Some Ettrick Grahams & Donalds

[Johnny Corbett]

I started the walk from Potburn at the end of the public road, parking available at the gate. My intention was to walk the 3 Grahams and 2 Donalds or 5 Donalds however you want to look at it. So i made my way down, taking a track to the right and then up and over Grahams Law to Capel Fell. Weather was good with little wind and good visibility although Croft Head was in the clouds from the summit of Capel Fell even though it was 41m lower. What happened next, i can't explain but i just switched off as i made my way down the ridge and started to climb towards Loch Fell. After about halfway up it donned on me i'd forgot about Croft Head. Do i go back down to the SUW and head to Croft Head or continue to Loch Fell? I decided to keep going up to Loch Fell and then head to Croft Head from there. After reaching the summit i made my way over to two tops but decided it was to steep a decent with the winter conditions to do Croft Head and opted to leave it for another day, which i did 3 days later from Selcoth. I now headed to Wind Fell, taking a direct route from the top i was on and from there made my way over the ridges to Ettrick Pen. Here i saw footprints in the snow which i followed down to the track which led to the bothy, picking up a hat on my way. I stopped in at the bothy to have a chat with a few other walkers who had been staying in the bothy and had also climbed Ettrick Pen. I gave them the hat as well as it belonged to a friend of theirs. By sheer coincidence after doing Croft Head on the Monday i was driving into Moffat when i saw a guy walking a dog, wearing the green hat i had found. I also had a chat with a MBA member who was doing some running repairs, before heading back to the car. I was a wee bit disappointed at missing Croft Head but i shouldn't have been as i when i returned on the Monday, it turned out to be a great walk from Selcoth.

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[gmr82]

Haha it is funny to think of going hillwalking and forgetting about a hill - happens to us all though! I know what you mean about the descent, I avoided even ascending it. Should have brought your sledge JC

[pigeon]

Looked no a bad day out Johnny,must make the effort to get down that way sometime.

[ChrisW]

Great stuff JC, if I'd have had that string of coincidences with the hat I'd have started wondering about my sanity Some beautiful shots from up top in your gallery and No.31 is a real picture postcard

[rockhopper]

Nice one, JC Fully understand about the "forgetting" bit - with me it's an age thing but easy to do with all these donalds, grahams and new donalds around this area - cheers

[Johnny Corbett]

Haha it is funny to think of going hillwalking and forgetting about a hill - happens to us all though! I know what you mean about the descent, I avoided even ascending it. Should have brought your sledge JC

Aye it's called auld age

Looked no a bad day out Johnny,must make the effort to get down that way sometime.

Cheers, nice walking down this way.

Great stuff JC, if I'd have had that string of coincidences with the hat I'd have started wondering about my sanity Some beautiful shots from up top in your gallery and No.31 is a real picture postcard

Thank Chris i do worry about my sanity at time

Nice one, JC Fully understand about the "forgetting" bit - with me it's an age thing but easy to do with all these donalds, grahams and new donalds around this area - cheers

Thank RH, aye auld age is coming round faster that i thought

[meangarry]

That was my hat! What a coincidence. Haha, I met Mick and Derek in the Stag in Moffat where they kindly returned it to me. Thanks Johnny! It's now my lucky hat.

[Johnny Corbett]

:thumbup: That was my hat! What a coincidence. Haha, I met Mick and Derek in the Stag in Moffat where they kindly returned it to me. Thanks Johnny! It's now my lucky hat.

So it must have been you i seen walking the Black Lab