Six Wainwrights from Deepdale bridge

We had to drive over the Kirkstone Pass to get to Deepdale bridge and in winter this can be tricky.. Coming down the pass we were just passing Beetham cottage and Mick was regaling us with story's of days gone by when we hit a patch of ice just as we were about to pass an oncoming car..Front seat passenger Dave used to be  a booby and he shouted " don't brake, don't brake"!!..I shut my eyes expecting a sickening thud as we collided either with the car or the wall..Fortunately we hit neither and I managed to get my heart back in it's proper place..

When we parked up at Deepdale bridge I commented that Mick was getting some colour back in his face and then we had that awkward moment when some other walkers  pull up next to you in a brand new Range rover  and your not quite sure where to put your eyes...

Dave is our leader and planner our leader and as I had my boots on first I ventured over to the bridge to have a look around and was met with " where are you going, that's the wrong way!"  So I sulked back to the car and  told lassie off to make me feel better..

Suitably corralled we set off through the farm gate straight into ankle deep mud, not quite the snowy scene I had imagined,but further on and higher up the snowy hills looked very white indeed..

The way ahead.

The path? climbs steadily over Bleaberry Knot and Gale Crag and despite my promise to stay with the group I was soon ahead and overtook another group. I had been persuaded to buy an ice axe before we came and Dave had strapped it to my rucksack properly as I had put it upside down when I did it

As I came up behind each guy in the group in front they steeped aside to let me pass and I had an awful moment as I nearly took one guys nose off with the bloody ice axe as I passed him!  I decided it was best to put a stoic spurt on and put some distance between us to save me from further embarrassment...

Out first Wainwright of the day was Hartsop above How and I remembered something heelwalker had said about Hartsop but it didn't make much sense to me now.. In the snowy conditions it is hard to determine where exactly each summit actually is,so I always have them programmed  into my GPS so that we are sure to have properly bagged each one..

Verdant Patterdale from Hartsop above How

By now we were in the snow proper and a right wind had got up so we decided to find a bit of shelter and have a snack to eat..We stopped at Blake Brow behind a rock and were soon joined by a pair of Ravens who wanted to share our butty's. Birds like these are smart and soon learn where an easy meal can be found. I  remember finding a sheep in some distress wandering around with a bloody face and the farmer said that the crows peck the sheep's eyes out when the sheep are asleep..

When it comes to hovering crumbs up lassie is a dab hand so the Raven had to go hungry.

After a quick lunch we pressed on to Hart Crag. On the way we got a bit separated and I saw how easy it must be to lose contact with your group once the weather turns nasty.This is what must have happened to those lads on Scafell pike at Xmas time...Someone who knows a thing or two about fell walking told me never get out of earshot when trying to keep a group together, so after a few loud shouts we regrouped again..

The path from Hart Crag to Fairfield is well defined with plenty of cairns to guide you..We came across a couple here with the wife walking some distance behind. The guy asked us directions and as I passed his wife she had a decidedly angry look on her frozen face. I commented that it looked like he was in for a few silent meals  when they got home.

I often wonder what we would do if we ever came across somebody who was injured and cold and needed help..On a fine summers day it might be possible to help someone,but up here in this weather it would be a totally different thing I'm sure..Those people in Mountain Rescue are something special that's for sure..

When we got to the summit of Fairfield there was quite a crowd and I love looking at all the gear everybody has to try and pick up some tips..One guy I got talking to had crampons on and he asked me if I|got much use out of the ice axe! I didn't like saying i had only just bought it so  I said no..He said the crampons were effective but could easily bugger up your knees as your feet stay where they are and your body pivots about your knee joints.. This was all I needed to hear to decide against buying some...

After twenty minutes at the summit i was bloody freezing and my thumb felt like it was being gripped in a vice. All silly dreams of helping someone in distress quickly disappeared out of my head and I was glad when Dave confidently strode of to go down Deepdale Hause..

The snow around here was thigh deep as soon as you left the path and I decided it would be fun to try and slide down on my rucksack and see how far I could go..

With the shout "you must be be bloody stupid,  that's a concave slope" ringing in my ears I jumped down using my rucksack as a sled and slithered about ten feet. As I gained momentum i saw my ice axe overtaking me only to stop just in front directly in my path..I tried to dodge it but the bloody thing grabbed my arse and ripped my pants to shreds!!

I decided to leave sledging to the cricketers and sheepishly rejoined my mates..I kept trying to pull my jacket down to cover the gaping hole in my walking trousers,realising that the ice axe could have given me a nasty cut in my leg which would have a been a shitty thing to happen up here..

