A week and a bit and we'll be moving to Swaledale - woopee. Can't wait for the hills and the dales - up hill, down dale, down pint of Theakstons!

Any handy hints about particular spots or walks in that area would be gratefully received.

Cheers

Good luck with the move Dave. I'm sure you'll enjoy a walk up to Swinner Gill, or Gunnerside Gill for remains of the lead mining industry. Kidson Forces are good too, but to be honest it's all good. Oh and don't forget about buttertubs in the mist. If you haven't got a fridge you could always keep yer dairys down there. If you see someone struggling up ahead come and give us a hand with me tripod will ye ;)

I'll be sure to look out for a figure with 5 legs, three skinny and two regular, struggling up the fells. I'll seek out those new places and new civilisations and boldly go.... As for the fridge - it's a pity there isn't a feature called the 'cooker' instead - surely there's a 'cauldron' somewhere nearby we can use till we get our new cooker ?

We're heee-errr!!!!

Finally landed in Swaledale and unpacked. Now just got to get out and up the hills - so much choice - where to start ? where to go ? View from our window is of Moorland edge and I can walk from my door straight up and onto the footpath beside the MOD ranges and across to CRoW land with easy access to Calver Hill and Fremington Edge - so happy as a troll with a goat stew and a pint.

Must have a walk from Keld across Rogan's Seat and back by Stonesdale (via Tan Hill Inn of course) - scenery there (Stonesdale not the Tan Hill) is summat else - oh yes indeedy.

This is pretty much my view from home - lucky bugger eh! Chuffed to bits.

Dave,

Looks lovely. Just watch out for the cows - one's ok but a heard.
Sounds as if your very excited about the possibilities and opportunities that
this move is going to give you. Hope that you enjoy them and they exceed your
expectations.

[That image looks some how odd. Has it been "enhanced" in Photoshop? :-)]

Mark

Dave,you'll enjoy it,your main problem may be where to go as the choice up there is vast,you can have a great time scrounging round the old lead workings,just watch out for the Trolls under every bridge.Will you be transfering from the Scarborough MRT?no doubt the Swaledale team are looking for volunteers.

No doubt you'll soon be walking towards Arkengarthdale to visit the little village called Booze!

Ah Booze, trolls and photoshop - where to begin ?

The photo is straight off the internet so I dunno if it's been enhanced or not but I can vouch for the accuracy of the view.
Trolls - now that'd be the scientific discovery of the century ! Homo trollus keldii - Make me famous !!! Make me rich!! - Actually I'd settle for the rich bit on it's own.

I've e-mailed the Swaledale MRT about membership but no reply just yet - I'll give 'em a ring soon - but I'd better get my 'Dale' legs first - not to mention my 'Dale' lungs - the type that can process 50% air / 50% water.

I went out yesterday across Ellerton Moor to the moors above Grinton and up Grovebeck Gill and gill was the right word - I cold have done with some gills to breathe through. Weather forecast said some rain at first brightening up later - for that read some light drizzle, luring walkers out followed by heavy persistant rain from half-way around walk to end of walk followed by bright sunshine when you've got home. Thor - you're not funny!

Booze - ah booze! Driven past - looked up at it - looked it up on the map - a walk for another day - did have some booze at the Tan Hill though. White sheep in hills, Black Sheep in the cupboard. (Please note use of cupboard for beer storage, all you philistines who chill your beer in the fridge).

look up snaizholme red squirrel spotting lovley new retreat has been specially done for our furry freinds...

Red squirrels - will do - cheers - haven't seen one since we moved down from Scotland.

Went up onto Shunner fell the other weekend - walked in up Great Sled Dale to avoid the Pennine way-ers (not that there's anything wrong with 'em by the way - just fancied a bit of solitude). A lovely walk to start with alongside Birkdale Back to get into Gt Sled dale and a pleasant walk up the dale with a couple of only slightly damp hops across the beck. Then a rather unlovely slog up Black Hill across trackless tufts of grass with numerous false summits (although as I know they were false I don't suppose they were!!??) before finally coming out onto the plateau not far from the summit where I had a brief chat with a fellow walker and enjoyed the views. As he had the same 'I'm enjoying the solitude look' as I often wear I left him to his peace and quiet and had my lunch just off the slope on the high ground leading towards Hugh Seat etc.
Quite a pleasant walk along more or less visible track beside the fences with stunning views south and west to Great Coum, Whernside, Ingleborough and Pen-Y-Ghent and equally good views west to the Howgills and Wild Boar Fell from higher up towards and on Hugh Seat and Gregory Chapel.
Talk of of all the mod-cons there was even a bog on Hugh Seat-

- came up to my thighs! - in my defence it was only about 3 foot square and was next to a roll of fencing wire throughfully left astride the safe path - cheers whoever left it there - I'd have filled the hole up with but it was grown through with grasses etc and wouldn't be shifted. It's easy to spot and avoid bogs most of the time if you know what you're looking at but one that small sort of sneaks up on you. As I hauled my soggy legs out I remembered a sight seen a short time earlier on this walk.
I'd been wandering along between Shunner Fell and Hugh Seat when what looked like a white sack near a fence caught my eye - it looked from a disntance like one of those white bulk bags from Jewsons (other builders merchants are available) and I was thinking it was odd to see it there - it even appeared to have the webbing visible. On closer inspection it turned out to be the rounded rear end of a freshly sheared sheep - sadly the rest of the sheep, by now thoroughly dead, was buried in a tiny bog hole - poor bugger must have leaned in for a drink and slipped and died suffocated and drowned in a bog the size of it's own front end. Weird and sad.

After a second sit and snack on Gregory Band I decided to leave High Seat for another walk (good excuse) - and headed down Little Sled Dale back to Birkdale beck.

Not a bad walk - especially up on the high ground - and the views were fantastic - Lakeland fells, north Pennines including Cross Fell, Eden valley, Wild Boar, Howgills, Whernside et al. I could even see the Tan Hill Inn perched on it's little summit.

Saw Golden Plover, two Ravens, Wheatear and the usual moorland Curlews, Lapwings etc etc. Saw a lovely swath of Bog Asphodel, a carpet of the stuff and only saw three folk to speak to, one walker and two farmer/shepherds.

Next walks ? Probably Mallerstang Edge and back up Mallerstang ; Wild Boar fell from north to south and back up Mallerstang; and The Calf by West Fell and back by Cautley Spout and Bowderdale.

Spoilt for choice.