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Sunday 1 July 2012

Wigtownshire Ramblers Rowantree/Haggis Hill Circular June 2012

It's Saturday the last day of June 2012.I'm heading out for a tough walk with the group in South Ayrshire.
We're a group of eleven intrepid walkers who meet up at the Bell Memorial Car Park.

We move the cars on half a mile down the Balloch road to park underneath Rowantree Hill which will be our first objective.
Today's leader is Slew with the 'Teacher' as back up. They had better weather for the recce.
                                             Knowing how unfit I am, I'm not sure how I'll get on.


Ready for the climb, it's quite cloudy but dry at the moment.


It's straight into climbing from here. Wish I'd bought those Andrea Boldrini Apache climbing shoes now.


Looking north.
Most of the distant views are in haze or mist, so I'll be enhancing them with my Picasa software.


Looking south from Rowantree Hill.
That's Loch Moan below. A favourite Osprey nesting site.


Heading west we're approaching Craigenreoch Hill.
My fellow bloggers Alex and Bob's Blue Sky Scotland climbed up here back in 2010.
The weather wasn't good that day either.


Here at the trig point atop Craigenreoch our leader points out far off places of interest.


I've zoomed in to get this picture of Ailsa Craig.


From Craigenreoch it's an undulating and quite boggy track that takes us over Polmaddie Hill to Pinbreck Hill.
We get a view of the distillery down by Girvan.
The clouds are closing in.


Here's one of our favourite hills, Knockdolian.
The rain fairly tipples down as a heavy shower passes over.


Now from Pinbreck a change of direction takes us up and over Changue to Haggis Hill.


I zoom in again towards Girvan.


The windy Balloch Burn looks a picture from the slopes of Haggis Hill.


It's a steep descent. Some walkers zigzag down, others take the direct route.
I zoom in back uphill to take a couple of snaps of  those on their backsides.
I'll save them any embarrassment by not publishing said pictures.  


After a quite dodgy crossing of the Balloch Burn we settle down to a lunch break.


Our leader and deputy admire the flora and fauna.


Time for a group photo. I too get in a group shot, it's over on Slew's pages


After lunch we follow the Balloch Burn for a while before taking to the slopes of Glengap Hill.
Walking on a slope like this is tough going. 
I suggest to the walk leader I take the shortest route to the road when we reach the Corrn Roy, the burn that flows down the 'Nick of the Balloch'.


The parting of the ways. At the Corrn Roy, our leader gives us the choice of  climbing up to Witches Bridge, or following him south up the burn.
Six of us head up to the bridge to walk the road back to the cars, suffice it to say that those who went with the leader chose the more gradual route home. 
You live and learn !
It's been pouring down with another very heavy shower as we get into the cars. Shorty's boot was swimming with water back at Newton Stewart.
Despite getting wet it was a great walk.

12 comments:

  1. Thanks for your company yesterday and an excellent blog. The photo of Ailsa Craig is amazing you certainly have mastered your new camera very quickly.See you next week hopefully.

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  2. The Ailsa Craig photo is almost magic. The descents look really steep!

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  3. You look like you have a band of fun people to hike with! I envy you! I wish I was there with you, hiking around, then enjoying a nice cup of hot tea!

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  4. PS Should have made mention of the flora and fauna snap.Perhaps we helped to fertilise some of them

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  5. Cheers Gordon, I haven't been this unfit for years, but at least I got round. Glad you decided against going over Glengap Hill, I reckon that would have finished me. I'm sure the flora and fauna will flourish now.
    Hi Maria, I'm still one of the few of our group who haven't been on Ailsa. I'll get there sometime, It's supposed to be a great experience.
    Sorry Lisa, I still can't afford to have you flown over in a private jet, but I'm working on it. I just bought two lotto tickets.

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  6. The camera seems like a dream Jim, great pictorial of a super walk (as always) so pleased that you managed well, had a great time. Oh super humour by the way too!
    :)

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  7. Jim, now this looks like you folks had a hike & a half, beautiful hills & valleys I must say! I could get lost on these paths for long time with full enjoyment!

    Sorry I have not been around much, I have been busy as usual!

    Cheers. : )

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  8. Ailsa Craig seems so mysterious and magical. Great pics!

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  9. I love the camera Rose, I hope you get as much pleasure out of your new model.

    Would have been better if the rain had stayed away Michael, we need a summer here in Scotland.

    Thanks Aguilar, I must pay a visit soon. I hear there's a boat going out tomorrow, but I'll give it a miss, there's heavy rain forecast.

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  10. That's a cracking picture of the Ailsa Craig - you haven't half made it look imposing

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  11. ace blog. superb photo's. gotta echo the praise for the ailsa craig one. wonderful!

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  12. I remember that parking layby Jim,That,s about it.Nice to see it free of mist.Great shot of Ailsa.I Remember my day on Ailsa far better,same as climbing Knockdollian then the Stinchar valley tour to the pond and gardens.

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

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