Two days in a row!

Yesterday morning (Saturday) things did not look very promising when we set off from a rain drenched Teviothead for Hawick. Plan was to get a bus to Jedburgh with a view to walking back to the auld toon along the Abbey Way. But, someone was obviously looking after us, as the first part of this 14 plus mile walk saw us get very little rain and allowed us to take in some cracking views across the rolling Border hills or farmland. This is a really enjoyable walk which takes you along tracks, through woods and up onto hillsides - a real mixture - enabling you to see for miles in all directions. Up past Todlaw, Merlin Dean wood and onto Blacklaw Hill before Ruberslaw dominated the skyline looking very wet but thankfully the rain seemed to circle round about us and we avoided it. From the top it was down towards Bedrule where a welcome seat at the war memorial was the perfect spot for lunch. The next stretch took us up past Spittal Tower before Denholm and a tea shop awaited us. Refuelled by cake and tea, the final stretch was a case of coats and leggings on, head down and along the riverside and back to Hawick as it was very wet. The river was in full flow and pretty dangerous looking and not surprinsingly we never met a soul! Having done this stretch before it was good to know the end was in the sight rather than rain at the start of the day. All in all a really good walk.

Jedburgh to Hawick pics

It's raining!

Well, must be getting near Wimbledon judging by the weather. Another wet day looks to be on the cards but that isn't going to stop our weekend challenge. Fuelled by chilli, lasagne, delicious puds and other goodies, which we would prefer to keep secret, we aim to do a couple of walks this weekend. Just so we can prove we aren't a one day wonder. Last night we had a logistics meeting to go over one or two plans for five weeks time! Yes it is getting that close. I think everything seems to be falling into place and everyone is getting quite excited. Today we are heading off to Jedburgh to walk back to Hawick via the Abbey Route. And tomorrow providing we have dried out, looks like it will be a Teviothead circular walk from Alan Brydon and Ian Landells' book. So can we have some sunshine please?
P.S. Ignore date and time on this blog, can't find way to correct it. It is actually Saturday June 23rd and it is 7.25.a.m.

Walk on the wet side!

Well, what can be said about this weekend's weather that would be printable. Saturday was really something else and not what you would expect in June. There was no planned training walk this weekend so it was left up to everyone to do their own thing. For this old girl, it was a hen weekend in Windermere and a very soggy walk up Loughrigg Fell. But one thing for sure, the waterproofs are pretty good! The paths were running like burns, and the burns overflowing but that didn't stop us splashing our way to the top and contemplating what the views would be like if only we could see them! Some interesting caves en route too. But good training, great fun and even left us with energy for the party games and night club later! Not that anyone would want to hear about that . So just to give you a wee flavour of how it can rain in the Lake District here are a few pics to tempt you all south sometime. Just make sure you pick a better day! At least it was dry for the indoor climbing wall the next day. No prizes for guessing which one is going to be the bride!

Pics from the Lakeside

An explanation!

An explanation has been requested for all the snogging photos! Well, very simple really, our group leader Ronnie  seems to have made a habit of choosing a walk which has several kissing gates on it. So when we reach one, by some strange coincidence his wife Julia and him just happen to be passing through at the same time. And on Sunday's walk there was a double kissing gate and as it had been Donald's birthday... Sandra did the honours. Apparently there is no truth in Ronnie's comment that there are hundreds of kissing gates on the WHW! Can't imagine it being very romantic trying to kiss through a midge net anyway.

It's getting close!

Seven weeks today we will be in Glasgow and about to set off on the first leg of the West Highland Way! Gosh doesn't time fly! Hopefully all the training walks will have been worthwhile and we will be raring to go. And with a bit of finger crossing the sun might be shining. Here's hoping.