The 2010 Challenge: There At Last!

I had intended to use this post to add the picture of me at the Scurdie Ness cairn from my mobile phone ... but I managed to lose the phone, and the photograph with it, before I worked out how to do that!!

The 2010 Challenge, day 14: Brechin to Scurdie Ness

John said his vision was fine the next morning, and he was sure he'd be OK on his own. So after breakfast we each went our separate ways.

I walked out of town on the main road towards Montrose, then turned down to Balbirnie Mill and crossed the river by the footbridge there. Again, it is a shame my camera was dead, as this was another beautiful place.

Once on the South side of the river, I followed the back roads of the Kinnaird Estate past the estate office at Scotston and through Haughs of Kinnaird. At Barnhead I caught up with another Challenger, a lady whose name I cannot now remember, but who was heading for her second finish off five starts. I reflected upon the extent of the ill fortune which that entailed, and my own good fortune in that I was looking good for my fifth finish off the same number of starts.

We passed Old Montrose and at Maryton we turned left onto the A934. We stopped for a coffee and ice cream at the Montrose Basin wildlife centre (where they kindly admitted us without charge, as we were only after refreshments; but they nonetheless allowed us to wander round and see all the things that people usually have to pay to see) and then we set off again on the final leg of our Challenge.

We walked through Ferryden in short sleeves; but as we walked out along the cliff path to the lighthouse at Scurdie Ness, the sky clouded over and the wind began to blow. My companion put on her fleece ... and then her waterproofs. I didn't, as I wished to finish in short sleeves.

We were perhaps half a kilometre from the finish when the first spots of rain began to fall. But still I was resolute. I was GOING to finish in short sleeves.

There were several other Challengers at the Challenge cairn when we arrived there. All were in full waterproofs. I strode up to the cairn, had somebody photograph me using my mobile phone, then hurriedly dropped my pack and found my waterproofs. And not a moment too soon, either. No sooner had I put them on than the rain came down again with a vengeance; and we turned and trudged our way into Montrose through the rain.

When I work out how to get that photo off my phone and into my computer, I'll add it to this blog. But please don't blame me for the fact that there's a finger across the lens. I didn't take the picture ...

The 2010 Challenge, day 13: Cortachy to Brechin

We discussed routes, John and I. He was going to Brechin. I had planned to go to Friockheim, and to camp by the river. But there was a camp site at Brechin and I wanted to see John safe, so I modified my plan.

We walked by road to Prosen Bridge and then through Inverquharity, then down over Forest Muir and past Over Bow to the bridge over the A90.

As we did so, and gazed back the way we had come at the hills we had left behind, I took this picture. And then my battery gave out ... so I would not be able to record the last couple of days of road walking.

Which is a shame, because it was not actually all road walking, and some of it was really rather beautiful.

We took the back roads through Carseburn, then turned left to West Carsebank, and left again passing under the power lines and up Hill of Finavon in what felt decidedly like the wrong direction. We encountered a little difficulty at the end of the track, where the junction with the path from Parkford is a little enigmatic, and we had to resort to a certain amount of fence and ditch-hopping. But we got through, and followed the path over the crest of the hill before stopping in a little stand of trees to sit and enjoy our lunch. The views back to the Angus glens were quite beautiful, and it is a pity that I had no more battery power in my camera.

While we took our lunch another Challenger chanced by, and he walked with us a little way before our paths diverged.

John and I followed the path and track along the foot of Hill of Finavon to Bogardo - which is a really enchanting way to go. Beyond Bogardo, however, things got a little more difficult. The clear path marked on the Landranger Map is not so clear on the ground; and without knowing which field boundaries it was supposed to follow, we soon found that the track we were following was NOT the path shown on the map. We resorted to following field margins in the correct general direction and then pointed at the buildings which could only be Woodrae, and made our way through in the end. But it would certainly have been helpful to have had the 1 : 25000 map on this occasion.

Beyond Woodrae we took the road through Balgarrock to Netherton. Again, this is a really beautiful little back road, and the stretch through the woods is especially lovely.

At Netherton we joined the main road - the B9134 - which would take us to Brechin. A light rain had started to fall and we had put our coats on. We debated waterproof trousers. Decided they might be a good idea. Went to put them on (and I to change from sandals to boots) ... and the heavens opened! In the time it took me to get my full waterproofs on, it went from being questionable whether they were really needed, to a solid wall of water falling through the sky. And through this, we walked the remaining distance to Brechin, taking the back road through Burghill then turning left to enter the town on the A933.

