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Two Deer

Two Deer


Postby ancancha » Wed Jun 24, 2015 2:03 pm

Route description: Mayar and Driesh, Glen Clova

Munros included on this walk: Driesh, Mayar, Tom Buidhe

Date walked: 23/06/2015

Time taken: 9.27 hours

Distance: 28.8 km

Ascent: 1426m

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Driesh Mayar Tom Buidhe.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts



A promising start as I left the nice car park and headed into Kilbo, no wind and bright skys 8)

Met a group of Americans on the lower path and chatted to them; over for their daughters graduation at St Andrews

Driesh lower path.jpg


On up the track which dipped into the forrest again, very civilised walking through the dingly dells

Driesh dingly dell.jpg


Soon out of the forrest and up the path to the bealach at the top of Kilbo which has an interesting short rocky section

Driesh kilbo rock path.jpg


Just before this I met first a couple and chatted to them for a while and explained my route with the short cut back down off Tom Buidhe and was informed in grave tones that once I got to the bealach I still had ages to go to reach Dreish and that short cuts weren't always the best option and that I'd be better going on to Crow Craigies to pick up Jock's Road
Armed with this encouragement :roll: I pressed on up the path enjoying the views and the fresh air and met a happy and jovial couple of Glaswegians making their way back down.

Got to the bealach and took the scenic path up next to the edge with a nice view down Kilbo

Driesh kilbo.jpg


The path was good and it didn't take long to get up to the first level section where I met a young man coming back down and chatted to him for a while. He was migrating from London up to Perth to be with his girlfriend and finish is dissertation for his masters.
On up to Driesh, doesn't take long and there is yet another couple at the cairn. This is evidently a popular place :!:
Had a nice chat with them and had some lunch

Driesh summit.jpg


As you can see the clag was starting to roll in :cry:

At the summit an elderly Welshman happened along and we descended to the top of Corrie Fee where he continued down and home.

I carried on through the clag which was now starting to get quite thick towards Mayar encountering several noisy Golden Plover distracting me away from nests presumably, although it seems quite late in the year now for that.
Also happened upon a Grouse confused as to whether it should be change it's wardrobe from winter to summer

Driesh grouse.jpg


As you can see it was getting pretty claggy by this time :cry:

Found the summit of Mayar

Driesh mayar summit.jpg


and carried on towards Tom Buidhe.

In the monotonous gloom

Driesh monotonous gloom.jpg


I managed to descend a bit too low into the gulley which hosts the Mayar burn, but climbed back out and picked up the landrover tracks I'd seen on Google Earth

Driesh landrover track.jpg


Such a shame about the clag as I'm sure the views around would have been fabulous.

Anyway followed the landrover track to the end of the road as it were

Driesh digger.jpg

and beyond as the original tracks were still there.

Eventually ran out of track to follow and also I was by now zig zagging my way along the plateau and hence taking a longer route. Although I had planned this walk, my late rising lifestyle means that my starting time was the crack of early afternoon :lol:
Bearing this in mind and the fact that the clag would mean light later on would be limited I wanted to get it done. With no views to either entertain me or provide landmarks the zig zagging continued and eventually I got the compass out so that I could follow a more direct bearing even if it meant going through the peat hags. The phone sat nav was fine, but viewing it continually drains the battery and I wanted this helpful tool fully functional.
The peat hags were peaty and haggy, but reasonably dry and easily crossed

Driesh peat hag.jpg


Got to the base of Tom Buidhe and the only way is up :lol:
It's a bit of a disappointment so far as a summit is concerned, flat and featureless, although as I say I know I am missing out on some amazing views all around

Driesh Tom Buidhe summit.jpg


No hanging around, back down to my short cut, a bit of a long cut to start with, got the compass out again :roll:

Encountered more peat hags on the way down to the White Water burn and Glen Doll, but very manageable and was soon at the burn. Was the pessimist right :?: would my planned short cut not always be the best thing to do :?:
I got to the burn at a point where I couldn't cross being a five metre drop :shock:

Driesh burn drop.jpg


but there are plenty of places I could and did :lol:

Driesh burn crossing.jpg


about fifteen metres further up.

Looks like Jock's road is a about three hundred metres straight up; I traversed along and intersected further down.
Evidently I wasn't the only person to pass this way

Driesh footprints.jpg


Photo opportunities were few and far between.

Passed the shelter and memorial to the 1959 sadness and carried on down the path occasionally getting tantalising glimpses of what I was missing due to the clag

Driesh jocks road gouge.jpg


Eventually got below the clag line

Driesh clag line.jpg


and the forest in front of me

Driesh forrest.jpg


There were some deer grazing just before the forest, but they smelt, saw or heard me just before I saw them and were quickly up the slope and away.

There's a choice of track at the forest and in hindsight I should have taken the path over the small bridge and down the other side of the burn as I am sure it led onto a good modern landrover track soon after.

