There was one activity I was most looking forward to doing as part of the 30 Days Wild Challenge and it was this one, walking in a place of Outstanding Natural Beauty. I had chosen to come up to Dufton in Westmorland to walk in a place I'd fallen in love with back in 2007 after visiting for the first time.
High Cup Nick is one of Northern Englands geological wonders, a class U-Shaped glaciated valley high on the western flanks of the North Pennines. A deep chasm on the Pennine fellside, this famous nick is part of the well-known Whin Sill. From here you can see the grey-blue dolerite crags which also form High Force and Cauldron Snout.
a photo from todays walk
My first introduction to High Cup Nick was when I ran the first ever High Cup Fell Race in 2007 on a grey drizzly afternoon in March. Since then I've ran that race three more times and each time I'm always in awe of the sight that greets me as I enter the valley on the long run to the start of the climb up to the head.
Me running in the
High Cup Nick Fell Race 2010
I stopped to take many photos that day too!
And so I take you with me on a picture journey as me and my eldest Daughter visit Dufton to have a walk out and back to High Cup Nick.
We'd both camped out the night before in our back garden and rain during the night along with a leaky tent meant we ended up damp most of the night and didn't have the best of sleep but at least we'd gone wild for the night.
The weather report for the day wasn't too good and rain was forecast for most of the day and I was left wondering whether I'd get up to Dufton. By ten o'clock I was checking the weather report again and it had given clear weather in Westmorland after one o'clock so we packed our rucksacks and head off up the motorway.
All the way north from Merseyside it rained heavy but coming off at Tebay the skies cleared and the sun came out. We arrived in Dufton just before one o'clock and set off for an afternoon walking in a place of outstanding natural beauty.
Apologies now for the sheer amount of photos but it was near impossible to whittle down any further. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed being there taking them and I hope I leave you wanting to visit there yourself someday.
Enjoy...
The start of our walk
Passing some live stock
on our way to High Cup House
Looking across to the
Lake District from near Keisley Beck
Looking back to Dufton Pike
Heading towards Murton Pike
On our way to High Cup House
Some Obligatory sheep shots
Cattle in the field near High Cup House
First glimpse of Middle Tongue
First glimpse of the of the valley sides
The sign at High Cup House
Past the farm and
on towards the valley
Crossing a stream
Onwards and upwards
Looking back to Murton Pike
Small lake near Middletongue crag
Looking back to High Cup House and the farm
Middletongue Crag
More sheep
Looking towards Burnt Crag
Looking back to the small lake we passed
Finally the valley comes into view
Panoramic photo of the view into the valley
Weather staying good,
all is clear ahead
2:30pm and almost time to stop for sandwiches
Plenty of these little birds around
Another few yards before we sit down
Sandwich stop
The valley all to ourselves
Clouds darken part of the sky
Sunny again
Still along way to walk
before we reach the head
Solitary flowers
Highcup Gill Beck
Following the
dry stone wall along the valley
Time for some shots of us with
High Cup Nick in the background
Me and my companion for the day
Time to continue
A waterfall down the side of the valley
Heading towards the stile in the wall
The stile gets closer
Yellow marker on the left
indicating where the stile is
Stile crossed we stop
to take some more photos
What a fantastic view
Desolate but beautiful
A quick rest before we continue
Soon we will reach the boulder field
People on the top of High Cup Nick
Nearing the boulder field
Just us and sheep
We reach the boulders
Looking up to Nichol's Seat
Nichol's Chair and someone enjoying the view
Nichol is said to have been a Dufton cobbler who climbed the rock tower and then soled and heeled a pair of boots whilst sitting on the top.
Boulders
Looking back down the valley
Another sheep
More and more boulders
Almost time to start climbing
Plants growing amongst
the rocks and boulders
Being careful not to twist an ankle
Only path is up through
those rocks and boulders
Rocks and Boulders
strewn across the valley floor
Plodding on
A little easier on the feet here
The climb begins
Looking up to High Cup Gill Head
Impressive
Back down the valley
The scramble route to the summit
Somebody else at last, on his
way down from High Cup Gill Head
More rocks and boulders to get across
Slowly making his way
down from High Cup Gill Head
Slowly Upwards
He's halfway down
Blue sky appears at the head
The scramble route
Starting our scamble
A quick rest near the summit
The final scramble to the top
Summit reached at 4:15pm
Well earned rest at the summit
Breathtaking view
Summit Panoramic
Looking across to High Cup Scar
Sandwich stop near Nichol's Chair
Great view from here
Nichol's Chair
Close up of Nichol's Chair
Wildflowers
Walking along the ridge
Theres a big drop
on the left of that sheep!
Remember that waterfall
we saw from the valley floor?
Continuing our walk along the ridge
Murton Fell, the small lake
and the farm we passed earlier
Nearing Peeping Hill
Sheep at Peeping Hill
"King of the Hill"
Heading back down towards Dufton
Dufton Pike comes into view
More sheep
Farm Building near Harthwaite Cottage
(tiltshift effect applied)
Old Quarry in the background
5:50pm, back in Dufton
and the end of our walk
