Author Topic: [Trip report] Kielderhead Fell  (Read 2954 times)

mike knipe

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[Trip report] Kielderhead Fell
« on: 20:54:25, 16/01/08 »
Travellers on the Pennine Way might just remember passing through Blakehopeburnhaugh. There's not much there, so they might not. There's a car park, a toll barrier for a forest drive (closed for the winter) and some toilets (closed for the winter).
My target for today was Wool Meath, a Dewey roughly halfway between Blakehope...etc etc (why use three syllables when six will do?) ...and Kielder village - about six miles from either, in fact.
So, its a long march from Blakehop....blah blah to Blakehope Nick, which is at the highest point of the road - about 6 miles which has to be repeated on the way back..
The top lies about 1500 metres NNW from this point - over the Kielderhead SSI.  At first glance, the area seems to be a desert of heather. Then I noticed large patches of Bog Asphodel - so I wonder if its an SSI due to wild flowers? It doesnt seem to be grazed and there's no evidence of grouse shooting, so what remains is, to put it bluntly, rough.
I followed a fence for a while and noticed that the top was 1km away on a bearing from a distinctive bend on the fence.
I followed a beck which pointed in the right direction and , after a struggle with deep heather and semi-frozen peat hags,  I managed to get myself up onto the summit area (no cairn) - and back down to the road about 90 minutes later. The place is unremarkable except for some hazy views over to the Border ridge.
Then  it was a long, slightly slower march back to the  car. I wa spassed by a white van, an FC ranger and a FWD with  two lassies and umpteen dogs. Everybody waved cheerfully.
13 Miles, and one tick (kerching by the way) There are easier ticks than this one.
Good weather today, though - nice and sunny, and quite warm as there was no wind. The peat is frozen just under the surface, though, which makes it very slippery.
pS The bog asphodel is dead - just last year's seed heads -  so it seems OK to walk through it, and its open access anyway.  In summer, it will be carpets of yellow flowers.
« Last Edit: 12:09:03, 08/03/08 by mike knipe »
Some kind of happiness is measured out in miles

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