Looking back up St Sunday Crag.

After the exertion of coming down St Sunday Crag we found a sheltered spot and had a quick brew.

Dave and Mick having a brew..Deadly ice axe in yellow

From here the path leads down to Birks which is  a funny sounding Wainwright without much to recommend it except the view down to Grizedale with it's lonesome stone walling.

Lonesome stone walling of Grizedale

The final leg of this walk goes over Trough Head and on to our last Wainwright of the day Arnison Crag.

The views from here are slendid looking down over Patterdale village to the lower end of Ullswater..

Lassie admiring the views over Ullswater.

All in all this was a great walk not without it's dangers and on a fine day the view over Grizedale to Helveyllyn should give you the urge to try them next.If you want to see a 3Dflythrough of our walk then click this link   3D Fly through.

A Walk Across Morecambe Bay

In the Summer of 2009 me and my mate decided to raise some monies for Cancer research by organising a sponsored walk across Morecambe bay. I had read a book about Cedric Robinson the Queen's guide to the sands but he sounded a bit strict so I decided to let Alan Sledmore have a go.
The Dates when walks are being done can be found on the web.
The walk we did starts from Hest Bank and ended at Kents bank a walk of about nine miles..

Here we  are looking all nice and clean and raring to go and raise some cash. In total there were about 200 people doing the walk and our group of 40  set off in a ramshackle sort of way following Alan and his helpers.

It soon became clear that the only suitable foot ware was bare feet.

Alan and his helpers use a variety of motors to get across and they will take you on a trip out into the bay to see the cockle beds.

 If anyone gets tired or has sore feet Alan will let you ride his tractor..

The sands are very firm and easy to walk on and we never saw any sign of quick sands..This is us about halfway across..

I was surprised at how quickly you lose sight of land and if you attempted this walk on your own you would need a strong constitution and a tide table.

Of course crossing the bay wouldn't be fun without getting a bit wet and you have to cross one or two little rivers

If your not up to wading you can always jump on a tractor to get you across..Some people had dogs with them so I guess you may have to carry it across here..

As you can see everybody made it safely across. This is us as we approached Kent's bank in Grange over Sands.

All in all this was a  great way to spend a Sunday Afternoon and in total we raised 2000 pounds for a good cause..

Wild Boar fell.

The walk today goes up Wild Boar fell twixt the Yorkshire dales and the Howgills. This walk is mostly on open access land where dogs are not allowed to go. I ignore this sort of stuff and always take lassie.

On a clear sunny day the scenery is as good as anywhere and on a frosty day the ground is hard otherwise it would be a real bog fest.

Navigating is the name of the game up here and here are my mates doing some.

The Settle to Carlisle railway  runs down through the valley and crosses the Smardale viaduct.

We took a good few stops to admire the view and try and find the path.

Anybody who is better than me with a camera could get some cracking shots..I think I may need a UV filter to get a clearer picture.

The fells round here are enormous.See how this farm is dwarfed by the surrounding hills.

On top of the Nab there are a series of cairns.If you know the origin of these then do tell.From a distance we thought there was a bunch of people up there.

All in all this is a long and tiring walk of about 12 miles and the going is a bit tough underfoot. As the daylight started to fade I put on my head torch and we came across some animal neglect.

This Shetland pony was frozen solid next to an empty plastic container. Under normal circumstances I would have gone to the farm and told them about their pony but it was off the route and didn't look very welcoming..

Barefoot up Scafell Pike

When my Niece her husband  and me decided to go up Scafell Pike I was just glad of the opportunity and when he decided to do it barefoot I wasn't concerned..They were camping up the lakes so  we arranged to meet at the Old Dungeon Ghyll pub..When they turned up riding a tandem I knew I was in for something less ordinary than one of my usual walks.

I was all prepared with my usual walking boots and rucksack with every conceivable thing you could need when Tom announced he was going to try it barefooted and Kirsty said she would be ok in her wellys! I persuaded Kirsty to at least try my wife's boots on and when they fit her I felt more comfortable myself.
Tom does have rather large feet.

I know how quickly things can turn to S**t on these hills but I  had studied the MWIS weather forecast and they predicted a short break in the recent bad weather so off we went..

As we crossed the foot bridge over Rosset Gill there were a group of guys repairing the worn away footpath. Tom got some second glances as he strode confidently from rock to rock on  his size 12's'.
Further on we came across a small patch of Sundew plants.Tom being a keen environmentalist had a smile from ear to ear when he saw these, I tried to photograph them but it came out  wonky.



