End of an era in the Angus hills - when Lucy Dog met Cat Law

[Graeme D]

Saturday 7th March had been claimed as a hillwalking day and marked accordingly on the calendar for some time, because it had suited both me and my good friend Robin, with whom I had not walked "socially" (i.e. not on DofE expeditions) for some time. He has been becalmed on 220 something Munros since the days of Julius Caesar, and anytime we plan a walk together, I always turn my attention towards the small number of Munros that neither of us have done. This time the spotlight fell on the two Munros of Beinn a'Bheithir, neither of which I have done. Robin has done one but for some lame reason never did the second one whilst he was at it! However, he seemed unsure about my preference for taking the NE ascent route up the ridge via Sgorr Bhann, given that the mountain would still be in full winter nick and he hadn't worn crampons in anger since the French Revolution.

In any case, he pulled out a few weeks beforehand, due to a family commitment (or else he was just bricking it at the prospect). He needn't have worried anyway, as the forecast for anything west of the A9 on the day in question turned out to be dire. East looked to be faring better so after casting around, I settled on Cat Law and Corwharn near Glen Isla. Until recently these were a couple of Grahams before the latter was demoted to Sub2K status.

I had looked at previous reports and studied the route carefully and was in two minds whether to take Lucy with me or not. I probably wouldn't have done had my wife not asked that morning (knowing it was quite a light day by my standards) if I was taking her, and that swayed it.

At age 11, Lucy is well and truly at the veteran stage now. She has done a power of serious routes in her time, but it had been a good year or two since I had taken her hillwalking with me, even on something this straightforward. The mind is still willing but the legs do not carry her like they once did. The onset of arthritis and the dodgy left front elbow that she has had since being hit by a car when she was 6 have taken their toll. Still, I knew that I could always bail out after Cat Law if she was struggling.

We set off from the same spot near Balintore Castle where I had parked up a year past Christmas time to do Mile Hill and after a quick spot of cross country around the back of the forestry, we were soon onto the track leading up Cat Law.


Start just east of Balintore Castle


It didn't take Lucy long to sniff out a bog


Mount Blair


Mile Hill and the Loch of Lintrathen


Glen Prosen and hills beyond

If this was the place to be for the good weather today, I was glad I was not on Beinn a'Bheithir. The wind was fair whipping around my face and as we approached the summit of Cat Law, a fine drizzle set in.


Clagging in a bit as I look back down from near the summit

At least Lucy was coping well and so after a brief stop in the shelter cairn, we set off towards Corwharn.


Graham number 40


Shelter cairn and trig point


Lucy in her element


Descent off Cat Law


Glen Quharity and a distant Mount Blair


Back to Cat Law


Corwharn

Beyond the point of no return however, she really started to struggle, so much so that on the ascent of Corwharn, she actually stopped and lay down on a number of occasions. I tried picking her up and carrying her at one point, but I would never have got very far like that even if she hadn't objected and struggled against me. There was nothing much I could do except sit down beside her and give her 5 minutes rest while scratching her ears and talking to her.


Lucy stages a protest


Across Hare Cairn and Crock to Meall Mor and Mount Blair

Eventually we made it to the top of Corwharn where she again plonked herself down and curled up. This time I got the 2 man emergency shelter out and threw it over the top of the two os us before settling down for a good 45 minutes or so while the wind battered the outside of our cosy shelter and Lucy dozed at my feet.


Glen Uig from the summit of Corwharn


Glen Quharity and the long road home


In the shelter


Zoomed to Hare Cairn and Glenhead Farm

This seemed to give her a temporary boost for the descent down into Glen Quharity but after that it was a long exasperating plod back out to the road and then around the back of Balintore Castle back to the car.


Down Glen Quharity


And back up the glen to the farm at Longdrum


Snowdrops at Westerton


Balintore Castle


Mile Hill and almost home

So that's that. The dog who has tackled Beinn Alligin via the Horns, Snowdon via Crib Goch, Beinn Eighe and Slioch, to name but a few classic rounds, has hung up her walking boots and officially retired from the hills.

