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North Pennines Skyline Pathless Hill bag two dayer

North Pennines Skyline Pathless Hill bag two dayer


Postby staton75 » Sun Jul 18, 2021 3:26 pm

Hewitts included on this walk: Burnhope Seat, Dead Stones, Great Stony Hill, Killhope Law, Middlehope Moor, Three Pikes

Date walked: 17/07/2021

Time taken: 23

Distance: 42 km

Ascent: 1543m

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What's the best way to knock off several Hewitts in the North Pennines? Why, link them together in a two day 21.5 mile walk of course. It ended up being slightly more distance than that (thanks a lot dehydrated brain). Great weather, visibility, very hot, very pathless, very tussocky, very heathery, very thirsty. Definitely a walk for the summer months. If the ground had been wet it would have been no fun at all. In fact,an ordeal.

Day One: Parked at Killhope Cross and headed up Slate Hill and Killhope Moor. Plenty of peat hags. No paths. Fortunately the hot June and July meant the peat was very dry and relatively easy to move across. Just over a mile to Killhope Law with no paths. From the summit there was a PATH (!) the grouse shooting cabin is a few hundred metres down and from there followed the grouse track to the bridleway taking any chance to walk on something other than heather. Westend Moor and Stangend Rigg (no paths) down to the B6295. Up to Middlehope Moor, Wolfcleugh Common trig and Black Hill. It turns out my legs are fairly allergic to heather or grass or both. Very itchy. There is an easy track down to Wearhead and Ireshopburn. From there, good track heading towards Noon Hill. Once that ends though its back to the grass and heather. A short out and back to Three Pikes. I expect this is normally a bog fest most of the year but today mostly dry. By now badly in need of a drink. High Field Tarn on Great Stony Fell is not far away. The terrain is easier over Causeway Hill and up to Great Stony. Plenty of interesting mining remains and a few places to pitch a tent, which i did. Quite breezy but not cold. I conked out early to allow an early start the next day. 16 miles done on day one. Just over 6 miles to go on day two.

Day two: After getting thoroughly fed up of the pathless terrain on day one, the terrain on day two was much easier or perhaps I was just use it. Either way, I made good time to Scaud Hill and Harwood Common up to Burnhope Seat trig. A short diversion to the true summit was okay but it was boggy in places and would have been much tougher/wetter other times of the year. As I was so close, nipped out to Yad Moss (why?! is this a thing?! to bag?!). On to Dead Stones (great name). Crossed over lots of peat hags but fairly dry and easy to divert around the small amounts of bog. After investigating the ramshackle shooting cabin I made a booboo and wandered the wrong way down to Lamb's Head. Groan. 1km out and 1km back.Once back on route, it was quick work up to Nag's Head and Knoutberry Hill. Again, in wetter times this would be tougher but i think the path is noticeably easier than day one. From Knoutberry the car is in sight where I rehydrate find I have more blisters than expected!
Attachments
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Dead Stones with shooting cabin
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A sea of hags
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The bog finally got me!
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Burnhope Seat
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Bogs still lurketh for the unwary
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Nice place to camp
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Mine remains on Great Stony
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Great Stony Fell summit
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Mine or quarry working on Ireshope Plains. Possible for a cable car?
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The effect of heather on my legs
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Pathless heather from Killhope Law to the B6295
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Killhope Law
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Peat glorious peat
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Parking spot at Killhope Cross

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staton75
Mountaineer
 
Posts: 8
Munros:11   Corbetts:2
Donalds:4
Hewitts:285
Wainwrights:214   
Joined: Jan 16, 2012

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