Spring Tan Hill Overnighter - 23rd Feb

[Graeme]

Photos!!!

[Deano]

Where was everybody? It was lovely out on the hills.

We more-or-less forgot to get a group photo at the pub as everyone was too busy taking the piss out of my tyres while I fixed a puncture (they're semi-skimmed, not full fat), and I'm pleased to report that Tracy was in fine form while serving breakfast.

Aidan and I indulged in a bit of bog-snorkelling on the way back.

And we found a cafe in West Auckland which does decent coffee - and soup-anna-sarnie for 3 quid (soup-anna-roll is two quid, but fuck it, let's throw the boat out). Take that, London. 

More photos here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/30024450@N04/albums/72157690848470522

[Graeme]

Absolutely fantastic! Nice to see Aidan pushing his pushbike. Which of you dropped your fag end on the moors?

[Peter]

Dean, where is the collapsed cave?

ETA Just seen it in the Crinkly bridge thread!

[Deano]

It's the title of the photo on Flickr too. It's a good bridge. Bastard to get to, though.

There was loads of burning up on the hills over the weekend. Dry weather, I suppose.

[Chris S]

It's the title of the photo on Flickr too. It's a good bridge. Bastard to get to, though.

There was loads of burning up on the hills over the weekend. Dry weather, I suppose.

Yeah. We had a family walk up the Topping today, and it was smoky as hell - two or three big fires to the East. How the hell do they get anything to burn after weeks of rain and snow?

[Karla]

Does anyone fancy an impromptu trip up there this evening?

[sojournermike]

It's the title of the photo on Flickr too. It's a good bridge. Bastard to get to, though.

There was loads of burning up on the hills over the weekend. Dry weather, I suppose.

Yeah. We had a family walk up the Topping today, and it was smoky as hell - two or three big fires to the East. How the hell do they get anything to burn after weeks of rain and snow?

Bit of petrol to get it started I suspect. Evidence is mounting that, contrary to what they would tell us, it's actually environmentally damaging. However, it is necessary to support the unnaturally high density of red grouse that they need for driven grouse shoots.

As is killing the raptors

https://raptorpersecutionscotland.wordpress.com/2018/03/01/satellite-tagged-hen-harrier-marc-disappears-on-grouse-moor-at-wemmergill/

[Socks]

It's the title of the photo on Flickr too. It's a good bridge. Bastard to get to, though.

There was loads of burning up on the hills over the weekend. Dry weather, I suppose.

Yeah. We had a family walk up the Topping today, and it was smoky as hell - two or three big fires to the East. How the hell do they get anything to burn after weeks of rain and snow?

Bit of petrol to get it started I suspect. Evidence is mounting that, contrary to what they would tell us, it's actually environmentally damaging. However, it is necessary to support the unnaturally high density of red grouse that they need for driven grouse shoots.

As is killing the raptors

https://raptorpersecutionscotland.wordpress.com/2018/03/01/satellite-tagged-hen-harrier-marc-disappears-on-grouse-moor-at-wemmergill/

And nice to think that we are subsidising this as taxpayers.  The fee for a shotgun licence has been kept well below the cost of police checks etc; and the subsidy for grouse moors was raised by the coalition government at the same time as they cut taxes for the wealthy and made massive cuts to support for poor, vulnerable and disabled people. 

[Chris S]

Does anyone fancy an impromptu trip up there this evening?

Are they open? There was a rather terse message on Facebook earlier from the Lion Inn at Blakey, reposted by North Yorkshire Police - basically saying "FFS, stop trying to get up here - we're closed, and so is the road."

The Police have been complaining a lot about folks moving Road Closed signs, driving down the closed roads and getting stuck. What is wrong with people?