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Ladder Hills 12th
November 06
Your correspondent, having been pressed into service by Graeme asHost for
the day, miserably failed to get a volunteer to Scribe so undertook to set
a precedent and combine the role of Host and Scribe. This in no way
qualifies me as a presidential candidate!
The bus was in good time with Sylwester the Polish driver in very helpful
form, same as last month. No interpreter with him today and none needed,
he even had Colquhonnie Hotel on his repertoire, on paper anyway.
Only two things of note on the way to the start of the walk. The loos at
the Bellabeg car park were open at that time in the morning and the bus
needed two goes at the steep hill just after Corgarff Castle.An
executive decision by the Host saw us start the walk a kilometre before
the Lecht Ski Centre, at Little Corr Riabhach, where a Land Rover track
promised an easi er
ascent to the first top, Meikle Corr Riabhach.
On decanting from the bus, the wind was noticeably cold and penetrating
although not nearly as strong as forecast. We were on our way by about
09:15.
From the start there was a light covering of snow on the ground which made
the going through the heather a little softer than normal. We soon came
across the old Banffshire/Aberdeenshire boundary fence and due to the
relatively level nature of the walk made good progress despite the soft
conditions underfoot. (As a Banffshire loon, it has to be mentioned that
we made better progress during the times we were on the Banffshire side of
the fence!)
There were some deep peat hags to negotiate however with the freezing
temperature and snow they actually provided easier walking than through
the heather. 
The walk continued, with elevenses just before the rise to Monadh an t-Sluich
Loith. At all times stops were made to allow the walk to re-group, not
through any intervention by the Host, but by the natural inclination of
people to stop and have a gas.
Carn
Mor, the highest part of the walk was made by 11:45, with fine views back
towards Ben A’an.Between
Carn Mor and Dun Muir there was a series of snow-filled peat hags
which gave an unusual photo opportunity.
After Dun Muir there
was a rapid descent via Finlate Hill to the Glen Nochty forest at the ruin
of Duffdefiance, so called as those who built it acted in defiance of the
local proprietor. The story goes that if a dwelling could be built and a
fire lit, evidenced by smoke rising from the chimney, the landowner had to
allow occupancy. And so it was that an industrious man of Strath Don made
himself a home to which he had legal title
We soon came across the Lost Gallery where a selection of sculptures was
on display outside. There were some ribald suggestions from Derek et al
about possible caption competitions for the large ?male hen sculpture.
Culture is not yet lost on the Stockets!!
After a longish walk out, past the now all-welded signposts to Lost, the
group ended up at the Colqhhonnie hotel for a well deserved beer at 4pm.
Sylwester, when asked when he had to be on the road, said ‘’no problem –
7pm is fine” Even the Stockets would find that hard to handle, so in the
interests of keeping the group reasonably sober and keeping Sylwester in a
job we left for home at 5:45 after a thoroughly enjoyable day.
Let’s hope that some of the suggestions for the Xmas party come to
fruition!
Dave Wood
This
page was last
updated on
26/01/2008
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