Moel Siabod

 Moel Siabod has all the essential requirements of a favourite mountain. An interesting walk in, through old mining and quarrying works, a splendid ridge to the summit and an interesting but straightforward descent with some varied scenery.  It’s also our primary mountain weather forecasting tool as its summit is in view of our holiday cottage.  If we can see it, it’s either been raining or is just about to rain: it it’s invisible, then it’s actually raining. Our recent journey to the summit was on a splendid autumnal day with only a hint of rain, giving us wonderful summit views

                                                                                                                                                            

Thack Moor: England's newest mountain

Last weekend, I bog hopped up England’s newest mountain.  No, there hasn’t been a recent flurry of volcanic or tectonic activity in the area; just a survey of Thack Moor in the Pennine wilderness above Renwick.  The use of modern measuring devices has increased the height of the hill by 2cm and propelled it into the sisterhood of mountains, defined by a height of 2000ft.

Inevitably, it was a bleak and windy day, but the walk up the track to the unassuming summit  trig-point made my heart sing, the barren, empty, landscape being one that I truly love to explore