Great amble on Thursday 10th round Clougha Pike, above Quernmore, on
the western fringe of Bowland. It's a grand little hill that is the
western spur of the Bowland fells, with more exposed gritstone to be
seen than anywhere else I know in Bowland.
Started at the Birk Bank car park, north of Quernmore (GR 526605) and
walked up through sunny, misty woodland, then onto the moors under the
huge gritstone blocks of the ridge leading to Clougha Pike. The sun
and mist was very atmospheric, and a pleasant relief from so much of
the grey stuff we've had recently.
Form the Pike, we trekked eastwards about 1km, to a northward track
leading down into Littledale, with extensive moorland views and gentle
landscape. Picked our way back westward then, through confusing path
junctions, above Cragg Wood, and back to Birk Bank.
More grouse per square mile than I've ever seen before - must've been
some poor shots on the hill this autumn!
Highly recommended walk - would be pretty awful in mist on the north
side of the fell though, but on a clear day the views would be superb.
As it was, the light and atmosphere was everything, even if we didn't
see the Cumbrian and Yorkshire peaks, Morecambe Bay, and all the other
delights of the normal view.
Some pictures available on
http://community.webshots.com/user/doc_paul
Paul
Leigh
Lancs