ALL THOSE TWO-THOUSANDS

By E. Moss

(Rucksack Club Journal, 1952, Vol. XII, p.67)

Yet all experience is an arch wherethro'

Gleams that untravell'd world, whose margin fades

For ever and for ever when I move.

Tennyson's Ulysses.

To those who prefer the dull routine of well-remembered and too-often-accomplished ascents, the peak-bagger is one who dashes soullessly from top to top and whose memory of the day can be summed-up in a tick on a list. But to me collecting tops in a list provides a framework for widening experience in the fascination of fresh country, unknown hills, and other natural beauties. The pursuit of two-thousands has taken me to many places I should otherwise never have visited; it has, in fact, taken me into some of the most God-forsaken spots in this country as well as to some of the most delectable.

It can be argued that to every man there are as many Snowdons as he has made ascents, but the fastnesses of the Black Mountains or the shy secrets of Radnor Forest can give him something more that Snowdon can never give, however many ways he climbs it. It is true that the pursuit of the unknown becomes a habit and one has to beware of a tendency to reject even the finest peak with a curt ' Not likely, I've done it,' or ' Going up Cross Fell ? '-' No, I did it in 1933 '; or' What about including Moel Meirch? '-' No, it's not in the list (thank God for two odd feet !).'

It must be admitted that some two-thousands are dull. Many of the Pennine tops are likely to satisfy only those who have acquired a taste for that type of country. It is a taste worth cultivating, if only for the solitude. To some two-thousands one would not wish to return. But in this game, and it is only a game, one must. take the rough with the smooth, the great with the small, and the obvious with the obscure. The Rhinogs nowhere reach 2,500 feet but they provide the roughest and toughest walking in Wales, and the rarely visited tops round the Hirnant Valley near Bala are a close second. The two-thousands are of that middle height from which the distant views look their best. Ullscarf, for instance, a much-neglected top, has probably the finest all-round views in the Lake District.

It is not, however, the purpose of this article to defend 'peak-bagging,' nor is it my intention to describe its strategy or tactics, nor to dwell on the experiences, hopes, and fears of the top-collector. All this has been done recently by E. W. Hodge (Fell & Rock Climbing Club Journal, 1950) far better than I could do it. Indeed, when I read Hodge's article, I was amazed, not to say chagrined, to find how closely his ideas, reactions, and experiences with the Munros had paralleled mine with the lesser peaks.

My object is to tidy up the published lists of two-thousands. In going over the whole of the ground I have found F. H. F. Simpson's list for the Lake District (Wayfarers' Journal, 1937) to be extremely accurate and there appears to be only one omission from it. My own lists for the Rest of England and Wales (Rucksack Club Journal, 1939 and 1940) are somewhat less complete and several tops, mostly small, but all conforming to the 50 ft contour ring definition have come to light. The additional tops are listed below for completeness. They bring the numbers to 226 in the Lake District, 153 in the Rest of England, and 244 in Wales. The grand total is therefore 621.(Two tops are on the border between England and Wales and occur in two lists.)

I am indebted to A. St G. Walsh for drawing my attention to two of the additional tops in Wales. He is a mine of information on two-thousands and has recently published an account of his researches (Wayfarers' Journal, 1950). He divides the two-thousands into three classes: definitely 50 ft drop; doubtful; and definitely not 50 ft drop. Unfortunately Walsh gives only a specimen list and does not indicate to what extent he depends on objective measurement or on subjective judgement in deciding whether the drop is more or less than 50 ft.

Simpson's and my own lists are all based on the 50 ft contour ring definition, which is admittedly arbitrary; but they include also a number of tops without a contour ring, tops which were included originally for sentimental, local or other reasons. The collector who wishes to be arbitrary in a consistent manner will exclude these tops and reduce the numbers to 216 for the Lakes, 150 for the Rest of England, and 243 for Wales. On the other hand there are a number of worthy tops over 2,000 ft with very distinct rises all round which nevertheless do not figure in the lists because their rises occur between adjacent 50 ft map contours. Examples are Tewit How, Crag Hill, and Craig Ysgafn (all contours are missing on the map hereabouts). The identification of all the ringless tops in and out of the lists is left to the initiative of the collector.

There are two-thousands within at least three military firing areas – the Trawsfynydd range in North Wales, the Okehampton range in Devonshire, and the Warcop range in the Pennines, the last including Mickle Fell and some outliers within its danger area. I have always found the commandants very willing to indicate non-firing periods, which usually include Bank Holiday week-ends and certain other holiday times, and sometimes, though not always, ordinary week-ends. Until the Redesdale range was reduced in area after the war, Windy Gyle lay on its boundary. There is little risk, even during firing, in some parts of the danger areas, which are deliberately drawn very generously.

After years spent in the wilderness one can return with renewed interest and appreciation to the choice beauties of the more popular places. And when I am asked what I am going to do now that I have finished the two-thousands I reply that for the time being I am going to please myself what I do. For in the later stages the game almost became my master. The remaining tops were too often in my leisure thoughts as I calculated the map miles and feet of ascent, the most efficient grouping, the number that could be sandwiched into a week-end. I almost felt guilty when I went rock-climbing. But if I am pressed for an answer to the question my reply is that I am going to collect stamps with pictures of mountains on them!

District and Group	Name	Height in feet	Map Ref.*	Full Nat. Grid Ref.
LAKES Coniston ENGLAND Calf WALES Snowdon Fforest Fawr Fforest Fawr Fforest Fawr Brecon Brecon Brecon	Lad Stone (S.E. of Wetherlam) Point W. (ii) (of the Calf) Point W. (of Gallt y Wenallt) Point E. (i) (of Carmarthern Van) Point E. (ii) (of Carmarthern Van) Point E. (iii) (of Carmarthern Van) Craig Cwm-oergwm N. Top Point N.W. (i) (of Unnamed Top) Point N.W. (i) (of Unnamed Top)	2100+ 2100+ 2000+ 2000+ 2000+ 2000+ 2150+ 2000+ 2000+	12/J6 20/A5 49/A17 90/F6 90/F6 90/F6 90/G13 91/J1 91/J1	35/293003 34/663972 23/638535 22/828223 22/830221 22/833216 32/036205 32/085138 32/084139

* Sheet No. and Square of 1" O.S. Popular (₄th) Edition.