Wolsingham Wayfarers (More) Teesdale Waterfalls

A couple of weeks ago I posted a blogpost about reccying a route in Teesdale which connected up several waterfalls. After a short email exchange I decided that I’d actually lead a walk similar to that already planned by Wolsingham Wayfarers, but with an extra bit on for added value, thus providing a twelve mile walk substantially coincidental with an old Durham County Council guided walks route originally titled “Best of Teesdale”. That walk was a bit longer, though, so I chopped a bit off. I was leading this walk because the original leader, Neil, has an injury which prevents him lrading walks for the time being.
So, the original walk would have been 9 miles, I thought this one would be 11.5 and various GPS readings gave 11.8 to 12 miles in the end.

Spring had decided to spring on the day and the clocks had gone forward, so in lovely, bright sunshine, but still with a seeking nithering edge to the breeze, just five of us plus LTD started off from Bowlees, followed the Pennine Way up past Low Force, High Force and Bleaberry Force to the lovely juniper woods at Bracken Rigg and then over the Green Trod to the Tees. We returned to Forest in Teesdale via the ruins of the pencil factory (some readers at least will know where this is) – and back to the start by lanes and paths which form the old routes up the Dale which existed before the current main road was built.

The sun shone, the lapwings lapped, there were meadow pipits on the hill and lambs in the fields, and even a patch of Coltsfoot and the keepers were setting fire to the moors. Yes, it was (eventually) spring. There was still some snow, though – some very large patches and old drifts of old, hard snow.

I really should have done another reccy before doing this walk, but I just couldn’t fit it all in. The route was fine, though, apart from a couple of missing suckboards and a minor navigational brain-freeze. The “other” walk which me and LTD did the other week and which links up seven (or eight, depending on the counting strategy) is a cracking walk as well, in my ‘umble, and can be saved for future reference, either for the Wolsingham Wayfarers group, or the Wednesday Walkers Walking on Saturdays group or, even, another group. Or even a combination….
The walk was 12 miles and 1700 feet of upness.

Guided walks by Wolsingham Wayfarers are free to attend, dog friendly, human friendly and excellent and details of their programme can be seen here (click it!) No booking required, just turn up.