Monks Rig to the Kips

Yesterday, Friday, the rains started mid-afternoon. Tomorrow, Sunday, the remnants of Hurricane Bertha are due to bring severe weather. Today, the forecast is good, and luckily I have a few hours free early afternoon. Three years ago the family set off on a Sunday afternoon walk from Nine Mile Burn, up along the Monks Rig into the hills. I think I have not been here since then, which is a shame because its a super little route, so here I go ...

The short drive from Edinburgh along the A702 to Nine Mile Burn has been a bit less than enchanting, the weather is definitely not living up to the forecast, and there have been a couple of heavy showers. Oh well, fingers crossed, and parked by the pretty row of cottages the effort begins with a kissing gate ... gates and stiles are going to be features of the run today.

Parked outside the pretty cottages at Nine Mile Burn ...

... it starts through the kissing gate.

The target summits look so far away at the moment, but the soft grassy terrain is a pleasure to run over. This is farming land, walls and fences, and stiles, lots of stiles. I hope you enjoy photographs of stiles, you can find a small selection below. Anyway, what's this name "Monks Rig" all about? Well it seems this was long ago an important route through the Pentland Hills used by monks, known as the Monks Road. There's a small site of historical interest along the way, and I'll be there soon. To my right is a small bump called Scroggy Hill, and ahead the climb is not steep but feels unrelenting as I ascend toward Cap Law.

The target hills for today seem so far away ...

... but you don't get much better terrain than I have here.

Too many stiles ..

... endless stiles ...

Scroggy Hill, ha-ha, funny name?!

The route ahead up to Cap Law.

I reach the small site of historical interest, the font stone, which apparently was the base for a cross (those monks, you see). There is a bit of a tradition of dropping coins in the hollow, but today I forgot to bring a penny with me. Then some young walkers take a photograph. The going now is a bit more level, good running although a bit wet in places. Soon the peaky summit of West Kip appears over the horizon.

The font stone, I should have remembered to bring a penny ...

... so I stand penniless :-)

The going is easier now, really nice running ...

... although a bit wet in places.

The peaky summit of West Kip just came into view.

I enjoy an easy climb over Cap Law and then a short descent toward the base of West Kip, fully revealed before me. When I pass the cross-paths (yet another stile!!) just a moment to chat with a walking couple. The chap asks me if I am going to run up there, which is a fair question, it is very steep. I have to apologise, its too steep for me, I've not been well, I've not been able to train much over the last nine or so months. I'll run a bit of the steep, for entertainment, and walk the rest. Now here goes my heart rate, gulp, max and some, better have a little but of a sit down and a blush until this calms down. There is a family climbing here, mum, dad and three wee nippers and they are going great, so good to see the little ones enjoying the great outdoors ... well done mum and dad! The path levels a little on approach to the summit and becomes more technical, rocky, time to run some more, and then at the top a short stop for the views all around me, filling me with happiness and memories.

West Kip revealed in its terrible steepness .. but oh the views from the top ...

Down to little Braid Law, maybe later today ...

... to the South and the clouds are breaking up, yay ...

... over Hare Hill and Black Hill ...

... and the route ahead over East Kip, lots of folk up here today.

There are plenty of folk up here today, all ages, its great. I am remembering the last time I stood here, April Fools Day of last year, was also Easter Monday, early morning. The dawn light, the colours, the snow, and not a soul to be seen, it was special, sublime. What a complete contrast today, and you know what, that is part of what I love about running in these places, beats the pants off of running along the same old streets any day in my book! Now a steep descent from the summit of West Kip to the saddle between the Kips. Ahead of me one little chap is running so fast, he is brave, and behind me two more little ones are running down shouting and laughing and happy. I have a huge grin on my face, and think to myself, here's another part of the joy of running in these places. I'm quickly over East Kip, a couple of runners descending pass me as I ascend, breathy hello-s exchanged, and another steep descent to another saddle and another cross-paths (no stile this time, yippee). Before me here the main path up to Scald Law and I smile as I remember running down there in thigh deep snow drifts. I am not going that way today, instead I turn right and soon make a traverse across rough ground, chances are I'll find some scraps of sheep tracks to help me through the heather. I aim to join a rarely used hill farm track (not marked on the maps) at the edge of Kips Wood. Nav was bang on, and the overgrown ATV tracks take me up through beautiful bracken.

The kids running down West Kip are squealing with delight.

Another steep descent from the summit of East Kip

Sheep tracks help me through blooming heather on the off-trail traverse ...

