From the heights of joy to the depths of despair and back again.....Wisp & Pykethaw Hill circuit

Hill: Wisp Hill (595m) & Pykethaw Hill (564m)

Type: Sub2k x2

I was on the final stretch of my South of Scotland hill bagging with only a few toughies left and I knew that this pair of Sub2k’s would certainly be a challenge for my fitness. I had waited for a weather break and today promised to be blue skies but alongside cold winds so it was wrap up time.

From reading previous walk reports I realised that there were a few starting points for these hills but none of these avoided the pathless moorland ascent. Additionally all bar one route, which really only suited an assault on Wisp alone, meant you were straight on it climbing from the start.

A cold start out of the sun

I parked at the 1^st layby on the A7 after Ewes farm and walked the short distance to a gate alongside the busy A7 before clambering up the grassy verge, then over a fence and up to a pylon maintenance track. Great I thought at the time but don’t get too enthusiastic if following my route as it lasted less than 5 minutes before the rough ground had to be tackled.

Initially I was grateful to find a single file well trodden narrow track which was by passing the tussocks and other rough stuff. I pondered what might have caused these tracks and then looking upwards I spotted a pair of roe deer and wondered if these were my friends. 

On the run again

As it turned out I encountered them over half a dozen times throughout the ramble. This time, as well as the rest, they looked at me briefly then bounded away. I was so envious of how elegantly and effortless they made getting up a hill look.

The animal tracks were found and just as quickly lost before re-finding another one. I huffed and puffed as I rose steeply heading round the western flank of Whin Fell.

As you look my descent would go right of the tree onto the lighter patches and then down the shadow line

From up here I had a super view over to my 2^nd hill, Pikethaw Hill and my descent back to Eweslees Burn. From here it looked pretty steep.

Contouring around Whin Fell was the worst section of the walk. Even the animals didn’t come round this way. I could see an ATV track going up Wisp Hill but getting over to it took a lot longer than the distance had suggested in my mind. My roe deer buddies were already bounding up the hill, showing off.

Wisp Hill

I was pleased to reach the track and now all that was left was a 100m slow plod up to the trig point at 595m.

Reasonable views but mainly over the moors and in the distance the highest prominent hill was Rubers Law, the hill of the cattle as I recall from my time up there.

Rough going

Next I had an ATV track and a fence to follow as I descended the 300m down Ewenshope Fell. It was pretty rough going at times. Annoyingly I always had a constant view of my ascent back up Pikethaw. So the further I dropped the more daunting it became. A farmer passed me going up on the other side of the fence, gave me a wave, he was he only person I met. Looking over where he had been the going looked easier so I hopped the fence and it was, a lot better. Lots of patches of short grass and fewer tussocks. 

Better going this side

The easier walking allowed me to take in the views where there were sheep dotted all over the landscape. You would certainly need an ATV to get to where these sheep were, as said a wild rough and remote landscape.

Finally I arrived at the fence junction called Ewes Doors on the map, that apparently was an ancient defensive point of the pass between Ewesdale & Teviotdale.? Looking back down from the slopes of Pikethaw I could see disturbed linear ground which were defensive ditches. So close to England everything seems to have English rather than Scottish place names.

From Pikethaw slopes looking back to descent from Wisp

Time for an energy gel before the steep climb. Initially there was the ATV track but that soon disappeared and I was left wandering through patches of a grassy tussock that was new to me. The good thing was that these tussocks were well spaced out so I could meander through rather than on top of them.

I was feeling good, these gels really do work. 

As I meandered I had an even better surprise when out of the corner of my eye I spotted the huge cairn. Due to the terrain I had wandered away from the fence line so surprised to see it and I had obviously made good time.

The cairn is located slightly over the brow of the hill and it is a huge cairn with much stone debris scattered and buried in the surrounding area. It marks the site of a prehistoric burial cairn and also the watch fort for the Roman garrison below at Ewes Door.

I had two choices for the descent. Having said earlier my original one looked steep but from the summit the second option of staying higher would have crossed a lot of peat hagged moor along with a longer walk back to the car so I stuck with option 1.

I left the cairn and knew I had to stay to my left/west as my snap earlier showed just how steep the crags into the gulley were.

