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High Cup and Murton Fell

High Cup and Murton Fell


Postby andy63 » Fri Mar 17, 2017 1:40 am

Hewitts included on this walk: Murton Fell

Date walked: 15/03/2017

Distance: 13.4 km

Ascent: 700m

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First mountain of the year!
I finally got a day with a good weather forecast when I wasn't busy doing something else so I drove up to the North Pennines to bag Murton Fell via High Cup Nick. I parked in a free car park just outside Murton, at the foot of Murton Pike.

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Murton Pike from the car park


As I wanted to approach High Cup Nick from the valley, I went back through the village and across to Harbour Flatt farm. After you go through the farm yard, there's a path leading up to Middletongue Crag, which guards the entrance to High Cup Gill valley.

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Middletongue crag


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High Cup Gill


It's a steep ascent but nothing too difficult - there's a bit of a boulder field to cross, then a steep grassy slope, with a short easy scramble just as you reach the top.

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Boulders


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Back down the valley


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Final ascent


On reaching the top of High Cup Nick, I stopped to admire the views before leaving the dramatic scenery behind and heading out into the big boggy plateau of the North Pennines.

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Not far from High Cup Nick there's a hill top with two cairns on it. This is almost the highest point on the fell. Unfortunately, the true summit is about 2 metres higher, and it's nearly a mile away across some of the worst bogs you'll find anywhere.

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The ground was relatively dry on this occasion, but it was still hard work climbing up and down peat hags and trying to guess which bits of half dried mud and marshy grass would be solid enough to stand on.

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Great Dun Fell (zoomed)


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Little Fell


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Bog


Eventually I reached the top of Murton Fell - not the most exciting summit, but it's another one ticked off the list.

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Summit of Murton Fell


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View to the north


I then headed towards Murton Pike, until I found the dirt track which leads back down to where the car was parked. On the way I took a detour to climb Murton Fell's smaller but better looking neighbour.

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Murton Pike


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Murton Pike summit, looking south


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Back to the car park
andy63
 
Posts: 368
Munros:114   Corbetts:8
Fionas:13   Donalds:27+12
Sub 2000:3   Hewitts:316
Wainwrights:214   Islands:22
Joined: Jul 21, 2012
Location: Manchester

Re: High Cup and Murton Fell

Postby Noheadforheights » Tue Mar 02, 2021 6:12 pm

Really useful report, Andy, Was thinking of doing this one when lockdown ends, but am taking serious note of the comment re bogfest on Murton. Might leave it till the summer! Cheers.
Noheadforheights
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 6
Munros:19   Corbetts:4
Fionas:3   Donalds:7+0
Sub 2000:2   Hewitts:91
Wainwrights:96   Islands:17
Joined: Jan 8, 2019

Re: High Cup and Murton Fell

Postby arjh » Wed Mar 03, 2021 10:40 pm

Noheadforheights wrote:Was thinking of doing this one when lockdown ends, but am taking serious note of the comment re bogfest on Murton. Might leave it till the summer! Cheers.


I crossed from Murton Fell summit to High Cup (reverse direction from the OP) when doing a long circuit of the four Hewitts around Swarth Beck Head, and don't remember it to be particularly boggy by North Pennine standards. Having now finished the North Pennine Hewitts, I can confidently say these are the top three bogfests if you are looking to avoid:

1. Tom Smith's Stone to Black Fell - this one is infamous. I thought it couldn't possible be as bad as its reputation - it was worse. I limited the horror by crossing directly from Watch Hill to Grey Nag as part of the round so I only had to do it in one direction - it took close to an hour to go about 500m through the worst of it, thinking of that scene from the Hound of the Baskervilles the whole time...

2. Fendrith Hill to Chapelfell Top - Apparently it isn't too bad to approach Chapelfell Top from the west. I chose to approach from Swinhope Head instead, ok as far as Fendrith Hill but turning north becomes a grim struggle before improving as you near the top.

3. Burnhope Seat to Dead Stones - This is more of a warning. When I did it the 'wooden pallet highway' which bridges Sallygrain Head was actually quite fun, a bit Krypton Factor-like as you leapt between bits of the pallets that looked like they would not disintegrate. I suspect that a few years on with more footfall and exposure to the weather the pallets are in an even more desperate condition, ready to pitch you into the mire...

Sorry, you didn't really ask for all that but once I got started it all came flooding back :lol: :lol:
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arjh
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Posts: 157
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Joined: Sep 5, 2015
Location: Sussex

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