Hallin Fell

21 October 2012

Participants - Just me
Where - Hallin Fell, 388m/1,273', Sub-2k Marilyn, Map 90, NY 433198

Today's MBA meetings finished just after 2pm which meant that I unexpectedly had a few hours daylight to have another walk before heading up the road. Langwathby is only a few miles east of the Lake District and I had noted a small walk that I could reach with only about 20 miles driving. It was of course another sub-2k Marilyn! Hallin Fell sits on the east side of Ullswater and is reached by a narrow road from Pooley Bridge to Martindale. Ideal, although I was concerned that it being a Sunday and a glorious autumn day that the whole world and his family would be out and I would be unable to find a place to park. Anyway it was worth taking a chance. This is a view of the hill across Ullswater which I took later in the afternoon.....

There was a car park just past the highest point of the road at the church and other parking was available on the verges. Amazingly, I found a space, the last one. This is obviously a popular wee hill, easy of access and a superb viewpoint. Grassy paths led from the car park directly to the summit; it only took about 20 minutes to climb. This is from part way up, looking south down Howe Grain towards High Raise and High Street.....

My trip had coincided with the time of year when the autumn colours were at their best. This hill is recognisable from miles around by the large stone cairn, marked on the map as an obelisk, on its summit.....

It sits immediately above the Lake; this is looking north towards Pooley Bridge and Penrith.....

this is across the Lake to Gowbarrow Fell with the top of Blencathra beyond.....

this is across the Lake to Little Mell Fell, another sub-2k in the area.....

and this is looking south towards the Helvellyn group of hills.....

The sun was warm and I sat around for a while. I really like the Lake District, it is just a pity that it is so crowded and that the roads are so narrow. I would hate to visit in the height of summer!
I dragged myself away eventually, drove back to Pooley Bridge and then down Ullswater as far as Patterdale  before reluctantly heading back to the motorway and home. It had been a real bonus walk.

Dufton Pike

19 October 2012

Participants - Just me
Where - Dufton Pike, 481m/1,578', Sub-2k Marilyn, Map 91, NY 699266

It was the weekend of The Mountain Bothies Association AGM which this year was being held in the village of Langwathby in the north Pennines. The weather forecast was reasonable so I set off a day early with the intention of doing some walking. I hadn't walked anything in the Pennines so I was spoiled for choice. When I got to Penrith, the cloud was still down on the higher tops so I decided on Dufton Pike, a sub-2k which was part of but to the west of the main Pennine chain. It also had the advantage of being a distinctive hill rather than part of a great plateau which I suspected would be rather wet after the summer that we had just endured. I parked in the village car park in Dufton, a typical north of England village with a village green and picture postcard houses. Dufton Pike rose steeply behind the houses.....

There were choices as to routes but I decided on the most direct approach. I turned right when leaving the car park and followed the road round by a farmhouse where there was a sign indicating "Pennine Way to Garrigill and public bridleway to High Scald Fell". I took this and found myself in a narrow lane bounded by stone walls with the hill rising ahead.....

This gave way to a hill track which apparently once served to connect the village with lead mining activity in the hills ahead. High Scald Fell was ahead.....

I think that Scotland has got the best deal as far as access to hill land is concerned. The position in England with some land being strictly private and some being open access land and some being open access but with restrictions seems confusing to me. I even came across signs which told me that dogs were banned in certain areas at certain times of the year. The Scottish position of responsible access is much more straightforward and to my mind sensible. You could only access Dufton Pike at certain designated points apparently.....

 I duly found the gate which gave access to a direct ascent of Dufton Pike, climbing the steep slope on a trail of short grass. The summit was a remarkably small area, and there was no trig or cairn. This is looking north into the Pennines, to Great Dun Fell which is part of the ridge leading to Cross Fell, the highest hill in the range.....

