The Rooftop of Galloway (Merrick Summit)by BigMikeK and Galloway Rover (GC1M6TZ)with Dotscot (our buddy Maryann, who at this time was a newbie to geocaching). Earthcaches give me special excitement, I don't know why, could just be that little world icon that it has! The Merrick at 843m is the highest mountain in southern Scotland, a Corbett not a Munro but well worth the hike for breathtaking views across Galloway and beyond. The added bonus for me -
Grey Man of Merrick Earthcache by Haggis Hunter (GCPRGM)Early to bed for us ... looking forward to the day ahead. Is that the phone ringing? Indeed it was. Carol was on the other end, turns out that Jack had taken really poorly and they were all up at the hospital, could we look after Rosie. Nae problem!
Poor Rosie, I'm sure if she even had the slightest idea of the next 24 hours ahead she would have traded appendix with Jack at that moment. At the first light of dawn Rosie got kitted up in all of Holly's DofE gear... now if only she'd thought that one out, no gear - no hiking up mountains, but bless her honest innocence! The day was bright as we headed down the Newton Stewart road, the twistiest road in the world and the cause of my mother's family packing up and moving from Barrhill to Ayr years before...yes, everyone who knows me, travel sickness, it would appear, is hereditary! Anyway it's a worse road on the way back which is why I refuse to drive it as it's the only road I've encountered so far that can make me sick as a driver.
Glentrool is a lovely place that I have memories of visiting as a child. As you hit the upper car park we discover our first cache of the day and by far the easiest!
Bruce's Stone (Glentrool) by BigMikeK & Galloway Rover (GC1HMMD)
A rummage around and then.......
As we were taking in The Grey Man en-route we took the circular walk
http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/maps/map1_26dg.shtml
Just up from Bruce's Stone we came across this quite literally 'striking' tree, struck by lightning 20 years ago. There is no cache here.... but there should be! Perhaps a 'Mrs.Biffo's WaWaHut....After the Party'?
The weather was fine and we were really looking forward to the walk.....well not so sure about Rosie, but it was still really early in the day and I think she was still in shock from the early start. We made sure we had lots of rests along the way.
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| Maryann - The pub Ian? I think it's that way! |
Looking back at Buchan Hill we had found our mountain goat legs by this point. The walk to this point had surprisingly took our breath away. Hannah the Geodog however ran about 4 Merricks this day!
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| Buchan Hill |
After a few hours we found him...The Grey Man of Merrick.
The Grey Man of Merrick is in fact what is known in Geological terms as a mimetolith. A mimetolith is a natural topographic feature, rock outcrop, rock specimen, mineral specimen, or loose stone the shape of which resembles something else, in this case the face of a man.
We thought he was really cool! He is still my favourite Earthcache.
Here is Rosie perched precariously on the narrow ledge under the Grey Man's. I'm sure she thought the day was at an end at this point! Eh no........not yet eeeeeekkkkkkkkkk
Maryann aka Dotscot
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| Mr.Biff and the Grey Man of Merrick |
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| Awesome views! |
Looking back over the Galloway Hills. Loch Enoch is to the left of the picture. It was round about this point that we overshot Redstone Rig .......not good. As we struggled up the Merrick from not far off the north face I started to worry big time about the fact that I was responsible for the care and well being of Rosie and I was sure this didn't include being airlifted off The Merrick. Rosie was an absolute star, not once did she complain. There is always the possibility that she was silently plotting to push me off the hill and the first opportune moment ...who would have known Rosie? Just a little push ...I'm sure I deserved it for taking you up there! Hannah had a 'Lassie' experience as she kept putting her head under my hand to help me up the hill, awwwww Hannah how sweet.....if only you'd been a St.Bernard or even a team of Huskies...but I was grateful...honest!
It truly did seem like an eternity to get up this last, exceptionally steep hike to the summit "Mountain goats, Maryann... just remember we're mountain goats" As the ground beneath us started to flatten out we knew we'd made it. This feeling of accomplishment when reaching the summit of a mountain is incredible and (like having children) worth all the pain.
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| Rosie, Me (with Hannah in front) & Maryann at the summit of The Merrick |
This is one cache I didn't even attempt to find! I was so exhausted I couldn't have cared less where the tupperware was Dotscot and Mr.Biff come up trumps with a very quick find. It was as we were walking along Neive of the Spit that Carol phoned to ask how Rosie was and let us know that poor Jack had had his appendix removed ........ so a similar recovery time to Rosie's calf muscles. It's a bizarre thing taking a phone call that high up on a mountain, kind of surreal but credit to the Orange network!!!!!!
All down hill on the way home, thank God! The downside of this was screaming knees for me - pain, pain, pain! We passed the bothy which now has a cache at it thanks to Rose & Thistle
So we'll have to go back another day and pick this cache up too.
It was a brilliant day out, a special day with Rosie, one of which I don't think she'll ever forget but I'm sure she has forgiven me for it. At least she knows DofE will be a skoosh now! Childcare Biffo style was never going to be conventional but at least it was educational!
As we think about climbing Ben Nevis this weekend (16/04/2011) to raise money for Erskine Hospital
( http://www.justgiving.com/Lynn-IanGriffiths ) I will keep in mind that feeling of accomplishment when I 'hit the wall' on the way up!
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| Probably my most favourite picture of Ian and I. |
Amazing pictures and great views. childcare hills area I like the all the pictures.
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