Post by mick on Mar 4, 2015 5:47:53 GMT
Today I had to swallow my pride and fork out £10.00 for a parking permit even though I said hell would freeze over first .( so if you are living down there expect cold weather soon).
Thus armed with my all new parking permit I drove all the way up the College Valley (making sure I get my moneys worth!).
The plan was to park up just before the YHA at Mounthooly then walk along the Collage burn up the Red Cribs, have a break in he mountain refuse hut (if the weather was bad) then simply head along the Pennine way over Birnie Brae up to the top of the Schil, then turn off just before Black Hag and head back down to Mounthooly.
Well that was the plan, but anyone who knows me will tell you, what I set out to do and what I do are two different things.
Looking back at the YHA at Mounthooly (don’t you just luv that name)
Looking towards the head of the Collage Valley its been four years since I was last here , the floods have certainly left there calling card.
Looking back down the Collage burn
Looking up the valley, on the right the entrance to the Red Crib towards the left the entrance to the Hen Hole.
Looking back down the valley, I have gone and done what I normally do, (decided to do a little detour) no wonder no one want to walk with me.
The entrance to the Hen Hole , there is something that draws me to it , only this time I will see it from above .(if it is possible)
For any one whom care’s there are a few shots taken from inside the Gully
northumbria-walkingforum.co.uk/forum2/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=148
Starting to get a bit of height, again looking back down the valley
Side view
Looking back down the valley. The photos really don’t do this place justice
Slowly working my way up
Looking back (you can just about make out the crags on the Schil) yes I know that I am heading in the wrong direction.
Still going up. (I have come to the conclusion at this point that I really do need to lose some weight and get fitter)
Looking back down the Pennine way. It doesn’t look that steep but its slowly killing my lungs.
The Cairn’s at Auchope
At last at the top of this section
Me being stupid (note I am so knackered I can’t even stand up to do a mini brucie)
Looking over the top at one of the many small burns
Suns came out , looking back down the Pennine Way towards the mountain refuse hut & red cribs , taken at max zoom
Bit of an “arty” shot on my way down
At the hut looking towards the hen hole .(at this point I would like to say a BIG thank you to the person who decided to leave his stinking rotten socks in there , I nearly threw up whilst signing the visitors book)
I did take the socks wrap them up in a poly bag and have sent them first class to the address that was written just before my entry , if these aren’t yours please accept my apologies , but you can keep the socks , look at them as a sort of keepsake.
Moving on, red cribs
On top of Birnie Brae looking down the valley
Looking back and across towards the Hen Hole, the one thing these photos don’t show is the shear size of these hills, and the “openness”
Looking towards the summit of the Schil
Getting close to the top???
Just having one of many breather stops looking back down
The crags on the Schil, ok rant time there use to be a stile across this fence so you could “mooch” around the crags, some nameless wonder has removed it and scattered
The wood all over the place.
By this time I really am too knackered to try to climb over the barbed wire fence.
The way forward, this really is pleasant walking, nice and soft underfoot.
On my way down looking across towards the Tors (I was up there only last week)
Post always a good sign (joke) that I am not lost.
All good things come to an end, my route through this heather field, did I ever tell you how I hate walking or should I say trying to walk through heather?
Back on rough pasture as I descend towards the valley bottom and where I hope my car is.
This walk was really a bit too far for me , and the last couple of miles through the heather nearly finished me off. It was hard work ……………….But is it worth the £ 10.00 parking fee ? I have to say yes .
Thus armed with my all new parking permit I drove all the way up the College Valley (making sure I get my moneys worth!).
The plan was to park up just before the YHA at Mounthooly then walk along the Collage burn up the Red Cribs, have a break in he mountain refuse hut (if the weather was bad) then simply head along the Pennine way over Birnie Brae up to the top of the Schil, then turn off just before Black Hag and head back down to Mounthooly.
Well that was the plan, but anyone who knows me will tell you, what I set out to do and what I do are two different things.
Looking back at the YHA at Mounthooly (don’t you just luv that name)
Looking towards the head of the Collage Valley its been four years since I was last here , the floods have certainly left there calling card.
Looking back down the Collage burn
Looking up the valley, on the right the entrance to the Red Crib towards the left the entrance to the Hen Hole.
Looking back down the valley, I have gone and done what I normally do, (decided to do a little detour) no wonder no one want to walk with me.
The entrance to the Hen Hole , there is something that draws me to it , only this time I will see it from above .(if it is possible)
For any one whom care’s there are a few shots taken from inside the Gully
northumbria-walkingforum.co.uk/forum2/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=148
Starting to get a bit of height, again looking back down the valley
Side view
Looking back down the valley. The photos really don’t do this place justice
Slowly working my way up
Looking back (you can just about make out the crags on the Schil) yes I know that I am heading in the wrong direction.
Still going up. (I have come to the conclusion at this point that I really do need to lose some weight and get fitter)
Looking back down the Pennine way. It doesn’t look that steep but its slowly killing my lungs.
The Cairn’s at Auchope
At last at the top of this section
Me being stupid (note I am so knackered I can’t even stand up to do a mini brucie)
Looking over the top at one of the many small burns
Suns came out , looking back down the Pennine Way towards the mountain refuse hut & red cribs , taken at max zoom
Bit of an “arty” shot on my way down
At the hut looking towards the hen hole .(at this point I would like to say a BIG thank you to the person who decided to leave his stinking rotten socks in there , I nearly threw up whilst signing the visitors book)
I did take the socks wrap them up in a poly bag and have sent them first class to the address that was written just before my entry , if these aren’t yours please accept my apologies , but you can keep the socks , look at them as a sort of keepsake.
Moving on, red cribs
On top of Birnie Brae looking down the valley
Looking back and across towards the Hen Hole, the one thing these photos don’t show is the shear size of these hills, and the “openness”
Looking towards the summit of the Schil
Getting close to the top???
Just having one of many breather stops looking back down
The crags on the Schil, ok rant time there use to be a stile across this fence so you could “mooch” around the crags, some nameless wonder has removed it and scattered
The wood all over the place.
By this time I really am too knackered to try to climb over the barbed wire fence.
The way forward, this really is pleasant walking, nice and soft underfoot.
On my way down looking across towards the Tors (I was up there only last week)
Post always a good sign (joke) that I am not lost.
All good things come to an end, my route through this heather field, did I ever tell you how I hate walking or should I say trying to walk through heather?
Back on rough pasture as I descend towards the valley bottom and where I hope my car is.
This walk was really a bit too far for me , and the last couple of miles through the heather nearly finished me off. It was hard work ……………….But is it worth the £ 10.00 parking fee ? I have to say yes .
