Walking in the Malverns

 “It’s always further than it looks. It’s always taller than it looks. And it’s always harder than it looks.” 
(the three rules of mountaineering)

The Malvern Hills are a 15km (c.9 mile) range of ancient rocks made up of a complex assemblage of crystalline igneous and metamorphic rocks (granite) of pre-Cambrian age (at least 650 million years old). The soils on the ridge top are thin and support little more than short wiry grasses, providing ideal walking conditions and stunning views. Lower down the soils are stony but thicker and support gorse, bramble and bracken interspersed with silver birch, mountain ash, hawthorn, sycamore and oak. The trees are stunted at higher levels but grow thick and lush in the valley bottoms.

The Hills divide the Counties of Herefordshire and Worcestershire with the rolling hills and fields of Herefordshire to the West and the flatter plains of the Severn Valley to the East. Much of the drama and beauty of the Hills arise from the way they dramatically rise out of this landscape. Another feature of the Hills are the many (c. 88) springs and fountains which flow from outlets all around them - of particular note are St Ann's Well and Holy Well.

The highest point on the Hills is the Worcestershire Beacon (425m) with North Hill (397m) and the British Camp Hill (Herefordshire Beacon - 338m) the other highest points. 

 
  “Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, So… get on your way!” (Dr. Seuss)

 “Getting to the top is optional. Getting down is mandatory.” 
(Ed Viesturs)

 “When the wind calls, you know, that somewhere in the mountains, it has found the answers that you were looking for. The pull of the horizon overcomes the inertia of reason…
And you just have to go.”  
(Vikram Oberoi)

 “May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds.” (Edward Abbey)

 “Never measure the height of a mountain until you have reached the top. Then you will see how low it was.” (Dag Hammarskjold)

 “Keep close to Nature’s heart…and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. 
Wash your spirit clean.” 
(John Muir)