Anyway I trudged back through the forest with increasingly sore calf muscles, they were burning :!: it's been a while since I've done a long walk.
Back at the car and one of the delights of finishing after everyone else is long gone is you can strip down fully and put on fresh clothes for the drive home :oops:

Finished the last sandwich and headed out of the Glen, turned a corner and encountered a couple of deer trapped on the wrong side of the deer fence :shock:



There were loads of rabbits and even a hedgehog ( haven't seen one of those in a very long time ) trying the same delaying tactic as the deer, though not for so long :lol:
Beaner's dad is right, finishing in the dark does mean you get to see things you wouldn't otherwise :!:

A delightfully amusing end to an aesthetically challenging day.
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ancancha
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Re: Two Deer

Postby trederdog 100 » Wed Jun 24, 2015 4:48 pm

The guy coming down was me! Hello, good to see your walk. When I was descending I saw the mist roll across the tops and wondered if you'd be walking on the plateau in clag! You obviously made it though. Thanks for the hill suggestions on the east-side. I also saw the welsh guy, looking pretty red with the climb, having apparently been out since 6 am! Far too early for me. Lots of folk out on Mayar and Dreish that day, I enjoyed these two - and Corrie Fee was great.
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Re: Two Deer

Postby jac the lassie » Wed Jun 24, 2015 6:29 pm

Nice trip and interesting photos! :clap:
Good to know what the paths are like as driesh and mayar are high on my to list of hills that I can do with the dogs.
Jac :D
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Re: Two Deer

Postby ancancha » Wed Jun 24, 2015 6:39 pm

trederdog 100 wrote:The guy coming down was me! Hello, good to see your walk. When I was descending I saw the mist roll across the tops and wondered if you'd be walking on the plateau in clag! You obviously made it though. Thanks for the hill suggestions on the east-side. I also saw the welsh guy, looking pretty red with the climb, having apparently been out since 6 am! Far too early for me. Lots of folk out on Mayar and Dreish that day, I enjoyed these two - and Corrie Fee was great.


Was a bit of a struggle at the end as my feet and calves were sore, but always worth once it's done. Could really have done with clear skys, the welsh guy enthused about Corrie Fee as well.
I've got a few still to do in Glenshee if you want to meet up for any of them let me know.
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ancancha
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Re: Two Deer

Postby ancancha » Wed Jun 24, 2015 6:44 pm

jac the lassie wrote:Nice trip and interesting photos! :clap:
Good to know what the paths are like as driesh and mayar are high on my to list of hills that I can do with the dogs.
Jac :D


You'll find it easy if you get the weather, even off track it was grassy or short heather and easyish walking. If you are doing the WH route then everyone says Corrie Fee is fabulous.
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ancancha
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Re: Two Deer

Postby trederdog 100 » Wed Jun 24, 2015 7:25 pm

ancancha wrote:
trederdog 100 wrote:The guy coming down was me! Hello, good to see your walk. When I was descending I saw the mist roll across the tops and wondered if you'd be walking on the plateau in clag! You obviously made it though. Thanks for the hill suggestions on the east-side. I also saw the welsh guy, looking pretty red with the climb, having apparently been out since 6 am! Far too early for me. Lots of folk out on Mayar and Dreish that day, I enjoyed these two - and Corrie Fee was great.


Was a bit of a struggle at the end as my feet and calves were sore, but always worth once it's done. Could really have done with clear skys, the welsh guy enthused about Corrie Fee as well.
I've got a few still to do in Glenshee if you want to meet up for any of them let me know.


Yeah, no wonder yer legs were sore, sounded a longish route! Thanks ancancha, have a few to do on the west side of Glen Shee and also Lochnager and pals, so would be up for that in the next few months! Its too tempting staying in Perth to get out climbing...
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Re: Two Deer

Postby Huff_n_Puff » Wed Jun 24, 2015 7:38 pm

Interesting route, well done for doing it in the clag, but shame about the lack of views :clap: :clap:
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Re: Two Deer

Postby ancancha » Wed Jun 24, 2015 8:42 pm

Huff_n_Puff wrote:Interesting route, well done for doing it in the clag, but shame about the lack of views :clap: :clap:


Thank you Huff n Puff, I think it would be well worth doing with decent weather and a lot faster :!:
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Re: Two Deer

Postby rockhopper » Sat Jun 27, 2015 8:41 pm

Pity about the clag in the latter stages (though still a lot better than I had :roll: :crazy: ).
Interesting route - different to the usual route for Mayar and Driesh. Also tried a different route for a change and went from Auchavan but weather wasn't good - cheers :)
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Re: Two Deer

Postby ancancha » Sun Jun 28, 2015 3:22 pm

rockhopper wrote:Pity about the clag in the latter stages (though still a lot better than I had :roll: :crazy: ).
Interesting route - different to the usual route for Mayar and Driesh. Also tried a different route for a change and went from Auchavan but weather wasn't good - cheers :)


That would have been a fair hike from Auchavan as well :!:
Actually think the route taking in Tom Buidhe and possibly Tolmount as well, and coming back down Jocks Road would be a really nice day out, but as always it is the clear sky's and views that make it the most enjoyable.
From what people say though I think I will have to go back and check out Corrie Fee :wink:
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