19 Carnethies made the journey out to West Linton for the last night run of the season. Following a swift half pint in the pub (for a few of us at least) we headed off up the winding woodland trail through Cat Walk Den in the direction of Baddinsgill. After wee road section we hopped a wall and took a short cut through a tussocky field to avoid too much more tarmac. A couple of gates on the Cross Borders Drove road kept the group more or less together before we left the main track and followed a narrow muddy trod through Windy Gowl before regrouping in the sheltered gully halfway to Carlops.
A quick scramble up next to a waterfall brought us out on a small rocky ridge on the lower slopes of Mount Maw. After a pathless trudge up the surprisingly dry hillside we hit the track leading to the summit trig where we regrouped and looked over one of the less viewed vistas of the Pentlands back towards the Kips and west towards the Cairns and West Lothian. The drop from Mount Maw to the dam at Baddinsgill is one of my favourite descents in the Pentlands, the dry, grassy trail at a perfect angle makes for speedy running right down to the reservoir.
We raced up the grassy embankment to the waterline and trotted over the dam to the road leading back to West Linton. We made a quick stop for food orders before following the Cross Borders Drove Road all the way back to the Village with a speedy last kilometer on a dirt road right to the door of the pub. Great food and beer at The Gordon Arms, I think the pate with tattie scones was the highlight of the night for more than a few people!
Thanks to everyone who made it down. There is one more night run to go, Cairnpapple Equinox on Monday at 7pm – see you there!
Ross Christie