Introducing the new tarp

Following a superb dry weekend bivvying in the Lake District we decided to purchase a tarp for those occasions when we want to keep it basic but may get wet.  I didn't like the thought of stuffing my sleeping bag into the stuff sack in a downpour; it wouldn't be possible to do this and keep the bag dry.  The result was the Alpkit Rig 7.  

 

Last weekend had been earmarked for a tarp adventure; destination to be determined by the MWIS forecast! As the outlook for the Lake District was low cloud, we elected instead to keep it local and agreed on a grand tour of Wharfedale.

 

We set off on Friday evening after work and left the car in Starbotton with a 5 litre bottle of water in the back. The plan was to make big loops, filling our water bottles from springs, in cafes and pubs, and from the bottle in the car as a fall back. This arrangement worked well; we were never far from a source of water. 

 

A cat nap after an early mug of tea and cornflakes

Our first camp was made high up on the hillside overlooking the valley.  Contrary to the forecast, we were soon enveloped in low cloud so the view was hidden from us.  It took a couple of attempts to get the tarp pitched just right as we'd not had a practise run.  The rocky backdrop was perfect for leaning against and we had a foil blanket for insulation from the ground.  The air was full of moisture and there were a few drops of rain in the night, but we remained dry under our shelter.  I was surprised to find that I felt vulnerable under the tarp, a feeling I hadn't had when sleeping completely in the open on our last adventure. 

We spent Saturday romping around the head of Wharfedale.  Our route took us over the top and down into Arncliffe in Littondale, then back over into Kettlewell where we stopped in the tea shop.  Those who've been following my blog since the early days may remember that we dropped into this tea shop for emergency tea and soup on a particularly foul day when we were preparing for the BGR last year.  We were soaked through and I was cold despite being well wrapped up.  After the warm welcome we recieved on that day, I'll always have a soft spot for the Kettlewell Tea Rooms.  On this occasion we were dry and presentable and enjoyed a second breakfast of sausage butties and tea.  The cakes looked delicious so we purchased a couple of pieces of fruit cake to take away for later.

 

From Kettlewell we climbed Great Wherneside via a stunningly beautiful clough following Dowber Gill Beck. The path ended near Providence Pot from where we took a cross country route up to the cairn at the fence bend on the ridge between Great Whernside and Sweet Hill, then headed for the main summit.  Dowber Gill Beck flows over a bed of rock with beautiful formations, natural pools and a series of cascades.  As we followed it's course, the sun came out.  It was cool but a perfect day for exploring and I felt all the stress of work slip away from me.

 

From Great Wherneside we traversed via Park Rash to Starbotton on the Starbotton Road (not a road at all but a bridleway!) for a water refill. Then up to Buckden Pike along Walden Road (another bridleway). I know Buckden Pike as a remote, peat boggy, windy and bleak location but on this occasion it was realtively dry underfoot and had all the benefits of a grassy wilderness. We dropped down into Cray along Buckden rake, stopped for a wash in the gill, before calling into The White Lion:

 

It was a lovely surprise to find the fire was lit, and as seems to be the norm in the dale, we recieved a warm welcome.  Dinner for me was a huge plate of chilli con carne with half and half chips and rice and a generous portion of dressed salad coleslaw and potato salad,  washed down with two bottles of Kopparberg.  Andrew had steak and mushroom casserole with herby dumplings chips and salad, with Timthy Taylors Golden Best.  We'll definitely be going back!

The walk up to our camping spot was much easier than we'd imagined although it did end up being twice the distance owing to the chosen site being occupied by cattle.  Neither of us were keen to share, so we ended up being much higher up than planned, pitching in the twilight, in a somewhat exposed position. 

We only had one pole with us, so elected for a simple tent like configuration this time.  The wind picked up in the night so a bit of extra strapping down was needed but again the shelter worked well and when the sun rose in the morning it shon straight into the entrance.  The wind had dropped and we found ourselves in a beautiful remote spot with stunning views on the edge of Yockenthwaite Moor.  It was warm enough to set off in shorts and we decided to head back to Buckden for breakfast in another of our favourite cafes.

 

Our route to Buckden took us uphill first on a cross country course through grass, bogs and tussocks.  Great training with a heavy pack!  We traversed over to Gilbert Lane then back along Buckden Rake to Buckden.  The West Winds Teashop was closed for the day, but the village store restaurant and tea room was open and we sat outside in the sun for tea and bacon butties.  We were soon joined by several groups of walkers and cyclists and enjoyed the lively ambience.  This time we had Chorley cakes to take away.