We arrived at Brechin a little after five and headed straight for the Bridge End bar and a pint. Then we debated what to do. Neither of us fancied going onto the camp site to pitch in this weather. And even if the rain lifted, the ground would be waterlogged and camping a whole load of no fun. I seriously considered just putting my head down and yomping to Montrose. I cold be there by 8; and were it not for my concerns about John, I might well have done so.

While we were still debating our options, the barman came to our rescue. He telephoned around and found us a couple of rooms for the night at the Caledonian Hotel. He drove John out to a working cash machine to enable him to draw funds to pay for his room and to reimburse me for the room at Cortachy House, and then he drove us both up to our hotel - which was once a proud railway hotel, but was now looking about as run down as the rest of Brechin. Not that we cared, of course. What mattered for us was that we had hard shelter for the night.

I hung up all my wet kit in the little en suite shower room to dry, then I went down to the bar for a meal and a pint. Sitting in the bar of that little hotel in Brechin, I finally began to feel that the 2010 Challenge was finally drawing to a close.

The 2010 Challenge, day 12: Mayar Burn to Cortachy (9)

At least coming this way meant I got to see the monument to Scott (of Antarctic fame); and to walk the road between Tulloch Hill and Mile Hill. This really is a particularly beautiful road which everyone ought to walk at least once in their life - preferably, as I did, on a bright afternoon in May.

And then I was in Dykehead, and at the Royal Jubilee Arms. The new new owners (who replaced the old new owners ... ) were working hard to get it reopened, but so far only the bar was functioning. Still, a functioning bar is a functioning bar - so I went in for a drink.

While I was there, another Challenger named John came in. John had a problem. Well, rather more than one problem, actually. He had been up in the hills when he started to suffer problems with his vision - so he had taken the sensible (if regrettable) decision to come out of the hills and into terrain where good vision was not essential to the safety of a solo walker. He was looking for accommodation, and was disappointed to find that the Royal Jubilee Arms was not able to provide it, as he knew of nowhere else round here. And he (along with many other Challengers) had been unable to draw any money from the cash machine at Braemar, as it had run out of banknotes, leaving him embarrassed for funds.

I thought I could probably solve all these problems for him!

I told John about Cortachy House, where I was heading, and suggested that he come with me and see whether they could make an extra room available. If they could, I said I'd happily settle his bill (as I knew that the supply parcel which was waiting for me there contained, amongst other things, £100 in cash) and John could then settle up with me in Montrose, where there was bound to be a working cash machine. And finally, I said that if John's vision continued to give him trouble, I would stick with him for the last two days of the Challenge to make sure he made it safely to Montrose.

And so it was that the two of us, having finished our drinks, waved goodbye to the Royal Jubilee Arms and made our way to the wonderfully welcoming Cortachy House (where, I am glad to say, they had not the slightest difficulty in rustling up an extra room and an extra place for dinner!)

The 2010 Challenge, day 12: Mayar Burn to Cortachy (8)

Cairn of Barns is another hill with an impressive summit cairn. But by the time I reached it, I was out of water and this spelled trouble!

I decided to continue on the ridge for as long as I could; but beyond Coremachy it becomes a vast expanse of heather, and the ridge is marked by a fence line which is difficult to follow in places due to vegetation and the re-emergence of heather's invariable partner: peat!

At Drumwhern I decided enough was enough, and turned right onto the Minister's Path. This clearly defined, grassy track took me gently down Glen Tairie and into Glenprosen Village; where I drank my fill and refilled my water bottles from the Burn of Inchmill, waved goodbye to the hills, and started the long road walk to Dykehead and Cortachy.

The 2010 Challenge, day 12: Mayar Burn to Cortachy (7)

I could now see down Glen Clova - and what a sight it presented! On a lovely clear day, with the cloud base high, this ridge really is one of the most sublime places I have ever been. And what a spectacular way to come out of the mountains - for, once I came off the ridge, that would be it for this crossing. I'd then be into the Angus agricultural belt, and walking on roads for the rest of the Challenge. So I was keen to make the most of what remained to me; but water was to be my downfall, because there was another stiff ascent now facing me in the shape of Cairn of Barns.

The 2010 Challenge, day 12: Mayar Burn to Cortachy (6)

As I continued along the ridge, I saw some movement ahead. Never mind the stag I had missed earlier: this time, a whole herd of deer was running across the ridge ahead of me.

Moving quickly, I deployed my camera in time to get a picture of these ones. A pleasing result indeed!

