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Author: Peter Simpson

Crook Peak & Wavering Down: A Mendip Motorway Stop

Crook Peak & Wavering Down: A Mendip Motorway Stop

The Mendip Hills form a pronounced upland plateau serving to distract the outdoor enthusiast driving though Somerset on the M5 motorway. A closer inspection reveals that, despite extending for some fifteen miles and rising above the one-thousand-foot contour in several places, on the whole the Mendips lack individual definition and are invaded by a profusion of roads, neither of which is conducive to Worthy recognition. Nevertheless, for those travelling the M5, an exception is right under (well, above) their nose…

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Worthy Blog

Worthy Blog

This ongoing blog is to convey my developing thoughts on achieving a harmonious solution to choosing and categorising all the contenders for the Worthies. I had initially hoped that discussion through our social media channels would assist with input to determine best practice, but sadly it’s generally rather quiet for me out there in Meta Land. As a result, for those who may view this website and have any interest in what I am attempting to create, then you can…

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Langdale Pikes – Lakeland’s Natural Billboard

Langdale Pikes – Lakeland’s Natural Billboard

The classically romantic prospect of the Langdale Pikes, when viewed from the glittering shores of Windermere, or the agreeably open common at Elterwater, was the quintessential showcase of Lakeland’s mountain splendour for the Victorian tourist. Today, this bustle of bristling summits surmounting a bulging fellside and etching the skyline with compelling distinction, still possesses enough impact to stop you in your tracks. Nature has distilled a supreme blend of beauty and grandeur, creating a showpiece of irresistible attraction, where the…

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Galtymore: Ireland’s Heartland Height

Galtymore: Ireland’s Heartland Height

The Galtee Mountains rise prominently above the lush dairylands of Ireland’s Golden Valley, comprising the highest inland mountain range in the country, with Galtymore representing the sole ‘Munro’ (or Irish Furth) situated any appreciable distance from the coast. Galtymore is a domineering sight for motorists heading south on the M8 motorway towards Cork, akin to imagining in Britain if Ben Lomond was moved to beside the M1 in Leicestershire. In truth, the Galtees are not the only mountain range in…

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Chrome Hill and Parkhouse Hill: Dragons of the Peak

Chrome Hill and Parkhouse Hill: Dragons of the Peak

There are few hills worthy of the name ‘peak’ in the Peak District, with two very distinct exceptions. Geographically secreted in the upper Dove Valley, Chrome Hill and Parkhouse Hill are spectacular craggy etchings on the skyline of the limestone landscape. Figuratively titled the Dragon’s Back, these peaks are not the only examples of the name, which occurs most famously in Hong Kong, where it is employed for a verdant mountain trail with stunning coastal views. In Wales there are…

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Hungry Hill: Hungering for adventure

Hungry Hill: Hungering for adventure

Hungry Hill exerts an enticing, powerful presence, undeterred by its relatively modest altitude. Irish mountains excel at compressing extensively gruelling terrain into compact proportions and Hungry Hill is a champion in this regard, warranting respectful exploration from its assailants. This is rocky country par excellence. The mountain is, nonetheless, at 2247ft (685m), the highest point of the Beara Peninsula, whose extraordinarily rugged spine is defined by the Caha Mountains. Caha derives from ceatha meaning shower, and there are certainly plenty…

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Blencathra – Lakeland’s North Star

Blencathra – Lakeland’s North Star

Blencathra is amongst the Lake District’s finest mountains, its public face dominated by a battalion of fell tops spread along the extensive summit ridge, whose imperious presence descends dramatically in a riot of rocky ridges, down to the buzz of vehicles on the A66 trunk road at its foot. For the motorist on this highway, it is a spectacle that provides one of England’s finest driving views. The mountain displays all its treasures in one vast shop window, which creates…

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Nantlle Ridge – High Adventure on the western skyline

Nantlle Ridge – High Adventure on the western skyline

The Nantlle Ridge is frequently recommended as an alternative to Snowdon without the crowds, although this is to undersell an entirely independent massif that warrants recognition, not as a quieter surrogate, but because it is one of the finest standalone ridge walks in Wales. Furthermore, the Nantlle Ridge provides not just the mountain grandeur of its own composition, it is accompanied by commanding views of mighty Snowdon itself, and the walk across its summits is additionally embellished by stunning vistas…

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Carrauntoohil – First Among Equals

Carrauntoohil – First Among Equals

In the south west of Ireland lies the ancient Kingdom of Kerry, boasting the magnificent mountain range of the Macgillycuddy’s Reeks, home to the country’s three highest mountains, its highest lake, and (arguably) Ireland’s finest ridge walk, the Cumeenloughra Horseshoe. Crowning the range is Carrauntoohil, the roof of Ireland, which thus attracts more visitors than the other peaks of the ‘Reeks’, its ascent being principally achieved by a ‘tourist route’, the Devil’s Ladder, a path that is nevertheless rarely recommended…

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