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Another Boggy Pennine Adventure

Another Boggy Pennine Adventure


Postby Christo1979 » Tue Jan 08, 2019 9:27 pm

Hewitts included on this walk: Killhope Law, The Dodd

Date walked: 05/01/2019

Time taken: 4.5

Distance: 11.9 km

Ascent: 414m

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With a free day at our disposal, it was off to Nenthead for a bit more North Pennine action. We planned to walk The Dodd, Killhope Law and Middlehope Moor, but AS EVER the mist was thick, the weather was unpredictable, and the ground was rough, so we didn't hold out much hope for making the third of those Hewitts. We parked at Killhope Cross which, at a height of 623m, meant there wasn't much climbing to be done today.

Because of the poor visibility, we decided to follow the lines of fences wherever possible, and so of we plodded up over Black Hill and then on to The Dodd. No views, nothing to write home about, but beautiful in an otherworldly way. On the way up, we crossed the rather-better waymarked Isaac's Tea Trail, and reminisced about our last walk up in these parts just a few weeks ago, when the visibility was altogether better.

ImageBoggy Proposition by Christopher Watson, on Flickr

ImageAscending The Dodd by Christopher Watson, on Flickr

ImageIsaac's Tea Trail by Christopher Watson, on Flickr

After exploring the summit of The Dodd we had to establish our bearings, and could see very little. Another victory for map and compass over JR's sturdy but sluggish phone/app combo saw us heading down into a beautiful valley and the approach to Sunnyside, here we joined the road for a while before tackling our second Hewitt.

ImagePeat Hag by Christopher Watson, on Flickr

ImageDescending towards Sunnyside by Christopher Watson, on Flickr

We went for the direct approach up to Killhope Law, hiking through deep heather and even deeper bogs, until we reached the misty and eery summit with its trigpoint, currick, fallen tree and unexpected lake. I'm finding the North Pennines make for tough walking, but there's something incredibly beautiful and serene about the summits, and we always have them to ourselves.

ImageKillhope Law by Christopher Watson, on Flickr

ImageSurprise body of water on Killhope Law by Christopher Watson, on Flickr

We decided not to push onto Middlehope Moor, and made a fairly direct descent from Killhope Law to Killhope. Some pretty treacherous bits of ground swallowed JR up on a few occasions, and we decided this was not somewhere we'd like to be after dark, head torches or not. Stopping to admire the views, I realised my axe was overkill (but hey, the book said there's snow up here almost six months of the year!) but the winter layers were greatly appreciated.

ImageDescending towards Killhope by Christopher Watson, on Flickr

ImageAxe was overkill, winter layers were not by Christopher Watson, on Flickr

From Killhope, we simply walked the road back up to Killhope Cross, just in time for the light fading and the weather taking another turn. We drove to Stanhope and settled in one of the pubs for a well-earned pint.
Christo1979
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Posts: 527
Munros:28   Corbetts:45
Fionas:40   Donalds:89+52
Sub 2000:103   Hewitts:192
Wainwrights:214   Islands:26
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Location: Gateshead

Re: Another Boggy Pennine Adventure

Postby Sgurr » Wed Jan 09, 2019 12:37 pm

One of the funniest books about The Pennine Way, is called "One Man and his Bog"..you can see why from your photos.One of the ones I liked best was"Walking Home" by Simon Armitage where he funds his walk by reading poetry at each night's stop. Probably only possible if you are as well known as he is.
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Re: Another Boggy Pennine Adventure

Postby jmarkb » Wed Jan 09, 2019 1:25 pm

Christo1979 wrote: we always have them to ourselves.


Looking at those photos, I can't imagine why! :wink: I did wonder if the ice axe was for extracting yourself from particularly deep peat hags. Reminded me of doing Black Hill in the Peak District in the days before the paving slab path - definitely a once-only experience!
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Re: Another Boggy Pennine Adventure

Postby Christo1979 » Wed Jan 09, 2019 11:57 pm

Sgurr wrote:One of the funniest books about The Pennine Way, is called "One Man and his Bog"..you can see why from your photos.One of the ones I liked best was"Walking Home" by Simon Armitage where he funds his walk by reading poetry at each night's stop. Probably only possible if you are as well known as he is.


I could perhaps find a piano and give a Liszt recital at each stop, but I suspect it wouldn’t go down quite as well.
Christo1979
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Posts: 527
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Location: Gateshead

Re: Another Boggy Pennine Adventure

Postby Christo1979 » Wed Jan 09, 2019 11:59 pm

jmarkb wrote:
Christo1979 wrote: we always have them to ourselves.


Looking at those photos, I can't imagine why! :wink: I did wonder if the ice axe was for extracting yourself from particularly deep peat hags. Reminded me of doing Black Hill in the Peak District in the days before the paving slab path - definitely a once-only experience!



Ha ha, I see your point. “Never a-bloody-gain” was my mate’s only comment as we hacked our way up the moor.
Christo1979
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Posts: 527
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Location: Gateshead

Re: Another Boggy Pennine Adventure

Postby treehugger » Sat Jan 12, 2019 11:48 am

Talk about hardcore bogging! I had all on to work out where this was...........well had to zoom out on the map, anyway. :crazy:
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Re: Another Boggy Pennine Adventure

Postby Christo1979 » Sun Jan 13, 2019 1:43 pm

treehugger wrote:Talk about hardcore bogging! I had all on to work out where this was...........well had to zoom out on the map, anyway. :crazy:



Ha ha, I admit I'm becoming quite the bog-walker :lol: I look at photos from many other people's walks with envy, because as soon as my boots go on I seem to attract clag and bog!
Christo1979
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Posts: 527
Munros:28   Corbetts:45
Fionas:40   Donalds:89+52
Sub 2000:103   Hewitts:192
Wainwrights:214   Islands:26
Joined: Oct 21, 2017
Location: Gateshead

Re: Another Boggy Pennine Adventure

Postby trailmasher » Sun Jan 13, 2019 4:40 pm

Commiserations on both missing out on Middlehope and the crap weather conditions :( :? I did the round in late winter with perfect weather and half decent ground conditions due to stiff ground 'cause it was cold. Well done on grabbing another two Hewitt's and producing a good report :clap: :clap:
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