Easter Monday Morning Magnificence

I rose long before the Sun this Easter Monday morning to prepare for an early start to a couple of very fine hours in the snow clad Pentland Hills. The family sound asleep upstairs I crept around the house quiet as a mouse. I left a note on the dining room table with the route, just in case, and in the half light before dawn I slipped out of the front door.

I'm starting today at the car park at Thriepmuir near the reservoir, just like the Pentlands Plod in early January. There are no other cars here this morning. I start out on the short road section about 7am, sunrise was around 15 minutes ago, and it is so peaceful. The bird songs are such a pleasure to the ear, the early light is such a pleasure to the eye. Crossing the reservoir, two swans come sailing by, and the rose coloured clouds reflect on the water, I almost cried with happiness. There is a short ascent along the road and the light to my left is beguiling.

Swans on Threipmuir Reservoir

Early morning cloudscape

I am soon off the road and across snow covered fields heading toward the Green Cleugh. The sheep are heavy with lambs at this time and are slow to move off the path as I approach. I soon enter the Green Cleugh, a beautiful place.

There's a particular spot along here I don't think I'll ever forget. On August 11, 2012, I had just descended at speed into the cleugh from Black Hill, and I was flying along here. It was a beautiful day, the light was fantastic, and the hills in front of me were captivating. I was looking up and happy, not looking down at the ground ahead of my feet. I caught a toe on a rock and tripped, and fell hard on my left knee. I lay there on the ground writhing with pain for a few minutes, then rolled up the tights to see the damage. Cuts and grazes and blood flowing and pain. I sat and wondered what to do, the pain eased a little, I carried on with tights rolled up over the left knee and blood flowing down the leg, until I met a couple of walkers who let me use their first aid kit. Blood cleaned up, bandaged, tights rolled back down, couple of pain killers, onward and upward. The wounds healed after a week or so ... the pain went away but the left knee never returned to the same shape as before this spill. I guess it had been a little fractured.

Further along there is a good waterfall which might be frozen today. I jump a fence and hop over a stream to reach the waterfall and the sight takes my breath away.

Off the road and over the snow covered fields ...

... to enter the Green Cleugh

Spectacular views ...

... but watch your feet!

Jump the fence here and hop over the stream ...

... to the frozen waterfall.

The path criss-crosses the burn, sometimes on small bridges, sometimes stepping stones, and soon lead to The Howe. Usually a not so pleasant slippery muddy place, but today the mud is frozen solid, hard on the ankles. From here the ascent begins, up to the bealach between Carnethy Hill and Scald Law. There is a great view over Loganlea Reservoir to the left, and it's so peaceful I can here the quacking of ducks on the water below. There's a stile to cross the fence and then the snow starts to get deeper, the fence is mostly buried, but along the path it's been compacted by the feet of many walkers and it's actually quite good running.

Steeping stones in the burn along Green Cleugh

The Howe

The slippery muddy ground is frozen solid

The ascent starts here ...

.

... with a fine view over Loganlea Reservoir

Crossing the fence on a large stile ...

... the snow starts to get deeper.

The bealach is soon reached and a turn to the right continues the ascent of Scald Law on a well maintained snow covered zig-zag footpath. This is one of the most popular walking routes in the Pentlands, up to the top of Scald Law, the highest summit in this group of hills.There's a nice view of the Green Cleugh on the way up here. It's a slog to the top but the trig point not so far above and the sights this early morning are wonderful.

Ascending Scald Law

Green Cleugh

The top!

Superb sights to south-east

The Kips, my favourite Pentland peaks, in snow.

I'm heading for East Kip along the most popular footpath. There's quite a wind up here and the path takes me into the lee. So, I'm out of the wind, good, but there will be drifts, not so good. Fingers crossed the walkers have compacted the snow along the path and it'll be alright for running. Ho hum, could have been better, not so much running as leaping and bounding and slithering, a good bit of fun there. From the bottom, I am loving the view back to where I've just descended.

There's a footpath here somewhere!

Loving the view of the descent from the bealach.

The ascent of East Kip begins, its a short sharp pull up to the top and then I have West Kip ahead. Nice fast descent from East Kip and then another short sharp pull to to the top of West Kip. The wind is a bit fierce here, so I get into the lee for a swig of water, check the watch, and of course the camera. I'm heading down to the Red Road from here and onto little Hare Hill below.

East Kip ascent, just a short sharp one

West Kip ahead

Descending summit of West Kip

Hare Hill

The descent of West Kip to the south-west is steep and more good fun was had leaping and bounding down through snow. The snow along the Red Road was compacted so good running and a chance for a bit of pace. I leave the Red Road on a reasonable path to ascend Hare Hill. The view to the Kips and Scald Law is wonderful, the light is sublime, my little camera cannot really capture this rapture. There is a small disused quarry on top of Hare Hill, which can be a handy picnic spot on a windy day. Today the quarry is full of snow. The summit marker nearby is a small cairn.

Scald Law and the Kips

Snow filled quarry

Hare Hill summit cairn

I'm going to descend Hare Hill to the west to rejoin the Red Road. There are not footpaths for this descent so I'm going over the heather and through the snow. The going is not great as the drifting snow has accumulated here. Oh well, never mind, it's not long before I reach the fence and the old wall. I'll have to clamber over here and the snow looks a bit deep, but fortunately the crust here is strong enough to take my weight. The crust on the other side of the wall is not so strong, the whole of my left leg sinks through the snow and into the bog below, and I'm laughing. In a few seconds I'm glad to be back on the compacted snow of the Red Road and a swifter bit of running back to the car park at Threipmuir.

Footprints (mine) on Hare Hill

Looks a bit deep around the fence and old wall but the crust bears my weight 

Good to be back on the compacted snow along the Red Road

For me this outing was simple paradise, perhaps the happiest run ever for me. I've been on the go for a couple of minutes more than two hours this morning, covering 13.4 kilometres, and climbing 570 metres. The light was sublime, the peace was perfection, the snow was fun most of the time. I haven't seen a soul, not one other person, for two hours. Returning to the car park there is one other car now.  Returning home I find there are still folk in their bed ... I know who got the better deal this morning!

Enjoy!