free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
Saturday was another day where we didn't have all the time in the world - so it was a wee Graham. You can see Tinto from much of the lowlands of Scotland - I bailled on it once when I got outvoted halfway up on a rainy day and we decided the hangovers had won for the day - so I was determined this little hill was getting ticked off.
We set out around 11am for the hour's drive down the M74. There's a big car park at the foot of Tinto which given that it was the sunniest easter weekend in a long time was pretty full and there was a line of walkers outlining the path as far as we could see it.
The first half mile or so of the path is reasonably flat through boggy fields and then it starts to climb along a well laid out but sometimes rocky path. This is where the thighs start to burn. Given the sunny weather and the knowledge that the walk up takes little longer than a cardio class at the gym so I don;t need to conserve any energy, I'm bouncing up. Cathy and her wee legs are less keen. Soon enough we've been up enough false peaks that my initial energy has gone and I'm trudging along thinking that this was meant to be an easy one.
Once you can see the summit and the path before us, the path of rocks starts to give way to scree, and it makes more sense to keep to the edges of the path to avoid going over on your by-now-tired ankles. It's a short but thigh burning walk - but you're soon at the top. We make it in about 55 minutes - the record for up and down is under 30 minutes... so we have a wee way to go!
I don't like to be fastidious - but this way marker is about 15 degrees out - or they've moved goatfell. It seems such a simple thing to set it correctly.
After this it's a wee lunch in one of several little weather protectors marked out at the back of the cairn.
The trip down is nice and easy walking in the sun. By 3pm, I'm drinking a pint outside in Kelvingrove park!