I still had loads of time so I descended the north-west ridge and picked up another public footpath which ran along the foot of the north side of the hill to rejoin the track that I had started out on, Rather than head straight back to Dufton, I decided to walk up the valley- Rundale I think that it was called- as far as what looked like an old limestone kiln that I had spotted from the summit.....

This is a view back to Dufton Pike from the head of the valley.....

It is always good to go to a new area. I love the distinctive stone buildings and walls and the old fashioned villages in this part of England and this short walk has certainly encouraged me to go back and explore other parts of the Pennines.

Meall Odhar

9 October 2012.

Participants - Just me; Ben had to miss out because there were a lot of sheep about, deer on the hill and a deer fence that I wouldn't have been able to get him over.

Where - Meall Odhar, 656m/ 2,152', Graham, Map 50, NN 298298

I decided on the approach from the south, using the track to Cononish farm, and therefore parked at Dalrigh. The main reason was that this looked a much more open route than that from Tyndrum via the old mines with the other hills in view all of the way. It was a fabulous early autumn day with the colours starting to come out on the trees.....

My objective soon came into view, it is the hill on the right in this picture, the Corbett, Beinn Chuirn is the other hill.....

I couldn't let the opportunity pass to take the classic picture of Ben Lui and its central gully.....

The area between the track and the hill was heavily forested but I knew that there were fire breaks that I could use and that one in particular was a recognised route. To reach it, I went through an old gate and crossed the more westerly of two rough fields, following 4x4 tracks where I could and heading for the top left hand corner of the field....

Sure enough, this led to a wide break in the trees with the makings of a path up it.....

Beyond the trees, it was just a case of climbing the steeper slopes of the hill towards the east ridge. I disturbed a small herd of deer at one point and every so often there was the roar of a stag from one of the hillsides round about.....

This is looking east towards Ben More, Stobinian and Cruach Ardrain from higher up.....

The cairn was surprisingly big for a lower hill (the shoulder of Beinn Chuirn is behind with the Cruachan hills distant).....

There was hardly any wind and it was really pleasant wandering around looking at the views and taking pictures. This is looking to Ben Lui.....

and this is to Beinn Dorain and the Auch Corbetts.....

The only downside was a constant humming noise from the gold mine at the foot of Beinn Chuirn. I presume that it was the sound of drilling. But apart from that, it was the perfect day to be out and the walk back to the car was lovely.....

Burgiehill

7 October 2012

Participants - Neil and Ben
Where - Burgiehill, 254m/832', Sub-2k Marilyn, Map 27, NJ 097559

It was heading home day, and I had found another woodland walk cum Sub-2k Marilyn that was not too far out of my way. And, unlike Mount Eagle, the track on this one went all the way to the trig!

I drove to Forres and took the B9010 road to Rafford; at least I thought that that was what I was on but the signposting in this neck of the woods was a bit sparse. Burgiehill, being low lying, doesn't look much like a hill but eventually I saw the telecommunication masts above a forest and knew that I was at least in the right general area. It didn't help that the start of the route was on one map and the route itself on another but I eventually found the entrance to the forestry track on the east side of the hill; it was on the opposite side of the road to two other tracks that headed east into another part of the forest. The walk itself through the forest was pleasant and the various tracks were as marked on the map.....

As with Mount Eagle two days before, the amount of ascent was negligible and after about a mile, I came to a cleared area containing the masts.....

The trig was immediately behind some buildings.....

and at least the cleared area allowed me a view to the south (to Ben Rinnes I think).....

Although there is not much of a view from the top of Burgiehill, a fabulous viewpoint has been created on the access road to the north (marked on the map). It provided a great view across the outer Moray Firth to the hills of east Sutherland and Caithness, an area that I have yet to visit.....

I then continued on my journey south, across Dava Moor to Carrbridge to rejoin the A9.

