The 'coalman' on his round
This week’s blog is a bit on the short side. I’m out for the next few days acting as safety cover on what must be the most gruelling race in the UK – It’s called ‘The Spine’ and the competitors are racing each other north up the Pennine Way.
Thornton Force in spate
The plan had been to go to the Peak District for our next hill day. However, the ‘breezy’ day with ‘sunny intervals’ turned out to be ‘blowing a hoolie’ and ‘light rain’. Our last outing to Malham on Boxing Day {26th December) had seen us blown and buffeted round the hillside. I for one wasn’t especially keen to repeat the experience, but didn’t have an alternative ready. It was Chris who saved the day by suggesting the Ingleton Waterfall Walk. Click to continue….
Boxing Day walkers at Janet’s Foss waterfall
December 2010 was memorable for the snow and extreme cold conditions that gripped the UK, causing chaos far and wide. December 2011 will be remembered for different reasons, at least by those who walk the hills. A succession of Atlantic low-pressure systems combined with associated weather fronts has at times made walking the hills an unpleasant experience.
There have been calm days, sure enough, but I seem to have been doing other things on the settled days – we did manage an outing to Malham on Boxing Day, where the lower paths were crowded. The small waterfall of Janet’s Foss was in full spate, and as we reached higher ground we were blown and buffeted by winds that made walking a trial. There was some cheer on the horizon though – New Years Eve at the Station Inn at Ribblehead in the Yorkshire Dales.
Walkers heading towards Pen y Ghent
As a kid I was never very keen about being out in snow. I had poor circulation in my hands and feet, which took a lot of the fun out of playing in the cold – I still feel the cold, but I’ve learned how to deal with it over the years. In fact, nowadays I can’t wait for the first decent snowfall on the hills. A good covering of snow turns old familiar hills into something rather special, and the past weeks weather over the UK is a good start for this winter.
Dog’s just gotta have fun!
Soon after I started this weekly blog (just over a year ago) Chris and I took the momentous step of adding a dog to the household. No big deal there, you might say, but the previous twelve months had been difficult dog-wise, with us losing two young Border Collies, one in a road accident and another through epilepsy. We decided to go to the Freedom of Spirit Trust (FOSTBC), our local Border Collie rescue organisation, with the idea that we would just “have a look” – a week later ‘Mist’ moved in!
Sgorr na Ciche seen from near Ballachulish
A look this week at one of the most recognisable and attractive looking peaks in the Glencoe area. It’s far from the highest, yet it’s a hill that is well worth the four hours or so that it takes to go up and down. The Gaelic name of Sgorr na Ciche translates as ‘The Rough Peak of the Breast’, which is anglicised as The Pap of Glencoe – wonder why they called it that, then!
Lumb Hole Waterfall
There’s something about waterfalls. The combination of sound, movement, power and light is elemental and irresistible, and it’s little wonder that waterfalls have inspired artists, photographers, poets and writers. There is even a school of thought that waterfalls have a calming effect on the mind and body, due to the creation of negative hydrogen ions released by the splitting of water molecules. Personally, I just like ‘em!
Carlin Gill – Quiet and lonely
Between the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales lie the Howgills. These hills are a mixture of contradictions. They are quiet, lonely hills, yet several thousand motorists drive by them each day. They are small hills, with the highest top at a mere 676 metres, but to walk across them without huge height gain and loss is almost impossible. They are in the County of Cumbria, but half of the range lies in the Yorkshire Dales national Park. They are unique – they are the Howgills.
The Aonach Eagach ("The Notched Ridge")
Walking from valley to valley has featured largely in both my walking and my blog posts for the last couple of weeks, but to keep a balanced view (and to keep the mountain men/women happy) here’s a look at the Aonach Eagach in Glencoe, widely regarded as being the finest ridge walk on the UK mainland. For many, only the Cuillin Ridge on Skye can beat it.
The high ground between Wet Sleddale and Swindale (JB)
Last weeks walk and blog (#50) prompted the idea to have more of the same, but to go one better, so plans were hatched to revisit the eastern side of the Lake District. The Far Eastern Fells bear little resemblance to the popular ‘chocolate box’ images of Lakeland, but they don’t have a Pennine or Dales feel either. These hills are like the misfit cousins who turn up at the family wedding, looking strange and wild in their outlandish clothing.
Paul offers guided hillwalking in the UK through Hillcraft Guided Walking. He is also a freelance outdoor writer.
Hillcraft Guided Walking Website
Paul Shorrock - One Man's Mountains AKA One Pillock's Hillocks 