Ice walls on Innerdownie Hill

Tuesday 12 March

There was no reason to suppose the blue would disappear, but it did, and it felt Arctic on the tops.

The brittle ice formations on the wall had us snapping away.

There are more of these photographs here if anyone is interested.  Us? Out into snowy hills again - with the promise with sun all day long.

February in brief

February was a fabulous month and, what's more, I was at last able to enjoy being on the hills pretty well pain-free.

My knee improved in leaps and bounds and, although it was obvious that I wasn't quite ready for actual 'leaping and bounding', SatMap showed average speeds no slower than usual and distances covered were much the same too.

Every day from about the 16th we forayed out from favoured starting points, inevitably arriving on or passing near the same summits - Innerdownie, Tarmangie, Whitewisp, Cairn Morris, Skythorn, Andrew Gannel, Ben Cleuch; the same friendly cairns, the same views of snowy hills pulling the eye northwards.  We hardly saw another soul on week-days and only at weekends, on the more popular western hills such as Ben Cleuch, were figures spotted in any numbers; twos and threes, so hardly the Lake District.
 

Some years ago Lynne managed to track down Angus Watson's 1995 book "The Ochils, Placenames, History, Tradition". Long out of print, a local library searched their store room, found a reference copy and generously sent it to her. By the author's own admission the book has no high scholarly aims (for that consult W J Watson, as the author did) but it does achieve its stated objective of providing lots of basic, interesting information. He is an example:

Ben Cleuch GR 902006

Earlier: 1769 'Bencleugh', 1783 'Benclach', 1790 'Ben-Cloch', 1845 Benclough', 1845 'Benclach', 1860 'Bencleuch', 1869 'Bencloich', 1954 'Ben Clach'.

Derivation: There is a lively disgreement about the derivation of the name of this hill, the highest in the Ochils. The seemingly obvious derivation, Scots 'Cleuch', gorge, ravine, in placenames late 12th century on, could be taken as referring to the steep descent towards the Daiglen Burn on the hill's South West slopes. However, the word order and the presence of 'Ben', a loanword from Gaelic 'Beinn', hill, mountain, does not appear to have been productive in Scots. The later 18th century forms quoted indicate Gaelic 'Clach', genitive 'Cloiche', stone, rock, as the origin, with 'Cleuch' as a perhaps longstanding reinterpretation. The hill does in fact have a stony top unlike many Ochil summits. 

The South West slopes of Ben Cleuch and the 'steep descent to the Daiglen Burn'. Taken from The Law on the day (2 March) the good weather finally deserted us.

Yours truly, aged 9, on the summit. Is that a compass?

For those who love these hills the number of wind farm planning applications, all yet to be determined by local councils, is a depressing thought: no less than ten proposed developments, including extensions, at October 2012. Add the application for quarrying at Glenquey and the devastation soon to be wrought on  the western Ochils by the Beauly to Denny pylons, and it is easy to see why the future of these small hills looks grim.

If Wind Prospect Developments Ltd get their way, it will be turbines reflected in these waters of Lower Glendevon Reservoir, because this is the skyline along which they will march; gone forever will be '....the dreamy dwam, if you like, proper to the wooing of the hills.' (Scroggie). Visual intrusion? Visual impact? Spoiled views? For me, the loss goes much, much deeper.

Burnfoot Windfarm from Frandy Hill - where seven additional turbines will be sited if approved.

Wind Prospect's Sarah Dooley said (in 2012): ''During the construction of Burnfoot Hill we established there was potentially scope for additional turbines in and around the area. There are other developers doing other things and there will get to a point where the Ochils reach saturation but that point hasn't been reached yet.'' (My italics). So, when the Ochils are saturated no more applications will be made; only when the heart has been ripped out of these hills will applications stop. The usual bribe - £54,000 per year for a variety of local projects - has been made.

We descended to an idyllic spot for tea and sandwiches

then lingered among the Scots Pines.






We've had some heavy snow over the weekend and with the return of glorious weather, we are off to play in the white stuff.

Snow and sun

In the exceptional February weather we've been out on the local hills almost every day keeping my knee mobile or, if you prefer, applying the Martin Banfield suggestion of  'kill or cure'. Much catching up to be done after my month's absence from blogging, but not today. It's yet another stunner, so we're off out.

A snowy stroll - Saturday 26 January

The snow never stopped yesterday. Literally. The birds constantly made it clear that they needed fed. A 3-4 hour power cut rounded off the evening.

Our regular

There was respite today so we took ourselves out across local tracks stopping for a pleasant half hour's chat with a local man who, having spent over thirty years with the Forestry Commission, was now a volunteer warden and speaker with the Woodland Trust. The Trust owns an important area of the Glen Devon side of the Ochils, thus protecting it from the march of wind turbines. We really ought to be members.

The wall has vanished

The Ochils would have been skiable for most of their 28 miles

Sunday was a different world. One of wind, rain and rawness, the dirty piles of  snow, cleared from driveways with so much effort only the previous day, now slowly thawing. A depressing sight.  I know snow creates problems for those who work and have to travel but I'll take it over the miserable, dull, dark days.

Still, the thaw allowed me to get the top-box off the 'van - but horror!  I'd  forgotten to take the Golite Quests out and mine is now covered in mould.

Strong winds caused another power cut last night and I wouldn't be at all surprised if another follows today.

Knee problems and looking back

Lynne on Carn a' Mhaim

After months of thinking my knee injury was improving and after some seriously painful physiotherapy (which continues) I’ve now been referred to an orthopaedic surgeon. That will take about eight weeks. Since my previous post I've limited myself to easy local walks and spent some time, which would otherwise have been more enjoyably spent in the lovely snowy hills, scanning a few more slides.

