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Glen Esk to Glen Clova – Sunday 11^th  November 2007

by David Laing

Another stagecoach populated with more than twenty members departed at 7am on a crisp November day. Sylvester, the driver of choice, got us calmly to Glen Esk without direction or prompting from one G Stalker. The air temperature was slightly lower at Loch Lee, and Steve calmly reassured us that the wind would be at our backs. The clouds darkened and snow started to perforate the warmest of fleeces.

Despite the wintry conditions the pace was only halted for two minutes of Remembrance, and Dave Cook's stunt man fall near a stream. After sightings of mountain hares and deer we eventually heathered it up the Corbett, Ben Tirren.

Despite the wind-chill freezing a water bottle or two lunch was gobbled before the final ascent and welcome descent to the Glen Clova Hotel where a number of folks had conflabs about the Elie Chain Walk, the strength of the local real ale and the gentrification of the Climbers Bar. Did we mention the Christmas party?

Any worries that a very cold and wet Saturday would put folk off turning up on Sunday morning were set aside as 21 people took their seats on the bus – the Stockets are obviously made of stern stuff.

After a pleasantly short drive compared to October’s Ben Vrackie outing, we set off from Glen Esk before 9am in dry conditions. Walk leader Steve set a brisk pace to warm us up on a very chilly morning, with Jim and Liz as backmarkers. We followed the track around Loch Lee past the Falls of Unich, then paused at 10:30 for elevenses. This, naturally, coincided with the start of a hail storm. A lucky few found shelter in a cleft in the rocks, but for most it was a quick frozen-fingered sandwich and cuppa before getting moving again to keep warm.

Thankfully, the weather cleared by the time we reached the Falls of Damff. There is something about waterfalls that brings out the photographer in us, with the rain-swollen rivers making the photo opportunities all the more attractive. From a point past the falls we also enjoyed the snowy view back down the Glen.

At 11:00, we paused in silence to mark Armistice Day.

We crossed the river and set out for Muckle Cairn, making heavy going through deep heather as we left the track behind. “Have you thought of a fancy dress?” was an often heard question as we walked! We saw a number of other parties out on the hills, most coming up from Glen Clova, along with some deer and hares. We continued to The Goet, with a strong cold wind now accompanying the sporadic snow showers. This delayed lunch, and it was only en route to White Hill that we found some sparse shelter to have a quick break.

On the home run now, and with the scent of real ale in the Clova Hotel in our nostrils, the descent via the Green Hill was a brief affair, pausing only to admire Loch Wharral and Loch Brandy. The sun came out, the temperature rose, and the wind dropped, making for a pleasant last leg of our journey. Finishing in daylight makes it worth the 7am start.

By 4pm we were enjoying the heat from the Clova’s wood burning stove, and had ample time for refreshment before heading back to Aberdeen.

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