The 2010 Challenge, day 12: Mayar Burn to Cortachy (5)

After Dreish comes Hill of Strone - a rather unimpressive summit cairn being all the reward one gets for a really rather challenging ascent.

That ascent was to prove to be a problem - for this ridge was proving a tougher proposition than I had imagined when planning the route, and rather than spending a while drinking as much of the Mayar Burn as I could manage before breaking camp, I had been so eager to get going that I had simply filled my water bottles and set off.

Which meant I had only one litre of water to last me the whole length of the ridge - for there are no opportunities to refill water bottles along the way - and it was rapidly becoming clear that this would be insufficient. As I left Hill of Strone and began the long, lingering descent to Cairn Inks, I was already down to about a quarter of a litre. Not good.

The 2010 Challenge, day 12: Mayar Burn to Cortachy (4)

The advantage of having a walking companion for Dreish is, of course, that I got to have my photograph taken at the summit cairn!

This was my one and only opportunity, though, as my companion was out to get Munros, and that meant he was turning back the way we'd come (as there were no more Munros in the direction I was heading). So I thanked him for the photograph and bade him goodbye, then continued along the ridge.

As I descended the East shoulder of Dreish, I was amazed to see in the far distance a horse being cantered across the ridge line from right to left, and marvelled at the qualities of the rider who would dare ride so hard in terrain such as this. Then the animal stopped dead and turned and stared at me - and I realised in an instant that it wasn't a horse at all, but a stag; and what I had taken for a rider were its antlers.

The new camera had a really rather impressive zoom facility, so I quickly reached for the pouch and pulled it out, hoping to get a photograph. But as I did so, the deer resumed running, and I was unable to deploy the camera and pull it into focus before it was lost from my sight. Such a shame, I thought. A picture such as that would really have been the crowning glory for my first photographic crossing!

The 2010 Challenge, day 12: Mayar Burn to Cortachy (3)

Following the ridge I soon found myself looking at Little Dreish, with Dreish beyond it. The cliffs were impressive, to say the least! Up on the ridge, though, it was easy walking.

As I began the reascent, I was joined by a walker (not a Challenger) who had come up the Kilbo Path from my left, and reported that it was a well-graded and therefore easy ascent from the valley below.

I took his word for it - but still thought it better to have started the day at 820 metres!

The 2010 Challenge, day 12: Mayar Burn to Cortachy (2)

The plan was to walk the entire length of the ridge to the Airlie Memorial Tower - which meant descending to the Kilbo Path and then climbing Dreish.

As I came off Mayar, the views which opened up off to my left of upper Glen Clova were truly spectacular. Here we are looking out from above the Corrie Sharroch with Craig Mellon and Capel Mounth to the left of the woods, and Mount Keen in the far distance beyond the woods, with the Capel Burn pointing straight towards it. These landmarks should be sufficient to enable anyone who is sufficiently interested (and sufficiently sad!!) to plot a linear resection back on the map and get a more or less exact fix on the location from which this photo was taken!

The 2010 Challenge, day 12: Mayar Burn to Cortachy (1)

Having camped so high, I was able to make an early start on the hills. Breakfast, break camp, and straight up Mayar. Here is the summit cairn, and the camera data says I took this picture at 9.36 - not bad for the first Munro of the day!

The 2010 Challenge, day 11: Spittal of Glenshee to Mayar Burn (8)

At the North East corner of the 900 metre ring contour that is the top of Finalty Hill, the map shows a little building.

When I booked my accommodation at the Royal Jubilee Hotel in Dykehead (when it was still open!!) the gentleman who took my booking assured me that he was familiar with these hills, and that that building was intact and provided a viable emergency shelter - so my route card said that, in the event of bad weather, I would overnight in this building. It is as well, therefore, that the weather was not too bad - for as this photograph shows, it takes something rather more extreme than a seasoned optimist to describe this pile of rubble as a viable overnight shelter!!

Having concluded that not all local intelligence is accurate, I continued on my way, in accordance with my "good weather plan" - which was to continue to Dun Hillocks and then head South East, and find a camping spot near the headwaters of the Mayar Burn, at or about Grid Reference NO 234739.

There is in fact a good Landrover track which runs South East from Dun Hillocks along the crest of the spur; however, choosing the right moment to head off East across the blasted peat bog that lies between Dun Hillocks and Mayar is far from the easiest of navigational tasks even in fair weather (and I'm just thankful I wasn't doing this when the cloud was down). I fancy I turned off a little earlier than I ought; but with clear visibility, the major landmarks were pretty obvious ("Is this a Munro I see before me?") and so I quickly found my way to the headwaters of the Mayar Burn.

