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Hope Mountain GW/NW-062 WAB SJ25 330m ASL |
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I had noted on the map that there was no obvious PROW to the trig point, but there was a PROW running a few metres to the north of it. From experience, there is usually a track from any nearby path to a trig point, and I had worked Maggie and Josh on there in recent weeks, so I presumed it was possible! We parked opposite the farm at SJ293569 in a space at the side of the road, and looked for the start of the path that is marked there. Problem - no public footpath sign. The only sign, at the farm entrance, where it appears the public footpath SHOULD start, was "Loose dogs - Enter at own risk". As we were having a look (from the road) for the path, or for someone to ask, out into the yard came two "loose dogs", not exactly on a social visit. They let us know in no uncertain terms that as far as they were concerned, there was no start to any path there. Furthermore, they came out onto the road and menacingly stalked us back into the car. We drove a little way up and pulled into another space, this time opposite a stile, but in the wrong place according to the map. However, this path we could see would link up with the intended path, so perhaps this was the farmer's redirection of the route? We got as far as a live electric fence, which gave me a thorough kick through the body as I touched it accidentally. To our astonishment, this electric fence was not only blocking our current route, but also the route as per the map. We walked around to where there was quite a big gap to crawl under and this we did, and back on the marked path. However, here we were met again by one of the dogs, still intent on stalking us and rounding us like a flock of sheep. Making sure we were always walking away from the dog in the hope that this would avoid it taking any course of action, we saw that our only escape from it was by crawling under the gate into the field with the trig point - off the public footpath, but the only way of losing the dog, getting ever closer and more and more jumpy. A return to the car across a completely different field was plotted, another electric fence to negotiate, and this time the dogs did not pop round for another chinwag. We took a drive around to the East side of the summit where the access road (not marked at all on Explorer 256) to the txers is, to see if we could spot an alternative route to the trig point or the other end of the public footpath - we could not! Some sharing of experiences of this summit would be interesting for me here, as I do know it has been previously activated. Also, any suggestions about what to do regarding this farmer who has blatantly blocked a PROW with an electric fence and two nasty (and competant) dogs? Is there a website that carries details of any PROWs that have been suspended, just in case that is the situation? Tom M1EYP |
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