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A good weather forecast meant some fun in Donald Land - after the dereliction of the schedule last weekend doing Grahams in Ardgour it was back to the southlands for some rounded hills. I'd taken a half day in the expectation of brilliant sunshine, and was more than a little miffed to find the sky overcast as we left Greenock. Allison was in considerable pain and discomfort and it didn't look too hopeful for her getting out much. I'd intended a quickie on Friday afternoon - the stand-alone Whitehope Heights, with a bigger day doing the Ettrick Pen circuit on Saturday, then a linear walk along the Bodesbeck Law 4 on Sunday, which I thought she might manage. We were heartened to see the sun pop through the clouds as we headed down the M74, aiming to pitch the tent at Moffat Campsite then head out to Whitehope. The site was bustling with spring caravanners - disappointment awaited as I was told - snootily - that the grass area wasn't open til the end of next month, so I couldn't camp. Nothing about this on their website - open all year is all that it says.
This annoyed me, as I had hoped to pitch somewhere that had facilities nearby for Allison if she wasn't walking - the centre of Moffat would have been fine. With no very clear idea where to go instead, I drove off to get the hill in - parked at a large layby with a tourist board and set off - Allison left behind to have a wee wander on her own. The route takes you along the norhten side of the Devil's Beef Tub, starting at almost 400m elevation. It's a pleasant walk, following the fence line, with one or two undulations. Fortunately the recent sunny weather has tamed the bogs along this route. Up ahead Hart Fell had its head in the clouds, but it was a fine sunny day, teeshirt weather. I made good time along to the somewhat boggy top of Whitehope Heights, crossed the large stile to the cairn and enjoyed the view before following my trail back to the car, some of it at a jog - well the downhill sections anyway.
Start of the walk
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Al, on Flickr
Beef Tub
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Al, on Flickr
Over to Great Hill
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Al, on Flickr
Whitehope Heights
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Al, on Flickr
Summit, looking to Hart Fell
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
View back along the ascent route
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Al, on Flickr
Wintercleuch Windfarm
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
We drove the few miles back to Moffat and contemplated our options. I wondered about wild camping somewhere along the Moffat Water and we stopped in the town to mull it over. Google provided an alternative - Moffat Manor Holiday Park in Beattock...a phone call confirmed they would take tents and we were off to Beattock. Not quite possessing the same facilities as Moffat for a wander about but it beats the side of the road. We received a friendly welcome, charged a modest £24 for 2 nights and set up tent. One disadvantage of this site was that the inhabitants seem to like making an undue amount of noise - much of it directed at their unruly small dogs (mostly Jack Russells).
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Al, on Flickr
Saturday arrived - again it was overcast rather than the glorious sunshine I'd been expecting. I drove off up to Capplegill where I'd decided to start the walk from - I couldn't see the point of driving all the way round to Ettrick and then on the smaller road to Potburn. I remembered setting off from here when we climber Hart Fell and White Coomb a couple of winters ago - parking beside Blackhope Cottage and having a hex put on me by the irate inhabitants that resulted in me losing 2 cameras and crashing my car in the next month and was only lifted with supplication and a £25 garden centre voucher
So I didn't park there - I asked the farmer at Capplegill who said I could park on the grass by his barn (although it would have been fine to park at the side of the wee road that goes down to Bodesbeck Farm as it turned out). Into my gear and off.
The route took me past the radio masts by Bodesbeck Farm and up a track by the Bodesbeck Burn (does "beck" not mean the same as "burn"?) . I left the track near the top and headed steeply up Fauldside Hill - from this point on the walk is a pleasant wander over grass/short heather following fences or sometimes walls. I passed White Shank then Smidhope and cold see 2 figures approaching - turned out to be Martin B and Karen. They'd started from the fishery at Selcoth and were going round the opposite direction from me - we would meet again near Ettrick Pen. I continued up to the summit of Capel Fell, which marked my 50th Graham - woohoo
Track up from Capplegill
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Al, on Flickr
Hart Fell/Saddle Yoke
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Al, on Flickr
Along to Capel Fell
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Al, on Flickr
50th Graham
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Al, on Flickr
Descent from capel Fell to SUW
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Al, on Flickr
I now got a bit confused about where I was going - I could probably have made this section a bit shorter by re-routing, but I stuck to the SE fence line until I met the Southern Upland Way then followed this SW along a narrow gully. I could see the steep nose of Croft Head ahead of me and walked towards this on a rocky, eroded path. Crossing a dinky wooden bridge of the sort that always harbours trolls beneath, Croft head was now directly in front of me - I could see a path zigzagging up. It did look steep however. I got to the base, where there's a large sheepfold, then set off up the beast. Reaching the top I stopped for an early lunch and contemplated the equally steep-if-not-steeper ascent to West Knowe. A pair of raven flew overhead chuntering away - when I looked up I saw they were mobbing a golden eagle which continued to soar and spiral upwards after the coal black ravens had flown off. A nice wee extra.