I had hoped that, once I dropped down to the stream, I would find a good sheltered camping spot which was out of the wind. I nearly managed it. I found a more or less level pitch in a sheltered location - which meant that there was less wind. But I was not out of the wind altogether.

The gale howled all night long, and I woke up many times. Partly because I needed a pee - but it was so cold that I didn't fancy leaving the comfort of my down sleeping bag, struggling into my clothes and venturing out into that vicious, biting wind.

As a measure of just how cold it was that night, camped up at 820 metres with the wind whipping around my tent, I woke up next morning to find my fly sheet completely iced over. BUT my gear had kept me warm and dry. And I wouldn't have missed that wild camp for anything!!

The 2010 Challenge, day 11: Spittal of Glenshee to Mayar Burn (7)

From Spying Hillock, the path continues ascending steadily until eventually it levels out as the top of Finalty Hill is reached.

Finalty Hill isn't really all that much of a hill; but it has a little summit cairn all of its own; not to mention one of the most spectacular backdrops I can recall. Away in the distance, you are looking towards the top of Jock's Road and the various pimply litle Munros that surround it - which, of course, I "bagged" with such glee in passing on my first ever Challenge in 2000!

The 2010 Challenge, day 11: Spittal of Glenshee to Mayar Burn (6)

The path up Spying Hillock is a stiff ascent, and there was a vicious wind getting up which had me in all my foul weather gear. But oh! The views! The cliffs above upper Glen Isla - Monega Hill to the left, and Druim Mor in the middle background - fair took my breath away!

The 2010 Challenge, day 11: Spittal of Glenshee to Mayar Burn (5)

At Dalvanie, I turned left up Glen Isla, whilst my companions turned away to the right. This is a wonderful, remote glen and I revelled in the solitude. I crossed the river at Fergus and followed the path past Craigmekie to Dalhally, where I stopped and ate my lunch by the Glencally Burn. Then I continued to the footbridge which would take me back to the West side of the River Isla, at Grid Reference NO 193704.

Here is a photo of that bridge.

I looked at it ... and I walked up to it and looked at it again ... and I even climbed the little flight of steps which take you up to the start of the bridge proper to get a really good look at the bridge decking. And then I came down again, because NO WAY was I going to attempt to cross that bridge!!

So I stayed on the West side of the River Isla, and followed it upstream for the two kilometres to the bridge by Tulchan Lodge. The going was not too bad at all, and I am not sure I should have been that much quicker on the track, had I managed to cross that bridge.

At Tulchan Lodge I drank my fill of fresh water from the River Isla, and refilled my water bottles before starting the ascent of Spying Hillock and Finalty Hill.

The 2010 Challenge, day 11: Spittal of Glenshee to Mayar Burn (4)

The path gives out when you reach the Loch, but it is easy enough to make your way along the shore; and at the far end I was rewarded with a beautiful beach where I stopped and did a spot of sunbathing.

When I'd had as much chilling in the sun as I could take, I was just preparing to continue when two more Challengers chanced along. They, like me, planned to cross into Glen Beanie and descend to Dalvanie; although we were planning to turn in opposite directions when we reached the road. However, we walked together for the short distance that our routes coincided.

The 2010 Challenge, day 11: Spittal of Glenshee to Mayar Burn (3)

Safely over the bridge, the way to Loch Beanie is not hard to find, and this is the view of the loch which greeted me.

The 2010 Challenge, day 11: Spittal of Glenshee to Mayar Burn (2)

The next bridge I came to, across the Allt Mor, was decidedly more dodgy! The stream was certainly fordable, so I studied this bridge long and hard before deciding that it was probably OK, and so I crossed it.

It stood up to it ... but I wonder how much longer this bridge will remain viable!!

The 2010 Challenge, day 11: Spittal of Glenshee to the Mayar Burn (1)

This was a day of mixed bridges - the good, the bad, and the downright diabolical.

To begin with I walked back through Spittal, crossing the Shee Water on the good, substantial old road bridge, and then took the track to Westerton of Runavey - encountering (and crossing) this fine bridge along the way.

I'm not entirely sure what happened to the route-finding at Westerton of Runavey, as I was supposed to follow the track heading West ... but the track I found myself on gradually petered out, leaving me to struggle across some difficult tussocks and knolls until I found myself at Invereddrie - where the farmer kindly pointed me the way to go to get to Loch Beanie without becoming trapped by his deer fence.