Walking Forum
Regions - Trip reports, destination advice, recommended routes, etc. => Scotland => Topic started by: April on 20:09:19, 08/05/18
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Day 3
The skies had cleared overnight and Beefy did some star photography. We had lovely views and were we pleased.
The MSR on Din Law with Gameshope Loch in view
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/969/40165512110_566d841028_z.jpg) (http://)
Then the clag rolled in again as we were eating our breakfast. We thought we were in for another day of clag. We packed our stuff away feeling rather fed up. The cloud had cleared a little when we got onto the top of Din Law and we started to get some views again. Oh well, the day might not be a total write off after all.
Fruid Reservoir from Din Law
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/912/41253855804_90f20a6c73_z.jpg) (http://)
We were retracing our steps as far as Hart Fell. It was difficult planning a route here because it had to be a circular route, not many buses about up here and we were returning to Moffat.
Descending Din Law, Cape Law ahead
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/966/41072851955_c2c2f5c069_z.jpg) (http://)
As we were crossing the bog we saw a dead sheep. The poor thing must have got trapped in the bog and starved to death. The Spout and the water source we'd used was below the dead sheep :-\ We were not ill so thankfully the Mini Sawyers do filter the horrible stuff out. The cloud was starting to lift from most of the hills and we saw why people raved about the Moffat Hills, shame about the wind farms.
Wind Turbines and plenty of them to see
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/962/28101039528_bb7a347303_z.jpg) (http://)
What we were dumbfounded by was the number of wind turbines we could see. Hundreds of them. I know we need renewable energy but surely there has to be a better way than this. The landscape has been ruined and I still cannot fathom how this got approved.
Hartfell Rig ahead and the peat bog below
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/966/41972200181_c9d46ae9cd_z.jpg) (http://)
We are fond of a treat and we were looking forward to crossing this again! The bog looks worse than it is and as long as you move fast you can cross the boggy bits without sinking in too much.
Saddle Yoke
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/955/41253594834_0fd58b10f1_z.jpg) (http://)
Saddle Yoke left and Swatte Fell right
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/963/40165015020_d438a4a1fc_z.jpg) (http://)
The hills in the middle are on the other side of Moffat Dale
The wind turbines in close up
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/977/41971997071_7dbd8fbfd0_z.jpg) (http://)
Have I mentioned how astounded I am that anyone would approve this lot?
Fruid Reservoir from our lunch spot
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We had stopped for lunch below Hartfell Rig out of the wind. The wind had picked up a bit but it had blown most of the cloud off the tops. We had only seen one person so far, where was everyone? It was lovely up here now. We had been surprised yesterday that we had seen quite a few people out in the clag, maybe about 12 altogether.
On our way again, looking back, White Coomb is the highest hill
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/968/27103004087_b62a13776d_z.jpg) (http://)
Beefy on Hart Fell this time with a view
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It was blustery so we didn't hang about. The long descent to Barry Grain Rig was next.
Beefy on the way down Hart Fell
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/953/28100370108_70b77124af_z.jpg) (http://)
Our pitch for the night would be on one of the hills in view in the foreground and where we could get out of the wind.
There was a very steep down and a very steep up
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It was as steep as it looks
The steep up bit
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We didn't stop when we were going up for fear of falling over backwards if we did stop ;D
Whitehope Heights
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Beefy on Whitehope Heights
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The awkward gate to access Whitehope Heights
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/965/41071745075_02cf03626c_z.jpg) (http://)
The gate had hit me on the head as I walked through it on the way to the summit >:( It closed very quickly behind me, faster than I expected it to.
The cairn marking the source of the Annan and the start of the Annandale Way
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/982/27102327207_a31c5c65f9_z.jpg) (http://)
Crown of Scotland from Chalk Rig Edge
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/953/40163939580_c6b634fa78_z.jpg) (http://)
We saw more walkers here, apart from that one man earlier there had been nobody about. We met a nice couple who said they were off to the Outer Hebrides next week, lucky sods! A few tired looking backpackers were struggling up Chalk Rig Edge. Two women asked for the quickest way back to Moffat, I gave them the directions to drop down from the Annandale Way cairn. We did have a chuckle, we have never been here before but knew the directions for a route we weren’t doing!
We stopped for a break behind the wall out of the wind, making our minds up where we would pitch. We had thought we might go up onto Annanhead Hill or Corse Dod but we could hear the traffic from the main road from where we were. We looked over at The Craigs and thought we might get a pitch over there and it was further from the road. We picked up water on the way over the rough, lumpy terrain, worrying that it might all be in vain and there would be nowhere flat. We did find a flat pitch and out of the worst of the wind.
The MSR pitched on The Craigs
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/908/41971082441_09be486e21_z.jpg) (http://)
The hills in view are Crown of Scotland and Barncorse Knowe. We had some food and we were hopeful of a sunset.
More wind turbines
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/906/41252355974_404a1b0048_z.jpg) (http://)
The cloud built up so we didn't get a great sunset view. We weren't too disappointed we'd had a great day. We had some wine, the wind had dropped and we rested our tired legs.
The best sunset shot
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/973/41252326044_a597395bf5_z.jpg) (http://)
The MSR on The Craigs
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/904/41071428105_6e5f366b3d_z.jpg) (http://)
Day 3 was Din Law - Cape Law - Stirk Craig - Hart Fell - Whitehope Heights - Chalk Rig Edge - The Craigs 12km with 740m ascent and 730m descent.
A hard day physically but a grand day out. We love The Moffat Hills :smitten: What were you saying about throwing the map away Beefy?
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fantastic pics and write up of a wonderful day Ape O0
more of this weather please :)
certainly made up for the clag eh...
What were you saying about throwing the map away Beefy?
rip it up and use it as bog paper... >:D
Errrr... ive changed my mind :D
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Pleased the weather improved.
How many times have we said 'be careful with water there is probably a dead sheep up stream'.
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What beautiful views after that clag on the first day lifted. The photos are great - I love the pictures of Cape Law with its veil of cloud and of Saddle Yoke and Swatte Fell especially. O0
That's the oddest gate I've ever seen. Looks like something out of the old funhouse at Blackpool! :)
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Errrr... ive changed my mind :D
;D When you have great views to look at you don't notice bog and rough terrain as much :)
How many times have we said 'be careful with water there is probably a dead sheep up stream'.
;D I know ;D The sheep was in the bog a fair distance away so we are hoping none of it had found its way into the stream we took the water from. Well this is what we are telling ourselves :D
That's the oddest gate I've ever seen. Looks like something out of the old funhouse at Blackpool! :)
There was a comedy moment when it clunked me on the head :)
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Ditto about the gate, quite bizarre!
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It was also very heavy to open :-\
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It was also very heavy to open :-\
Like his wallet....................