... and overgrown ATV tracks lead me back up through the bracken.

To my left I look over to little Braid Law, I've already decided to add this one to the intinerary today. To my right I look up toward West Kip and little paths unknown to me, the delicious anticipation of future exploration. A small section of descent toward the old drover's road, passing a surprising number of blooming foxgloves. On the ridge of Monks Rig above and ahead I can see the pair of runners from East Kip, just a couple of dots in the photograph (zoom).

To the left looking over little Braid Law, I'm going there now.

To the right back up to West Kip and new-to-me paths are discovered.

Blooming Foxgloves!

Two runners passed at East Kip, now dots on Monks Rig.

The track leads uphill back to the cross-paths at the base of West Kip, and I take a moment to hum-haw about the route from here. Two options: more descent and then ascent across the fields, I can see the fence lines and gates to use, there are only sheep, no cattle with calves to worry about; or up the stoney track and then a sharp left turn onto the boggy path below the Cap Law Plantation. Okay, so, stoney track, not so good, boggy path, excellent! Just think about the boggy path. The wind is so strong now and in my face, hard work on the stoney track back uphill. Surprise, I meet the group of young walkers who were at the font stone earlier this afternoon, and rest a little as we chat for a moment.

Back uphill on the stoney old drovers road, and lots of blue sky!

My resistance training run up the horrible stoney track is rewarded as I make left to the boggy path. Well, to be fair, the stoney track is just fine for walking and cycling. Anyway the boggy part is soon delivered and some welcome foot-coolant is enjoyed. I realise there's a short segment ahead where I've not been before, and at the end of the boggy path a very old sign points me in the right direction. Alas, its another stoney track ascending with strong head wind.

Relief as I turn onto the boggy path ...

... and the foot coolant is soon delivered.

Here's your sign ...

... and its another stoney path with strong headwind!

So ankle-twisting resistance-training number two out of the way I make left across the soft earth to summit little Braid Law. I've been here once before and I know there is a fine descent on rough ground ahead of me. The wind seems to be stronger but at least its only to my cheek, blowing in the prevalent direction from the west. The trees here have adapted to the usual course of the wind. Quick glance over my shoulder toward the Kips behind me and the usual sensation of surprise and satisfaction because "I was there" less than half an hour ago. Now the descent starts and its as rough as I expected through the bracken, but my nav-fu which has been working so well fails me for a moment. I was seduced by a sheep track through the bracken, and then a break to the left and scramble down over Quarrel Burn. Now I'm marooned in a morass of marsh, all tussocks and bogs, hardly runnable terrain here.

The trees here have adapted to the prevailing winds.

Looking back over the Kips, a moment of pure pleasure.

The descent through bracken is a bit on the rough side ...

... and then it gets worse for a short while.

Decisions, decisions ... I can see the line of the easy footpath above me, it crosses a fence (more stile time is soon upon me) and through a gap in the wall ... I can see the stile and the gap. Hike to the path or hike to the stile? I choose the stile and soon on easier and familiar footpath back toward Nine Mile Burn. There's a little bit of up and down, and a slither through a marshy muddy section. Well, I say muddy, there was something else in the mud there, and my studs are a bit smelly now. Ladies and Gentlemen, its time to play a favourite game, its time for "Name That Mud" (acknowledge Askwith here). I name this mud "sheephoofed" (groan!). After the slither a brief self-reward with a glance back to Braid Law, and in a jiffy I reach a finger-post lodged in short-term memory. I was here an hour or so ago, in the other direction, and made left up to the Monks Rig. Now, another stile (I've lost count! ... and more to come!!) ... a couple of minutes and Nine Mile Burn comes into view. Met a couple of mountain bikers at the next stile, decent of them to give way to me. Fast descent over the gentle grass and a welcome ending back at the kissing gate. Parched, drank an ocean of diluted fruit juice!

Yay! The easier familiar footpath is reached.

Rewarded with a glance back to Braid Law, and oh me of my the skyscape.

I remember this finger post, I turned here, up to the Monks Rig an hour or so ago.

Nine Mile Burn comes into sight, a fast run to the end, back at the kissing gate.

Lovely lovely excursion today and so lucky with the weather. More running than I'd expected, more walking than I'd wanted, but I'm out of training, I'm not really hill-fit at the moment, so I'll take that with a big smile. Just about 10km dead of distance and 450m total ascent, on the go for 1:26:47. Time for the back home, and get a bbq cooking for the family ... happy days.

Enjoy!