statcounter

Wednesday 17 September 2008

Day Bagging Trip to the Lowther Hills



Bruno searching for the trig point
Model of Schiehallion


This is much too far to drive for a day's bagging. I'd designed myself a 23 km circular walk starting in the middle of Mennock Pass and going around by Cairn Hill, East Mount Lowther and Green Hill. The first and the last of these three being the ones I wanted to bag.

But, as Dave Burns once said, "The michty plons ae mice an men aft invalve nice cheese". His brother may have used this phrase for another, similar one, in one of his pomes, or so it's said. Anyway, the point is, I got up late.

So, after a two and a half hour drive during which I overtook six tractors and sat at four sets of roadworks, I duly arrived very very shortly before noon - much too late to do the walk I'd planned and get home before the hoodies start to congregate around the garden gate.

So I replanned and made a short walk which bagged the very lovely Auchensow Hill plus Cairn Hill in walk one, and another even shorter one starting at Wanlockhead for the bagging of Green Hill in walk two.

It all went spiffingly spiffing. Auchensow Hill is a little gem of a round, grassy thing with very steep sides, and this was followed by a magnificent bit of fellwalking on a dryish, grassy moor to the even lovelier Cairn Hill - all of 449 metres high. The cairn is a bit pathetic for an ancient cairn, but I expect that when its a bit less dull and misty than it was today, there would be a fab view all around. A nice little ridge took me back to the valley and an estate road.

Some men were playing with their JCBs on the road and had completely blocked it and , basically dug it up. The driver stopped his machine for me and swung it around so I could get past. As I scrambled past, though, I happened to grasp the rock which they'd cut through - and put a big, bloody hole in my finger as a result. It'll probably have to be amputated, or at least there'll be a green line running up my arm tommorrow, and when it reaches my heart......


After this, I had a drive up to Wanlockhead and parked in a sort of devastated area.... (lots of devastated areas in Wanlockhead) - and had a poke around some lead mines and then steeply up on to Green Hill - at 588 metres, the summit of my explorations that day. This was a very short up and down sort of thing. Not good views, although a ridge running South and South-West from the top looked very attractive. Too late, though - I had to go home.


8 Miles and 2300 feet of climbing - which is a reasonable amount for 8 miles, I would have thought.


This would be an excellent area for anybody who wanted to do a short backpacking/wild camping trip - say, for TGO Challenge training (hmmm... rubs chin thoughtfully ....)

10 comments:

Martin Rye said...

I like the sound of Challenge training and your write up. Good blog and I'll call back.

Mike Knipe said...

Thanks Martin


( I got a comment!)

Martin Rye said...

I also noticed you rant like Alan Sloman. I like you all ready.

Alan Sloman said...

"...you rant like Alan Sloman..."

Oh no! Mike the Pie is a Professional Ranter, and the capitals are imortant here!

He is also a bloody fine chap who writes like he is stabbing your sides with sharp knives, it hurts so much. There is already a fine example of this over at Doodlecat.

Welcome Mike!

Mike Knipe said...

Aw, gwan chaps.....(simper)
This is turning out to be more fun than waiting for the result of an MOT inspection.
I might do this again tommorrow night.
I'm off to the Lakes tommorrow, so I may well have something to bleg about....

AktoMan said...

Wanlockhead - passed through it last year. Nice pub there. Strange wee village. Seems to be a lot to it. As you say, devastated area.

Mike Knipe said...

Whoops, sorry aktoman, almost missed your comment there....

I'm quite interested in lead mines and industrial archeology, so, to me, Wanlockhead is a wonderful place. It feels a bit like some kind of frontier town - and I notice that they've now got a pub I visited it previously quite a few years ago when there was just the WMC. A memorable trip, partly due to the YHA wardeness blinked not a blink and just asked me to open a window as she burst in on me laundering my blx in the dorm sink. They must not have been any showers or something.....

AktoMan said...

ROTFLMAO - I hope the iron wasn't too hot :))

I have relatives in Shotts, so felt close to them there.

Anonymous said...

That's a good start: I can actually post a comment, which is rarely the case on Blogger blogs from first timers.

"You are the Mike Knipe registered on the hill-bagging site and I claim my 5 pounds". Correct?.

I'm registered on there as GeoffC.

Mike Knipe said...

Hello Geoff - Yes, thats me on the hill-bagging site - I'm a terrible bagger, I'm afraid... anything for a tick... my next ticking expedition will be in North Wales in early October (read all about it here!)
Thanks for the comments - the fiver is in the post...