Author Topic: TR 4 nighter in The Cheviots Sep 16, Day 1 and 2  (Read 1990 times)

April

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I'm going to do this as a proper TR. It was wonderful for me to revisit the Cheviots last year and I loved showing beefy where I used to walk a lot when I lived in the north east.

Day 1 Wooler - Wooler Common - Humbleton Hill - Gledscleugh - White Law - Yeavering Bell.11.5km with 699m ascent. Walking time about 4 hours 30 minutes.

We got the bus to Wooler (well it was 3 different buses to get there). We'd left home at 7.20am and got off the third bus in Wooler at 1.30pm. It was sunny and bright with light winds. Perfect.

We were heading to Yeavering Bell to pitch our tent for the night taking in some hill forts on the way. Humbleton Hill was the first. What was a bit disconcerting was that I couldn't remember much about the routes. I had walked here several times but had no memory of most of it. I recognised a few things like the car park at Wooler Common but not the way to Humbleton Hill. It is over ten years or more since I visited the Cheviots but I had expected to remember the paths and routes without too much map reading!

Humbleton Hill


Hedgehope Hill and The Cheviot are the highest tops


It was hard work on the ascent; our packs were heavier than normal, carrying the extra food for four days. We were out in the hills for all that time and nowhere to get supplies.

The view west from Humbleton Hill, Yeavering Bell is right at the back just peeping over Akeld Hill


beefy on the way down Humbleton Hill. Monday Cleugh is the chasm in the middle


Looking down to Gledscleugh and Akeld Hill


We got some water from the Akeld Burn and ate some blackberries.

Yeavering Bell from White Law


It still looked a long way to go. We were feeling the strain of carrying 4 days food. The wind had started making its presence felt.

On White Law looking to The Cheviot


It was very windy up here. We had a bit of a rest here and had a banana break. We dropped down from White Law and collected some water from the burn near the fence. We had to descend a bit to get some clearer water; it was black sludge at its source. It was a hard slog up the slope carrying the extra 3kg each.

The Drift on Yeavering Bell


It was 6.45 by the time we got the tent up, made more difficult by the wind and it was cold. We watched the sunset first, no time for tea just yet.

The best shot of the sunset


I took these from inside the tent it was too cold to stand outside in the wind

The cloud didn't want to be left out so it put on a bit of a show too


We had some food and we got into our bags and had some wine listening to the tent being battered by the wind. This was supposed to be the night of the least strong wind so we wondered what was to come over the next few days.


TR Day 2 of a 4 nighter in the Cheviots Sep 16

Day 2  Yeavering Bell - Torlee House - Hethpool - Elsdonburn - Eccles Cairn - Whitelaw Nick - White Law - Black Hag - Mounthooly - pitch in the College Valley.20km with 815m of ascent. About 6hrs 45 minutes walking time

Sunrise from Yeavering Bell


We hadn't had a great nights sleep, the wind battering the tent had kept waking us up. Never mind we had a sun rise to look at and the promise of another sunny day. Shame it was so windy.

The descent of Yeavering Bell looking toward Easter Tor


After our breakfast we packed away our stuff and began our walk. We were hoping to pitch on The Schil, a hill on the Border ridge but with it being at 601m we thought it would be too windy up there so we were thinking of other options on the way

beefy on the way to Hethpool


Hethpool


I remembered Hethpool very well, I think I must have been here six times at least. We stopped for some lunch as we got closer to Elsdonburn

On the way to Scaldhill Shank


I remembered this bit of the path too and I remembered the route ended up going through trees

Into the woods we go


Fungi aplenty in the trees


Near Eccles Cairn and The Pennine Way is ahead


Like yesterday I struggled to remember the terrain, I had been here a few times but I just couldn't recognise any of it

On White Law looking into Scotland


When we went over the wall at Whitelaw Nick we were on Scottish ground

TB on the way to Steer Rigg and Black Hag


We stopped for a banana break on the way up Steer Rigg. We were hoping we would find some shelter behind a wall on Black Hag so we could pitch but it was a fence and offered no protection

The Schil ahead from Black Hag


The wind had continued to blow really strongly all day and at the foot of the Schil we made the disappointing decision to drop down into the valley to pitch the tent. The wall at the col didn't offer much protection and the wind was forecast to get stronger overnight. It would mean we would probably have to re think our planned route for tomorrow over Windy Gyle.

The descent to the valley and Mounthooly was a horrendous wet bog and overgrown jungle, a Karl route if ever there was one. We both said we wouldn't be going back up it next day to get onto The Schil

A surprisingly flat pitch


We'd walked up the valley looking for a pitch that was out of the wind, dry and flat. beefy takes all the credit for finding this spot, he trampled some bracken and we pitched the tent. The water source was close by as well.

The view northward down the College Valley


We took a few pics and then we had some food and rested our legs it had been a hard day. We didn't get a sunset view it was too cloudy. We had some Spirit of Louisiana and lime and thought about what route we would do next day...
Day 3 and 4 to follow
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beefy

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« Last Edit: 13:48:26, 31/05/17 by beefy »
Leave only footprints, take only photographs, kill only time ...

karl h

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Re: TR 4 nighter in The Cheviots Sep 16, Day 1 and 2
« Reply #2 on: 16:38:49, 31/05/17 »
Thanks for the tr and great pics April.. O0
Looks like a wild and remote part of the world


It's strange how you are struggling to remember the paths, it's not as though you are a drinker and knocking on a bit......oh wait a minute :D

Dovegirl

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Re: TR 4 nighter in The Cheviots Sep 16, Day 1 and 2
« Reply #3 on: 22:11:54, 31/05/17 »
Great TR and lovely photos April    :)    Interesting to see the Cheviots. Looks a beautiful landscape of rolling hills

Enjoyed the videos beefy    :)

beefy

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Re: TR 4 nighter in The Cheviots Sep 16, Day 1 and 2
« Reply #4 on: 12:27:27, 01/06/17 »
It's strange how you are struggling to remember the paths, it's not as though you are a drinker and knocking on a bit......oh wait a minute :D
;D ;D ;D


Great TR and lovely photos April    :)    Interesting to see the Cheviots. Looks a beautiful landscape of rolling hills

Enjoyed the videos beefy    :)
thanks Dovegirl,  8)
Leave only footprints, take only photographs, kill only time ...

April

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Re: TR 4 nighter in The Cheviots Sep 16, Day 1 and 2
« Reply #5 on: 13:04:16, 01/06/17 »
It's strange how you are struggling to remember the paths, it's not as though you are a drinker and knocking on a bit......oh wait a minute :D

 ;D I remembered half of it? Perhaps I need to drink more  :D

Great vids beefy  :)

Thanks Dovegirl it is a great place to walk and get away from it all  :)
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adalard

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Re: TR 4 nighter in The Cheviots Sep 16, Day 1 and 2
« Reply #6 on: 10:30:46, 02/06/17 »
Excellent TR, April - what a beautiful landscape! I loved the pictures of the sunset/sunrise especially, and the play of light and shadow on the hills in the photo of the fence line walk to Steer Rigg and Black Hag, but they're all great.  O0 :)

April

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Re: TR 4 nighter in The Cheviots Sep 16, Day 1 and 2
« Reply #7 on: 13:36:02, 02/06/17 »
Thanks adalard  :)
Hate will never win

cpjmathieson

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Re: TR 4 nighter in The Cheviots Sep 16, Day 1 and 2
« Reply #8 on: 05:58:11, 20/06/17 »
I hate reading Trip reports like this! Im off to work and would rather be off to the hills. Great Pics and report, I'll catch up with the other days later. Will have to try and walk there soon  O0

 

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