Warcop artillery range questions - i.e. access to Mickle Fell, Little Fell, Long Crag, Tinside Rigg,

Does anyone know the current arrangements? Is it still 'no
firing' on Mondays and phone to check with the range officer
(Brough 41661)? Are there other dates? Where can I find them
if they exist?

As a subsiduary question - am I correct in my interpretation
of the OS map in that the summit of Murton Fell is just
outside the 'danger area'?

--
A l'eau - c'est l'heure (French Navy Motto)

I intended to go up Mickle Fell one Monday last June,
assuming that Mondays are non-firing days on the Warcop
ranges. I got to Hilton village only to find the red flags
were flying, and a notice on the village notice board
indicated live firing every day for the next two weeks. I
don't know what the arrangements are this year.

So I'd definitely advise ringing ahead - the notice said to
call 0800 7835181, which turned out to be a recorded
message saying the same thing as the notice sheet. Another
sign said call Brough (017683) 41661 for more details,
which I haven't tried.

I went back a month later (having phoned to check first),
and did Long Fell, Tinside Rigg, Little Fell, Mickle Fell
and Murton Fell - from Hilton, up via Swindale and back via
Scordale. I ignored the notices saying SCORDALE BRIDLEWAY
CLOSED, and subsequently saw no evidence of the flood damage
or path repairs mentioned on the notice.

It was mainly a very enjoyable walk, though a bit of a
trackless slog in places, particularly climbing Murton Fell
from Swarth Beck. Could be very tricky after a period of
rain. I'm pretty sure the actual summit of Murton Fell (i.e.
the highest point within the 670m contour at NY 752246) was
outside the Firing Range.

You can see the photos I took at
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/simon.edw...hotos.htm?NE09

Simon website: www.simonedwardes.co.uk (The Mountains of
England and Wales)

"Bootlaces" <boot_laces@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:<c6jmkm$csgcl$1@ID-177711.news.uni-
berlin.de>...
> Does anyone know the current arrangements? Is it still 'no
> firing' on Mondays and phone to check with the range
> officer (Brough 41661)? Are there other dates? Where can I
> find them if they exist?
>
> As a subsiduary question - am I correct in my
> interpretation of the OS map in that the summit of Murton
> Fell is just outside the 'danger area'?

In 3a6925e9.0404270430.57761639@posting.google.com
Simon Edwardes mused:

Thanks - I went a Googling and it appears that the MoD wants
to open the RoWs on 12 weekends per year and to publicly
announce them 12 months in advance, but seem to be sending a
more firm message w.r.t. access to the areas that are not
crossed by these paths and seem to be intent on using a
clause in CROW to get their way. I don't know how far these
plans have progressed.

> You can see the photos I took at
> http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/simon.edw...hotos.htm?NE09

Cool. The picture from Little Fell to Mickle Fell shows the
ground not being quite so bad as I'd mentally pictured it
from the map. I assume from the pictures that you 'attacked'
these fells from Cow Green? What was your rationale for
including Tinside Rigg?

FYI - Long Man Hill and Round Hill are currently sporting
summit cairns - nice, neat, small construction. From the
appearance they seem to have been built by the same hand.

The picture from Little Fell to Mickle Fell is deceptive,
and it was after a long dry spell. I took a more-or-less
direct route from Little Fell to Mickle Fell and ended up
weaving between bogs. Better to go North then North-East,
sticking to the highest ground.

I did Tinside Rigg because it is on the Buxton & Lewis list,
and Long Fell (NY 770 198) is a Nuttall's "deleted" top. In
other words, I'm a sad peak-bagger who visits any obscure
top on any mountain list. Having said that, it was
interesting to visit these tops and see the scattering of
spent artillery shells.

I tackled this walk from Hilton village (NY 735207). The
pictures from Cow Green reservoir were taken on a previous
visit to Meldon Hill.

