moorfoots, ohhh the bogs!!!
Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2014 11:04 pmFor various reasons I'm struggling to get days off to head to the munros. This was getting me down a bit, till I discovered the donalds and grahams within 40mins drive!
These are hills that can be walked in a few hours, so can be done after work ( I finish about 3/4 most days)! Great test of navigation to as there are very few paths, but damn they got some bogs!
First came Dundreich! A lovely 2 hour walk from portmore loch via a huge ring fort. No real bog, so lulled me into a false sense of security.
Then came windlestraw last week
I did this from b709
I haven't long done ben oss etc. This was soooo much worse than the bog at the beginning of that. Rising damp to ma knees, lol. If I had to do this again, I'd take waders
Then I did Whitehope law on sunday
Did this from the leithen estate. Rather a nice forestry track then swing back east onto pathless heather grouse moor.
Warning= the estates spaniel often follows walkers up here.
I spent the whole walk to the summit and full walk down panicking about what to about about this hanger on. Till I got to the lodge and was asked if I'd had company! 
And today I got finished at 2, so ran to get the last two. Blackhope scar and bowbeat hill.
I started on the wh route
Then came the bog
Then finally the summit of blackhope
Then more pathless bog till the wind farm
Then I got a stunning view over to Glenrath heights
As I only had an hours light left I cut down to the centre of the valley to get onto the farm track on the OS map. This provided to be a time consuming slog through heather and slippy bog with huge leg eating holes.
With huge relief I made it onto the track
In hindsight I'd probably have been quicker just finishing the wh route, going up Dundreich then back to the cottage. but it was an adventure!
Just enough light to get back to the van.
Moorfoots done!
Now.... what else is within an hours drive............
These are hills that can be walked in a few hours, so can be done after work ( I finish about 3/4 most days)! Great test of navigation to as there are very few paths, but damn they got some bogs!
First came Dundreich! A lovely 2 hour walk from portmore loch via a huge ring fort. No real bog, so lulled me into a false sense of security.
- Dundreich
Then came windlestraw last week
I did this from b709- Windlestraw law
I haven't long done ben oss etc. This was soooo much worse than the bog at the beginning of that. Rising damp to ma knees, lol. If I had to do this again, I'd take waders
Then I did Whitehope law on sunday
- Whitehope law
Did this from the leithen estate. Rather a nice forestry track then swing back east onto pathless heather grouse moor.
Warning= the estates spaniel often follows walkers up here.
- Stalker!
I spent the whole walk to the summit and full walk down panicking about what to about about this hanger on. Till I got to the lodge and was asked if I'd had company!
And today I got finished at 2, so ran to get the last two. Blackhope scar and bowbeat hill.
I started on the wh route
- Peel tower
Then came the bog
- Bog
- More bog!!!
Then finally the summit of blackhope
- Blackhope scar
Then more pathless bog till the wind farm
- Bowbeat windfarm
Then I got a stunning view over to Glenrath heights
- Glenrath heights from bowbeat
As I only had an hours light left I cut down to the centre of the valley to get onto the farm track on the OS map. This provided to be a time consuming slog through heather and slippy bog with huge leg eating holes.
With huge relief I made it onto the track
In hindsight I'd probably have been quicker just finishing the wh route, going up Dundreich then back to the cottage.
but it was an adventure!Just enough light to get back to the van.
Moorfoots done!
Now.... what else is within an hours drive............