Alan McQ, Allan, Davie C, Dougie, Graham, Gus, Hugh, Johnny,
Kenny R, Malcolm, Paul, Robert, Rex
It was an overcast, dreich morning as wet met in Eaglesham
for our walk over Ballageich Hill, but we were one short. There was a major
snarl-up on the M77, which Robert had got caught in, so we arranged to meet him
later in the walk and set off without him. After walking for twenty minutes or
so back up the main road Robert passed us in his car, turned round and parked
further up closer to the hill. He the walked down to meet us. The road walk,
like many of our walks now, seemed to be longer than it used to be and the
climb up the hill at the end of it is definitely getting steeper, but we were
at the top, catching our breath, by about eleven o’clock.
It had stayed dry, and given the warmth, layers had been shed
by this time, so we decided to plough on and not stop for coffee here. The trek
across the top of the hill was damp underfoot, swampy in bits, and took us
another twenty-five minutes or so, but we were fortunate in that we did have
some views to take in, although it was better to keep an eye on the ground in
front of us given the terrain. Coming off the hill down towards Bennan Loch is
always very tricky, and so it proved to be, and extreme care had to be taken
until we eventually emerged on to some easier stuff near to our next hurdle,
the barbed wire fence. Fortunately, the two lower strands were plain wire which
Graham and Robert held apart to allow their fellow Ooters to pass through using
a variety of techniques, straddle, Fosbury flop, limbo, but most popular the commando
crawl. There must be a game show format here! As the last person went through
Alan and Rex, who had approached the fence further up, found a gap and walked
straight through! You win some, you lose some!
Coffee was taken at the steps that lead you down from the
loch side, and it was a welcome break. There was a brief light shower as we
finished coffee and headed up past Loch Craig reservoir and up to the farm
where we turned right on our way back towards Eaglesham. The going was
reasonably straightforward, particularly when we left the farm track and found
tarmac, and we were soon at our usual lunch spot where this road meets the one down to the golf course. Workmen were digging up part of the road prior to it
being resurfaced, so we went a wee bit further down before settling down for a
welcome rest.
The walk past the golf course (Bonnyton) and down to the cars
was the last section of the walk. We had been very lucky with the weather,
probably got the best part of the day, and most were wet from the inside out
rather than the other way round. Johnny’s feet, though, were soaking as the
soul from one of his boots had come away. Where have we seen this before?
FRT was taken in the Eglinton, which was very comfortable, if
somewhat pricey. Nonetheless, a relaxing time was had after our seven-and-a-half-mile
walk lasting three hours and forty minutes.
Johnny made reference to the Burns night in January and was
keen to get the views of those present, before it was time to leave for home
with Robert getting a lift back up the road to his car.
This had been a walk which, for some, had been a bit more demanding
than they could remember. The time in the hotel made up for everything though.
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