D'Ye Ken Wee Torry? Traditional Geocache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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This cache is to celebrate the silver jubilee of Kenny Cook winning the Alva Hill Race.
The race takes place during the 'Famous Alva Games' on the 2nd Saturday in July. Kenny was a local Alva runner who won in 19 mins 30 secs on 12th July 1986. As at the time of setting up the cache, the race record is held by another Kenny, Kenny Stuart of Threlkeld, with 18 mins 39 secs in 1981. He also still holds the records for Ben Nevis (1984), Skiddaw (1984) and Snowdon (1985), as well as many others.
The runners start in Alva's Johnstone Park, execute a dogleg to the west to avoid the golf course & then climb straight up to the top of Wee Torry before hurling themselves back down the 385m again. Near the top is a congratulatory plaque to Kenny Cook from the Royal Marine Commandos. "When the going gets tough the tough get going".
The route suggested here is easier - we didn't say 'easy'.
Please wear appropriate footwear & carry some water. Much of the ascent is on steep grass & blaeberry (yummy) so some folk might find walking poles helpful. Dogs should be kept on a lead because of sheep.
Park at the Alva Glen car park (just above the golf club car park). Take the small path which leads to a metal stile, cross this then take the righthand path uphill to a gate (WT1) above & to the east of the golf course. More uphill leads to a grassy track running above Alva Glen. After a while you can see up to your left to an obvious gully running up the hill - it divides Wee Torry from Big Torry. You could make straight for it, but there's lots of bracken, so we prefer to carry on along the path (WT2) then climb up on grass, needing to negotiate very little bracken. We have included an optional waypoint of a boulder (WT3) to help you. In summer you will hear & see whinchats on top of the foxgloves. Then steeply up until you can traverse to the mouth of the gully (WT4).
Now it's straightforward - just climb up the gully. In season there are yellow rockroses on the rocks (where else?) At the top turn left to find the plaque to Kenny Cook (WT5) & view the runners' route from the park, way beneath you.
The rounded outcrops you have passed & also those you stand on now are volcanic agglomerate - fragments of rock of different sizes cemented together by ash. This rock was formed when the volcanoes exploded. Above you are small angular cliffs of a different rock - fine-grained lava full of holes where gas was trapped as it solidified.
The cache is a little away from the plaque at the small lava cliff. It is a lok 'n lok with logbook, pen & a few swaps.
We should mention another route onto Torry - it leads straight up from the gate at N 56 09.884 W 003 47.963 onto the hill from the Alva Glen path near the Smugglers' Cave. It goes up a different gully &, although it is used, we don't recommend it as it has unavoidable loose scree.
Once again congratulations to Scottiedogz on FTF. Didn't even wait for a dry evening - keen or what?
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