Despite the earliness of the year,
eight of us made the long drive into darkest Lanarkshire for an ascent of Tinto
Hill. And, for a while as we drove through, it looked as though we would be
rewarded for our efforts by having a fine clear day with extensive views. The
Ayrshire morning had dawned brightly with a glorious sunrise that raised our
spirits and set our expectations high. And they remained high as we drove
through towards Biggar though the promising sky was now becoming less so with
high cloud obscuring the sun. When we got glimpses of Tinto from the road, it
was alternately coated in mist or bathed in week sunshine. Yet our expectations
were high and we motored on.
The ‘official’ Tinto Hill car park
was busy for a Wednesday in January and we expected the hill to be similarly
busy but we would just take that in our stride. Busy or not, the hill was
waiting for us and we set off into a coolish breeze. The path was as mucky as
would be expected given the year we have just had and slips and slides were the
order of the day. But, as the path steepened on the flank of the hill itself,
it dried and the going was much easier. Well, easier for some for there were
one or two who found the climb hard after the excesses of the festive season.
So it was no surprise that coffee was called not long after we started on the
steeper section. We found a wee spot sheltered from the freshening and chilling
breeze where we could have coffee.
Despite the sunshine, the views were
somewhat restricted by an atmospheric haze but from where we sat we could look
up and down the Clyde valley from Biggar to Lanark. The remains of Quothquan
Law hill fort stood out clear and distinct over the valley but anything beyond
was obscured by the haze.
After coffee we continued the ascent
with Robert and particularly Andy finding the going tough. Their mood wasn’t
helped when we climbed into the blanket of cloud covering the summit and all
views disappeared. But they made the summit the same as the rest of us, and
were glad to have done so. Now lunch was called and we sat just to the east of
the huge, bouldery cairn that marks the summit to have a bite of peece.
Then, wonder of wonders, the fog
began to break up giving us tantalising views through gaps. And the sun came
out. For fully five seconds we sat in bright January sun admiring the limited
views given us. Then the fog closed in and the world disappeared again. It was
to stay that way for a good while.
Leaving the summit cairn after
lunch, we took a wee path beside the fence running almost due west for
Lochyloch Hill for to come back down the way we had come would have given us a
short walk, too short for some of us today. This path dropped us down out of
the summit for and into the sunshine again. Now we could see where we were
heading – at least some of us could see where we were heading for those at the
rear were doubtful. Still the path did drop us down the hill. Down beside a
plantation of the ubiquitous sitka spruce, down towards an old track that Jimmy
had a vague notion of from thirty years or so ago. (Another vague notion of a track
from Jimmy? You know what happened the last time. – Ed) Still the leading trio
ploughed on downwards and still we followed wondering where on earth we were
going.
We needn’t have worried for the path
– eventually despite Jimmy’s shortcut – brought us to the old track. Now we turned
roughly northward through the farm of Howgate. We found tarmac here and
followed it onto the minor road from Carmichael toward the Tinto car park. This
was a longer stretch of tarmac than any of us had thought - at least 5 Km – and,
given the effort before, there were a
few tired legs dragged back to the cars that day. But we all made it and
enjoyed it. And the cloud was still down on the top of Tinto.
Rex’s
distance proved that this was the longest walk of the year – not surprising really
since it is only our second.
Distance
13.1Km
FRT
was taken in The Black Bull in Darvel where, it was pleasing to note, our Early
Ooters calendar was hanging on the wall.
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