Cheers, Simon website: http://www.simonedwardes.co.uk The
Mountains of England and Wales

"Bootlaces" <boot_laces@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:<c6m56h$dik5o$1@ID-177711.news.uni-
berlin.de>...>
> Cool. The picture from Little Fell to Mickle Fell shows
> the ground not being quite so bad as I'd mentally pictured
> it from the map. I assume from the pictures that you
> 'attacked' these fells from Cow Green? What was your
> rationale for including Tinside Rigg?

In 3a6925e9.0404280433.60532096@posting.google.com
Simon Edwardes mused:
>
> I did Tinside Rigg because it is on the Buxton & Lewis
> list, and Long Fell (NY 770 198) is a Nuttall's "deleted"
> top. In other words, I'm a sad peak-bagger

<nods head> uh-huh. As good an excuse as any :-)

<snip>
> The pictures from Cow Green reservoir were taken on a
> previous visit to Meldon Hill.

Ah.

Cheers.

P.S. It seems that Mondays are no more. It is the 'weekend'
schedule. I eventually found a list of the proposed non-
firing days at...

http://website.lineone.net/~simeonorme/page63.html

... although I have yet to find the list on an 'official'
website page.

The freephone line confirmed that it is no firing this
weekend, and the prospective weather doesn't look too bad...

--
A l'eau - c'est l'heure (French Navy Motto)

>Cool. The picture from Little Fell to Mickle Fell shows the
>ground not being quite so bad as I'd mentally pictured it
>from the map. I assume from the pictures that you
>'attacked' these fells from Cow Green? What was your
>rationale for including Tinside Rigg?

Little Fell to Mickle Fell is quite easy... and very
enjoyable. Approaches from the East look bad news.

Its important that these hills are walked.. There is a
hardeneing of attitudes lately which must be resisted. Dark
talk of a grouse moor for officers etc..

My day up there: http://www.crux.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/balbu-
m/England/35a/MickleFell.html

Richard Webb

In 4092be04.47932734@news-text.blueyonder.co.uk
RJ Webb mused:

> Little Fell to Mickle Fell is quite easy... and very
> enjoyable. Approaches from the East look bad news.
>
> Its important that these hills are walked..
>
> There is a hardeneing of attitudes lately which must be
> resisted. Dark talk of a grouse moor for officers etc..

<Baldrick> I have a cunning plan. </>

> My day up there:
>
http://www.crux.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk...gland/35a/Mic-
kleFell.html

Update to your site? Mondays are no more. 12 weekends per
year. Down from 52 days to a nominal 24 (plus whatever other
crumbs are thrown to the squabbling hoi-poloi).

Looking at your bagging list, I see you were suitably
underawed by Gun. Small quibble - I don't think I've ever
seen a belayer watch it intently. The belay bunny on the
next pitch is normally the focus of attention.

--
A l'eau - c'est l'heure (French Navy Motto)

>Looking at your bagging list, I see you were suitably
>underawed by Gun. Small quibble - I don't think I've ever
>seen a belayer watch it intently. The belay bunny on the
>next pitch is normally the focus of attention.

On a cold May evening the bunnies dont come out... Or am I
just unlucky.......

Will kill off the Happy Mondays on my site... Thx

Richard Webb

In 4093e41e.40378312@news-text.blueyonder.co.uk
RJ Webb mused:
>> Looking at your bagging list, I see you were suitably
>> underawed by Gun. Small quibble - I don't think I've ever
>> seen a belayer watch it intently. The belay bunny on the
>> next pitch is normally the focus of attention.
>
> On a cold May evening the bunnies dont come out... Or am I
> just unlucky.......

Or perhaps I have been lucky?

Anyways, grousiness on Mickle Fell? Well, there's a line of
newish grouse butts along the RoW which follows Swarth Beck
(will there be plans to try to close the RoW in shooting
season?). Nothing detected further up the fell.

Almost 'booted' a shell on the western slopes of Little Fell
- it was in one piece embedded into the hillside with only
the very rear exposed.

--
A l'eau - c'est l'heure (French Navy Motto)