Taming the Law Kneis Jungle

[McMole]

When Jaywizz asked on Saturday evening if I wanted to accompany her up Law Kneis the next day, my reply was an immediate 'Yes!'. I was there last June, the forecast was good and I wondered how the different season would affect the route. There would be much less vegetation lower down to fight through, but what depth of snow might await us higher up in the forest?

Repeating my June route we started at the Tima Water car park and headed up the forest road to turn right and climb uphill beside White Sike.

Climbing up from the forest road with White Sike on the left and Wedder Law in the distance

Without the bracken this section was easier and I kept our route outside the felled section of forest with its stumps, branches and other trip hazards that I had 'enjoyed' last June.

Some pale primroses for the botanists

Looking down from the forest road at 400m

Once at the higher forest road we took the forest break that heads east.

The forest break

This did have patches of snow, but most were not deep and hardly slowed us down. Except when we came to the junction for our turn to the right when I had a sinking feeling as I discovered an over waist-deep disguised ditch.

Where we turned right

Fortunately it was only snow that filled it, not water. The next 330m section to the forest non-fence had, as I well-remembered, a fine selection of toppled trees.

Ducking under the third tree on the way back

We ducked under the first three then walked past the root 'balls' of the next set.

Passing the next set of toppled trees

From there we found an improved route for about the next 170m. Instead of wading through the snow along the break, a fine dry snow-free avenue runs parallel to it just one tree row to the right. Branches protruded across it from the trees on either side. Most were rotten and just brushing past led to many falling to the ground.

No snow, hardly any obstructions, and a solid dry path!

The branches here bore a fine growth of moss.

A fine crop of moss

Close up of the moss

We needed a more expert botanist with us to identity it. My Illustrated Book of Flowerless Plants suggests a variety of Hypnum cupressiforme, but which one?

Easy walking parallel to the forest ride

Our shady avenue led back to the break with only about 50m to go to the line of rotting posts marking the former fence. A narrow animal track then led us along next to them to a fine self-sown conifer that can be only a few metres from the summit, though which clump of heather should get that title must be open to debate. The highest appeared to be the result of ditch digging.

Looking SW from the summit area - choose your tussock! Reported NGR is to the right of the tree

Looking NE from summit

After five minutes admiring the views and bemoaning the passing of the earlier sunshine we started back into the forest to escape the cold breeze. The edge of the forest there is not distinct and if you hadn't noted carefully where you left it (or your GPS hadn't done it for you!) it would be easy to head down a different and potentially more difficult route. We retraced our route back to the car only stopping to take a few more photographs of the route and the moss hanging from the trees. An uncomplicated and trouble-free walk thanks to previous experience and choosing a better time of year to walk it.

[g4obk]

Thank you McMole for a great insight into a good route up the awkward Law Kneis which will make it much easier for me when I visit in the next few weeks.

[Fife Flyer]

Love it, looks similar to the route we took up and we had a proper battle with everything, trees, snow debris etc etc.

I would recommend any future visitors stay on the track and approach the summit from the west and then the north, unless of course you want a proper challenge.

Here is my WR from Feb 2018 https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=78328