Right, here is my first post about our first trip to Rum, and my first trip to the Scottish Highlands. Basic itinery for the visit was….
Drive to Mallaig, ferry to Rum, do Askival, then ferry back, and camp at Loch Lomond hopefully doing my first Munro – The Ben. However, to break the 453 mile journey between home and Mallaig, we would stay in the Lakes during the weekend before the ferry to Rum and camp in Yorkshire on the way back.
2 posts in 1 day – my blogging is like the buses.
Anyhow, just spent 2 hours packing for the 5 day trip up North with the Sants and Andy. However, Beta Sant (Phil!) has the shingles, and therefore has pulled out. Still, Paul and Andy will still be going up, and we plan to camp at Skyeside.
Planned activities are to climb at Keswick Saturday, a Helvellyn or similar walk on Sunday and canoe on Ullswater Monday. I am sure we will try some ‘beer’ at the Brothers Water Inn. The plan was to return back Tuesday, but a couple of weeks ago, I decided it would be rude to return so early, so booked a couple of days off work and a train ticket so guess what….
Another two day walk from Patterdale to Windermere Train Station via Helvelyn, Fairfield, Great Dodd then Rydal Hall. Probably will be camping by Grisedale Tarn, who knows!!
Most exciting news however, is the plan to get a new lightweight waterproof jacket. I am currently thinking about the Marmot Mica, but I am currently worried about the durability of such a jacket worn under a admittadly light rucksack.
Here goes…
Right, once again, apologies for not blogging recently. Just been too busy. So what have I been doing recently?
Firstly, me and the missus camped in Wasdale at the beginning of April to celebrate our first year together. We drove up Friday evening and pitched the tents at Church Stile / Nether Wasdale. Saturday, I introduced ‘her outside’ to Lakeland mountain biking over Windemere way. She now respects even smaller Lakeland hills. Tough day, but dinner in the Screes warmed us enough to get through a very cold night.
Sunday was meant to see an easy walk up and over the screes. The first parts – uphill and accorss the top were and we decended on the far side of Wastwater by about 2. However, the return screeful (is that a word?) leg along Wastwater was an education on why to never underestimate cumbrian ‘footpaths’. 2 hours later after only maybe 3 miles, and we finally got back to camp about 7. We were shattered, and I was sunburnt. However, after some camp cooked pasta, we were up for a pint or 3 in the screes again. Nice.
Good weekend.
I am in my tent ptiched just below loadpot hill on high street. It has been an amazing day that started in Troutbeck at 8. I had planned this walk last week, but to ensure it happened I decided not to post about it before.
I had been worried about the snow, didn’t want to be another statistic and was wondering how doable high street would be. driving into ambleside yesterday didn’t help, conistom old man looked covered in the White stuff from about 700 metres. I had a low level route planes as a backup but didn’t relish a walk off the mountains when I had driven so far.
Anyhow, after camping at Rydal hall, which was nice, I left the airs foe troutbeck. The walk, nor the initial walked helped my worries, low cloud covered the hills from 500 metres, god knows would behind that. As I continued up the valley, the only snow saw was little puddles here and there, and more serious stuff in the gullies. However, it came thicker and more common as I ascended until I neared Yoke when the mist obscured evering for about 20 metres. Great, it would keep me guessings.
Snowy High Street
When I finally arrived at thorntwaite drag beacon, the mist initially lifted just enough to see a large cornice hanging off high street and just as I decided I might escape via stony cove, the mist lifted again to reveal a totally doable and beutiful scene. Lots of easy, safe snow away from the edges, which could be avoided anyhow. Loads of photos later accompanied by a smile for about 2 miles I was in walkers bliss. The scenery is as good as I have seen it up here, I think I prefer it to heavily covered peaks.
Views west towards Helvelyn
Fast progress was made to High Raise where I startedto slow down, feeling tired and hungry. A breakfast bar and banana sorted me out till I arrived at my designated camp, just north of loadpog hill. I got here about 4:30 and pitched the tent as soon as I found a half decent place. It is windy but hopefully I have enough cover so the tent stays up till about 4:30 when I plan to get up and start the return trip at lower level along haweswater. Here’s hoping I see the eagle!
My Laser Comp on High Street
Right, a bit of planning to do then sleep by 7, I can already see it going quite dark.
Just testing posting from the iphone.
Back a little early from the Lakes.
