A Daer Reservoir Donald round, with a bonus day
Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 2:45 pmAfter checking the walk reports for the Donalds around the Daer reservoir it was clear that it was going to be a big lengthy day. Add snow conditions into that and it was going to be even longer. That posed a problem, it was clearly too far for a day trip and also the road conditions for an early start would no doubt be problematic at this time of year. So the plan was hatched to go on the Saturday afternoon and drive up to Mitchelslacks farm, up from Ae village and walk into Burleywhag bothy, carry in 2 days supplies in the eventuality that it became 2 nights in the bothy. Got to the farm around 3pm and carrying backpack, day pack and wood for 2 nights I began the trek up the icy path up to the bothy getting there in 1 hr. Bothy inspected and given a sweep out it was time to settle down for the night and get the stove on. I was aware of a cold forecast in the glens and it was cold overnight with ice on the inside of the windows.
I was awake early and was up at 6.30, getting away just as daylight was making an appearance at 07.30. As it was dark I couldn't see any tracks up to Queensberry so just made my own getting onto Queensberry in 45 minutes, just as the day broke.
Burleywhag bothy
DSC01917Top of Queensberry.
DSC01925 Looking back to Earncraig hill
DSC01936 From Queensberry the route is down to Penbreck and then following the fence line into the col and the steep ascent of Earncraig hill. From there I dropped down into Daer Hass checking the col for paths or tracks as this was my intended route of return to the bothy. From there it was an ATV track all the way up to Gana Hill, where I followed a short stretch of snow covered road before tracking towards path beside the shooting boxes which led to Wedder Law
Pano shot from Gana Hill showing the reservoir around to Queensberry.
DSC01938Daer Reservoir
DSC01940 Wedder Law and Scaw,d Law
DSC01941 From Wedder Law I followed the road towards Scaw,d Law, meeting the only 2 people that I saw all day. The road makes for quick progress. I left it as it began to drop from the shoulder of Scaw,d Law and made the easy ascent to the top. Donald no 5 done, I could now see the end in site. By now the snow was began to become hard to walk in, it was after midday and a bit of a melt had set in.
Looking back to Wedder Law
DSC01943 On towards Ballencleuch Law following the fence line and taking the long deviation out towards Hirstane and onto Comb Law which is a long way out. I had checked my phone to find out the status of Rodger Law, Corbett, Graham or Donald but gave it a miss in the softening snow. From Comb Law I made fast intentional progress down towards the reservoir as time was getting on, getting down at 14.10hrs.
Ballencleuch Law
DSC01945 Looking back to Ballencluech Law from the path to Comb Law
DSC01950 Down to the reservoir
DSC01953 Checking the map it was 4 miles back to the bothy and with the possibility of ending in the dark I set off at a pace along the road down towards Kirkhope and then followed the ATV track past Daerhead and where it began to climb up towards Wedder Law I cut SE making my own track. I could see an ATV track ascending to the col but I couldn't get across the burns. The col was gained and then across rough ground straight down to the bothy getting there just shy of 16.30. An excellent round , 7 Donalds, 18 miles, 1280 metres of ascent.
Too late to walk out so I settled down for a further night in the bothy, again I had the place to myself.
Monday 8th Jan. Black Law and Greenside Law.
8 miles, 12.9km 586 metres of ascent. 4 hours
Away from the bothy at 8am the walk back to the car was quick. Had a brief chat with the farmer about the bothy as he uses it when shepherding up the glen. Drove up to Moffat for a coffee and bacon roll and then drove around the Loch Meggett. The forecast when I read it on Saturday had seemed poor but this morning seemed perfect. I had missed out on Greenside Law when doing Broad Law and Dollar Law so it seemed a perfect opportunity to do it and combine it with Black Law which sticks out awkwardly from the Peebles Donalds.
I parked up at the dam car park and walked along towards Craiglerig where a stile allows access to the track which is followed to the watershed. The fence line is then followed all the way up to Black Law. Only met one person today, on the way up. One thing that struck as I descended Black Law was the sheer space around me, all big skies and big rounded hills, magnificent. The fence line was followed again back to the watershed. A black and white collie dog came bounding over but stopped about 40 feet away and wouldn't come near me. It wouldn't come through the fence so I assumed it had come from the glen to the north. It then went bounding off up towards Black Law. Hope it was OK, cold nights to be out.
I then followed the fence line again up to Greenside Law and went to what seemed the highest point, before descending back to the path that I had followed up, before descending back to the car. A quick round 4 hrs in total and 2 more Donalds to the list, which is coming along nicely. Hopefully I will get my target of completing them over the winter months.
Loch Meggett
DSC01963 Fence Line up to Black fell
DSC01965 And down from Black fell Greenside Law just out of shot to the left
DSC01970 Looking towards Broad law/Dollar Law group, big skies and big hills.
DSC01967