Left of pine then heading for the small plantation

I also knew I had to go left/west of the lonesome pine in same snap before cutting back east to avoid more steep ground before heading down to the burn.

Just after the tree I took a snap looking towards the small tree plantation where I was headed. This point was to be memorable, more of this later.

On the final stretch or so I thought

The descent was slow going as steep and mainly pathless lots of stuff to trip me up but I was in no rush, so steady Des mode paid off.

I headed to the small tree plantation wondering about the economics/reasoning for planting such a small wood. Surely not a pheasant rearing area, seemed small but a possibility.

I expected to cross one burn but it turned out to be two, my creaking legs were glad that I had poles to assist, long jumping is no more for me.

After the wood I headed up to the fence, walked alongside it a bit then went through an old gate to the other side which was a mistake. The next section was me kicking my way through a very narrow slot beside the fence through dead bracken. For sure this would not be an option later in the year.

I observed a pair of Ravens performing magnificent aerobatics probably as part of their bonding. However, I was laughing shortly after as I spotted a female hen harrier contouring the hillside . When she came round a flank and saw the ravens it made an elegant but swift U-turn heading back the way she came. But the ravens either didn't see her or more likely were not interested so no pursuit took place. It was a pleasant coincidence in that I had not seen a hen harrier for yonks then in the space of a week I have seen both a male and a female in different locations.

Glad to be away from the bracken I followed the track to my start point and then back down the A7 to the car.

I dropped off my rucksack and as always went to let the good lady know I was back at the car. To my horror I realised that my top pocket was unzipped and there was no phone.

Thinking time taken. I realised that the only thing I knew for sure of my last awareness of the phone was that I had taken a snap of the descent but the location was only ever to be a guesstimate.

I had to do something so I walked back my track so far but realised this was not a serious option so decided to return back to base which was an hour away, to contact the good lady on the off chance she might be concerned and also to clear my mind and better review my options.

On the way I stopped at two phone booths, neither took cash and only a credit card could be used. I had change but only a debit card another lesson learned.

What turned out to be a really promising and interesting day had turned to despair. Such is life but don't lose your phone it has lots of implications.

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The following day:

Unsurprisingly I had a very disturbed sleep which included downloading a banking app onto my iPad at 5am. They asked for another photo to be taken to pass verification from the one on file, hair everywhere, a sleepless face, not a pretty picture but I passed.

Before formally reporting my phone lost I decided to have a short search backtracking my route. On my iPad find my phone it showed the last location as the layby where I started my walk. I assumed phone location might be GPS but is purely mast pings only.

I had 4 possible locations but they were big maybes the reality was it could be anywhere.

I clambered up to location 1 where I flat crossed a fence deep grass around. I had brought my iPad and tried the make the noise function but nothing happened. Similarly my watch also had that function but also no response. Searched the grass anyway.

Onwards I went following my Gps as close in as I could. Funnily spotted the two deer on the same slopes I first saw them yesterday. They ran off no doubt thinking not again.

It was interesting following the exact line as at times I thought I had been slightly higher or lower. Slow going as my eyes were focused both on the Gps as well as the ground.

After a couple of kilometres I got to the 2^nd point where I had slipped on muddy ground, found the mud heap, raked about but no phone.

Ya beauty!!

Moved on to a burn I had jumped. I looked at a spot that I thought I had used but the Gps said a bit further up. I recognised the small rock that I had stood on on the far side so looked around and was astounded to spot the phone, wow what relief. As I landed and leaned forward the impact must have jolted the phone out of my pocket. Went to phone the good lady but of course no signal. Interestingly when I looked at the screen a message showed that it had been contacted by ‘find my phone’. I had tried both watch and iPad a few times but don't know which worked.

Never mind all was good again. It was still early morning and my legs were tired with my lack of sleep but I decided to make a day of it and go for Ellson Fell.

Ascent: 695m + 128m (823m)

Distance: 9.3km + 4.2km (13.5km)

Time: 4.21 + 1.32 (5.53)

Wildlife: Nuthatch; Crossbill; Long Tailed Tit; Great Tit; Robin; Buzzard; Carrion Crow; Meadow Pipit; Skylark; Roe Deer; Raven