Finally activated the closest summit to home ( 10 miles ) and the legs are still aching. My watch informs me it was moderate exercise, and although this completely pales into insignificance relative to Swiss Challenges it was quite tough for a little English hill.
The challenge starts with arranging access - and my first attempt in March was frustrated by illness so today ( 12th July ) was a replacement date. Gaining access involves a few emails which allow them to grant an access permit. There are only two permissable routes - North crossing Maize Beck (Which may be a bit brave in March) or a longer detour or South from the County Boundary on the Brough Middleton Road. So Sunday morning set off with my daughter to do the hill.
It is not a massive walk, but is damp / wet underfoot with almost no path. On the odd occasion that there is a path it tends to disappear into a bog. ( It can’t be too wet as I still had one dry foot at the end )
There are a couple of simple bridges on the Durham side of the fence making it a bit easier.
As my local summit I’m afraid it is unlikely to get activated as often as The Cloud…but it did have one advantage only saw 5 other walkers all day and setting the antenna up on the summit didn’t cause any problems with onlookers…
My watch did inform me it was 12.5 Km and 512m of climbing - as there is quite a lot of going up then down again. I’m not rushing to apply for another permit yet!
Q) Are there any other English summits that are equally tricky ( Combination of access, lack of a path, wet??? )
Thanks to all the chasers
PS This particular summit is a bit like a bus - no activations in nearly two years and then two in a week!
I’ve recently got all the MOD info on gaining access to that Mickle Fell. so thanks for the information. I might just wear wellingtons if its that wet.
Glad you got there; it took me two visits to qualify, but I had to go a second time as Vicki, M6BWA, was confined to base with a broken collar bone on the date of our first permit. I met no-one and saw only 2 others.
I think that Sighty Crag is a good deal harder going than Mickle Fell and remains the least activated hill in England.
73,
Rod
I have never walked outside my garden in wellies but suggest they might be sucked off your feet if (when) you go deep into the bog. I have come close to losing well laced boots .
73,
Rod
I have Aiguiles wellingtons. They have excellent footbeds, excellent grip and fit like a shoe/boot, cost slightly less than a reasonable boot (ÂŁ70 ish?) and last quite a few years too. (I do of course have several mountain boots & other walking boots).
For some reason Vicki is very difficult to extract when she does go in deep; her legs do not like being stretched (I blame cycling without wearing toe-clips ).
Rod - I learned the hard way. As a boy I stood in some really, really soft deep mud. My wellingtons came off. and by the time I got them out of the mud I couldn’t put them back on they so full of it. I had to walk the mile or so home in my red & white wellington socks!!
Thanks for the replies. I wouldn’t do it in wellies - but I have rubbish wellies! Rod - I have Slightly Crag in my targets but think that I might need to do some work on the anvil to make it a bit easier!
).