Ballageich Hill 2nd September

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.