Galloway, Scotland. June 2000
The weather always has
a good laugh when Ian "Axeman" Mason arranges a Meths meet in the
Galloway Hills. The latest gathering was no exception.
Four people pitched up
on the Wednesday, which was not too bad a day. You could actually see the
hills. They were Dave "Lord of the Big Ruo" and Judy Harrison and
Eric "Polevault" and Val Scott. Plans were made in the pub for the
following day based on rain in the morning and clearing in the afternoon. It
was decided to try the Cairnsmore from the Big Water of Fleet Viaduct via Loch
Grannoch Lodge, the outer leg being on forest roads.
The next morning it
was slinging it down and the wind was such to make the use of an umbrella a
hazardous undertaking. The party set off in this and had lunch jammed together
like sardines in the woodshed at the lodge. As the promised let up showed no
signs of appearing, it was decided to jack it in. The walk back in the downpour
was a somewhat dodgy and mud spattered affair avoiding 60-odd rally cars
recce-ing for the South of Scotland Rally. The party then repaired to enjoy the
fleshpots of Gatehouse of Fleet and Kirkcudbright, and just to make the day
more interesting for Polevault the exhaust fell off his car. (He always thought
he was a big noise).
Stuart
"Lightning" Halliday very sensibly avoided this and made his debut to
enjoy the food and the booze at Axeman's that evening.
The forecast for
Friday was not brilliant even taking the best of five contradicting opinions.
However, it was resolved to do the Merrick (2,764ft/843m) come hell or high
water, high water being the operative word.
So it was that the
next morning saw the party at Bruce's Stone named after Robert the Bruce and
not Robert the Mason or Bruce the Martin. As it was not actually raining the
party set of in high sprits (supplied by Axeman?). White water was coursing
down the Buchan and Gairland Burns so it was decided not to tackle Dungeon Hill
and Craignaw (2,115ft/645m). One hour and ten minutes later the rain came down
with a vengeance, having waited until the party were well away from the cars
and civilisation. The summit was reached an hour later and lunch was partaken.
The leader (Axeman) nobly volunteered to stay on the summit to guard the
rucksacks from the unwelcome attentions of killer sheep or other visitors and
dispatched the rest to bag Little Spear (2,577ft). Thus three peaks could be
claimed, the other being Benyellary (2,360ft) taken in on the way up.
Polevault muttered
something about 'Done it, seen it', so it was decided to go down via the five
lochs. The journey back was 'something else' as they say in Jamaica and best
forgotten. The writer has experienced various conditions in the Galloway Hills
but never before what was encountered, namely liquid mud everywhere submerged
under a foot of water.
Then to crown it all,
when 250 yards from the road and safety Lightning slipped in the mud and broke
his ankle. He got himself to the car an extremely gallant and painful effort
partly helped by Mrs Polevault and her nursing skills. At the car he was
administered first aid in the shape of a can of McEwan's Export kindly donated
by Axeman. He later saw a doctor and decided that their treatment could wait
until the morning and continued with the thirst aid in the pub for the
remainder of the evening.
Despite everything
people said they enjoyed the meet which does prove one thing: 'There is nowt so
queer as folk.' Ian "Mad Axeman" Mason
©
WDYFO, 2000