Broughton Marilyns Revisited

It's been a long time since I ran in my walshes ... their last outing was April 14 ... so it was great to slip them on my feet this morning in the small car park near Broughton Place. I was here on March 30 with plans for a good long run in large part thwarted by deep snow. I have similar, a little smaller, plans today. It's not the ideal day, the weather is not good, it'll be very windy and rainy on the tops, and after a massive run a couple of days ago the old legs are already tired. No matter, bring on the challenge ...

I'm heading along the John Buchan way in the direction of Stobo. The footpath is in good condition here and after passing a few trees the beautiful Broughton Heights come into view. I have another couple of kilometres along the footpath and then I'm heading up there. Soon the good conditions underfoot give way to some awful mud, happy feet, legs not so much. I have some company here, a friendly walker, and a farmer on his ATV. Moments later I needed to step off the path for a moment to let the quad bike pass, and I think I can see one of the reasons why the track is in such poor condition.

I'm running in a warm long sleeve top and a waterproof smock, it's raining quite a bit, but I'm far too hot. I have to stop and adjust clothing. I'll swap for a t-shirt and vented jacket. I think the walker is surprised to see me strip down to bare chest here. We chat for a few minutes more. Turns out this charming lady is an assessor for Duke of Edinburgh. She's expecting a group of lads doing their Bronze expedition to appear any moment now, and looking for somwhere to 'hide'.

John Buchan Way, the footpath is in great condition

Broughton Heights ahead, I'll be up there soon

The footpath deteriorates somewhat

Friendly walker and farmer on quad bike

I've reached the point at which I must turn to the left off the waymarked footpath and head up on whatever tracks I can find to the high ground. The views back down over Broughton Hope are gorgeous but I have a lot of ascent to get done here, and the old legs are not exactly happy chappies ... oh, come on legs, we can do this together ... Broomy Side, Green Law, then the trig at Pyked Stane Hill, and then some descent ... come on legs.

Leaving the waymarked footpath, the serious ascent starts ...

... lovely view down Broughton Hope ...

... but for me it's up ...

... and up ...

... and up ...

... and at last the summit of Pyked Stane Hill.

I'm looking down over the line of summits I'm going to run over now - Brown Dodd to the left, Flint Hill, Ladyurd Hill, and Penvalla to the right. First I'll be running north-east along this flattish marshy ridge to a minor summit marked as Wether Law, before I turn south-east and enjoy some good descending. The views down Stobo Hope are a delight but I'm not heading down there at the moment, I'm on my way up to the top of Brown Dodd. From the summit the view of my route forward is stunning.

Brown Dodd, Flint Hill, Ladyurd Hill, and Penvalla

Flattish marshy ridge from Pyked Stane Hill

Nice fast descent here

Great views down Stobo Hope ...

... but I'm heading up Brown Dodd

Really lovely view of the route foward

Leaving little Flint Hill behind I have a steep descent and then ascent to scale Ladyurd Hill. The wind seems to be picking up and gusting harder now, and the rain just got a lot heavier - up top of Ladyurd Hill it was a bit horrible, so I decided to drop down off the ridge and traverse on sheep tracks. I've bruised the outside edge of my left foot on the monster run a couple of days ago, and that's hitting the ground hill-side at the moment, so it's a bit painful. Oh well, not much can be done about that, so never mind, carry on. On a more positive note the rain has subsided somewhat. Coming around the next spur Penvalla is before me, and ... gulp ... it looks steep and rough. The wonderful views from the summit more than make up for the effort of the ascent.

Steep descent of Flint Hill, steep ascent of Ladyurd Hill

Traversing on sheep tracks

Penvalla from the north, steep and rough

View to the south from Penvalla ...

... to the east ...

... toward Laydurd Hill, Flint Hill, and Brown Dodd ...

... and the ridge of Pyked Stane Hill.

I'm descending Penvalla toward the south, at first on some tracks, but soon bouncing though the heather to reach a small stone cairn, from which I drop down and rejoin the John Buchan Way. The Hopehead Burn snakes it's way along the valley floor below me. I meet another runner and we exchange a couple of breathless words about the conditions, weather and terrain. The path crosses the burn, there's a footbridge which is nice, but the muddiness on approach is a little too much ... I'm slipping and sliding and slithering, fortunately I manage to stay on my feet. The muddy footpath is relentlessly up for a while now. I meet and chat for a couple of minutes with another friendly lady walker, another Duke of Edinburgh assessor, and ahead of us a group of lasses doing their Bronze expedition. Reaching the highest point of the footpath returning toward the car park I spy the first lady walker half hidden in the heather, and we exchange a friendly wave. I'm getting tired now, my legs are a bit sore, and I'm relieved to see Broughton Place and the car park come into view.

Descending Penvalla at first on tracks ...

... and then bouncing through the heather to reach ...

... a small cairn.

Hopehead |Burn snaking along the valley floor below

Footbridge crossing the burn and a muddy approach

The muddy foorpath ascends ...

... and at last the car park comes into view.

The walshes are soaking wet and plastered with mud, happy shoes, happy feet. I've had a tough but great excursion today in variable most often poor conditions. I've been out for just over two and a half hours, distance 17.5 kilometres, climbed 850 metres, and I'm really good with all of that under the circumstances today.

Update: The complete photoset (43) available here for your extra entertainment :-)

Enjoy!