Bored legs

It was such a beautiful morning we thought we’d have a go at Goatfell, an honest Corbett starting at sea level. At 874m is is only 40m short of a Munro.

We parked at the NT car park at Brodick Castle and set off up through a pretty woodland trail. This was probably 1/5 of the walk and the easiest bit. Eventually the track got steeper as it approached a deer fence where we reached open hill. It was covered in tussocks grasses and heather but a good path had been made. We could see Goatfell in the distance, still in sunshine. The walking was quite hard as it was uneven stones and rocks, some high, which my arthritic knees objected to. We plodded on - this open section was maybe 3/5 of the walk but was very boring as we had no views apart from the open hill and the ridge towards the summit. We did reach a point at a cairn where a track came up from the coast. The hill was busy with lots of young people passing us. We’re used to it! We didn’t see anyone looking as old as us.

The cloud started to come in, heralded by a stiff breeze. By now we had reached the steepest and roughest part of the walk, picking our way up between and over granite boulders and rocks. I had difficulty hauling my screaming knees up the steepness and wished I’d done the climb 60
Years ago when I can youth hostelling with friends.

It was hard to see where we were in the cloud, but a couple descending said we were only about half an hour from the top so we persevered. The proof is the blip of me at the trig point and the plaque pointing out all the places we could not see - Jura, Ireland, Bute and Glasgow. It would have been lovely to have been rewarded by the view. We did feel a bit cheated but have done enough mountains to know how likely it is.

The return was just as hard, trying to lower the legs down without causing too much grief to the knees. And it rained. But we made it and called in at the co-op for a Guardian. Can hardly bare to read it.

We won’t be venturing far tomorrow. A few standing stones will suffice.

Over 29,000 steps and 17.5 km.