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Second attempt in getting to my last Angus Graham

Second attempt in getting to my last Angus Graham


Postby The Rodmiester » Wed Jan 16, 2013 6:44 pm

Route description: Mealna Letter and Loch Beanie

Fionas included on this walk: Mealna Letter or Duchray Hill

Date walked: 16/01/2013

Time taken: 2.25 hours

Distance: 7.78 km

Ascent: 367m

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I tried to get to Duchray Hill in Glen Isla last Sunday but because of the weather and road conditions decided to abort at Alyth. Today much clearer but colder, it took a long time to de-ice the car windscreen, and although aware of ice on the road made it to the starting point on the B951 to the North of Mount Blair. Start about 100m East of the Angus Perthshire border where there is room for a couple of cars adjacent to an aluminium gate. The underfoot conditions at the start are quite demanding to say the least, with the amount of snow that has fallen in the last three days quite oblitering any sort of track or path. Wet, tussocky and hard going on the uneven surface. Climb the gate and stick quite close to the forestry plantation though the first field, pass through another metal gate, quite wet and muddy here, and climb steadily towards Cairn Derig keeping the forestry and stone dyke to your left.
1.JPG
Car parking at the roadside, next to the forestry plantation
2.JPG
Looking back at Mount Blair and the car
3.JPG
Looking down Glen Isla
4.JPG
We go this way following the fence and stone dyke to the summit, although drier underfoot, still hard work with the deep snow and uneven ground
5.JPG
Sun on Mount Blair
6.JPG
Coming near to the end of the forestry plantation, but stone dyke and fence still there
7.JPG
Looking back down Glenshee
8.JPG
Tried to find less deep snow between dyke and fence, but no difference, hard work. The snow was the wet type that built up on the end of your poles and also on the straps of your Gaiters, until you have a hard lump and heavy ball of ice, you know the type!
9.JPG
Top of dyke at the summit, looking over East to Crock, you can see Gordie12s tourist route, where the trees have been cut down.
10.JPG
Summit Cairn from the high point in the dyke, about 50m due West
11.JPG
Cairn to dyke
12.JPG
Summit Cairn to Loch Beanie
13.JPG
Cairn to dyke, deep snow on top
14.JPG
View to high point of dyke
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15.JPG
Looking South down the fence and dyke
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The Rodmiester
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Re: Second attempt in getting to my last Angus Graham

Postby hills » Wed Jan 16, 2013 8:08 pm

Ten out of ten for that RM, that must have been really tough, snow sure makes things pretty, pretty demanding!!!! Well done you. :D
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hills
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Re: Second attempt in getting to my last Angus Graham

Postby Gordie12 » Wed Jan 16, 2013 8:33 pm

Not as good a day as hills had earlier in the week but a hell of a lot better than we have seen for a while now!

Looks like it was hard work, I'm checking the weather for friday as I'm hoping to do Badandun Hill.

So, if that's Angus completed, where next????

G

PS There's nothing wrong with tourist routes!!! :lol:
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Re: Second attempt in getting to my last Angus Graham

Postby The Rodmiester » Wed Jan 16, 2013 9:09 pm

hills wrote:Ten out of ten for that RM, that must have been really tough, snow sure makes things pretty, pretty demanding!!!! Well done you. :D


Hi hills, I thought I was reasonably fit, but I found that hard work, especially the first field bit, and I don't know if you waited for the frost to get into the ground would make much difference. Not such a good day as your last one, but nicer than it has been for a while. :D
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Re: Second attempt in getting to my last Angus Graham

Postby The Rodmiester » Wed Jan 16, 2013 9:14 pm

Gordie12 wrote:Not as good a day as hills had earlier in the week but a hell of a lot better than we have seen for a while now!

Looks like it was hard work, I'm checking the weather for friday as I'm hoping to do Badandun Hill.

So, if that's Angus completed, where next????

G

PS There's nothing wrong with tourist routes!!! :lol:


I think more snow is forecast for Friday, it was quite deep up there, did not expect quite so much, hard going. I have one Marilyn left in Angus, Mile Hill, I might wait until the wind farm goes up, more chance of getting access then :lol:

If I had done that one before Crock I would have seen your route no bother. :)

Perthshire hills maybe, must check some out on WH, look at some of Graeme D's reports
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Re: Second attempt in getting to my last Angus Graham

Postby Graeme D » Wed Jan 16, 2013 11:37 pm

The Rodmiester wrote:Perthshire hills maybe, must check some out on WH, look at some of Graeme D's reports


I've certainly got a few filed away on here somewhere! :shock:

Nice report RM on a nice wee Angus hill. As for the unconsolidated snow, I did Beinn Stacath today and it was bloody hard going in places too! :lol:
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Re: Second attempt in getting to my last Angus Graham

Postby macq23 » Wed Jan 16, 2013 11:42 pm

Enjoying your reports on the hills on my back doorsteps...definitely giving me ideas for walks this year :-)
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Re: Second attempt in getting to my last Angus Graham

Postby The Rodmiester » Thu Jan 17, 2013 1:21 pm

macq23 wrote:Enjoying your reports on the hills on my back doorsteps...definitely giving me ideas for walks this year :-)


We are lucky here, we are spoilt for choice of walks, long and short with many suitable for the family, enjoy! :D
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The Rodmiester
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Re: Second attempt in getting to my last Angus Graham

Postby old danensian » Thu Jan 17, 2013 9:52 pm

Persistence pays Rod - it doesn't have to be anything huge to drain the legs when all you can do is plug away through the soft stuff.

OD
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Re: Second attempt in getting to my last Angus Graham

Postby The Rodmiester » Fri Jan 18, 2013 6:21 pm

old danensian wrote:Persistence pays Rod - it doesn't have to be anything huge to drain the legs when all you can do is plug away through the soft stuff.

OD


Your right Nigel, plod away, it's another day on the hills, before the next snow dump :lol: It will be even deeper now!
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The Rodmiester
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