 

The rest of the day was spent exploring the west side of the dale.  We climbed over Old Moor Cote Top and down into Litton, then along the River Skirfare (which was almost dried up) to Arncliffe.  From Arncliffe we crossed back over to Starbotton.  On arrival in Litton our path took us straight past the front entrance to the Queens Arms so we stopped for a drink in the pub garden on the way through; well, it would've been rude not to!

 

 

 

 

Monday Monday

What is it about Mondays?  Oh well, soon it'll be Tuesday!

The BOFRA Gargrave cross country on Wednesday was a struggle for me as I'd run hard at Widdop the night before and the going was soft.  My legs were on strike and so was my mind after a narrow escape from a full head on charge by an enormous cow (well she looked enormous and murderous at the time anyway!).  This happened not far from the start and I ran the majority of the race knowing I'd have to pass back through the field on the return.  Yikes!  Needless to say, I was glad to reach the finish in one piece.  Andrew won a prize for being 1st MV45 :) , and there were tiny ducklings on the dew pond so all was good in the end!

We spent the weekend in the Lake District and stayed at Millbeck Farm B&B in Langdale.  It's a beautiful ancient farmhouse (still a working farm) and it turned out to be a really friendly and welcoming retreat.  We're definitely going back; you can climb the fell straight out of the door and the pub is a short amble across a stream and through a paddock.

On Saturday we had a lovely day exploring the Langdale Skyline.  Our route took in Silver How, Blea Rigg, Sergeant Man, High Raise, Thunacar Knott, Pavey Ark, Harrison Stickle, Loft Crag (I fondly know as lofty!)  Pike O' Stickle, Rossett Pike, Bow Fell, Crinkle Crags, Pike of Bliscoe; 13 Wainwrights.  We finished the round in the Hikers Bar at the Old Dungeon Ghyll where we shared our table with a group of walkers and enjoyed their company.  My chilli and half n half rice and chips went down well with a couple of bottles of Kopparberg fruit cider and I slept like a log.

On Sunday we chose a route that would take us off the beaten track a little.  We climbed from the back of the cottage up to Pavey Arc and traversed via Thurnacar Knott to High Raise then made our way across the wild fell to Sergeants Crag and Eagle Crag.  It was moody and windy and we were treated to some really beautiful and unusual cloud formations as we were buffeted along our way and the scenery was stunning.  Andrew had the wild idea that Wainwright gave a route off Sergeants Crag west down to Langstrath along the line of the fell wall (what was that about a good memory?!).  I peered over the edge and was very dubious but agreed to give it a go.  We got about half way down before my best beloved started to make 'we're not going down there it's dangerous' type of noises.  Unfortunately I'd got the determined-not-to-be-beaten hat on by then and couldn't be persuaded to re-ascend....who's the most stubborn one then?!!!  We picked our way down between rocks and heather and made it safely down but it was slow going.  From Langstrath we climbed up to Stakes Pass and back down into Langdale finishing.......yes you got it......back in the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hikers Bar!  The cauliflower and cheese soup was the best soup I've ever had and their currant slices are like ambrosia (that would be the food of the gods not the white stodgy stuff)!

More training and races!

I'm writing this whilst sipping a post race mug of milky hot chocolate...mmm!

Last Wednesday Andrew ran round the Stirton Fell Race (Keighley & Craven) with me because he had a tight calf and didn't want to race.  I was expecting heavy legs and a slow effort but was rewarded with a great run feeling stronger and faster than in any other race this year, and having Andrew with me meant I didn't have to worry about getting lost; he knew the route!  The race was about 5.5 miles, 1200 feet climb.

We had a weekend in Devon with family but managed a session of hill reps on Saturday.  We did 6 climbs of about 400 feet taking just over 9 minutes each.  These climbs are a killer starting with a fairly shallow ascent but ramping up with a long set of rough steps near the top and a final grassy climb.

Monday evening involved a tempo run from home through the golf course, over to Bolton Bridge and along the back road below the Beacon. 

Last night it was pouring with rain and I'd had a rubbish day at work.  Instead of training we watched Sleepless in Seattle and had crisps, dips, soup and a couple of drinks.  It was a lovely relaxing evening.

