Walk Leader - Billy

BILLYS BLOG

Let the train take the strain so today we are relaxing as we head to the start . Two ladies are talking of flannelette nighties and breast feeding , surely the groups blether will be more riveting than that ? The group are scattered at the start and I meet two new walkers , Yvonne and Graham  , welcome . Anthea from Lithgown group joins us , so we are 16 in total  I advise the group that the walk has been amended due to tree felling . This walk has been put together with assistance from Ray who unfortunately is away on holiday . Alastair is happy to be the back marker while Anne kindly passes on a Hi Vis jacket for him , I do wonder if it has been ironed ? Alastair models it wonderfully , I am almost jealous of him .

Its bright and sunny as we tackle the 1st incline , last week there was a stream flowing down but today its merely muddy . Across the road to the old quarry and up we go , one of our local members kindly tells us that part of Outlander was filmed here . Lots of chatter at my back about a great variety , holidays , gigs and nature . I am asked twice in the first half hour is this a C+ or a B walk , I smile and inform them yes ! Poles are out by the majority and with good reason as we continue to climb . I am obviously chatting way too much as I miss the proposed cuppa stop . Who is to blame , well I shall forgive her , in time . So the break is taken on a slight hill with a camber but hey  no one complains . A few dog walkers pass by without incident and even one cyclist , in this terrain ! Onto the road now and head for the reservoir , not one soul wishes to take a dook in the water . Pictures are posed for with a fair bit of laughter and the water in the background . In the distance we can see the car park at Dumyat , another day perhaps ?

Leave the reservoir behind us and through the gate to a narrow path which takes us to Black Hill , this proves to be just as muddy and wet as previously experienced . We pass by some wood carving which is a bit incongruous out in the boondocks I think . Up and up we slip our way till I find the marker for the main (slightly drier) path and its so much easier here . Now we arrive at our lunch spot and in good time surprisingly . As you well know dear reader I am not one to complain . Now as the majority of the group find picnic tables to have their lunch on I find myself against a wall by myself , sob . Janet Mcnee walks out of the trees to the surprise of people , its lovely she can join us . I do notice that the volume of noise does increase , that's all I am saying . . . . . .

Now we are back onto the road heading down but suddenly traffic stops us in our tracks , where did they come from ? As we gingerly restart walking 2 cyclists going whizzing by us at a fair old rate of knots . Coming upon the 1st arch we enter and in front of us are more trees to circumnavigate or even hug ? Once more up we go and round and down , are you getting a sense of Deja Vu here ? Up at the top and we are looking down onto the University and still we carry on , the chat is slightly less now I feel . Down to the 2nd arch and here we slow way down as the steps out and onto the road are very tricky but at least they are dry this time . No falls , though a few near stumbles and up the road we traipse to the last set of woods to go through , promise . Its down and to the fence and there is a very rough path which takes the group finally to the road . We stop to allow everyone to catch up and I ask them to take a deep breath in , can you smell the coffee I ask ?

The end . 

Photos courtesy of Lynne, Billy, Allan and Wendy A      Click Link to see all photos (Flickr)    The Ups ‘n’ Downs on the Edge of Bridge of Allan