Brown Clee Hill comes in at number 23 on the hit-list at 540 metres above sea level. Driving towards it the hill really doesn't look that high, I suppose because we are expert mountaineers now. A ha ha.
Unfortunately Christmas Eve dawned windy and grubby, no crisp winter weather for an invigorating walk. Neither of us was particularly feeling great, nice easy walk up the highest point in the county of my birth sounded like a good idea. I think it's my third walk up but memories are vague, I remember it being hell but I was really unfit in those days so I was hoping for better this time.
Having "admired" the view of Wolverhampton and Dudley we took a route up the hill past the little picnic spot, it was very wet and muddy, for a little hill it was hard going. It's a mix of open fields and woodland walking, then out on to the top with the toposcope and air traffic control masts.
The climatic conditions were not conducive to a cup of tea and a nice sit down. In fact they weren't conducive to much at all, even admiring the view was hard work.
It wasn't possible to spot Cleeve Hill in Gloucestershire (I think the wind had blown it away) but The Malverns were easy enough to pick out. Like being on Cleeve Hill there is no point higher going East until you get to the Urals. Needless to say I couldn't quite make Russia out.
It was very rough on the top, the wind was whistling through the masts, the derelict buildings from the quarrying days felt eerie, we decided to take the easy route down the inclined plane. I have been known to sit down at speed in mud, it seemed like a good idea.
This was an error in judgment on my part, I'd forgotten how hard walking down that track is, it gets steeper and steeper, my legs are not designed to walk down slopes like that and we both had jelly legs by the time we got to the bottom. Quick trek along the road back to the truck for fizzy pop and Turkish delight. Job done.
I'd like to describe this walk as pure pleasure but I can't, it was hard going up but worse going down.
At least we blew some cobwebs away.
Seven started, six completed, looking forward to bagging the high points of South East England next week.
Unfortunately Christmas Eve dawned windy and grubby, no crisp winter weather for an invigorating walk. Neither of us was particularly feeling great, nice easy walk up the highest point in the county of my birth sounded like a good idea. I think it's my third walk up but memories are vague, I remember it being hell but I was really unfit in those days so I was hoping for better this time.
Having "admired" the view of Wolverhampton and Dudley we took a route up the hill past the little picnic spot, it was very wet and muddy, for a little hill it was hard going. It's a mix of open fields and woodland walking, then out on to the top with the toposcope and air traffic control masts.
The climatic conditions were not conducive to a cup of tea and a nice sit down. In fact they weren't conducive to much at all, even admiring the view was hard work.
It wasn't possible to spot Cleeve Hill in Gloucestershire (I think the wind had blown it away) but The Malverns were easy enough to pick out. Like being on Cleeve Hill there is no point higher going East until you get to the Urals. Needless to say I couldn't quite make Russia out.
It was very rough on the top, the wind was whistling through the masts, the derelict buildings from the quarrying days felt eerie, we decided to take the easy route down the inclined plane. I have been known to sit down at speed in mud, it seemed like a good idea.
This was an error in judgment on my part, I'd forgotten how hard walking down that track is, it gets steeper and steeper, my legs are not designed to walk down slopes like that and we both had jelly legs by the time we got to the bottom. Quick trek along the road back to the truck for fizzy pop and Turkish delight. Job done.
I'd like to describe this walk as pure pleasure but I can't, it was hard going up but worse going down.
At least we blew some cobwebs away.
Seven started, six completed, looking forward to bagging the high points of South East England next week.
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