Wind chill on Nickies Knowe

[McMole]

On Saturday the forecast was for a reasonable spell of weather around midday on Sunday. I decided that would give me plenty of time to collect the Donald top of Nickies Knowe and continue to it's Donald - Lochcraig Head which I hadn't visited for several decades. When I checked again on Sunday morning the forecast had worsened and the Met Office had shifted the better weather by an hour. So I read the paper before driving south. There were slight showers as I drove past by the Megget Reservoir to park by the Megget Stone.

The hills were well hidden in the clouds with the wind blowing enthusiastically from the south. I first had to cross boggy ground to reach the hillside. Most of it was reasonably easy, but one particularly large liquid area half way across required some zigzagging to pass.

Looking across at my ascent route from the car

Once across I followed the fence to the crest of the ridge and found a track that led to the summit. This was straight into the wind and its cargo of high velocity spin drift or hail. I don't know which, just that t was painful on unprotected skin. After wondering If there was going to be any snow at all, I found the snow line at about 600m.

Following the fence up the ridge

I reached the summit marked by a metal pole stuck into a loose boulder in about 55 minutes. There is also a small cairn on the other side of the fence.

The summit with its pole and cairn

Not wanting another 2km of walking into the wind to reach Lochcraig Head I about turned and retraced my steps. As I reached at the car it started to rain/snow more enthusiastically and I congratulated myself on a good decision.