BB1927 : Brief but Intense Moments of Serenity

Thursday, 8th August 2019

Have you heard about Toptà?  No?  Nor had I but we discovered it today and then realised that we had known its meaning for years.  Where it was found was quite unexpected.

Our objective was simple enough, the remarkable High Cup Nick which several of the party had not previously visited.  I had hoped that we would be able to approach over the Ministry of Defence’s Danger Area.  That might sound rather rash but it is actually open to the public a few days each year.   Had we gone last weekend we would have been in luck but not today.  The red flag was flying.  We could have been mistaken for a group of geriatric terrorists prodding for mines or otherwise up to no good.

It was to be a linear walk from Murton to Dufton which inevitably meant a degree of car shuffling before we could set off.

This gave Tony the opportunity to describe to the non-shufflers his recent traumatic experience when heading for a blood-biking event.

The driver in front had found the lane too narrow and her campervan too wide to allow an approaching motorist to pass.  Consequently she put her vehicle into reverse to go back to a wider part of the road.  

Unfortunately she didn’t realise that behind her (at what he had thought to be a safe distance) was Tony on his motorbike.  Despite horn hootings and shout shoutings she kept on coming until the inevitable happened.  And then she stopped.

Fortunately Tony was unhurt but significant damage was done to the bike.  A happening that was relatively brief, certainly intense but definitely not a moment of tranquillity. He was in full flow regaling his audience with the tale when we returned, now with just the one car, to the start point.

With hindsight this was probably not the best way to approach High Cup Nick.  It meant traversing round the bottom of Murton Pike, seeking (and failing) to find a way to cross Trundle Gill legitimately, then rounding Middle Tongue before joining the normal track up the valley.  Mike spotted what might have been Merlins? Or were they Kestrels?  They weren't hovering so we opted for Merlins.

Behind us, we could see the Lake District panorama, albeit from an unfamilar perspective.

It is dramatic.  As you walk up the valley, the cliffs on each side close in on you.

You have to cross a couple of steep, boulder fields and then make a decision as to which way to scale the final barrier.  We chose the sharp climb up the left hand side as on BB1513.  I wouldn’t want to go down that way.  It is about on the limit of my exposure threshold.  Relatively brief, certainly intense but definitely not a moment of serenity.

All made it safely to the top where we looked over the rim to admire the spectacle of this V-shaped valley.  There were others up there admiring Stan and I in our complementary retro Rohan tops, circa 1980

After our lunch stop (not brief and I am not sure about intense but definitely serenity)  where the stream enters the chasm (actually probably the easier way up) we decided to take the loop that explores the eastern side of the Nick then return at a higher level to the head.

It was there that we discovered Toptà.  

There are quite a few marker posts in that area, usually with a yellow path pointer or comment about the Pennine Way or similar.  This one was different.  At first I couldn’t make out what it was saying.  All we could make out were the letters “top” and “ta” and what looked like a collapsed chef’s hat on top.

Baffled, there was little more that we could do other than to conject.  We soon forgot about it as we returned to the rim and circled round to the west side of the Nick.

From there it is a long, pleasant descent off the fell to the village.  We did wonder about tackling Dufton Fell looking entrancing across the fields but we had had enough excitement for the day.  Dufton is a lovely little village with a nice pub on the village green.

We sat outside, reliving the experiences of the day.  Thoughts turned to the strange "top ta" sign.  Uncle Google led us to the explanation:

Toptà was born in Montecarlo [Lucca, Italy] in 2016 from the passion of the two friends and partners Luca and Nicola, who after years of drinking and home brewing decided to dedicate their lives to beer.

We at Toptà create our beers as we like them and we want to get closer and closer to good drinking. We produce our beers with the best raw materials, but above all with an infinite passion; we are small independent artisans and we have the chance to always try new things.

We want to bring into your glasses the emotion that we try to create our beers: a brief but intense moment of serenity.

Landlady, another round of brief but intense moments of serenity please!

Don, Thursday 8th August 2019

 

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Comitibus:

Comitibus:  Robin, John, Tony, Don, Stan, Terry, Mike T, Martin

BB1927 Map

 Map: OS 1:50k

STATISTICS

BB1927 : Brief but Intense Moments of Serenity

Date:

Thursday 8th August

Features:

High Cup Nick

Comitibus:

Don, John, Martin, Mike T, Robin, Stan, Terry, Tony,

Distance in miles (Garmin):

10.5

Height climbed in feet (OMN):

2,193

GPX track

BB1927.gpx

 

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