A trip to the dark side for my final Donald.....Windy Gyle

Hill: Windy Gyle (619m) (originally mapped as Windygate Hill, gate to the border?); The Cheviot (815m)

Type: Donald and Cheviot

Finally todays the day, barring an accident I will complete the Donalds today. As hoped the weather was forecast to stay good although some showers possible late afternoon, but hopefully off the hill by then.

A beautiful blue sky morning drive through stunning Borders landscape finishing with a 7 mile very, very narrow single track with high hedges and banking, views ahead limited. Thought got to meet something here. Indeed I did two tractors, I reversed. The car at least stopped at a passing place.

Early light. Various routes but I went along tree line

The Cocklawfoot farm parking area was empty but as I changed another car pulled up. A quick chat, two locals taking a different route than me.

It was already warm as I walked the dirt track heading to Windy Gyle. There are various route options to climb the hill but I took the right hand as I walked which was a circling track. I was already regretting the big breakfast. I hadn't ordered a lot but the portions were huge. Of course I ate it being of the generation brought up to never waste food, mainly as we did not have a lot of it. But now burping away, glad I was on my own! 

The farmer doesn't want you on his fields so has created some signs to help walkers bypass. I was surprised when I reached a coiled electric fence, yes it was on and what was beyond? I crawled under it to meet the face of a cow. Thankfully it remained chewing the cud, a close encounter.

Tick & cleg party time as I head for the trees

The track follows the farm boundaries before it entered a plantation quite narrow walking, lots of scope for beasties glad I put my protection on. 

Bambi

I heard rustling in the trees to my side and further up two roe deer emerged crossing the track. Not long after a stoat did the same, sadly far too quick to even think about a snap.

Note the fern growth on the slopes. Kelsocleugh Rig and Windy Rig ahead

Broke the treeline and headed up Kelsocleugh Rig before heading for Windy Rig. I was now also following fresh coo pats, kept me alert but like yesterday never saw them, probably hiding in the ferns.

From Windy Rig looking across th the Cheviots furthest away

True to its name a cooling breeze hit Windy rig, a bit chilly I thought. The grassy track now becomes eroded peat but dry. A straightforward ramble with good views over the Scottish side, this landscape is so flat.

Windy Gyle appears

Before I was expecting it the trig and cairn of Windy Gyle suddenly appeared. My final Donald. Having watched all the Olympic competitors in floods of tears at their achievements I was determined to not do likewise lol. 

As I approached so did another figure coming up from the dark side. He glanced over, no acknowledgment and just walked away. Clearly a dark side personality.

So, alone as I touched the trig then realised I wasn't. There was a wasps nest under the trig and they were buzzing about in big numbers so off I quickly went. This happened to me once before, I think one of the Lomond hills, more of wasps later. Still on the hill, apparently the slopes I climbed were Scotland but some say the top is in England.

Plenty of junction posts

I had made good time so decided to walk the ridge to the Donald top of Cairn Hill West Top. I know the Donalds are a strange bunch but this has to be the longest walk to link a top with its parent, all other hill categories included.

Double slabs at first. Auchope far left

After Windy Gyle I crossed the fence and walked the Pennine Way. Instead of peat hags it is a stone slab walkway. If you are a hard core masochist you can of course opt to walk the Scottish side. Absolutely great in places but also sore on the feet. It is a pleasant enough wander across the moor with the 'top' in view just me and my thoughts. 

I know this is England but road signs!!

I pass a very out of place sign to see on top of a hill, certainly unique for me. Do estate tracks really need signs?

Now single slabs heading for the highest pointed top mid left

The junction marks the Donald top of Cairn Hill West Top

After about an hour the track becomes peat slopes again and heads up to the Donal top, a track junction is its high point. Surprisingly this is the highest point on the border, there you go, am I in Scotland again? If you go to the Cheviot you go over Cairn Hill itself which to my eyes was higher than its West Top but maybe all of that is in England, need to ask Percy. 

Over the fence and the tramp to The Cheviot

Then the internal debate should I head to The Cheviot and do a dark side hill? Of course it would be silly not to. It adds about 2.5miles to the trip. Now that I am walking on the dark side there are bodies appearing from everywhere. Three hours of only one person and I have now found the party. 

All the English ran away when they heard my accent. The Cheviot trig.

The Cheviot is reached, another nothing top on a moor, the trig is high up on a stone platform, maybe this is a dark side thing? Still I rest and eat my pork pie, the views are of moor and a flat landscape with rain coming down over to the east.

Auchope ahead from Cairn Hill West Top

Back down the same way to the junction and onwards to the cairn at Auchope, where for a short area there is plenty of boulder scree as well as excellent views. More people sheltering for lunch this Pennine Way sure is popular.

Only section with boulders on the walk

On the steep descent looking into and over Hen Hole

I could see the farm from here but getting there proved more awkward. The paving has now gone, reverted to a normal dirt track as I descend steeply to the Mountain refuge hut. Some excellent views of the craggy Hen Hole.

Looking back to Auchope. I was told the hut was vandalised a few weeks ago, sad.

The farm is left near the light strip but the fence led me right

Now this is where things went a bit awry. I was following the SMC book guidelines and it said to walk about 500m after the hut and then go through a gate to follow the ridge fence downwards towards the farm. This I did measuring the 500m and reached a barbed wire fence around that spot, no gate. IThe fence was tall and taught and the barbed wire did damage but I was over. The terrain was much rougher but lightly flattened grass suggested this was a track of sorts but sheep I suspect. As I descended I just had a feeling this was not right. I did a proper check and realised I was on Dod Hill not Auchope Rig. The cut off was more like 100m after the hut not 500m, lesson learned re SMC book.

From Dod Hill, there is a fern covered cleugh down below

From the top of Dod Hill I scanned the horizon and there was no obvious easy way to where I wanted to be. The lower slopes were covered in head high ferns. I could see two estate tracks and although I did not want to follow them I could use them as markers if I had to go cross country. I descended further and when I reached the fern level off Dod Hill I was relieved to spot an ATV track below. By contouring the hill, moving away from where I wanted to be, I reached the track without too much fern damage.

I then followed this track back in the direction of the farm. There was the option of a more direct route, involved climbing again and also over rough ground but I decided to stick with this track, the off road would be the last resort. 

I follow a pair of red legged partridge maybe they get fed at the farm?

As the track climbed again I wondered if it was just going back up Auchope Rig as a track to the sheep. It did at first but thankfully I followed a spur which did indeed take me back to the farm.

At the farm I chatted to two workers who were at a newly built but unfinished silo. Turned out there was a wasps nest in the girders and like Windy Gyle the wasps were very active. Their solution was to wait until the walkers cars were gone, batter the nest off the girders, jump in the waiting van and come back tomorrow. Good luck.

I was happy to be back at the car and reflect on an excellent day. Chuffed to have completed the Donalds, there has been a lot of memorable walking along the journey. Today was great, even adding an English hill to my tally, my first and last. As I looked back the clouds were a stunning threatening black, it was a good time to be off the hill.

Sadly the only pub open midweek in Jedburgh is shut for Covid cleaning, so some cold beer from the Coop is my only option to celebrate here. Don't worry I will celebrate properly tomorrow when back home.

Ascent: 770m

Distance: 22.2km

Time: 5.31

Wildlife: Roe deer; Pheasant; Stoat; Red legged partridge; Pied Wagtail; Buzzard; Raven; Meadow Pipit; Wood Pigeon