A good friday in the Pentlands

I thought I might have had to work over this weekend so I did not plan anything big - normally Easter is the first Munro grab of the year. In the event I did not need to work (although I've brought some stuff home to read) but with the big snow storm earlier in the week, the things I'd have through about climbing were probably beyond me. Even the idea of camping somewhere pretty was not a goer with the forecast of rain later in the weekend.

Anyway I was keen to do something. I got up after a decent sleep - unusual at the moment - and headed out with the idea of going up in the Ochils.

Driving past the Pentlands at Hillend they looked great, but looking over to the Ochils there didn't seem to be much snow. In fact the Pentlands looked much nicer so I decided to abandon the Ochils and to head into the Pentlands.

Great decision!



Initially I tried to park at Flotterstone, but it was heaving - half of Edinburgh were parked there, so I headed up to Castlelaw, which is always quieter. I headed along the yellow brick road to Allermuir . Sometimes I was knee deep in snow, sometimes it was crisp enough to walk on the top.

At the summit there were weird ice shapes cast from the fence.

I sat, got the stove out and made a coffee. A fella I know from years ago turned up running - he was training for some mental endurance race in the Lakes - 100 miles of running and walking. We chatted for a bit, then he turned and headed down to run into Swanston and then back to Edinburgh.

I left the summit as a couple of snowboarders were getting ready to descend back to Bonaly. I headed down then up Capelaw Hill. On the top it was fine but dropping down to the path back to Glencorse - through what is called on the map Phantom's Cleuch - I was up ot my thighs. It was tough work. I decided to intercept a group who were a little below me and let them break the trail. Once or twice I dropped through the snow to find my foot in a burn!

Then I dropped down to the reservoir, followed the road for a bit before climbing again to go past the farm and back to where I'd parked the car.

Only a few hours, only a few miles from home but absolutely superb day out.