B6278 to Harnisha Hill, Nookerley Hill, Catterick Moss and Return
Co Durham
Distance 20km Climb 635m
Thursday 28 April 2016
It was good to get out, my last planned wandering earlier this week was scuppered due to the bad weather. Today although cold started off clear nice and a lovely day for walking, but the forecast said it would change. I was in an area that was new to me and I was keen to get going. I had picked a roadside parking place on the B6278, near Bollihope Burn, from the map and left the car there (290m) and headed west along the road for a few hundred meters.
As the road turns north I continued west along a grass path up a small rise towards a walled enclosure.
At the enclosure I adjusted my kit and put my gloves on. Although nice it was cold, I could see patches of snow lying on the hills to my north east.
As I was moving up hill I continued slightly north up to Stony Hill to follow the edge of the hill west. I was on open moorland.
After a small steep stretch I reached the trig point at Carrs Top (540m), the views were stunning.
After a quick cup of drinking chocolate I moved across the top of a very wide ridge that was very open and exposed before contoured around to the south west gaining height as I went. I had decided to come this way as it would be easier than dropping down to the valley bottom and climbing the other side.
The ground started becoming very undulating, I was walking up and down peat troughs and boggy ground with humps of moss that you had to step over and around, as I moved further south west to join a fence line running up Snowhope Hill. Although the going was easier nearer the fence there was still a number of peat troughs and bog to negotiate.
I followed the fence line south to the boundary line at (650m). Where I turned left and followed the boundary line east. Again there were many peat troughs, stream lines and boggy ground to cross, very hard going. Before the ground started to rise onto soft stony ground at (584m).
It was along here I started to feel hail stone flurries hitting me, coming from the south and they stung. I could see rain falling in the valley where I had left the car. Another small dip and climb up again to the Raven Seat trig point (589m) on Harnisha Hill.
I sat in the shelter of the trig point and had a cup of chocolate, at first there were good views but as I sat there the wind picked up blowing clouds fast which soon obscured my view back across to the west, and bringing with it more hail stones. The wind was also pushing cold air I could feel the drop in temperature. I had my sandwiches in my little shelter and checked my map, I decided I would get to the road and reassess the situation. If the weather became too bad I knew I could follow the road down hill back to my car.
Visibility was greatly reduced due to the low cloud and hail stones when I reached the road. Should I go on with my route or turn south down the road.
I decided that there was time to go a little further and see if visibility improved. If it did not I could just turn back to the road. So I crossed the road and climbed up to the currick (535m).
There is no fence along the boundary here so I was using a bearing to walk on keeping me heading in the right direction. Visibility was poor, but opened up a little as I walked to a rise from where I could see Pawlaw Pike down to my right, the footpath I was after was to the left, east of the Pike.
The map shows a footpath running south west to north east beside Pawlaw Pike, it is a very good track that I followed for approx 1 km until it reached the bottom of Five Pikes. From the track I headed north east up to the Five Pikes trig point (478m). Walking along the track the hailstones stopped and gave me a little relief. Climbing up to Five Pikes trig point it started to snow, cold and wet. I did not hang about.
From the Five Pikes trig point I headed north over Nookerley Hill as the snow came down. Every now and again the clouds lifted and the vista would open up below me.
I was moving north, down hill towards the reservoir at Whitfield Brow.
In places the grass was slippery and I had to take care walking down. Reaching the track at the bottom. The weather lifted a little and it was no longer snowing.
Here I could walk west along the road back to the car or try and get another hill in. As the weather had lifted and I still had time I would push on with my original plan. I crossed the bridge (240m) over Bollihope Burn and walked up the rise north of the stream, walking west behind the wood.
I was looking for the footpath north. As I climbed I joined another footpath that crossed at a track junction with the two paths, from here I took a bearing for Catterick Moss. It had started snowing again.
The higher I climbed the heavier the snow was falling. The weather although it had eased when I was at the bottom was turning bad again. I climbed another small rise and I could see the trig point high to my right, I was walking on a good line. After a few more minutes climb I reached Catterick Moss trig point (426m).
I did not hang about, after a couple of photos I was walking directly south, facing straight into the snow. A couple of times snow flakes or hail stones hit my eyes and I had to stop and wait for the sting in my eyes to clear so I could proceed. As I cleared a rise I could see my car, not that far away, now.
I soon reached the track near a disused quarry near some trees, I walked west along the track. Down here the snow was falling as rain. It was only a short step across a ford, and up the bank on the other side to reach the road and walk the few meters back to the car.
Although wet I had had a really enjoyable day out. I had walked approx Distance 20km with Climb 635m. I like it here and would like to come back again, hopefully sometime soon.
More to follow
Boz North
Details correct at time of walking.
If you have enjoyed reading my walk or found it useful you may also like to read other walks I have done in County Durham or other areas. Please check out the links on the right hand side.
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