Three A702 Marilyns in a day part 2 - Black Mount

[Chris Mac]

Black-Mount.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

The second of three hills to climb and with Mendick Hill next door just climbed, I parked next to Black Mount on the A702 at Mill Burn. Still in boots and gaiters I grabbed my rucksack from the boot, hopped the gate and went through the first field alongside the burn:
DSC_8060 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Hmm... hey big fellah, I don't recall you on the OS map when I plotted my ascent route!
DSC_8065 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

An unscheduled diversion sees me hop into the adjoining field and head in the general direction of Black Mount:
DSC_8066 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Instead of joining the bull and family, being partiularly weary of them getting overprotective of two young calves, I cross the harvested field and head into the woods....
DSC_8067 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

As i'm about to exit the woods a gunshot goes off very close to me! I freeze and turn around... nothing.

Expecting a mad farmer to come running towards me with a shotgun, telling me i'm not allowed on his land or he thought I was a cattle rustling MacDonald... that's history, we don't do that these days! Luckily nothing happens so I review my options, either straight up the small gulley ahead towards Windlestraw Top:
DSC_8068 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Or head to the left:
DSC_8069 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Straight ahead looks more appealing and like Mendick Hill earlier i'm keen to do a loop so I cross the field and head that way. Behind me Broughton Heights is now clear as the sunny afternoon improves the visibility:
DSC_8070 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Broomy Law again with its masts at the top, it will be a straightforward finale to the day of three wee hills:
DSC_8075 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

The mini gulley is steep but straightforward and at the end it levels a bit and a path appears towards Windlestraw Top, excellent:
DSC_8079 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Another group of comedy sheep sit stuck to the hillside and appearing to defy gravity:
DSC_8080 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Looking south west, a nice afternoon in store:
DSC_8085 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Approaching Windlestraw Top:
DSC_8087 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Broughton Heights:
DSC_8091 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Broomy Law:
DSC_8098 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Broad Law in the distance between the two:
DSC_8099 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Along with Broad Law in the middle, to the right I spot Saddle Yoke, Under Saddle Yoke and Hart Fell, now easy to identify having been up them a few weeks ago:
DSC_8101 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Looking further south west, Hart Fell on the left towards Culter Fell on the right:
DSC_8103 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

South Lanarkshire at its best:
DSC_8104 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

DSC_8105 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Now looking to the side of Black Mount, Tinto's summit appearing beyond:
DSC_8107 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

DSC_8108 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Towards the summit:
DSC_8109 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

To the east and north the Pentlands were now more distant than on Mendick Hill mid right and next door:
DSC_8110 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Mendick Hill, i'm on the highest of the three hills today as the landscape starts to show autumn colours:
DSC_8119 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

After enjoying a break on the top, the paths decided to peter out and vanish, or I lost it who knows leaving me to bound across heather for what felt like ages:
DSC_8123 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

I reach the fence at last but there is no path, looks to be the same on the other side, just thick heather, oh well onwards I go, luckily the going wasn't too bad:
DSC_8124 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

On the way along to the summit I enjoy the view north west which has cleared a bit more, Campsies beyond:
DSC_8125 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

To the north, far left Stuc a' Chroin and Ben Vorlich, Ochils in the centre and to the right on the horizon, western Pentlands in the foreground:
DSC_8129 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

East Cairn Hill and co:
DSC_8132 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Pentlands and Mendick Hill:
DSC_8136 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

After a bit more walking the summit trig point comes into view, sitting on a grassy mound. At least this has a notable summit unlike Black Hill in the Pentlands, another round, heathery lump but at least it has good paths. Also, sunshine:
DSC_8140 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

I now have a new hazard to deal with.... losing sunglasses, several have been lost to hills over the years, Ben Venue the most recent!