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Al, on Flickr
Along to Croft Head
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Al, on Flickr
Billy Goats Gruff Bridge
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
Croft Head
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Al, on Flickr
Capel Fell - its rough side
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Al, on Flickr
Croft Head summit
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Al, on Flickr
Steep ascent up the treeline awaits
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Al, on Flickr
I humphed down the steep heather on the side of Croft Head, aiming for the corner of the fence line. Then it was a lung-bustin' upwards travail which was at least relatively brief. Gaining flatter ground I headed between West Knowe and Loch Fell, pausing at the trig point to survey the route ahead. A gentle descent led to Wind Fell, then in the far distance the final hill - Ettrick Pen. Nearing the final stretch I met Martin and Karen descending - they'd done Bodesbeck too, which got me thinking - but more of that later. I continued up to the large cairn, enjoying fab views in beautiful sunshine now.
Looking back on Croft Head from West Knowe
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Al, on Flickr
Loch Fell Trig
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Al, on Flickr
Towards Ettrick Pen
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Al, on Flickr
Ettrick Pen from Hopeton Craig
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Al, on Flickr
Summit EP
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Al, on Flickr
From here it was a descent of some 300m off to the west of Ettrick Pen and down to the roads by Over Phawhope. Lots of new roads being built here - forestry presumably. I crossed the river and walked along to Potburn where renovation work was bring done to the cottage there. I turned to the left just before the cottage and headed upwards again to join the track I'd come in on. I started to think that if I did Bodesbeck today - for an extra 150m ascent - I could considerably foreshorten tomorrow's walk. Why not
Reaching the boundary wall I set off over wet grass for the next summit. Sheep trotted out of the way as I got to the top and once again enjoyed panoramic views. I nipped down the west side of the hill and picked up my ascent track, getting back to the car after six and a half hours. I returned to the campsite, showered and enjoyed a tasty plate of noodles and veg, supplemented with Tofurkey Polish style vegan garlic sausage - yum
Descent into the trees
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
Bodesbeck Law
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
View across to Ettrick Pen
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Al, on Flickr
Summit to Saddle Yoke
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
Sunday dawned bright and sunny. Allison was still in a lot of pain and wasn't doing any hills today either. Pleased with my decision to do Bodesbeck yesterday that meant I could do a shorter circuit today, I drove to the Grey Mare's Tail car park and set out, leaving Allison to enjoy her book
I decided to head towards Herman Law, taking the road initially then switching to a grassy track that ran roughly parallel to the road but up the hillside. I thought I'd just head up diagonally, minimising exertion - that is until I came to a cleuch - Raking Gill - which was too steep sided to be traversed easily. I had to follow the fence line steeply upwards towards the bealach between Mid Rig and Trowgrain Middle, before resuming my diagonal line to the summit of Herman Law. Over to my left the splendid circuit of Saddle Yoke stood out. I got to the unmarked summit then turned around and enjoyed a marvellous grassy perambulation over the next set of tops - Trowgrain Middle, Mid Rig, the Graham of Andrewhinney and then down to Bell Craig and finally to the second Mid Rig (this one a New Donald). I paused for a quick lunch and considered my descent options. It looked too craggy to descend directly from Mid Rig, so I reversed my steps over Bell Craig and set off down Mirk Side towards the road. Steep, would have been awkward in wet grass, but manageable today. Cross the river and back to the car park which is now jammed full of walkers going up the Grey Mare's Tail.
Grey Mare's Car Park
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
Raking Gill
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Al, on Flickr
Herman Law
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Al, on Flickr
Summit
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Al, on Flickr
Trowgrain to Mid Rig
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Al, on Flickr
Andrewhinney
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
Andrewhinney Summit
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Al, on Flickr
Loch Skene from AW summit
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
Mid Rig from Bell Craig
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Al, on Flickr
Descent to the valley
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
It's only about 1pm and a fine day still. I decide to sneak another singleton in - Talla Cleuch Head is not far away and I know it is less than 5km with a tiny amount of ascent thanks to starting from the Meggat Stone at 400m. It's a pleasant drive up along St Mary's Loch then the windy single track road to Meggat Reservoir. There's a bikers' meet on at the Glen Cafe and lots of them on the road. I park up at the cattle grid and wonder if Allison might try this one - but no, and sensibly so. I nip up the well trodden path that leads to Broad Law, turn off along a deer fence and follow this to the (unmarked) summit. Then back along the same way, trying the north side of the deer fence to see if it's less boggy (it wasn't) and back to the car in exactly one hour.
Up Fans Law
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Al, on Flickr
View back along the Meggat Water
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Al, on Flickr
Talla Cleuch Head
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Al, on Flickr
Talla Linnfoots
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
Talla Reservoir
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Al, on Flickr
Towards Mathieside cairn
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Al, on Flickr
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Al, on Flickr
So 11 Donalds done, reducing my remaining number to 19 - my hope had been to complete them by Easter - although that won't happen now, it might not be too long thereafter. Some brilliant weather this weekend - makes a big difference to the day out.
