disappear!
PS Sorry about the attachment at the end, I can't seem to delete it.