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[KatTai]

Aw poor Lucy Dog! She looks beautiful in the photos such a shame her adventures in the hills have ended. Buut I'm sure she'll have a happy retirement...especially on dreich days when you have gone hiking and she is curled up warm and cosy indoors!

[Fife Flyer]

Another good report Graeme
Poor old Lucy, it's a shame she won't be accompanying you anymore I suppose it will happen to us all one day

[Gordie12]

Hi Graeme

Sorry to read about Lucy's retirement but I sympathise with her, there have been many ascents where I too have wanted to lie down and chuck it.

Hopefully she will have a long and happy retirement and who knows, maybe the odd local sub 2000 in decent weather.

[gammy leg walker]

Ach Graeme a sad day indeed when you realise your faithful companion just cant tackle the hills anymore,she will have wonderful memories of all your adventures together,wishing her well in her retirement.

[Beaner001]

What a lovely wee report Graeme, that first photo of her is magic, you'd never believe she was 11. Being a dog owner and knowing that in the future I'll too have to make that hard decision I'm real sorry to hear your loyal hound will not join you on anymore hill days. Wish her a long and happy retirement, cozy fires, bones, ear and belly rubs
Cheers

[Collaciotach]

Ach she has had the good days , time to chill with a bone or two now

A bonnie dog and aye they are grand companions , you 'll miss her on the hill !

[kevsbald]

Have thoroughly enjoyed our treks with Lucy from the 3 Munros near Newtonmore in frigid conditions to when she wild camped with us up on the Glenfinnan 2. She looked so defeated in the shelter, the wee soul.

[Huff_n_Puff]

Thanks for this - Cat's Law is on my hit list for the next time I'm in the Dundee area - don't know why I never went up it when we lived there Sorry to hear that Lucy has gone into retirement - but this is a great tribute - and thanks for the useful tip of keeping the dog warm in the bothy bag. I hope she has her full whack of short walks and being the dignified senior citizen

[litljortindan]

Surely plenty of wee hills she can still do though. 18km and 870m pretty good going for a last lengthy outing.

[rockhopper]

Good to see you and Lucy are still managing to get out even if it's hard going at times for her.

Can still remember thinking you were "off your trolley" when you told me you'd camped out the night before when I met you and Lucy on Ben Oss - cheers

[Graeme D]

To be fair rockhopper, you might have a point given that I had to scrape ice off the inside of the tent that morning. And now look at you! YYou've joined the "off your trolley" brigade yourself!

[dogplodder]

Well done the grand old lady - still looking good too! It's always tough knowing when not to take them as given the choice they'd always vote to come. My Tess is 11 next month and Jack will be 11 in August - probably not the brightest idea having two the same age from the canine hill companion viewpoint! Ah well have to find some gentle walks for their twilight years.

[KatTai]

Well done the grand old lady - still looking good too! It's always tough knowing when not to take them as given the choice they'd always vote to come. My Tess is 11 next month and Jack will be 11 in August - probably not the brightest idea having two the same age from the canine hill companion viewpoint! Ah well have to find some gentle walks for their twilight years.

Maybe time to add another dog to the family! LOL!

My two are both 11 in October, they are sisters but Fly is slowing down a lot faster than Millie though she has been having K9 Massage Therapy which has given her a new lease of life! We're waiting to see how she gets on longer term as at the start of the year we were really thinking it would be her last "big walk" season and she would be retiring from longer walks, but now we're not so sure. It is a hard call to make.

[ChrisW]

Fantastic stuff Graeme, what a lovely and genuinely moving report of one man and his dog. That shot of Lucy curled up at your feet in the shelter at the final summit is just perfect. You must have sat there thinking of all the hills she's made in the past as she probably dreamed of the same, and though she might have protested a little she sure looked to enjoy herself early on