Author Topic: Cheviots - Shill Moor and Titlington Pike.  (Read 3471 times)

mike knipe

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Cheviots - Shill Moor and Titlington Pike.
« on: 21:57:21, 14/02/08 »
All non-walking weeks should include at least one walk. So the dawg suggested that we hadn't been up the A1 recently and a trip to the South-Eastern bit of the Cheviots would catch any frisky breeze blowing off Dogger Bank and thus keep us relatively cool in these times of global warming.
So we went to the Breamish valley - sort of on the way to Wooler from Morpeth (glottal stop after the "p")  And we got lost. It was Bruno's fault, he wasn't paying due attention to the map. Actually, we didnt really get lost, we just walked up the wrong track for a mile or so. I was having some problem getting the map to match reality for some reason.
Anyway, after some retracing of steps, we managed to locate the rather vague bridleway that splodges through the heather over Rig cairn and High Cantle.
We then followed the River Breamish downstream and from Low Bleakhope farm, we climbed salters Gate and followed an ATV track to the summit of Shill Moor.
On a less desperately cold day, this would be a fine spot for snoozing and listening to skylarks as it has a comfy cover of short heather and , I expect, a large population of skylarks, meadow pipits and lapwings - at the right time of year. Nothing much up there today.
We left Shill Moor by its  North-east Ridge (lapwing heaven, I would expect - lots of tussocks) - and returned to the car via Alnhammoor farm.
Luckily, the car was still where I'd left it and the headlights were off (I'd been worrying about this a bit)
For afters, on the way home, we bagged Titlington Pike, a small but significant lump (HuMP) just on the other side of Powburn - in an access area with lots of heather and bracken. i expect it was quite a good view, but unfortunately it had gone dark by this time. 
Total of 14 miles (should have been 12!) and 2700 feet of uphill (should have been 2400).
Signs of spring: 1)daisies and dandelions flowering in Gateshead.
2) Suddenly birds are singing in woodland.
3) two [censored] red grouse having a scrap on the moors, watched by a small group of hens ("gwan 'it 'im, dave!)
4) Bruno attempted sex with my rucksack. Must have a word with him about that.
« Last Edit: 10:35:09, 08/03/08 by mike knipe »
Some kind of happiness is measured out in miles

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