Banchory Veterans' Hill-walkers

Two match reports from Sunday. First me: Returning to the scene of the crime, I headed back to the Mount Lofty area at dawn yesterday morning (Sunday) - this time with the express view of hiking to the top, unlike the last time when I got lost on a short wander round the foothills. My companions were my very pregnant daughter Kelly and her partner Chris, both of them gym freaks. We were up and down the mountain before the heat of the day. It took us 2 hours 23 minutes with total climbing of 505 metres, and a peak elevation of 712 metres. The distance covered was 9 kms ( http://www.mapmywalk.com/workout/1354029475 ). Here's Kelly and I at the observation deck at the top, with the city of Adelaide behind us, and beyond, the seas of the Great Australian Bight which lead to the Antarctic Ocean: Meanwhile, back home in Deeside, Gordon was our star reporter: " 5 walkers – Ken / Gordon / Stewart / Colin / Ian Sharp and two dogs headed to straight o the Quarry Car P...

Jeb and Ian dipped out of the cycling trip on Monday but instead opted for a Hill of Fare Walk, described here by Ian: " In the absence of cycling suggestions  today ( due to ice ? ) A man & his dog ( Jeb & Sky ) along with late comer Ian Sharp went walking up Echt end of Hill if Fare . Jeb had a route in mind - a long loop around the East end of the hill . Quite a steep climb upward followed by an flatter section to the Cairn /  viewpoint ( see photos ) - where we took in the lovely views toward the sunny & snow covered hill tops around us . A long loop round to a steep decent ( Jeb suggested potential cycle route - Red Card ) back to the cars . The only incident was when Sky decided to give chase towards 3 golden labs - but all ended in some play only & no fights ! 1 hour 45 mins walking . " The photos: Our leader, meanwhile, opted to go ski-ing!

From Ken: " Well, our little stroll up Peter Hill was tame compared to these Aussie walks!  We benefited from there being only one path up and returned the same way (note that one Ian).  Ken, Ian Sh, Colin, John and Jeb assembled at Finzean car park (thats Finzean car park Jeb, not the guide hut) and drove another mile along the road to the sawmill.  We took the landrover track across the Feugh and headed up onto the grouse moorland, eventually topping out at the cairn on the top of Peter Hill.  Views were good with Bennachie to the north and a very snowy Mount Keen and Morvern to the west. It was balmy down by the Feugh in the intermittent sunshine and baltic on top in a biting wind.  The grim-faced souls on the top in the pic are the ones without any tomato soup - that should be a lesson to us all. Two and a half hours round trip at the cracking pace set by Colin with his bionic joint. A quick bite to eat at the busy Finzean farmshop and for me a gentle stro...

Almost accidentally, I got another hill-walk in this morning. Jo and I drove over to Mount Lofty and the Cleland Conservation Park. We had planned to have lunch at Utopia , a nice restaurant at the foot of the first falls, but we arrived a little early, so I booked a table for 1:30 pm and we took a short stroll up the trail to the second falls. At this point, Jo reckoned the trail was getting too steep for her - and it was very hot - so she waited there whilst I explored a little higher up and further on. I got to a viewpoint at Eagle on the Hill then decided to take one of the other trails back, rather than just re-trace my steps. Therein began my troubles - the trails were all named but I didn't have a trail map and went the wrong way on what I thought was a trail that would safely take me back to Jo and the restaurant in plenty of time for our lunch booking. I walked and walked, never seeing another soul and the trails were becoming hikes, and I was only wearing flip-flop...