For newcomers

At the bottom of each post there is the word "comments". If you click on it you will see comments made by followers, and if you follow the instructions you may also comment and I always welcome that. I have found many people overlook this part of the blog which is often more interesting than the original post!

My blog nick-name is SIR HUGH. I'm not from the aristocracy - my middle name is Hugh which relates to the list of 282 hills in Scotland compiled by Sir Hugh Munro in 1891. I climbed my last one (Sgurr Mor) on 28th June 2009

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Sunday, 16 September 2012

Something from nothing


After my lengthy reply to Gimmer on the last post I emailed him saying that I would send him brief reports of my short local walks that have insufficient material for a post, but would be of interest to him because of his familiarity with the territory, and so I set to and wrote an account of a walk I did yesterday.

Often, when I write, I do not have a complete story in my mind, and eerily, and strangely, things emerge, and by the time I had done I thought it was just worth a post.

River Sprint - south from Garth Row

A pleasant two hour, unhurried amble, following the east bank of the River Sprint from near Garth Row heading south towards Burneside, and then back up the western bank.

The route strayed from the river in places onto virtually untrodden lanes and a bit of rarely used tarmac. The river is aptly named, and difficult to see in anything but short sections, because it is largely hidden by mature trees in a mini gorge, running vigorously with sparkling light brown clarity conveying that familiar thrill of seeing fast moving water fresh from the hills.

I met a local, pleasant, middle class guy with his collie dog - he lived in one of those comfortable country cottages half a mile away which he pointed out to me - the sort of cottage affordable for a well pensioned professional. Further on I saw a romantic looking couple ahead of me, but they turned off into the woods...

Back up the western side of the Sprint I finished across rolling open fields with distant views of the hills above Staveley and Long Sleddale.





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5 comments:

  1. The Crow16 September 2012 at 13:38

    Something I enjoy about your walking posts, in addition to the photos, are the maps you present. I've had a "thing" for maps ever since I was old enough to read one. I thank National Geographic magazine for fostering that interest, and a teacher who explained what all the contour lines meant. I probably will never use a GPS device except in an emergency, preferring, instead, to puzzle out where I am using a map and compass. However, I think it's those disembodied voices telling me where to turn that I object to more than anything else.

    The River Sprint does sparkle nicely. I've enjoyed my vicarious jaunt along the banks; thanks.

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  2. Sir Hugh16 September 2012 at 15:20

    The Crow - We have family nicknames. My daughter, who is a teacher, is High Horse. I am Mapman. I can sit and read maps like books.

    Our Ordnance Survey maps are, in my opinion, the best in the world. Other than the road motoring maps, OS publish on two large scales for outdoor recreation: 1:50000 (as used on this post), and 1:25000, which represent approximately 1.25inches to the mile and 2.5 inches to the mile respectively. Both those maps show contour lines and the 1:25000 is detailed enough to show field boundaries which can be hugely beneficial when walking in the countryside, but for reasons I have elaborated on over the years I prefer the 1:50000 because I can get a better, mental 3D image of the lie of the land. I have the whole of England Scotland and Wales on my computer at 1:50000.

    These maps are divided into 1 kilometre squares which can be useful for estimating distances, even when one has scanned and enlarged a portion of the map, and they also provide a system for giving a map reference pinpointed to one tenth, or even one hundreth of a square north and east.

    You have got me on one of my passions here and I could go on for pages, but will discipline myself to leaving it at that for now.

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  3. John Proud16 September 2012 at 19:12

    "I could go on for pages, but will discipline myself to leaving it at that for now."
    Thank god for that I was getting mapped out.
    Good to hear you are on good form, literary even if the knee is preventing the physical progress you desire.
    Catching up with your posts after another hot and sunny sojourn en France.
    I've arrived back to the end of our summer deluge - nearly sank in the local fields on a short walk today.
    Liked the supermarket dash!
    JP

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  4. Sir Hugh16 September 2012 at 23:26

    JP - Good to hear from you again. I have just read that back myself and had a yawn, but it was aimed at my follower The Crow who lives in Pennsylvania, USA who expressed an interest in our maps.

    Keep out of those cow gloopy fields - aim for the high ground!

    Drop in if you're in the area.

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  5. afootinthehills20 September 2012 at 08:47

    I thoroughly enjoyed that Conrad. I don't know the area but you certainly created lovely images for me.

    Also, I agree entirely with you regarding OS Maps. Old memeories stirred, new schemes plotted whenever one is unfolded.

    Thanks for your comments when we were in Braemar recently.

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