Thursday

The Dog Rambler E-diary

top 03
October 2011
Walk

A circle of Capelaw Hill and a wet finish

Length

6ish miles

Dogs on walk

Finlay, Gustave, Jerry, Lucas, Ozzy, Tim

An inauspicious start to the walk as my hand held GPS turned itself off as soon as I turned on. It took me three attempts before it dawned on me that I must have left it switched on yesterday. I had only changed the batteries in the afternoon so the only explanation really was they were flat. As the other pair were recharging at home I was going to have to rely on my knowledge of the Pentland Hills and timing myself against the clock on my phone. Hence the ish in the distance above. Ozzy was as boisterous as he ever is these days. Jumping out the car barking at all the others, pretending to be in charge. His confidence levels are so much higher than they were when he first started coming out. Growing in confidence too is Finlay. After a shaky start when he was not keen to leave the house because his owner was at home, and he appears to like everyone to stay together, he nearly jumped into the car himself despite Gustave, Lucas and Tim thrusting their noses in his direction. A great improvement from his first day when I had to carry him the car. From a quite busy Bonaly car park we turned left through the gate to head around the

base of White Hill. A knoll compared to the main Pentland Hills hidden away behind it. Still a steep enough climb over its shoulder as we made for the boggy high moorland. Finlay as is his way now strode on ahead. Gustave was never far from me. But Jerry, Lucas, Ozzy and Tim bowled about the hillside having a right old stramash together. As Finlay waited by the stile onto the moor Jerry arrived and just jumped over it. Before I was able to pull up the dog gate an impatient Finlay managed to scrabble through it. The others waited for the gap to widen, except for Gustave who was by now standing at the wrong bit of the fence. Finally all through we were able to proceed across the warm autumn colours of the moor. It was not far before the dogs threw themselves into a gloopy bog, sucking at their legs and enchanting them to lie down and wallow. Some well placed calls by me broke the spell and I was surprised that they were not too dirty. That would change just by walking over the rain sodden muddy paths ahead. Ahead too was the long rounded mound of Capelaw Hill, the sun sitting not far above its summit like royalty holding a golden orb. Dark and brooding in the suns shadow as if carrying the weight of the world. Its heather covered lower slopes were soon carrying the racing feet of dogs with Jerry, Lucas, Ozzy and Tim caught up in another melee. Sheep high on the hill watching us and quickly moving as we began to climb. We stayed below them seeking to round the hill on a faint path I knew was there but had never used before. We found it but lost it to a sheep track and then really finding it realising it had always been a sheep track that we were on before. It rounded the hill giving us swooping views down into the centre of the ring of hills, the sparkling diamond of the reservoir like a glistening pearl in the dark jaws of an oyster. Reaching the far side of the hill we now climbed back toward its summit. The dogs joining me, taking their time on the slight slog. Small dark shapes on the skyline marked other walkers traversing the hill. Our paths eventually crossing with hellos from me and wags of tails from the dogs. They did not linger with the long flat top too much of a temptation for another chase. This led us to the far end of the hill before we dropped to travel back around the far side we had just climbed. Now the glen below plunged into the distance, the high saw tooth ridge of other hills marking a sharp boundary. A group of immovable sheep put the dogs willpower to the test. They passed with flying colours under the steady, beady, watchful eye of the sheep from their slightly greater height.

It was back around the side we had first come around but on a lower path this time and toward my cunning plan to clean up the grubby dogs. A dip in Bonaly Reservoir. I had already collected a few sticks to throw. Spotted by Jerry and Ozzy I was surrounded by two barking dogs. From the chill of the calm water Finlay too was now barking. Trying to throw the sticks with dogs everywhere was a challenge. As was getting them all in deep enough for a good bath. All but Gustave made a good attempt, even Lucas who does not show too much interest in getting into deeper water usually. With my plan having just about worked we stayed on the gravel track back down the hills and through the Scots Pine wood to the car park. Nick

Photo slideshow from the walk

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