Comments on: South of the Border, Down Cheviot Way

By: McEff

McEff — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 22:37:51 +0000

Hi John. I’m so glad you had a great day. It’s been perfect weather this weekend for crunching across frozen wastelands. Sorry to hear about the accident, though. I hope the bruises aren’t too painful. Greg was right. Wait for cold crisp days and the going is so much more pleasant.
All the best, Alen

By: John

John — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 22:41:10 +0000

Adele’s skeptical friend here … Yes, we did do the walk yesterday but (sorry to disappoint): no bog! We had a stunningly clear day — as in your wonderful pics — but the temp never got above 1, and so from half way up the Cheviot (we went up the same way as you did via Scald Hill), everything was frozen solid (as recommended by Greg, above). The walk couldn’t have been easier! Except for the ice …. in fact my lovely companion concentrated on talking more than walking for a split second on the way down, and she was down! Got a nasty crack on the hip and the shoulder. Thank goodness nothing so badly broken that she couldn’t walk, and we enjoyed the rest of the descent wondering how we would have got out of that one, because in all our four-hour walk we never saw a single soul: blissful solitude, in an immaculate landscape! Thanks for your great blog Alen.
John

By: McEff

McEff — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 01:22:00 +0000

Hi Adele. Thanks for your wonderful comment. It’s made my day. And it’s made me all the more determined to make the long drive north for another visit to the Cheviots soon. Have a pleasant walk with your friend.
All the best, Alen

By: Adele

Adele — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 23:27:04 +0000

I’ve walked up Cheviot a good few times using various routes, before and after the paving slab path was there.Used to live at Middleton Hall cottages just up the road from the infamous Skirl Naked in fact (and cycling up that hill from ‘Happy Valley’ to Skirl is a killer I can vouch!). Your post really made me laugh because what you say is just so true. Much as I love those Cheviot hills for their wonderful quiet isolation and echoes of times gone by, they really do define what is meant by ‘bleak’ if you catch them on the wrong sort of day – and, in my experience, there’s plenty of ‘wrong sort of days’ to be had there! Your pics are beautiful though and, for all the harsh words, I think you’ve really captured the beauty of bleakness (!) Anyhow… tomorrow I plan to wander up Scald Hill once again, along with a skeptical friend. I shall pass him the link to your blog so he knows, in no uncertain terms, what’s he’s in for. Thanks for sharing. Best wishes, Adele

By: McEff

McEff — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 10:24:11 +0000

Hi Tracey. Thanks very much. Yes, I agree with that ??? I’m a big fan of the Howgills. I’m not familiar with the Cheviots at all, though, so it’s about time I ventured up there. Rolling green hills sounds very pleasant indeed.
Cheers, Alen

By: Tracey

Tracey — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 21:24:28 +0000

A friend of mine described The Cheviot as “not worth visiting”, although, if you like bleak, the views are class. On the other hand The Cheviots are a wonderful place to walk, all rolling and green, and much less bog – like the Howgills, just not as steep. Loving reading your write ups. :-)

By: McEff

McEff — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 21:48:04 +0000

Hi Magrid. Good to hear from you. The fence in the pictures, besides marking the boundary between two countries, probably also marks the boundary between two private estates and stops livestock straying from one person???s land onto land owned by someone else. I am assuming that???s why the fence is there. This, I think, highlights the futility of war ??? and the wars between the English and Scots raged for several hundred years. What we see now, after all the death and destruction, is not a fence to keep armies out, but a fence to stop someone???s sheep nibbling someone???s else???s grass.
I don???t know about a fence between England and Wales. I might walk the Offa???s Dyke path one day and have a look. That???s something I???ve been meaning to do for a considerable time.
Cheers now, Alen

By: vishnevats

vishnevats — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 19:05:19 +0000

Hi Alen, I am getting to your blog a little late this time. I discovered them not too long ago and I love the beautiful pictures and your ramblings about your hikes. This time I am a bit puzzled about the fence. How long has this been in existence? I can’t work my mind around the fact that this is the United Kingdom and all. Is there a fence between Wales and England? Best, Magrid

By: McEff

McEff — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 22:06:15 +0000

Wow. No I didn’t know that David. I shall look into that because the more comments I read, the more I’m determined to go back and get to know the area more intimately. A fine, crisp winter’s morning sounds like the ideal time ??? and with a bit of luck there will be a few of those coming up in the immediate future.
Cheers now, Alen

By: David

David — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 21:47:46 +0000

Amazing place in a bleak kind of way. Like Greg says it definitely looks like a place to go when the ground is frozen. I seem to remember reading there are one or two crashed planes from the war on the slopes, did you spot anything?

By: McEff

McEff — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 09:57:34 +0000

Hi Dohn. Thanks for that. It's strange, I read your blog and I come across wars and strife in the States that I'd never heard of, and I read Hanna's Vandreture blog and discover wars between the Danes and the Swedes I'd never heard of, and I arrive at the conclusion that war must have been pretty much our natural occupation for a long, long time. Here's to a brighter future. Alen

By: McEff

McEff — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 09:50:18 +0000

Ha ha. Glad to hear about the trig points. Alex. I wouldn’t like to be up there in foul weather. It’s pleasant in the sunshine, but in the clag I think I’d find it ??? shall we say ??? challenging.
Cheers, Alen