Firstly, a little confession. I didn’t camp due to the hugh amount of water lying in the valley. I therefore stayed at the Dollywagon Guest House in Keswick – big ups to the hosts, great b & b with local walking advice and price. Yummy breakie too.
Anyhows, with the change of accommodation came a change of route. A quick map session in the Dog and Gun lead me to the decision of trying Skiddaw. That was that.
Left the car parked by the Ravenstone Hotel and walked up Longside Edge. Whilst it did take a lot of effort to gain the height to get on the Edge, the intitial views over Bassenthwaite were well worth it. The edge it fairly easy, no technical work, and the path dodges from left to right side of the top. The wind was blowing even from about 300m, and each time the path went to the right, the wind hit again.
As you continue past Ullock Pike, you get to final part of the ridge hitting Carl Side – a broad fell top with possibly the smallest cairn I have ever seen. It was at this point that I started to worry about the wind, it was srong here, and I had another 200m of ascent left. This ascent was up quite loose, sometimes ash like scree – one step forward, 1/2 a step back. And step by step, the wind’s strength grew.
Just as I thought it couldn’t get any stronger, I reached the plateue and a hugh gust pushed my uncontrollably about 2 metres. I could see the Northern top, and I decided immediately, that I would do the summit and retrace my steps back to Carl Side, rather than cover the entire plateau for the possibly easier descent. I think I made the right decision, i had to lower myself to reduce wind profile as the gusts were the most powerful I have experienced. 20 minutes later, I was coming back back down the scree slope. It was too windy to use the poles, I knew I wouldn’t be able to place them at all.
However, as soon as I reached Carl Side, they came out and I got some descent speed and momentum down to Millbeck where I saw some wallabies at a farm! A simple 3 or 4 miles got me back to the car. All in all, a fairly easy walk considering the ascent, which was only made difficult due to the wind. I even had my obligatory walking in marino base layer moment whilst walking back to the car.
The evening saw me back in the Dog and Gun for Sundays walking decision. I knew it was going to be windy, with possible snow. So Catbells, and possibly High Spy were the choice.
However, in the morning, I woke to a fair amount of snow. However, I could see much more snow away from the Derwent basin, so decided to drive down to Grasmere for a sprint up Helm Crag. Again, an easy walk up, until I got to the summit, the wind blew strong and fast, but the weather was generally ok until I took my last planned photography. Suddenly, I was blasted with fast moving hail, to the point it reached over my glasses making both eyes water. I immediately packed the camera and tripod, and descended quickly from the summit to a dip where i could get enough shade to get the waterproof top on, poles out, gloves on and camera packed properly.
Again, with poles in hand, i managed to descend in only about 20 mines, having chatted to loads of people walking up, including one guy whose torso garments were limited to a shirt and woolly jumper – interesting choice given the heavy rain, snow and hail. Anyhow, 2 hours it took for the entire walk. I was happy with the photos, and views over Easedale and significant snowfall on Helveyln. The biggest regret was that the wind hadn’t been that strong over night, and the planned Angle Tarn camp would have been appropriate. Still, better safe than sorry.
After a bit of outdoors laziness of recent, this weekend I am going to kick start 2009 with a 25 miler in the Lakes split over this Saturday and Sunday. My single NY resolution this year is to do a 25+ miler once a month, every month.
I have booked next Monday off work, and am partially copying Bearded Git’s walk from a couple of years ago.
Friday night will see me camp at Sykeside to acclimatize to Winter camping. A hopefully faff-free morning will see me leave early to walk over Beda fell and onto the north end of High Street. A bit of wandering up High Street to Swarthbeck will hopefully find me a nice rest spot.
After an obviously quiet and good nights sleep (yeah right!), a Wayfayer’s bean and bacon breakie will power me on up High Street, past High Raise but only to The Knott. Here, weather permitting, I reckon a nice sit down to emerge myself further into nature will allow me my first Golden Eagle viewing (yeah right!!). Then my well rehearsed descent past Satura Crag will dump me at Angle Tarn for my third and final trip camp.
Monday morning will see the easy descent down Hayeswater Gill and back to the campsite to pack the trusty Volvo and a journey back home via the effortless, flowing M6 (yeah right!!! (Promise thats my last yeah right (yeah right!!!!)).
