High Reaches Weyr was opened after Fort and Benden during the First Pass, built high in the mountains with the last of the functioning stonecutters. Famous for the Seven Spindles that rise above the bowl, the main caverns are spacious and smooth-walled.
The weather in the High Reaches has always tended to be inclement, and in the winter High Reaches dragons were as likely to be called to rescue a snowed-in Hold as to need to fight Thread over them. High Reaches Hold is the best-known of the mountain settlements, though there are many others, many of them mining communities. The seaside Hold of Tillek and its surrounding area are also within the traditional territory of the Weyr.
In the time since the final Threadfall, High Reaches has been made much more clement by the addition of electric heat and lighting. The Living Cavern was the last major area to be lit by glows, but was recently wired for lights. There are still some far weyrs and storage caverns which lack electricity, but they are generally unoccupied. The heat does not keep the ice and snow at bay in the winter, however, and riders must still bundle up first thing in the morning to go fetch their breakfasts.
Now, High Reaches supports itself by providing transport, security and rescue services to the surrounding areas and anyone else on Pern who has the ability to pay. Though the tithe has gone, most of the Holds continue to send regular shipments of food and other necessary goods in exchange for the Weyr's continued protection. The Weyr is only a radio call away when a wagon is lost, Renegades attack, or freight needs to be carried quickly to another Hold.
The residents of High Reaches continue to be hardy folk. Though complaints about the weather are common, the people who come to live in the mountains tend to stick around. Everyone is expected to contribute to the well-being of the Weyr in whatever way they can, however, and those with continuously idle hands may find others suggesting that they take up residence elsewhere. The Weyrfolk pride themselves on hard work, independence, and practicality.
The Weyrleaders of High Reaches make for a fairly well-balanced pair. Ro is a firm but kind woman in her thirties who held the rank of senior journeyman at the Healer Hall prior to her Impression at High Reaches a few turns ago. L'dran, the most recent Weyrleader, is in his forties and is new to the position, having held it for hardly more than a turn; an unexpected flight win brought the sea-faring bronzerider to a more permanent home in the snowy region, a move which, it is reported, he has not been too happy with.