22 Border Hills in 2022
On New Years Day 2022 I did the traditional ascent of Lee Pen, a hearty way to start any year. I was not alone, it is incredibly popular (read more about it here). One of the many other baggers on the day was my friend Denis who posted about it on Facebook later in the day. Denis also suggested that he was planning a challenge for 2022 - hike 22 hills across The Borders, each of which must be higher than 500 metres, all the while raising funds for the incredibly hard working volunteers of Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue. Denis is no stranger to a challenge - the previous year he and his pal Murray had swam 25 different bodies of water across the Borders to mark 25 years of The Borders Forest Trust. I’m sure he won’t mind me saying he is now in his eighth decade, and thoughts of slowing down are not on his mind. So upon reading his Facebook post my initial reaction was that I wouldn’t mind a slice of that action. I got in touch with Denis and offered my services as companion and occasional Sherpa for this interesting challenge. Denis gladly accepted, coffees were drank and a plan hatched - we would do the walks together but both knew our diaries might dictate Denis doing some solo (it was after all his challenge!), and we would invite anyone who wanted to join us to do so. A small donation to the Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue would be collected from those who joined us. That agreed we embarked on our first hike - Minch Moor.
A snowy February wander up a well known local hill was a great way to kick things off, and we quickly followed it up with another well known Tweed Valley hill - Dunslair Heights, in the heart of Glentress Forest
Corrie dog was among the companions on this hike, and very photogenic he is too! This was in March, and it was interesting to hear some of Denis’s thoughts on the unfolding Ukrainian refugee crisis. Walking is the best pastime for in depth conversation, and Denis is a great companion and communicator. A career working in international development and a deep interest in Africa gives Denis a very strong grasp on international affairs. Indeed, when we were growing up and hanging about with Sandy and Margot it was speculated to them that their dads work was on Her Majesty’s Secret Service Service, such was Denis’s international man of mystery status (a speculation correctly dismissed)! So it’s not just hills and rivers we talk about - though there is a lot of that too….
As winter gave way to spring we enjoyed one of the finest walks of the whole challenge, a trio of hills just north of Broughton.
This was a great day out, and we even managed to bag an extra £20 for the TVMRT by Denis applying his charm to two walkers who we had assisted with some navigation. He is never off duty. The next hike was to be a midweek effort, taking advantage of the long summer nights - Priesthope Hill, very close to home. This was great fun, a good squad of 7 of us enjoying a warm night, though we were soaked on the path back from Walkerburn.
One of the great things about this challenge has been introducing Denis, and others, to new places. This hike from Priesthope to Walkerburn being a great example - and all available from our doorstep. Our next hike was another midweek, midsummer effort and would take in the biggest hills covered in the challenge.
I’ve talked at some length about Broad Law on the blog, and we scaled it and Talla Cleuch on a Tuesday night. Loads of summer moorland birds such as lapwings and curlews made for a glorious night at the roof of The Borders. The pies Denis supplied as well also helped make this a memorable evening. Our next outing would be the first time Denis and I had ventured out just the two of us, and we we’re grateful for that as the route, such as it was, involved a substantial amount of Heather bashing. We took in a trio of hills near Drumelzier, upper Tweeddale. There is an established horseshoe walk there but I decided to take us a different route. This wasn’t just to be contrary, we were rewarded with superb Tweed Valley views towards Stobo and an up close encounter with both the ruins of Tinnis Castle and a Peregrine Falcon. But I was secretly glad that it was just the two of us navigating the at times waist high heather in high summer!
After the Drumelzier three we took a wee hiatus - holidays, work, family, travel, setting up blogs and all the other trials of modern life meant it would be a few months before the challenge swung back into action. On the first weekend of October Denis enjoyed a soggy birthday walk through Glen Estate and up to Stake Law and Birkscairn. These hills are often called ‘Gypsy Glen’, but the more accurate description is part of the Glensax Horseshoe (I have unresolved Strava issues…). Denis was accompanied on this hike by his daughter Margot and son in law Erik, whose photos I’ve pinched below.
