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CATTERICK

07/03/2016

Its not very often that you get the opportunity for a ridge walk in the Durham Dales but an unexpected day out gave us the chance to visit Catterick yesterday. Not the garrison town in North Yorkshire but rather the hill above the Bollihope valley in Weardale. Don’t get me wrong, this is not a razor-sharp narrow ridge like those found in the Lakes, the Durham Dales just don’t do things like that. This one is slightly wider and only runs for about half a mile or so but it is still a discernible ridge with crags on the Bollihope side and the slope down to Weardale on the other. However, like most ridge walks it did present some stunning views out over Bollihope and the surrounding high hills. Not least due to the snow cover on the tops at the head of the dale.

 

The walk itself contained a fair bit of heather bashing but this was not so bad and there were plenty of narrow paths and sheep trods to take advantage of which made the going a lot easier. A mixture of bright, sunny intervals and dark overcast skies coupled with the occasional flake of snow gave the walk even more interest. If you do get the opportunity to visit the trig point on Catterick then take it, you wouldn’t regret it.

 

This walk will appear in a forthcoming book ‘Walking in Weardale Book 3’ which will be released later in the year.

 

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