Happy days on a backpacking trip in the Cairngorms in May 1980 taking in Carn a’ Mhaim, Ben MacDui, Beinn Mheadhoin and Beinn a’ Chaorainn.

An idyllic spot to camp at Loch Etchachan but alas it was too early in the day.

Lynne and Morag at our evening camp

The tent is a Saunders Basecamp which had two lovely big porches providing ample storage for wet gear in bad weather.  Not that we had much gear back then and didn’t seem to be any less comfortable than now with all the modern stuff we use. The tent saw one more trip to A’Mhaighdean and Ruadh Stac Mor before being lent to my idiot boss who burnt a hole in it with a cigarette. It was only two years old.

In April 1983 we had a terrific ski tour in superb spring snow during a week of still, alpine-like weather but I can't locate all the slides of this trip. I expect they are in carousels used by Lynne who, on a voluntary basis in the 1980s, gave talks to schools about the Scottish hills, climbing history, Munros and so on.  The kids loved it.

Ascending Lurchers on our way to the plateau

 The rucksack is a Karrimor Jaguar weighing 1kg which is about 300g lighter, roomier and far more comfortable than my GoLite Quest. It is still in excellent condition which I doubt the GoLite will be after three or four years, let alone after thirty years! Clothing? An old M&S jersey, an old shirt and Rohan Superstrider breeches. Certainly we carried down jackets but, looking again at these slides, I’m more convinced than ever that for the most part, and with some notable exceptions, we just don’t need all this new stuff that’s being thrust at us. Not everyone will agree of course!

Up on the plateau where, shortly after this photograph was taken, we met Swiss ski-tourers who fed us some Swiss (naturally) chocolate and simply raved about the scenery. We sunbathed above Loch Avon and all was right with the world.

Tomorrow I may try a day in the Ochils before Friday's physiotherapy - the popliteus muscle needs some attention. Oh, and I'm building a Lancaster Bomber (model that is!) and as soon as the snow disappears from its roof, I'll need to get the top-box off the motorvan before it goes for a service. And I need to get round the blogs to find out what you've all been up to.

Birthday, but first....

14 December 2012

Now, I've seen a lot of dead sheep in my time, and rescued almost as many, but never before have I come across a carcass like this. It looks as if this poor soul tumbled down the slope, landed on its back, died and was then stripped, piranha-like, by hungry creatures. The freezing weather of the past week would have made this a welcome feast.

3rd January - Birthday

Today was Lynne's birthday and obviously had to be celebrated on a hill, so off we went to Innerdownie and Whitewisp Hill. About half way along the ridge to Innerdownie we came across five elderly walkers reclining and sheltering by the wall, enjoying a break on their descent to Glen Devon. They were a cheery bunch and during exchanges of  'Happy New Year', it transpired that their cheeriness was, at least in part, explained by the fact that their beverages were being fortified at regular intervals with Highland Park! They kindly offered us a dram but since we were on the way up, we said we'd settle for the angels' share.

 This photograph from Innerdownie was the only photograph taken all day.

It was rather different scene a few years back.

After a brief stop we found the shelter and dug out the tea and sandwiches. The sun intermittently attempted an appearance but never looked likely to win the battle with the clouds rolling in from the west so, donning more clothing to combat the ever-increasing wind, we sauntered off to Whitewisp.

Hamish Brown describes the section between the two hills as 'interminable' but I've never found this to be so. In fact the tramp across Bentie Knowe is rather fine I think, but in fairness to HB he did made the comment during a 22 mile day on a west to east traverse of the Ochils.

Good ski-touring from Innerdownie to Whitewisp, left

Conditions like this soon please.

It is now three years since I started this blog but unfortunately I find that only a fraction of outings have been recorded from January 2010 so I really must do better, even if some posts are kept brief.

Happy New Year

New Year greetings from the bonnie Ochils from both of us. It's snowier than it looks!

Sent from my BlackBerry®

Merry Christmas

A Merry Christmas to you all, best wishes for 2013 and thanks for your company throughout the year.

Two short winter days

(1) - Tuesday 11 December

Everywhere being solid ice, Kahtoolas were needed straight from the car but we made quick progress along the drove road before beginning our ascent of this lovely unnamed prominence west of, and overlooking, Glen Eagles. Off with the microspikes then through the tussocky grass, avoiding the ice in the hollows between, picking up sheep trods, stopping to view distant Ben Chonzie (Ben-y-Hone), aiming for the highest sunlit snow patch.

Distant Ben y Hone above Crieff from the drove road

It's all familiar ground, and being creatures of habit we sat in our usual lofty spot drinking Lapsang Souchong enjoying what warmth the sun could muster before climbing the last few feet to the cairnless top.  Time being short, the heathery expanse westwards to Wether Hill was not for us today so we dropped down to St Mungo's Farm and the drove road - a useful route for ancient drovers who wanted to avoid paying at Gleneagles Toll.

As a result of walking the Ochils drove roads, A R B Haldane of Cloan House near Auchterarder became interested in "this droving traffic, the routes by which it reached the Lowlands, its ultimate destination and the methods of the men whose work it was". His excellent 'The Drove Roads of Scotland' makes fascinating reading.

The car could have done with its own set of crampons

Just a  simple, satisfying few hours in the 'verdant Downs the Ochil Hills', a few miles from home. What more could you ask?

Massey Ferguson - for Alan R

How about restoring this Alan?

Perkins Diesel Engine