Well it's been a slog to get here but this is nice:
DSC_8148 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

DSC_8152 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

The trig pillar is a bit worse for wear and two rocks sit on top:
DSC_8153 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Typical... across the fence from the side I walked there is a path hidden in the heather!
DSC_8154 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Black Mount summit towards Tinto Hill:
DSC_8156 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Pyked Stane Hill of Broughton Heights with Trahenna Hill to the right of it, an enjoyable walk done during summer:
DSC_8172 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Like on the last hill, I wasn't alone on this one...
DSC_8181 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

With the sun getting lower in the sky and knowing I had a pathless descent I decided it was time to head down and drive along to Broomy Law to finish off the three A702 Marilyns:
DSC_8185 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

I could see the car so it was easy to take a more direct route and see the way ahead from high up the hill side:
DSC_8186 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Black Mount's little crags, of course I took care to loop around this as I didn't fancy falling from it:
DSC_8187 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Looking back up the hillside at the way down, it was ok going and I was soon off the heather again and back onto grass:
DSC_8197 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

A large herd of sheep parted and scarpered up the hill to give me a clear run through the next field:
DSC_8198 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Only a few fields to traverse... and a bull to avoid!
DSC_8200 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Coming out at a different point than where I came up, also on the route I plotted before now, takes me across the burn, up the ramp and into the trees:
DSC_8201 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Broomy Law in view again, yeah I could probably have done both in a single walk but the landscape and lack of convenient parking doesn't make that very easy, especially if adding in Mendick Hill way along the road there I started:
DSC_8203 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

I reach the woods again where a clear path takes me to a gate and the Minotaur's field...
DSC_8206 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

He's still down the bottom of the field with his entourage, I sneak over the gate and head left towards the burn:
DSC_8207 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

I reach it and walk slowly and quietly along as the cows and bull see me and run off...
DSC_8210 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

Behind me a 4x4 comes out of the woods where the gunshot was heard before, there had also been a few more since. I felt like the angry farmer was now on my tail so it was a race to the finish!

Except it wasn't, I jumped two fences and was soon at the end of the final field before the road looking back, way ahead of the farmer who had gates to open and a bull to avoid in his jeep.
DSC_8213 by Chris Mac, on Flickr

I reached the car, behind the large articulated lorry still parked in the lay-by, sat with the boot open and took my boots off as they were caked in mud from the final field crossings. Broomy Law has a track the whole way, unfortunately I ignored my gut feeling to take my trail shoes with me like I normally do, doh!

As I did so the farmer turned out the field and drove past... smiling at me as he did, obviously impressed with my bull dodging, gate hopping and not running away screaming when he fired gun shots next to me at the start of the walk!

So hill two for the day was done, on to the final event just 5 minutes drive along the road. Black Mount was decent, a bit of a pain to get up but a fun walk with interesting obstacles to avoid and a nice summit with good views too.

[PeteR]

An excellent set of reports on the A702 hills. I've done all three myself, albeit from slightly different approaches.

Your 3 reports really demonstrate there is something out there for everyone and so much more to hillwalking than just big hills.

[Fife Flyer]

As Pete says it always interesting to see different ways to tackle hills.
When we tackled Black Mount we parked up at the Big Red Barn and went up Broomy Law first and then opted for a roughly direct adventurous route across the A702 to scale Black Mount.
Cracking photos BTW.

[Chris Mac]

An excellent set of reports on the A702 hills. I've done all three myself, albeit from slightly different approaches.

Your 3 reports really demonstrate there is something out there for everyone and so much more to hillwalking than just big hills.

Thanks Pete, yeah there seems to be no standard way up Black Mount, I think I chose the trickier option!

Variety is good and it's fun combining lots of small hills into one big one.

As Pete says it always interesting to see different ways to tackle hills.
When we tackled Black Mount we parked up at the Big Red Barn and went up Broomy Law first and then opted for a roughly direct adventurous route across the A702 to scale Black Mount.
Cracking photos BTW.

Cheers FF, I toyed with that plan to do both using that route (and the Barn for grub) but decided to keep it simple and use the closest lay-by instead of getting myself tangled up in fences and hedges while dodging cars on the main roads between hills!

It feels like you should be able to do a big loop and take in all of these hills together in one walk but the landscape doesn't accommodate that very well.

[desmondo1]

Good reports Chris I have these on my winter list hopefully the bull in its winter shed by then lol.