Cnoc Ceislein and the Fyrish Monument

6 October 2012

Participants - Neil and Ben
Where - Cnoc Ceislein, 523m/1,716', Sub-2k Marilyn, Map 21, NH 589706

Cnoc Ceislein was the main objective of the weekend; it looked a good hill with the Fyrish Monument an added attraction. I had seen many pictures of this structure but had never visited it. This is a view of my objective from the other side of the Cromarty bridge.....

The starting point was a small car park off a side road off the Evanton- Struie road.....

The track wound up through the forest at a fairly gentle angle. Emerging from the trees, there was a good view to Invergordon and down the Cromarty Firth towards the North Sea.....

I reached the monument in about an hour, just as some high cloud came over!  So I only took the one picture.....

However, on the way back, the sun was shining brightly again and I took a few more pictures using part of the monument as foreground.....

It was built in 1782 on the orders of Sir Hector Munro of Novar and represents the Gate of Negapatam, a port in Madras in India which Sir Hector took for the British in 1781. It is an amazing structure and well worth visiting even if you don't extend the walk to Cnoc Ceislein. Needless to say, I was adding on the sub-2k, this is looking to it from Cnoc Fyrish.....

The track lost a bit of height, went through another bit of forest and turned north to cross the shoulder of the Marilyn. Getting closer.....

The autumn colours were starting to show and there was a good view to another sub-2k Marilyn to the north, Beinn Tharsuinn.....

I left the main track at its highest point where I found a faint path through the heather leading to the top. Blow me if a shower didn't come in just as I got there. It was also quite windy and cold. Here are Ben, the trig, the Novar wind farm, Ben Wyvis and to the right of it the Corbett Meall Mor which I've still to do, together with rainbow.....

There were a flock of Golden Plover near the top, first time I've seen them this year. However, I didn't linger for long as I hadn't brought a thick jacket; just took a zoomed shot of Ben Wyvis and the wind farm before heading back the way I had come.....

The sunshine returned on the way back although it remained on the cool side. It had been an excellent walk and one that I would do again, c.8 miles taking 4 hours.

Deep in the forest.....Mount Eagle

5 October 2012.

Participants - Neil and Ben
Where - Mount Eagle, 256m/841', Sub-2k Marilyn, Map 26, NH 649590

I was driving up to Inverness for a few days; usually I stop somewhere on the way to let Ben have a walk. On this occasion, however, I decided to carry on for a few miles beyond Inverness and climb Mount Eagle, which is the highest point on the Black Isle and a Marilyn as well.  95% of the "climb" is a gentle forest walk with an ascent of only around 50m; just right after a lengthy drive. I hadn't been here before but the start was easy to find, being at the foot of the Black Isle transmitter mast.....

There was a small car park at the opposite side of the road and the tracks were good and obviously well used by walkers, cyclists and horse riders. The radio transmitter, originally built to establish a commercial TV service in the area, came into operation in 1961. It rises to a height of 800' and, although in the middle of a forest, can be seen from many miles away.

The trees were fairly well spaced out and it was a nice walk.....

I was aiming for some more masts and buildings deep in the forest and followed the tracks to them.....

 I knew from the map that the trig was about a hundred yards north of the buildings and the pictures that I had seen of it showed that the summit area had been cleared. However, it had also been replanted and the new trees were now starting to get big. To complicate things still further, the gorse bushes at this time of year were quite high. This is what we were faced with (spot Ben looking as well).....

With a bit of a struggle, I headed in the direction that the trig should be, with no great hope of finding it. But...ah! there it is, just visible and no more.....

The few yards around the trig were a bit clearer.....

and if I stood on tip toe there was also the semblance of a view, north to Ben Wyvis....
.

At the trig, I noticed that there was a faint path leading back in the direction of the buildings so of course I took it. For anyone else doing this hill it starts at the north east corner of the buildings. However, the trees are growing in around it and it might not be there in a few years time, when getting to the trig could be a major undertaking. So the moral of the story is if you are going to climb Mount Eagle, then do it soon! And find the path from the buildings to the trig, maybe if enough people use it it will be passable for a while yet.