Another Sunday, another hill walk. This time we headed to the Campsies, just North of Glasgow (20 minutes from my house) to take on Dumgoyne. Dumgoyne is a volcanic plug and is 427m high. This was higher than last week and the total walk was also longer.
The start was fairly tame and the first two and a half miles had hardly any incline. We started from Strathblane so if you want to cut out the walk to and from Dunboyne start from Glengoyne Distillery. This will save around 4-5 miles of walking. The climb itself was far steeper than last weeks. Lot’s of stops were required on the way up but the views as you ascended were superb.
The wind picked up as we got near the top but nothing prepared us for the gale that was blowing at the summit. It was unbelievably windy and cold with it! The last couple of walks have really taught me to not underestimate the different conditions you can get as you start to get higher/more remote.
While the ascent was tiring, the descent was quick but also very tricky. Lot’s of concentration required and a few tumbles on the way down but we got there in one piece. The full flickr set can be found here. I used Runkeeper again to track the walk and it worked really well.
One issue I had last time was battery life. This time I made sure wi-fi and 3G were disabled which helped but I also bought a battery pack to extend the iPhone’s life. The Kensington Battery Pack and Charger gives me 1 and a half extra charges on the iPhone. So instead of a three hour walk being the limit I should be able to get walks of up to 7-8 hours. It’s not the most ergonomic of deigns and isn’t as nice as some of the case models like the Fastmac but I needed one quickly and it will do for now. Some of the user reviews haven’t been the best for the Kensington sighting drop in charge capacity after a few uses – I’ll be sure to update the post if I find similar.
I just love the detail that Runkeeper provides like speed and height change and on the two walks done so far it has been very accurate. Highly recommended. Next walk – not sure. In four weeks time there is talk of a coastal walk which sounds a nice alternative. I may try and get out for a walk in a couple of weeks time though that depends on weather and schedules which aren’t too predictable right now. Feeling tired right now though and I’m sure I’ll be stiff and sore tomorrow but it was definitely worth it. I loved this walk today – might even do it again in the summer on a clearer day.
I worked at an outdoor education centre in mid Wales for a year – many a great walk through the Black Mountains, Brecon Beacons and Black Mountain. However, working with the Pro's and getting to do my Mountain Leader Training was invaluable. As you say, even on relatively straight forward walks, all things weather related can change rapidly. A blister or sprained ankle can actually be life threatening given the right (or wrong) weather conditions and location.
It's definitely worth cribbing up on some basic navigation skills and the skill of micro-navigation, for when the fog closes in tight or you're faced with snow/white-out, is actually a fun skill to learn and play with. Also, as silly as it can sound on light walks, taking basic survival type kit can be more than worthwhile. Having a basic shelter, a stove, a rope, first aid kit and something like a swiss army knife can make you prepared for pretty much anything. Plus on crappy weather walks, it's nice being able to get out some shelter and brew up some tea/coffee on a primus.
If someone falls and breaks a leg – which isn't outside the realms of possibility – it can easily take 6 hours for Mountain Rescue to get to the scene – especially if there isn't a mobile reception and someone has to walk down to fetch them.
One of my friends was on a walk a couple of years ago when one of the party slipped and done in his ligaments. In the middle of nowhere, no phone signal and the only option was to keep him warm and calm while others went off to try and get help. Cue three hours of trying to get mountain rescue, calling in helicopter and seeing said friend air lifted off. All from a slip.
I saw at the weekend just how easy it is to go from innocent walk to a pretty dangerous environment, no winds to howling gales and the weather closing in really quickly. I had map, compass and some basic first aid but I can see how having some other basics as you've mentioned, split amongst the group, could be essential. Cheers for the pointers…and the nudge in the right direction.