Our last big walk together of the year was during the October holidays, with walking trousers replacing shorts. The involved a horseshoe of my own invention in the remote Ettrick Hills. Denis charitably called this route the Wilson Round, which felt a bit over the top - but I’ll take it. There is an established horseshoe walk at Ettrick which takes in the biggest hill (Ettrick Pen) but as well all know size isn’t the be all and end all, and the route I suggested had a substantial ace up it’s sleeve - the view into Carrifran.
Carrifran Wildwood
Carrifran will feature on the blog in detail in the future, but this glaciated valley with its rich tapestry of native trees was such a tonic to view. The elephant in the room is that all of these hills we trekked up and over have been nature depleted, with native trees at a minimum. Pykestone Hill at Drumelzier has been so grazed and burnt that it’s haircut resembles my own. So we greatly enjoyed that view as we took in the undulating ridge, which follows the watershed of Scotland with a drop of water falling on our left ending up in the Solway and a drop falling on our right ending up in the North Sea. The Scottish watershed is a subject I find fascinating but I accept it’s a niche interest, at best.
Nearing the end of the challenge and our diaries just couldn’t synch up to get the big hill day we needed. So regrettably Denis had to undertake a beauty of a walk on his own during the mid December deep freeze. A pedal in to the heart of the Moorfoot Hills and three snow clad hills bagged - including Bowbeat with its turbines and Blackhope Scar. Denis will be pleased to learn that in conquering The Scar he has also bagged Midlothian’s highest point, it being shared between the two regions. He’s also got one over on me as I’ve never made it up to the top. I tried once but the peat hags of Garvald beat me, so his call to go on a crisp, frozen and snowy day was a very sound one!
Emly Bank and Blackhope Scar, Moorfoot Hills. The Corrie in the middle is called the Long Cleave. Photo courtesy of Denis.
That’s 22 hills, leaving just Lee Pen to bookend the challenge and act as a valedictorian lap for 2022. We plan to do this on Saturday - New Years Eve and will leave from the Co-op car park at 10.00am if anyone fancies joining us. Reflecting back on the year it has been great fun to join Denis on this challenge and also get to know other people. We both strongly believe in the power of the great outdoors for mental as well as physical health, and are in agreement with each other that despite the natural beauty of the Border uplands, there is important ecological work to be done to restore them to full glory. Groups such as the Borders Forest Trust and John Muir Trust are doing fine work but more must be done to improve our uplands for all. It’s also true that we could do this challenge again next year - we didn’t touch the Pentland Hills up by West Linton, The Cheviots straddling the border or the mysterious Border Fells near Langholm, Hawick and Newcastleton. No matter, they will be there when we are ready.
Our just giving page for Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue closed in August, and we had managed to raise just under £250 for this worthy cause. If you’ve enjoyed reading this and would like to donate to them you can do so at this link, they are all volunteers out there helping people when they need help most and are worthy of our support.
Big shout out to everyone who joined us during the challenge (in no particular order) - Andrew, Margot, Erik, Fraser, Mo, Bob, Frances, Sarah, Robyn, Shirley, Irene. Shelley, Bruce, Carol, plus Glen, Corrie, Lottie, Broch 🐾
The Hills (heights in metres)
Lee Pen (502)
Minch Moor (567)
Dunslair Heights (602)
Pyked Stane Hill (571)
Hammer Head (513)
Trahenna (549)
Priesthope Hill (549)
Talla Cleuch Head (690)
Broad Law (840)
Pykestone Hill (737)
The Scrape (719)
Scawd Law (505)
Brikscairn Hill (661)
Stake Law (681)
Bodesbeck Law (655)
Nowtrig Head (608)
Mid Rig (616)
Bell Craig (623)
Black Knowe Head (591)
Bowbeat Hill (626)
Emly Bank (605)
Blackhope Scar (651)
