It was Bruno's fault that we got up late and had to completely redesign the walk for today. Instead of the 23 km manly march I'd had in mind, as we arrived just about noon, the walk sort of got cut into two pieces.....
Piece number one was from deep in Mennock Pass - which is the main road to Wanlockhead from the South. This really is just like the Howgill fells..... I walked past a cottage containing some friendly but barky collies and a less friendly collie owner, crossed a little burn and heaved myself up the steep grass of Auchensow Hill. We followed this by just a bit of manful and dogful marching over some rather cracking grassy moorland and then up on to Cairrn Hill - 449 metres and our first marilyn bag of the day.
We returned to the valley using a shapely little ridge and the estate road which was in the process of being rebuilt - I gashed my finger on a sharp rock whilst scrambling around the JCB. I lost absolutely pints and pints of blood, obviously, but soldiered on with my finger in my mouth....
After this we drove up to Wanlockhead (actually, I did the driving, Bruno just sat in the back and commented on the sheep and a little dog that was asleep in the middle of the road in Wanlockhead)....
And we had a look around the lead mines and then steeply up through heather for the bagging of Green Hill - 588 metres and Marilyn number two.
I must come back and do the walk I planned - the ridge runnin g Souht from the second hill looks very inviting. This is much too far for a day walk, though - so I'd have to plan an overnight....
8 miles and 2300 feet of climbing... and a sore finger...
