Nidderdale–The Upper Bits

I was somewhat delayed by a cosy, stark but ultimately unmemorable dream (that is to say, that whilst remaining slightly unnerved all day, I can’t remember a thing about it) . Which is why me and LTD didn’t arrive till eleven o’clock.
The objective of today’s assignment was to bag Woodale Moss – on 11 August when the grouse-shooting starts on 12 August, or 13 August cos they don’t generally shoot on Sundays. Woodale Moss is verboten to yer canines, so I left him by the gate…. no, really…….. honest.

We bagged the top in short order and progressed towards How Stean Gorge, which, we were disappointed to learn has a seven quid entrance fee, Seven quid?  Lttle chance of that, so we moved on, pausing only to eat some vergeside blackberries and cock our leg in the general direction of mammon.
We moved on even further to Lofthouse and to the bridleways that skirt the edge of the dale quite beautifully  at a high level back to the car which was parked very prettily and freely at Scar House Reservoir.

Plus things: A red kite – there’s some danger for a red kit up here – this area is absolultely the most notorious area in England for the illegal killing of birds of prey, even though a red kite hardly qualifies. They’re a right set of bastards up here an’ no mistake. They’ll kill anything thats not a grouse, and then they kill the grouse.  And, to make it all nice and everything, they dress up as Edwardian gentlemen to do it. Nice hills, shame about the locals in their clinkered boots, checked shirts and feckin tweeds – I meantersay, who wears feckin tweeds in 2018? They’re right nasty buggers, though, so don’t get caught criticising cos they is violent criminals innit an’ they’ll fuck you up.
Yorkshire Water need to consider their policy towards grouse shooting – the burning, trapping, killing and exclusion – and disregard for the law just to make a few bob is well past it’s time. This is 2018. It’s time to move on.
More plus things: Two mountain cyclists took time to make friends with Lucky The Dog. This is not specially difficult cos he’s a bit of a tart. And we had a nice, long chat with some ramblers doing the same route in the opposote direction.
There’s a cafe at Scar House, just in case anybody requires a cup of tea….
And it was a nice day – almost perfect fro the walking, in fact.
We did 11 miles.
Next – which will be the occasion of a short blogging pause – me and Dawn are off to the Cairngorms to get  wet and eaten by midgies. It could be fun. I’m taking a book in case of rain.