Hill: Garelet Hill (680m); Lairds Cleugh Rig (684m); Eire Hill (690m)
(A narrow pass)
Type: New Donald;
Donald Top; Donald
It had been about 5
weeks since I climbed a hill and I knew that if I did not start
hillwalking soon it would be easy to lose the motivation. Not that I
had been inactive, I was actually feeling at my fittest for some time
but through other exercise. So, the one thing to get me going was to
get planning and that was to draw up a winter programme. Targets I
have a love/hate relationship but they work for me, sad that way.
Suitably motivated I
headed off to my first winter plan objective. It was a beautiful blue
sky day but the forecast was for strong and cold northerly winds. Not
quite winter but certainly not shorts weather.
It was a return to
the beautiful Manor Hills in the Games Hope valley.
 |
| It was as cold as it looked |
I drove alongside
Fruid Reservoirs looking at the frothy white waves being driven by
the wind funnelling up the corridor of the reservoir lying between
the hills. The car temperature showed 6 degrees but when I stepped
out it was a wow, this is cold, moment. Motivation tester but I had
driven a fair bit so was not giving up yet. I had thrown 3 jackets in
the car and it was time for heavy duty gear to be donned including
hat and gloves, was this for real?
I had decided to
tick off a couple of Donald extras but this meant repeating the
Donald of Eire Hill before ticking off its outliers.
 |
| Steepness of gradient can be seen at the start |
 |
| Bracken dying off but adds colour |
I had conveniently
put the steep ascent which begins right from the start to the back of
my mind but it did not take long for it to become forefront. Fit I
might have felt but that was not hill fitness and I was soon puffing
and blowing, much to the delight of the watching sheep on the flanks
above me.
The ATV track lasted
for a while before I was ‘enjoying’ the struggles through the
tussocky terrain that only the South of Scotland provides for
entertainment, remember this a hobby to be enjoyed I muttered.
 |
| Tussocks but Eire hill can be seen |
 |
| Bit boggy, Erie Hill follow the dyke |
I was glad to reach
the treeline and the easier going where I followed the found again
ATV track to the top of Eire Hill. Again I had forgotten how long
this section was, probably not really too long but it felt like it. |
| Ridge I want off to the left |
The views were
superb but the wind was as predicted, strong and cold, so the jacket
hood was now up as well, what a wimp but at least nobody else could
see me. |
| Lairds to the fore, Garelet just seen behind |
Rather than descend
to the deer fence I did a bit of cross country before joining the
track to Lairds Cleugh Rig, there was a bit of a descent but not much
of an ascent is this really a separate top? |
| Unmarked top of Lairds Cleugh Rig |
Nothing to mark this
top but I could now see the main target of Garelet Hill which even
with my dodgy eyesight I could see had a trig on top. As I ascended I
came across the only other person I saw on the hills. A young hill
runner came shooting down the slope towards me, no chance he was
stopping for a chat. A brief ‘morning’ as he sped past.
Once again a gentle
descent took me to the deer fence. I had a slight concern about
whether I would need to scale it but fortune was in my favour and a
gate was found.
 |
| Culter Fell in distance from Garelet Hill |
 |
| View to Broad Law |
A short saunter up
the hill and the trig was reached. The views were really good with
two caveats, deforestation and wind turbines. Keep looking north and
east over Broad Law, Meggat reservoir etc, but forget the south west
vista. I omitted the turbines snap. |
| Looking down to Talla Linfoots |
Returned the same
way watching heavy rain showers going north to south over to the west
but none came my way. |
| Descending towards tussocks and Fruid reservoir |
Apart from the
tussocky ground it was a straightforward return with time to enjoy the very attractive borders landscape. |
| The Donald of Cape Law behind the farm |
An enjoyable straightforward ramble completed quicker than the route planner indicated so pleased with that. Great views but the
winter gear clearly required from now on.
Ascent: 553m
Distance: 8.4km
Time: 3.02
Wildlife: Meadow
Pipit; Raven; Sparrowhawk; Kestrel
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