Galloway Hills Ring of Fire - Sat 29th Aug. 2020
The day started early, up at stupid o’clock (3.15am) and drive down to Loch Trool for an attempt on the Galloway Ring of Fire. For background there is some history on the route on https://www.gofar.org.uk/ring-of-fire-galloway . In brief it is a loop starting at Bruces Stone at Loch Trool, taking in the Minigaff Hills, the Rhinns of Kells, the Loch Doon forest drive and then returning via the Range of the Awful Hand, taking in a total of 30 summits, across some remote terrain.
On arrival at car park, it was almost full – the joy of the covid lock down!! I managed to squeeze in just beside the Merrick path. First challenge was finding Bruce’s stone, which I had never been to before, but managed to find it quite easily surrounded by campers!! Faffed about a bit to try and take a selfie but failed miserably so gave up!
No point hanging about so at 4.51am I set off along the forest path. I tried to settle into an easy jog, but heart was racing and it took a long time to settle down into an easy pace. I think it was partly excitement, that I was finally going to give it a go, and also the enormity of the challenge which lay ahead!! After a short time I turned and retraced my steps as I thought I had missed a turn to the right over the river, but then equally quickly decided I was being stupid and I had not missed it after all. Eventually I did cross the river and was then confident that I was on the correct route. Quick run / walk up the forest path to the turn off to the path to Mulldonoch.
Now this is the Galloway hills and the term path is all relative. In this case it is an overgrown forest path with the faintest trace of a path which fortunately the head torch was picking up quite clearly. As I progressed, I realised that a kind person had been up the path with a pair of snips and had cut the worst of the branches, to allow relatively smooth passage – thank you whoever you are!! Across the burn and then the only route I have discovered is to go up.
And again to clarify for anyone who has not had the joy of the Galloway hills, the sides of most of the Galloway hills have the most horrendous terrain. Large grassy tussocks which stand knee to thigh high, pretty impossible to stand on top and if you do stand in the gaps you quite often end up knee deep in a bog. Add in a bit of heather, bracken and some brambles and you have some pretty unpleasant terrain!! Hard enough to going uphill but even worse on the descent!
So nothing else for it to head up, finding any small paths / easier ground as you go, generally in the Galloways as you go higher the terrain gradually gets easier, up through heather and grass. Mulldonoch was reached just as the sun was starting to rise.
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| Looking north over Loch Dee |
Dropped down off the top and then traverse round the hillside, trying not to drop / gain too much height to gain Lairg, as sun was coming up properly.
The terrain up top is quite good and Lamachan and Curleywee were picked off with relative ease!
The descent to Loup of Laggan and then Red Gairy Top was unknown territory for me – the first time I had encountered the horrendous terrain was on the NE flank of Curleywee so I was expecting the worst! Fortunately a “friendly” quad bike track eased the passage and also provided the start of the route up Red Gairy. Already there was a constant balance between taking a direct route and following the less direct easier ground! It seemed to take an age to get to Red Gairy, but eventually it and Millfore were picked off!
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| Looking north from Red Gairy |
A heathery and tussocky descent from Millfore allowed for a bit of running and stumbling.
Cairnarroch reached and then another descent I was not looking forward to, and it was pretty much as bad as expected. Eventually managed to duck into the forest, working my way round fallen trees, to got myself down to the forest path to get to Dee Bridge.
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| The Rhinns of Kells ahead |
On the descent I had tried to pick a route up Darrou, through the harsh terrain. The first choice was to go over bridge, go left and then up through a recently felled area. After about 20 yards, the brambles made it impregnable and I could not even make out the route I had spotted earlier. So about turn and headed east on the path, to a route further along which I had used before. Before I got there, I saw a bit of gap so took a chance and after some rough ground got into a quarry. Managed to skirt round the quarry and up through the forest, to gain the open ground and back into some harsh terrain. Slowly but surely the terrain started getting a bit easier and the tops of Darrou, Little Millyea, Meikle Millyea, Milldown, Millfire, Corsorine and Carlin’s Cairn were all reached with no major drama apart from the dreaded muscle cramps.
The other challenge was trying to keep water bottles topped up as although quite cool, I was working hard and decent running water was not very plentiful, so I was running pretty short on the approach to Meaul!
Next up was Meaul and then a frustrating out and back to Cairnsgarroch. After not seeing anyone for hours and usually you hardly see anyone on the Rhinns of Kells, the covid effect meant I met 7 people – that is busy for the Galloways!! Coming of Cairnsgarroch I happened upon a small spring, on the hillside so had a welcome top up.
On up to Bow and Corran of Portmark, and now the ground starts getting a bit tougher again. I had never been up the last two in this range, Knockower and Black Craig and I managed to get a bit confused, as Knockower is out to the east. I think it was really just a bit of denial as I could see the ground between them all was pretty poor and I was desperate to head west and not east! A bit of checking and double checking and I finally came to the conclusion that I really did have to head pretty much due east to gain Knockower. Head down and plodding through the heather and bog, suddenly my phone started playing the music from one of the WHW podcasts from John Kynaston. Why it started playing I have no idea, and when I opened my phone it was not showing anything playing. Anyway apart from scaring the life out of me, I took it as a sign that the WHW family was looking out for me and I was going the right way!
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| Black Craig looking over Loch Doon |
Back across more heather and bog to gain Black Craig (28miles, in 8hrs 50mins) and had a brief look across to the Range of the Awful Hand – it looked depressingly far away!! Then another descent I was not looking forward to! I managed to pick up a faint path so it was not too terrible, across the burn for another welcome water stop, and then follow down the side of the burn. At some point I needed to track away from the burn to pick up the forest path. I spotted some quad bike tracks, and used the logic that it “must have come from the forest path”. Sadly it was not a good lead and just led further and further into the mature forest. I decided to take a chance and cut down through the mature forest. Working my way through various bogs and wondering, how on earth they get machines in to harvest the trees on this terrain, I will never know. Eventually reached a fire break and spotted the forest path about a 100m away – so near yet so far! Slowly picked my way through the painful terrain and bogs and with a huge relief reached the path.