This evening we drove over to Widdop for the Widdop Fell Race, organised by Calder Valley Fell Runners.  It was a bit far from home for an evening race and we only just made the start.  We encountered tussocks, bogs and mud galore and had a great run.  My legs seemed to be on strike for the first half an hour but they woke up eventually and I was able to push on a bit.  The mud was thoroughly stuck on; I couldn't get all of it off in the river even by scrubbing my legs with grasses!

Well it's time for sleep now.  I'm looking forward to the BOFRA cross country race at Gargrave tomorrow :)

The Saunders Lakeland Mountain Marathon

And I realised that my youngest son Sam is a true grown up and a gentleman! It hasn't really sunk in yet but..... The weather was kind beyond belief. We arrived on Friday night expecting thunder storms, torrential rain and gales but were greeted with an overcast calm evening. When Sam and I woke up on Saturday morning to a clear view of the Wasdale horseshoe bathed in sunshine I was hugely relieved. I hadn't been at all sure about introducing Sam to the fells at their worst with no visibility and gales! I don't think anyone's under any illusions about my current state of fitness; that I'm a bit out of shape and somewhat off form at the moment. So it may come as a surprise that Sam and I managed a very respectable result of 11th out of about 120 teams. So how did we do it? Well, we ran everything we could run, chose good routes and lines, and managed to navigate and make route choice decisions quickly. Maybe next year with more fitness and maybe a bit less weight on our backs we'll be able to creep up the list a little further. We're certainly going to give it a try!

Cragg Vale Fell Race

What a cracking little race. I got stuck in traffic on the way and thought I was going to miss it. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. A mix of tarmac, trails, trods and tussocky bogs and a great downhill finish.....and it didn't rain! I managed to get a dip in the river after and the the tea and cakes hit the spot nicely. What a shame I forgot to apply my midge cream; I have an array of red splotches that are going to drive me crazy over the next few days!!! Thanks to Jackie and co for organising it. It was good to see friends old and new.

I'm back!

Four races in a week; I'm back at last! A quick update..... Since my last post I've had a hysterectomy as treatment for persistant CIN3 pre cancerous cervical cells. I've recovered now but there were a few minor complications along the way. In December I moved to West Yorkshire joining Andrew at last and transferred to the Leeds branch of the company I work for. Now to the important stuff....running! I've joined Keighley and Craven running club and have started training again. Andrew and I recently spent two weeks in the Lake District which has given me a kick start to training and getting back out there in the hills. I'm hooked again! We even fulfilled a life dream...skinny dipping in a pool in a river, whoot whoot! I've lost half a stone this month and the weight is still coming off (I'd gained a fair amount in the last year). This week I've done 4 fell races. Cononley Fell Race, Sutton Pinacles, St Ives trail race and the Beamsley Beacon fell race. The going is tough and I'm finding it a struggle but I'm getting stronger and faster and I've made some new friends. I haven't felt so positive in a very long time.

Something different for a change!

Having been off the scene for a while due to health issues (more about that another time) I decided a visit to the local Donkey Sanctuary would be of benefit.

I've been staying with my parents in Devon whilst recuperating and Andrew has come down for a visit and to take me up to Yorkshire to continue my recovery there.

The sanctuary is just that; a sanctuary, and there is something highly soothing and relaxing about visiting it. It's free to enter as it is the spirit of the organisation to allow people free access to visit and see their work and achievements. They rely on voluntary donations and fund raising events for income.

We arrived quite early and had the pleasure of seeing all the elderly and more fragile donkeys resting in their stable, a large barn filled with clean straw. That alone was the most peaceful sight. The donkeys have collars with their names which are colour coded to show their particular needs, e.g. medication or extra feeds.

Donkeys are such gentle peaceful animals, and contact with them has a really soothing effect for anyone that feels in need of a bit of tlc. They all have different personalities, likes and dislikes just like us.

I particularly liked meeting the more sociable donkeys in the home paddock where they mingle with visitors and enjoy being stroked, patted and talked to - approaching people at their choice and resting in open stables if they prefered to be alone.

The sanctuary occupies a huge area with something like 460 donkeys spread around fields and paddocke, all guaranteed a safe and caring home for life. Andrew and I took a short walk to see the Poitu donkeys, as being a large hairy variety they appealed to our curiosity! A short walk for me is a bit of an effort but we were rewarded, as some of these donkeys were very confiding and came over for some attention - more lovely donkey therapy!

Love the lovely donkeys!