My biggest current concern is how, and whether I can get all my intended kit into my Deuter 32l sack. I failed when I tried last weekend, so I am revising kit list to see whether there is anything I don’t need, and figure whether i can pack it a little more intelligently. Um…
Right, today, I took the bull by the horns and decided to advise my parents of the presents I deserved for Christmas and my forthcoming birthday. The first is a PHD Minimus sleeping bag, my first foray into down bags. Looking forward to replacing my Vango synthetic bag that ways 1.2kg, and the space saving in the rucksack will hopefully be sufficient to allow wild-camping with my 35l Deuter rucksack.
To accompany the bag, I have also asked (and ordered by proxy) a Therm-A-Rest Prolite 3 short mat which I plan to use in collaboration with a Z-Lite closed cell matt in winter conditions.
The net result will be saving of about 500gm in mild winter conditions, and from March / April, about a 2lb pack saving. The final weight based upgrades will be more optimized first aid kit (never used anything other than pain killers from this), lighter poles (only to be replaced when the length markers finally got wiped off mine), and sac itself. Oh for Xmas 09!!!!
Went up to Keldy, Yorkshire last week with the better half. Whilst not a dedicated walking holiday, a couple of walks was definitely on the cards. Getting up their last Monday saw our dream of snow come true; a good 3 inches of snow was still on the ground from the heavy fall the previous week.
Due to this, and my poor winter driving stylee, I got the car stuck the first day, thus preventing the early departure needed for the planned coastal walk. Therefore, we did a 8 – 9 mile walk around Keldy / Compton Forest. The snow was deep, I had a good few slips on ice, and had the token getting lost moment. However, we got back to base camp (a luxury hot tub / log burning fire equipped wooden lodge) before dusk. Nice. An hour in the hot tub on sore muscles; even nicer!!!
Our second walk was a more strenuous 13 miler walking from Whitby to Robin Hood’s Bay direct, and back along the Cleveland Way cliff walk. Outward bound was easy albeit nearly seeing me lose my brand new iphone:( However, the return leg was another story. Slimy mud made a relatively easy (if slightly hilly) track become a slippy mudfest. Walking poles were definitely needed, and I was surprised at the 500m or so of climbing along the 8 mile leg. Still, the views over the North Sea were amazing. The cliff views and waves crashing against them will stick in my mind for a long time, this was my first real coastal walk, and I can’t wait for the next one. However, a later than expected departure meant that we spent the last 30 mins or so walking in the pitch dark, ala head torches. Good fun, but we couldn’t wait to return to Whitby for the mandatory (and strangely hard to find!!!) cod and chips. Yum!!!
I don’t know, I have been stood up by both my better (arguably) and my PM for a walk today in the peak district. However, the ever dependable Sant did make it for a spiffing walk over Dewent Edge in the Peak District.
Phil and I met at 10:30 at Ashopton. We got our boots and gaiters on, and started walking torwards Ladybower Inn. Here, turning left we ascended to Whinstone Lee Tor with little incident other than the Sant slipping and slidding several feet due to poor traction on the peat. All good fun, and no damage or dirty trousers!!
At the Tor, we joined Derwent Edge which was fine, not the -10 wind-chill as pessimistically forecast by MWIS. An hour or so later, and we got to the final Tor (Back Tor?) where we lunched. We then continued north to try and find the path down Howden Clough. The top bit was quite difficult to find, the path being quite feint. I nearly lost my right leg down a rabbit hole, then sant nearly lost his down another one!! Wreckoning on 0.5 points for a rabbit hole leg bite, Phil was now beating me 1.5 to nil on falls. 
As we continued to try and find the path, the ground got tougher and tougher. Peat grough after peat grough after bog continued to try and get us to divert to a more established path. But no, we kept on trying to find the path, and find the path we did. I had mistakenly headed too far north and had missed the head of the trail. As we had walked south along the clough, we found the main trail.
Its a great trail, fairly easy walking, but with a bit of exposure on the right added a touch of excitment. The scenerie was beatiful, with brown peaty waterfalls cascading below. The clough took about 1 – 1.5 hours to descend, so we got back to the reservoirs about 2:30.
A simple walk along the waters edge completed the walk. The long road walk was considerably brightened up with conversation and an (un)healthy application of Harribo.
Finanly got to the car about 3:30 and had a hellish drive back down the M1; what with heavy rain and some more sleet.
Back home, I started looking at the 3 dayer I am planning in the lakes. The distance scares me, maybe 25 – 30 miles over 2.5 days of walking, but more than that, it is snowing. Don’t get me wrong, I love snow. But a wildcamp is planned, and I don’t think I am ready yet for camping in the -13 wind-chill as predicted for tomorrow. Still…. A couple of weeks to warm up the lakes!