Rewarded myself with jam sandwich and felt some relief that the Minigaff Hills and the Rhinns of Kells were behind me, as were all the “unknown sections”!.
The next 7 miles or so were along the Loch Doon forest drive (currently closed to vehicles at present) – all perfectly runnable!!
Only problem was my legs were done - I could not run!! I tried to get some more food in and then did my best to jog the flat and downhills and walk the hills. I knew I was moving pretty slowly but also knew I had the 10 more peaks of the Range of the Awful Hand to complete, so was trying to balance speed over endurance. It was a pleasant afternoon, and I passed 6 people along the forest drive, and it passed quite quickly.
The direct approach to Sheil Hill is through dense mature forest. I got to the fire break which I thought may provide a route, but it looked impenetrable. I decided to head further north where I knew there was a felled section and access from the north. Crossing a felled area is pretty treacherous at the best of times but with 40miles in the legs and lots of vegetation it was not a pleasant, but the top was eventually reached, (very slowly). Back into the rough ground for the approach to Craigmasheenie, which I managed in a half walk, half run! I had promised myself a sit down at the top – pretty much the first stop for 12 hrs.
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| Shiel Hill |
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| Craigmasheenie looking north to Cornish Hill |
38miles, 12 hours moving, and only food left was two bars (out of 6) left (apart from my emergency two) so I sat on the top munching one, while enjoying the stunning evening weather. I was also hoping I had a phone signal (most of the area has little or no coverage) as I had not checked in since Black Craig. I managed to get a message out and confirmed hopeful completion time of around 9pm!
It was a perfect evening but I knew I could not linger, so pretty straight-line down and up to reach North Top. Initially the rest had done me good but quickly started fading again so regular stops required. Eventually got to the top which is very flat and featureless, and got to the planned grid reference point. There were no markings but there was a small cairn about a 100m to the north, so grudgingly made my way to it., just in case!
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| The flat featureless top of North Top |
A slow plod up Shalloch on Minnoch for summit no 24 to both the trig point and the cairn just to make sure! Six summits remaining but I knew the main climbs remaining were Kirriereoch and the Merrick, so although tired I was feeling positive.
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| Shalloch on Minnoch |
In the planning for the round Tarfessock north and south had caused a bit of problem as they are not shown on all the maps, and the grid references provided were not correct. Jonny Muir who has the FKT for this route https://heightsofmadness.com/2018/07/23/a-question-of-how-running-the-ring-of-fire/ kindly provided details from his attempt and they were picked of relatively easily.
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| Tarfessock North |
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| Tarfessock South |
Ground conditions on this range are reasonable and with fresh legs pretty runnable, but I was managing no more than a walk, jog, walk!
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| Looking south to the steep slope of Kirriereoch |
Passed a walker camping out, who appeared with his trowel just as I passed! And then the steep slope of Kirriereoch beckoned and filled me with a bit of dread! The last food was eaten and another brief sit down to gather my strength, was required prior to the steep climb. I am never keen to stand around on steep slopes, so that was incentive enough to keep pressing up through the tiredness and the round top was soon in sight! Just the drop down and up the Merrick to go, and then two more summits. I tried to skirt round the first hill, before the brief ridge line but realised I was kidding myself and I would need to start gaining height at some point!
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| Looking north from Kirriereoch |
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| Looking west as the sun set |
Eventually reached the Merrick – all this time the sun was gradually slipping down the west coast and I was being treated to a lovely sunset. Another two people busy setting up camp at the summit.
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| Approaching the Merrick from the north |
I had been looking forward to the run off the Merrick all day and it did not disappoint – and I managed to run. Another couple busy setting up camp on the shoulder and then the brief climb to Benyellary.
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| Looking back south and east over the terrain I had passed in the morning |
A slightly less comfortable run down the steeper path and then followed a quad bike track across to reach Bennan. Over the gate (carefully), and up the road to the radio masts – got to the cairn, at the masts and then realised the ground to the north was higher so moved up onto and stood on the three highest points just to make sure!!
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| The final summit of the day - Bennan 30/30 |
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| Looking south over the Minigaffs where it started at 5am! |
Quick sunset picture and back down the way I had come, and cut across to the Merrick path. Clearly the path has had a bit more use this summer and is in pretty poor condition. A quick water stop and then down to the trees, which were now in darkness. Torch back out for a relatively painless descent back to the car park. Past the car and down to where it all started, Bruce’s stone!!
Watch stopped and saved then a quick march to the car to get my phone on charge (so I could call in once I got a signal) and get some food!
It was over!
There was no great emotion just a sense of relief that I had manged it safely!!
Also a quiet satisfaction that I had completed something very few people had done before. And also done something very few people would actually want to do it!
The stats –
30 summits, 15,603ft elevation
50.33miles (Jonny did it in 48, I must have taken the long route!)
16hrs, 16 mins and 32sec (probably only stopped moving for 20mins)
Saw 19 people - which is 19 more than usual!
One pair of destroyed La Sportiva Ultra raptor shoes - they were due one last outing and held together to the end. (Would highly recommend as they are the toughest and best trail shoes I have had the pleasure of owning - this pair had over a year of hard use!!)
I finished and never did the usual never again! Tempted to think that a winter round may actually be easier so I may be back. In any case i will be back in the Galloway's - some of the toughest and best training ground around!!
If anyone fancies a go I am happy to provide information and help where I can.
Alasdair Meldrum
4/9/20
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