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Friday, 20 March 2009

Borders Walks - Lightening Hill and stuff
















Most people out there will have absolutely no idea where the next three blog posts are located. This is likely because not all that many people are aware of what a fab area the little group of hills I’m about to explore is. Actually, in point of fact, this is an enormous area, full of cracking gems. And the odd bog. But on with the tale(s)
I arranged to meet Mike, the go4awalk bloke wots appeared in previous blog posts at the Duke of Buccleuch’s little car park somewhere off the A7 about 5 miles South of Hawick (pro Hoyk by the way).
This is a very quite place for a camper van and an akto and provided a nice little base for three days of walking.
Walk number one – on Tuesday 17 March, in a little mist and a little sun, was from Linhope on the A7 and took in Lightening Hill (no place to be in a thunder storm), , Wether Law(wether = a category of sheep), Millstone Edge (no obvious millstones), Tudhope Hill – the highest point at 599 metres, Carlin Tooth (a carlin being a hare, or /and a witch or an old lady) , Bye Hill (no idea) and Dod Hill (Dods are normally round hills and Dod Hill is very round) - a total of just about seven and a bit miles but with the magnificent amount of uphill walking of 2700 feet. Needless to say, that this is a walk of quite a lot of uphill work, and an equivalent amount of steep downhill stuff as well. This is just real A1 industrial strength, unsurpassed, all-round good-egg fell walking – easyish most of the time with big views and some surprisingly steep and pointed tops nearby.
With throbbing thighs, we repaired to Skelfhill to drink all of Mike’s beer.
A cold, still and condensation drippy night followed and lead to a foggy cold dawn.
Brrrr….. see the next post…. Gawd I hope it gets warmer…..

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