Drow 'n' Smirr

4.52 miles 1h 50m ascent 183m – failure 24/11/2022

4.24 miles 2h 2m ascent 145m -success 25/11/2022

A Monica is a hill named on the OS 1:50k map. A Mabie Monica is such a hill in Mabie. Some hills don’t have a marked summit and their upper contour lies only partly in Mabie. These have an asterix in my list. Locharthur’s highest point actually sits just outside the boundary wall. It is marked on the 1:25k map.

I set out on the 24th to go up Craigbill Hill, intending to use the old MTB track from the west side but found it completely overgrown so had a go at Locharthur Hill instead. It is mature forest and should have been an easy walk but a great many of the trees have fallen. Having gone up and down three times trying to find a way in, I eventually found my way completely blocked about 30m from the summit. All efforts to get by the trees failed and when it started to rain, heavily, I gave up.

1.67 miles 1h 22m ascent only about 80m

Second failure, in two days, to reach its summit. The first, yesterday: I had intended going from the summit of Lochbank Hill across the Craigend Hill, which is really just a second top of the same hill off to the SW. But Lochbank’s top has been felled and the the way across looked as though it would be a bit of a bind.

So, I was back to have another go at Craigend Hill.

2.37 miles 1h 14m ascent 137m

I had intended walking up Lochbank Hill then across to Craigend Hill but Lochbank had been recently felled and was a bit of a trudge, finding a way though the debris. I didn’t fancy flogging through more of that to get over to Craigend Hill.

[sgpx gpx=https://www.screel.co.uk/walks/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/RK_gpx-_2022-11-19_1157.gpx]

5.04 miles 2h 2m ascent

Hillhead Hill, Woodhead Hill

That’s the Mabie Monicas done….ish.

4.2 miles 1h 54m ascent 232m

Craigbill Hill, Auchenfad Hill

A Monica: a hill with its name on the OS 1:50k. A Wee Monica is named on the 1:25k, but not the 1:50K. Not every hill has a marked spot height, so I have chosen to include any hills whose highest contour is in the area bounded by the Forestry boundary. There are six Mabie Monicas, but two of those have their summits just outside the boundary, but within a biscuit-toss. Of the four Wee Monicas, one has a top outside the boundary. I’m not sure if it a biscuit-toss away, but a pebble-toss, yes.

4.8 miles 2h 12m ascent 273m

I would be an exaggeration to say Marthrown Hill has been a thorn in my side but it has been a bit of a prickle. Walking around it these last few weeks brought that price to the fore. It had foiled my attempts to uncover its etymology and nine years ago, with a spaniel and a border terrier I failed to reach its lowly top. The terrain, particularly some new fell, was too much for us.

I decided that this time I would have to do it without the dogs. Christy might manage but I doubted Mabel could. I had several possible routes in mind but remained undecided. Since I had two dogs with me (though not the same two as nine years ago), this was just going to be a recce. I would see which direction looked most appealing.