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| An Englishman, A Scots Woman, An Irish Woman & An Australian Mr.Biff, Mrs.Biffo, Donna & Steven |
Answer:
High Isles - Arran
It has been an eternity since I have written this blog, geocached or walked any further than to my car door. Sad I know, I've even taken up knitting, now what is that all about?!!! I haven't even knitted anything of any consequence. Slugs, I knit slugs. All kinds of slugs even Christmas slugs and other special holidays..........
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| Happy St.Patrick's Day! |
I haven't even got round to knitting myself a hat. Although I did knit a geocaching one for Mr.Biff that was so small that the only person it fit was.....well, when I say person.......
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| Drummer in his GeoBeanie |
So it's time to turn our lives around and get back to the good stuff in life.
You know the stuff:
Wading through swamps,
Fighting through bush and briar risking scratches at least ..... tetanus at worst,
Driving up single track roads only to meet the farmer from hell in his 4x4 racing towards you,
Cows..... meeting cows.... EVERYWHERE and then trying to get Mr.Biff to breathe into a paper bag after the trauma,
Picking 'sticky willie' off the dogs FOR DAYS afterwards,
Picking ticks off the dogs......oh, oh, oh mind while I heave!
Sore feet,
Sore legs,
Sore loser (we all know who I'm talking about),
Ultimately seeking the tupperware, ammo can, plastic snail, impossible nano or any other strange container that we yearn to add our name to and tick off our virtual geo wishlist.
We'd planned to climb The Cobbler with our bud Dotscot in Feb but the weather got the better of us. It's still on the wishlist for 2012. The sudden plan to climb Goatfell came unexpectedly. In my last job I worked with Donna, now Donna is a very grounded person who has always smiled indulgently at my little treks around the country after my husband on his geo-jaunts. I suspect that she take up chess or brain surgery before she'd ever consider the wonderful hobby that is geocaching. In fact she has NEVER, EVER shown the slightest inclination to climb anything other than stairs, and why should she? Why should she indeed...... apart from the fact that she has a very nice, enthusiastic boyfriend called Steven. I suspect Steve has the energy of a pack of Dingoes on steak night. Steve has bought Donna lovely shiny Berghaus walking boots, well they're not for doing the hoovering in ....... I rest my case.
So it was Donna who brought up the idea of Goatfell and we decided to join them. It was decided that the 7am ferry was too early on a Saturday to contemplate so we opted for the next one at 9:45 from Ardrossan to Brodick. The ferry takes 55mins and goes really quickly. Bacon and sausage butties all round except for Steve who's healthy Australian upbringing made him recoil in horror at the thought of all the cholesterol clinging to his arteries. I kinda figure that all that extra fat can be burnt off hiking up a mountain, that and the scotch eggs, melton mobray pork pies, crisps, chocolate chip cookies and other essential mountain cuisine.
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| Goatfell from the beach |
We hoofed it over the beach and along the fisherman's path. The weather is warm and the going is good. Goatfell rises out of the treetops in the distance through the haze of the warm spring morning. We appear to be sharing the jaunt with many other rucksack clad bods, these same bods we pass and are subsequently passed by them the whole way up the mountain. I feel justified in calling Goatfell a mountain, my legs would feel betrayed if I called it a hill, it is a very fine Corbett at 874 metres (2866 ft).
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| The heat of the day makes the view below very hazy |
We take a nice steady pace, it's a very warm day and we hydrate regularly. Donna is finding the walk a bit more challenging than her practice walk from Prestwick to Troon the previous week..... Eek! Do I tell her that we have a LONG way to go? Do I hell!
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| Mrs.Biffo and walking companions on the ascent |
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| Is it a smile? Is it a grimace? |
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| The stream under the bridge is always good for a splash and cool down |
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| Half way there and nobody wants their picture taken |
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| Mr.Biffo with the peak in the distance |
The hike is a really enjoyable one, the terrain changes enough to keep the view and surrounds interesting. We had a very hazy day but we still had fairly good visibility of the island, just nothing beyond. We stopped for a quick refuel (scotch egg) and viewed the peak in the distance thinking "the end is in sight.....yet it appears to be teaming with ants......those can't be people can they?" The road is still a long one. Goatfell is not to be underestimated it is no gentle stroll and picnic.
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| Still smiling up a well trodden path |
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| The craggy peak in the distance |
I have to say I am missing the geohounds. We felt that they had the potential to spoil the ferry trip for people.... namely us. Hannah has a thing about men, they make her nervous and she tends to extend her little doggy neck and bay like the hound of the Baskerville. It's worse when people try to make her like them she just howls more. As for Drummer well he is at that 'teenage' doggy age where they feel that they must spray the world with their wonderful aroma "Lynx for Rough Collies" or just dog piss to you or I. He lifts his leg anywhere and I could just imagine him on the ferry like some hedonistic pup on a doggy 18-30 cruise as lots of ladies (doggies) would be travelling and have travelled before him leaving their "Impulse for Drummer" scent everywhere, bless him but he'd probably flood the ferry. Needless to say we left the dogs at home. Wonder what they get up to when we're not there?
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| Hannah & Drummer Duvet Day |
About two and a half hours in we reach the path that joins the Corrie route and you finally get a glimpse of the mountains beyond Goatfell.
Donna was struggling her way upwards but I knew her legs were screaming, as were mine! My butt had been stuck to the sofa for the past 5 months.
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| The views are worth the screaming calf muscles |
As we start the final rocky ascent poor Donna is looking under pressure. Ian offers around the cookies, cookies always help.
I remark that the way she is feeling reminds me of a movie.
"Now what is it called? I can't remember."
"Cliffhanger?" Steve suggests, "Vertical Limit? Descent?"
"No I was thinking about 'Run Fat Boy Run' when he hits the brick wall"
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| That final push! |
"One last push" I say and Donna reminds me that I have been saying this for most of the way up. I hill walk like a cheerleader on acid, the adrenaline makes me incredibly motivated and I feel the need to share my enthusiasm and inspire everyone to keep going. I fear I just annoy the hell out of everyone and the drive they subsequently have is to get to the top so they can push me off it :)
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| I promise it's just up there! |
After a bit of scrambling between the huge outcrops of rock we reach the summit.
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| Donna & Steve on the summit of Goatfell, Arran.......smiling! |
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| Us Biffs. Got the trig now where's the cache? |
