Last month’s walk: The Cheviots. Sourhope-The Schil-Kirk Yetholm.
Walkers: Alan, Graham, Rob, Inness and David
Well BEMAC is now well and truly resurrected. We had the first walk on Sunday 17th February in the Cheviots. The weather was cold, dry and sunny and we all enjoyed a wander over these very under valued hills. There were a couple of late call offs due to injury so five of us met at Kirk Yetholm at 09.30am. The first decision was to drive a mile or so further over to the small parking area where the path joins the road at the end of the walk. It wasn’t to save distance but was more to do with that last climb up the road being a killer when your eyes have already told your legs that they are nearly back to the car and they have switched themselves off.
Disaster struck when we were emptying rucksacks out of Inness’s car into David’s car for the drive round to the start of the walk at Sourhope. Inness was having a snack and left a bit of fruit in the wrong place and squashed it when he put the boot lid down on it. All credit to him though for managing to complete the walk despite squashing his Banana.
We drove round to Sourhope and the public toilet came into play as all the water in it was frozen solid. Yes, even the water in the toilets themselves, so whatever was done in them probably won’t sink into oblivion until the temperature rises enough to melt the ice, about April I should think. (Possibly tmi?)
We set out up the path at 10.00am and made it to the hut and the first rest stop of the day at 11.00am. We met another chap there who was going up Cheviot to look for the crashed aeroplanes and blethered to him for a while. We had a bite to eat then moved on towards the main target of the day, The Schil. The good thing about it being so cold was all the muddy, boggy bits were frozen solid and we could walk over them, a good bonus for the Cheviots.
The Schil was conquered at 12.30ish so we had a sit down beside one of the rocky Torrs that mark the summit and had some lunch. As it was a beautiful day there were quite a lot of people going about and we passed quite a few groups as we dropped down the other side of the hill and on to the place where the path splits. We were on the final section of the Pennine Way and although the main route continued over some high ups and downs there was an alternative route that dropped down to the valley floor and a lower level walk back to Kirk Yetholm. We opted for the low route and made it back to the cars at 2.30 ish. We all managed to squeeze into Innesse’s car and drove back round to Sourhope to pick up David’s car again and that was the end of BEMAC’s first walk of 2008. As far as I know we all enjoyed it. In the 4 ½ hours of the walk just about every joke that we knew was repeated for the umpteenth time and we all had a good laugh. 2 minus points at the end though, Inness unfortunately lost his camera and Myra and Jimmy came over to Kirk Yetholm to meet us, but unfortunately we missed them. Roll on the next one.
This month’s walk:
Sunday 16th March - Time for a Munro don’t you think. How about Beinn Heasgarnich. (Landranger no 51. Loch Tay Map) Starting point at Kecknock GR466364. Reasons for this one are: The walk starts at 250m if we have to walk from Kecknock but 500m if we can drive up the road that links Glen Lochay to Glen Lyon. The Munro book says that driving up to the high point on this road is allowed if the gates are open, if not we just have to walk a wee bit further. So perhaps an easyish start for unfit legs. Also we only have to drive to Killin. I would guess that the traditional 6.00am start will be required to start walking at 9.30am or so.
I know that it’s difficult to commit yourself too far ahead but in order to organise cars please contact me to book your place by Thursday 13th March at the latest
Other stuff:
I seem to have become the self appointed organiser or whatever. Please all feel free to chip in with anything that you feel is relevant to taking the club forward. Particularly where you want to go for the monthly walks or what mountains you want to climb. I will make up a programme for the first few months but nothing is set in stone so please weigh in with any comments or suggestions. If you are all happy though I will carry on regardless.
At the time of writing there are 14 members and I have enclosed a contact list on a separate sheet as I assume that you don’t all want names, addresses and phone numbers on the website.
BEMAC as a club is still properly constituted, so should we once again become affiliated to the MC of S. What are the benefits other than access to club huts? (A good enough reason in itself). Also, Duncan had indicated that he is prepared to continue in the role of treasurer and that we have a little over £100.00 in a bank account.
The website is now up and running www.bemac.org Anybody who wants walk photos posted please either e mail them to me or send prints and I will scan them.
Perhaps different people might like to write the walk report from time to time to get a different perspective on things.
Alan
Finally, a wee bit from Graham:
Many years ago when BEMAC was young, the idea of a club motto came up and at the time we all liked John Carey's somewhat humorous idea, "Kick 'em in the Stanes". It was felt that it's not the sort of motto one would have on paper, badge, (& now website) so we always planned to get it translated into the Gaelic to disguise it. It never got done, so recently I asked Marietta Fenty who is a fluent Gaelic speaker to do it for us. She has got back to me and said it won't really translate, and if done just literally, sounds daft. The Gaelic doesn't have the double meanings English has! Her suggestion is that we find a really nice one which reflects the many and beautiful places we get to (or have got to) and then she will translate it into 'the language of the Garden of Eden' as she calls it, for us.
So...over to you! Can you think of a suitable motto? Yes...it's another BEMAC competition!
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