I completed this walk in the Summer of 2007. It was one of the North Pennines ANOB Partnership Themed Walks. Starting from Dufton car park, a mini bus drove us to Cow Green- where we started the wlk. This part of the North Pennines is very dear to me, recognised as an Area of Natural Outstanding Beauty (ANOB) it can be a wild and unforgiving place at times.

The route through Moorhouse in upper Teesdale is one of natural desolation, which for me, is far more compelling than the grandeur of the near by Lake District. Many types of rare Alpine plants grow here, which is a special feature of Teesdale and even in late Spring, we saw Mountain Pansy and Blue Gentian. Many of the plants growing in this area like the False Sedge are very rare, the latter only growing elsewhere in the Scottish Highlands.

This long hard walk is well worth the final reward. I've completed it many times and in various conditions. On this day we had clear sky and a mild breeze. I should mention that the walk should not be undertaken unless you are of good fitness. The walk we did offers no way back-it's a one way journey only!

When you approach High Cup for the first time, the view that greets you is one of Outstanding Beauty. The U shaped valley and its famous 'Nick' is about as dramatic as you get on the Northern Pennines. The geological formation at the top is the famous 'Whin Sill', which over looks the valley. I'm sure this feature must be from a glaciated past.

We stayed at the Nick for a while, taking photographs and enjoying the peace of the moment. There's plenty of old stories associated with High Cup Nick, I remember one in particular, regarding someone repairing a pair of shoes on one of the rocky outcrops!

The views out to the Eden Valley are stunning and I rate this as one of the best views anywhere in the country let alone the North of England. Don't just take my word for it-try for your self. An easier route is to walk straight up from the village of Dufton, past the 'Pike' and up to the 'Nick'. This was the first route I ever took and although you miss something of the incredible ' surprise' when approaching from this direction, it still makes for a lovely walk.

We took our time coming down the steep valley towards the village of Dufton. The late afternoon sun was casting long shadows. I love this time of day more than any other, when you come to the end of a long day's walk and know you have fully justified your feet up at home with a glass of wine and a map to retrace your route.

I hope you enjoyed reading about the walk as much as I did doing it! Please feel free to use any of the images on this page.

Keith

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I plan to include other areas I enjoy walking, but as this site is still very new, the other pages are still to be added.