it was May Bank holiday. It was also a non-firing public access day at the Warcop Training Area. So when better to go go these two obscure hills promoted to Nuttalls in 2016? There is a car park in Hilton at the start to the track up Scordale. Off I went on a beautiful May day. After half an hour a dog surprised me running round my legs and turning I saw the woman walking him. I waited for her to overtake but she never did and when I looked again she was gone. When I came to the bridge I took a path that goes off right up Swindale Edge, up onto high ground and down to cross Christy Bank Syke. by this point the right of way is marked by regular posts but there is nothing on the ground you would call a path. Not a problem as the terrain is pleasant and grassy making or easy walking. I left the track at the highest point and easily bagged my two Nuttals. The map showed a landrover track zigzagging down hill from here so I went to check that out and followed it down. I met the farmer on the way down patrolling his sheep on a motorbike. He was friendly and stopped for a chat. Sharing your sheep farm with the MoD sounded a complicated affair. On this beautiful bank holiday Saturday he and the vanishing dogwalking woman were the only human souls I met. The North Pennines are not so popular. Following an easy path back to my car I wondered what Ambleside or Keswick might be like today.
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