Author Topic: Heads up-path closed in swaledale  (Read 2426 times)

pleb

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Heads up-path closed in swaledale
« on: 10:36:25, 11/09/20 »
From yesyerdays walk, found path in swaledale is closed, looks permanent, its fallen into ravine, unsafe, fenced off.
Whinging Moaning Old Fart

ninthace

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Re: Heads up-path closed in swaledale
« Reply #1 on: 13:07:24, 11/09/20 »
Unsurprising - they had a fairly major storm in the area that caused extensive damage.  Which bit is swept away?
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pleb

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Re: Heads up-path closed in swaledale
« Reply #2 on: 16:12:11, 11/09/20 »
At work at the moment so no map to hand but near the top. Of slei gill, I had to go cross country to get round. To me it looks closed forever. But it's access land.
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ninthace

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Re: Heads up-path closed in swaledale
« Reply #3 on: 16:25:05, 11/09/20 »
At work at the moment so no map to hand but near the top. Of slei gill, I had to go cross country to get round. To me it looks closed forever. But it's access land.
I know the area, it always was a tricky crossing.  There should be a detour if you go left at Booze and cross much higher up as in: https://osmaps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/route/1911453/150515-Hurst-Moor.
I presume you were following the first part of https://osmaps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/route/1914587/130207-Arkengarthdale-Fremington-Edge-and-Calver-Hill
Solvitur Ambulando

pleb

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Re: Heads up-path closed in swaledale
« Reply #4 on: 18:14:36, 11/09/20 »
Was following walk from my fifty walks in the dales book, eight miles in two halves East and west of langthwaite, but only did first half, had enough with scrambling and headache. Langthwaite to booze to slei gill to hut, left, down past scar house to the bottom. There was a couple ahead of me but I didn't see how they got past, maybe they just walked up the shallow stream bed? There's nowhere close for a path.... Interesting conundrum.
Whinging Moaning Old Fart

Eyelet

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Re: Heads up-path closed in swaledale
« Reply #5 on: 11:43:47, 12/09/20 »

Good pictures O0  They reminded me of my walk up Slei Gill last November from just above the ford near Storthwaite Hall up the path to the disused level and NW to join the bridleway and did see a couple beck bottoming lower down. The flood had caused some easily avoidable undermining/removal of the path beside the stream in a few places and there was one section where hands were definitely needed to climb up a rock step on the left close to the stream beside the waterfall but otherwise was okay, but perhaps it has got worse since then?

whitehorse

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Re: Heads up-path closed in swaledale
« Reply #6 on: 23:13:17, 17/10/20 »
Hello!


I did this walk a few weeks ago. I was staying nearby but wasn't feeling well so just wanted to do a short walk (don't worry I wasn't out spreading covid!)


I walked from Langthwaite to Booze then to Sleigill House then planned to return to Langthwaite by taking that lower level path back from Sleigill House. I saw the signs that the path was closed but ignored them (I thought I could always turn back if something was impassable or dangerous and the NPA were probably just covering themselves liability wise)


All that I could see was that the path was undermined in places so I kept hard to one side away from those bits. And possibly things looked a bit unstable above  in places. I probably would have turned back if there had been a recent spell of heavy rain but it was during a dry spell and chances of anything giving away there and then were pretty remote. No different from walking on coastal paths.


I maybe shouldn't be confessing to ignoring footpath closures, but there you are- it's passable but at your own risk but I'd probably avoid when the ground is sodden.


Fascinating area- loved all the old packhorse tracks that zig zag around, you can almost see the miners and the pack ponies tramping them year in year out. It's one of these old tracks that you follow down to the valley bottom.


Also the flood damage is pretty spectacular in what the power of water can do- the valley bottom is completely scoured out. I walked there in around 2006 and need to dig out the photos for a comparison.




whitehorse

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Re: Heads up-path closed in swaledale
« Reply #7 on: 23:18:27, 17/10/20 »
ps....just to clarify, I stayed on the path on the booze side of the gill, so I don't know what the crossing over to Storthwaite Hall was like. I assume the bridlepath route would be ok though, since I think this is the access track for the house?

 

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