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Take Hart Fell - the horseshoe experience

PostPosted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 10:45 am
by kevsbald

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On the way back up from England, I decided to swing past a hill and not miss Moffat's offering to the Corbetts.
I had decided to do the Blackcraigs horseshoe but didn't get to the car park until 1300 - I'd need to motor it if I was to get roon aboot. The view up to Saddle Yoke was quite spectacular and I couldn't wait to get high - yeah man...groovy.
Heading back along the road for 200m, I began the walk up towards a large cleft in the hillside - a faint path skirted this and by god, it made for a lung-bursting ascent. By the top of this I was sweating buckets but the views across to Saddle Yoke were stunning. Geologically, also quite an interesting hill and almost Torridon-like. As I continued up on towards Swatte Fell, I stumbled across about 10-12 mountain goats, the first time I'd ever seen these on a hill. Curious creatures but they had a couple of kids with them so I took a wide berth. At this point, the views really open up and I was slightly surprised to find that Hart Fell was still some distance away. That old illusion of it'll just be over this brow - no, the plateau offered some nice contours around the corrie but it was still at least an hour's walk. A most enjoyable jaunt takes you down a 100m descent before a re-ascent and up on towards the trigpoint, which is cocooned by a nice cairned shelter. I stopped for lunch and took in the views across to White Coomb - leaving late in the day meant I hadn't passed a single person - however, the silence was shattered when a large group plodded their way towards the summit - obviously, reversing my route. Or was I reversing their route - philosophical conundrums entered my brain as I had time to cogitate and digest the meanderings of the mind. It was time to turn and burn. I passed them and bade 'fitlikes' before swinging around some large cornices and on and up to Saddle Yoke. As the afternoon sun dropped, so did the temperature and I had to don the fleece - ah, sheepy goodness ye cannae bleat it. The final up and down over Saddle Yoke was quite spectacular and reminded me of the double peaks of Ben More and Stob Binnein - a nice sense of exposure was had up here and by this point, you're not actually that far from the car park - I made a quick, quad-crunching return to the land rover track and timed it as a 4 hour jaunt. It could be done in a lot more relaxing time and should be but I was keen to get home and see my lovely. Once again, I am blown away by the Corbetts and what they offer - this excursion is very dramatic, scenic and offers everything to the hillwalker. Much recommended.
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Looking over to Saddle Yoke - White Coomb in the background
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New kids on the block
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Hart Fell across the plateau
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Yon summit trigpoint
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Looking over to Saddle Yoke or Stob Binnein?

Re: Take Hart Fell - the horseshoe experience

PostPosted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 1:56 pm
by gaffr
It's always satisfying to snatch a top or two on the way home from somewhere else.....I was fortunate to manage that on several occasions. I can see that you are 'getting into' the wee ronnies...they are great fun and take you into areas not previously visited!

Re: Take Hart Fell - the horseshoe experience

PostPosted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 2:23 pm
by malky_c
Nice report. Have driven past these many times but haven't walked in this area at all. Saddle Yoke looks surprisingly narrow.

Thinking about it, I'm not sure I've ever seen any wild goats in the Highlands (possibly in Galloway though). You tend to get them all over the place in North Wales though. They are usually pretty good scramblers, and can get to all sorts of ledges and gullies you wouldn't expect.

Re: Take Hart Fell - the horseshoe experience

PostPosted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 4:38 pm
by Paul Webster
Good one - it was definitely you that was going backwards :D

Here are the wild goats of Seana Braigh... (I reckon one of them isn't shy and might give the odd walker a bit of a butt)

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There are a load on Slioch too.

Re: Take Hart Fell - the horseshoe experience

PostPosted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 5:49 pm
by RadMan
I did this at the end of January, its a great walk! Shall have to get back soon to keep the fitness up, these hills are like my local training exercises. :lol:

We got a cracking day too.

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Re: Take Hart Fell - the horseshoe experience

PostPosted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 4:43 pm
by kevsbald
Hi Gaffr,

really getting into the Ronnies - did Meall a Bhuchaille yesterday - wait till you see the photos I got across to the Cairngorms - stunning.
I think my way was the best way! :lol:

Re: Take Hart Fell - the horseshoe experience

PostPosted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 9:31 pm
by Johnny Corbett
kevsbald wrote:Hi Gaffr,

really getting into the Ronnies - did Meall a Bhuchaille yesterday - wait till you see the photos I got across to the Cairngorms - stunning.
I think my way was the best way! :lol:



They're called Johnny's now :D