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HILL : East Cairn Hill (567m) Marilyn within the Pentland hills.
DATE :29th January 2010.
MAP : 72
EAST CAIRN HILLI have been doing hills after work both summer and winter for a number of years now but to date never an overnighter. It would just be a nightmare having to get packed and off the hill and into work in time, not to mention deal with the day ahead. The conditions last night were to be fantastic with clear skies, full moon and the planet Mars making an appearance but I had the Saturday shift this week. I had to try for an overnighter but I would need a hill with a fast path out and be within half an hours drive from work. East Cairn Hill seemed to offer the above so last night I made a stealth exit out the gate at work and booted it to the Pentlands.
East Cairn Hill from carpark. (Picture from the morning after)
I reached the carpark at little vantage beside the A70 about 4pm and really didn’t like the idea of leaving the van there but it was to late now. I quickly got ready and bolted through the gate and headed along the boggy path to Baad Park then up the rise towards Cauldstane pass (old drover route) Once below East Cairn North top I made a beeline straight up crossing several large neve sections before reaching the large cairn top as the sun disappeared. This was not the summit but was the best view point so I made this my campsite for the night. The wind was picking up and my campsite was pretty much exposed but I took comfort that once it was dark the temperature would settle and the wind die down as it did.
Reached summit as the light fades.
Tent up the temperature was really plummeting and a got a brew on as soon as possible (Hot chocolate and whisky) before taking some pictures. The snow outside was turning to concrete and I had to really kick it hard to get some for melting this in turn was taking ages to get another brew on.
A brew before off to the summit.
I left the light on the tent before heading to the summit but the orange dot of a tent in the distance kind of blended in.
It was a pleasant moonlit walk over.
A couple of brews later and the body was warmed and the brain sozzled enough to enjoy a moonlit walk over to the summit. The summit was less than a Km away but involved losing some height to a col then following a snow buried fence then wall to the top. With the full moon out it was easy to see the way and the neve on the way was rock hard and made for easy walking as the gradient was easy . Once on the top I spent some time looking at the lights of Edinburgh and Mars to the left of the moon before making my way back to the north top. It looked cosy the tent on approach glowing orange from the internal lights and I soon had more brews on the way before bed time.
The snow was deep next to the wall.
The planet Mars was visable to the left of the moon.
Good to just hang about a bit.
Back to the tent and a final look at all the lights before bed.
During the night it did get very cold. I did wake at one point and noticed the frost all round the interior but I was not to bad in my down bag but just the same I fished out a chemical heat bag and shaked it and brought it in with me. Next time I awoke it was 5.30am and I was roasting with the heat bag going nuclear. It was time to get organised as I needed to get to work this morning so a brew (without the whisky) was made up while I put everything away. Outside once packed I hung around for ten minutes enjoying the view of lights and the full moon before finishing my tea and heading down the slope.
Morning tea with the full moon.
Morning tea watching the dawn rise.
My Lenser headtorch is a fantastic piece of kit and with 200 lumens of power is way enough for descending in the dark but for some reason it would not switch off when I took a last picture. Didnt bother me but once walking down it started to switch off then on again, this was happening regular. It was a real nuisance and the spare head torch was at the bottom of the rucksack but what worried me most was I was visable from the A70 and it could look like someone signalling for help. Once past the neve fields I switched it off and speeded across the moor back to the frosted up van. It was a faster walk across this time as every bog was frozen solid and back at the van I was soon at work. Oh smashing.
Nice walk to work this morning. 
