My trip got off to a stuttering start I was unable to get past a herd of cattle in the road at Blindburn. I back-tracked to the mouth of Rowhope Burn, parked up and made for the hills. My initial objective of The Kip was not out of reach. I was making my route up as I walked with only a couple of hours of usable light!
starting out
junction-ford at Trows
I had started late in the day to avoid the tail end of a rainy front. My first impressions were of how void of people the area is. I didn't meet a single car on my drive in nor did I see another soul bar one farmer on his quad. Even on a bad weather day, people pop up in every corner of the lakes, but not here.
Precisely as I started on the path up towards Windy Gyle the rain started coming in and I decided instead to stay in the valley. I thought if I headed up towards the second Murder Cleugh there might be a half decent camping spot. Maybe I'm weird but the idea of spending a night at Murder Cleugh appealed to me.
the Windy Gyle path I didn't take
The rain continued and I busied myself with getting to my proposed camp spot. I didn't stop for photos. I passed the first Murder Cleugh and it was a lovely bit of natural woodland, not suitable for camping though as it's not open access land. The rain dissipated but on entering the dense forestry commission woods near Uswayford and passing the 'no camping' sign I was instantly put at ill ease by the utter gloom of the densely packed managed forest. The night was coming in an hour and this place was terrifying enough in the day. There wasn't anywhere to camp.
I abandoned the idea of stopping at second Murder Cleugh and at a bend on the track cut my way up pathless out of the woods and onto the path leading up to the border ridge. Frustratingly I could have reached the same point with half a kilometre's less walking. I batted on up to the ridge as fast as I could.
I mustn't have been thinking straight as I decided I would collect water from Randy's Gap, way up along and on the other side of The Border Ridge despite having passed within 50 metres of a burn in the woods which may have been suitable.
This section of the Border ridge has a stone-built path running through heater and peat bogs. There were a few forboding and stagnant puddles and pools but I would rather find running water. Sadly on reaching the first bit of blue on the OS map I was in a grough with marshy ground but no running water. I had to lose about 70m vertical height to find a suitable bit of running water. The ghyll felt very 'animal-y' (there was deer crap everywhere). I was glad to have my Sawyer filter!
running water
I made my way back up to the border fence and back-tracked to the gate where the ancient Clennell Street crosses the border. I had seen an ideal flat spot of grass there and this was the nearest to a comfortable campsite as I could find given I was otherwise surrounded by heather and bog! I had clocked several other potential spots on the path up to the border ridge should this one have failed me.
the road sign heralded my arrival at my accommodation
I pitched up in the dark. In some respects, I think this is a good approach for winter wild-camping as it reduces the tent-time a bit. As long as it's not foggy. Night-walking and attempting to navigate in dense fog is my idea of hell!
I spent the evening listening to music and relaxing. I went to bed about nine and slept comfortably. I think a larger tent is a good idea for winter, whilst I love the Zepheros 1, like many one-man tents of this style, head-room is limited.
slight touch of frost in the morning
I had misinterpreted the forecast change in wind direction and wound up with the wind blowing straight in the door come the morning. I could happily have just stayed cosied up in the sleeping bag...
sunrise
standing on the Scottish side
Scotland
I ate breakfast, drank coffee and chatted to a passer-by before getting underway on up to Windy Gyle.
looking back along the border ridge. The Cheviot is on the left of the horizon
the path up toward Windy Gyle
looking South-South-East from Windy Gyle summit
Looking to The Cheviot from Windy Gyle summit
Windy Gyle trig
I gained Windy Gyle quickly and with ease - I only had 83m to climb. A few lads coming from the other direction topped out simultaneously as I did, and one said my pack looked heavy.
I stood and briefly took the views in from Windy Gyle before heading on to Foul Step to meet The Street which would lead me to the car. It was a lovely hike down, I saw several other people out (the weather was excellent by all accounts) but not the sort of charabanc-loads one might find in the Lakes or around the Three Peaks. The sense of isolation is incredible, one feels surrounded by nothing!
the middle of nowhere
looking back along The Street
this hill was dotted with cattle
Heading down from Hindsied Knowle
my car now in view
To conclude I was most impressed by The Cheviots, this was a true excursion into the back of beyond, beautiful rolling hills and nothing else for miles in every direction. I'll be back in due course.
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