When we got to Angle tarn I wasn't in the least surprised when Tom decided to go for a swim.
From here on up the ground becomes very rocky but it did nothing to slow Tom's progress and soon we were at the top.

Tom wanted to go one higher so he promptly climbed the trip point to the amazement of the other walkers.

Tom comes from a family with lots of walking experience. His father has walked the entire length of the English coast. When ever he came to an estuary he simply swam across. He started this mammoth undertaking in his teens and finished when he was in his mid fifties..
Coming down from Scafell Pike Kirsty offered me a piece of Marmite flavored chocolate..It is the most disgusting thing I have ever tasted and I spent the next few miles trying to spit it out..
When we got back down to Angle tarn we decided that as the weather was nice we would do Bowfell as well.

Here they are on top of Bowfell, the air was so clear we could see the Isle of Man in the distance. On the way back down the Band we passed this lovely cottage.

When we got back we had a pint in the Old Dungeon Ghyll. This place doesn't seem to have changed in the forty years I known it and I bet it could tell a few tales from the things that have happened here over the years.
So we managed our walk and Tom's feet seemed no worse for it..After we said our goodbyes Tom and kirsty got on their tandem and rode off back to their tent ..

My quest to find the centre of Great Britain

This walk starts from the village of Dunsop bridge where you can park your car next to the 100000th BT payphone that was opened by Sir Ranulph Fiennes himself.. The plan was to try and find the Whitendale and Brennand hanging stones which are supposed to be the centre of the British Isle, The route leaves the village and follows the small brook upstream and onto the moors.

The weather was quite cold but the sky was blue enough and you very quickly leave civilisation behind as you follow the water board service road.

The hills round here are mostly boggy peat and are the sponge that feeds the surrounding reservoirs.

The views up here in the forest of Bowland are like no other you are likely to see and the area seems to be seldom visited.

I had a map and ignoring the no dogs signs I quickly came across an obvious pointer to my destination.

The weather turned typically misty and following a bearing became tricky as the ground underfoot throws you first one way and then the other..I also had to negotiate big peaty scars where the streams had eroded away the topsoil..These detours can wreck your intended path so try and keep an eye on some thing in the distance so you can regain your bearing.

Out of the mist appeared some stones which fitted the bill I was looking for so I had a butty and admired the mist for a while..Whether these are the Brennand or Whitendale stones I know not.

From here I decided to make for the trig point on Whins Brow,its about two miles I guess but the walking is bloody hard work.You have to cross small valleys with steep sides where you have to grab lungs full of air and the surrounding heather to drag yourself up,

The ground is real hard work and when I saw a fence heading the right way I made a bee line for it and used it as a handrail all the way to the top.

On the way up I saw a farmer bouncing and rocking his way across the moor on his quad bike, it looked very uncomfortable indeed. By the time I reached the trig point I was huffing and puffing like a good un'

The tarn is Brennand tarn where I found a geocache  and sat and admired the views into the empty distance..I once read that the Queen comes up here shooting and as she owns most of the land she can do as she pleases I guess..

From here I grabbed another handrail fence and stumbled slipped and slithered my way back to Dunsop bridge for a brew.

Inglebrough via Twistleton Scar

This walk starts from the Marton Arms Hotel at Far Westhouse just outside Ingleton.There is plenty of parking at the stocks by St Oswalds church.








Follow the road uphill for about 1 mile until you reach a sheep pen on the right with a path heading into the open fields. This path is a cheeky way of getting a free view of Thornton force waterfall.

 Follow the Waterfall path up to the ice cream van and then climb the steep path up onto Twistleton scar.There are some peculiar limestone rocks up here..This is my mate from down south.

The path now crosses the limestone pavement for a mile or so and you can stop off and have a look down some of the potholes or sinks.

 The path now crosses a small ford and turns right towards Chapel le Dale.

As you approach Chapel le Dale there are two very interesting things to see..Firstly is a statue by Charles I'Anson which was uprooted and thrown down Hurtle pot.

The statue was recovered from hurtle pot by divers..This is me going down to the entrance of Hurtle pot.

The church of St Leonards is close by and you can stop for some lunch.

 Once while we were having our lunch I got talking to Will Alsop the guy who designed 3 chips in Manchester and Peckham library, he was amazed that we were going to walk up Inglebrough..

This is our intended route that amazed him....The next bit of the walk is hard work and often misty.

When you get to the top of the Devils staircase you can have your photo took like we did.

From here it is a short walk to the trig point and 4 sided shelter and then the path wends its way down towards Ingleton.