Clicking a picture will bring up all the posts pictures in a slideshow. To view an individual picture in full screen, right click and select 'Open link in new tab'

Sunday 2 March 2008

Wigtownshire Ramblers-Craignell-Dragon Fly Memorial-Craignell.

Its Saturday March the First 2008 and the walk today has been cut short due to adverse weather conditions.
Again we 're car sharing,and a drive up the Queensway brings us to Clatteringshaws Loch.
Up the western edge of Clatteringshaws to the walk start at Craigencallie.
Eleven intrepid walkers today.

At this point apologies for picture quality.
My camera isn't a cheap one,but is experiencing a few problems.My main problem today was allowing moisture to get into the inner lens,therefore no amount of cleaning the outer lens was going to improve quality.Also for some reason my settings had reverted to the lowest quality setting.
But on with the walk.
The weather forecast wasn't good.

Leaving behind the tarmac,climbing began in a southerly direction up through the forest.

Crossing and recrossing the drystone wall made this look like it might have been designed by the military as an obstacle course.A lot of soggy ground.At the moment the weather isn't too bad.


Looking back down the forest track this rainbow appeared.
Soon we're clear of the forest and beginning to get some nice views.




Time for a moment to take in the vista.

Our first target point is soon into view.
This was the Dragon Fly Memorial erected in the memory of the two crew and two passengers of a De Havilland DH90 which crashed on February 2nd, 1937.

More info on this can be found at
http://www.gallowaygazette.co.uk/galloway-past/Galloway-hills-claim-plane-and.1611769.jp
or
http://www.aircrashsites-scotland.co.uk/dragonfly_nx5176.htm
While at the memorial the weather began to worsen,and consideration was given to cutting short the walk at this point,but soon this squall was over and we headed on.

Darnaw peak was given a miss on this occasion and we proceeded with care around the numerous lochans up here.

The group are still mostly upbeat,but i'm finding it a bit tough.I didn't realise i'd joined a group of Gazelles.

The squalls come and go and at one point there was wet snow in with the rain.
When a clear moment comes though the views are beautiful.This must be fantastic on a warm summers day.

Sheltering from the wind a much appreciated break for lunch.

And now we're on the final push for the top of Craignell,where just below the ridge a break is taken until a really heavy spell of wind and rain passes over.

Up now to the top of Craignell,and i'm clicking away without the realisation i'm taking totally unpublishable pictures(am i peed off about that).

These are the salvageable ones,and i feel bad that i'm even uploading them.


Of course i could lie and claim i'm experimenting in soft focus and other such enhancements but i doubt that would wash.Too many knowledgeable people in this group.

Time now to retrace our steps after some jocularity from the walk leader about heading on to the next peak.

Still seeing some beautiful views when the sky clears.

Again the DragonFly Memorial comes back into view.

And pictures are posed for.
Then it's the final descent back through a slippery and slidy forest back to the vehicles.
I'll sleep well tonight.
This was a quite difficult walk for me,but very enjoyable.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Thanks for all your comments. I may not get to reply to them all, but you may be sure they'll be appreciated.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Photographs

Creative Commons License
This work is licenced under a Creative Commons Licence.

Morning deer

Morning deer
is someone watching me