I met Chris at Hebden station and we drove up to the New Delight pub at Colden. Such a very Thomas Hardy name for a pub. I can just picture John Durbeyfield rolling out.
Before long, Cath turned up with H and B. We did some intros and health and safety standing in the road! Then some map symbols and setting the map.
We set off ticking off points along the way. Then taking legs gradually building up skills. We went to Scotland (farm) and then off onto Access Land. Showed a bit about contours where there was a re-entrant. We counted off some field boundaries and then took a long straight track to Four Lane Ends where there were helpfully five to confuse matters. Next we did some pacing and discussed timing as well.
By this time, the weather had finally come in and we were starting to get cold. That’s the only trouble as inevitably there is quite a bit of standing around explaining things on a training day.
We headed back to the pub where there was a roaring coal fire and tea for the Manchester party, beer for Chris and water for me!
A great day with good company.
Relocation, relocation, relocation!Just loved that they bothered to do this on old farm gateway.Horses get ready!Stoodley Pike on the top layerChris’ latest friend!
Please visit Map and Compass and learn how to interpret a map with me and my navigation partner, Cath.
I got up really early, well same as a weekday and I should have been at Chris’ house at 7.30 but first I nearly went flying along the paving slabs because of ice and then there was so much ice on my car that I couldn’t get into it! I eventually got the passenger door open and then had to kick the driver side door open from the inside. Couldn’t get into the boot at all. This all took ages.
I picked Chris up and we set off after I’d drunk her delicious coffee, literally her cup of coffee that was part of her breakfast. We’d just turned out of her road when we saw a dying cat, so I stopped the car and we went over but it had died by then. A nice man came out and covered it up. He said its owners never let it out.
So after all this we were late getting going and then we had to stop for loo and coffee at Lancaster services plus a little visit to M&S Food and WH Smiths.
We arrived at Glenridding and got togged up and managed to leave the car park at 11.40, not quite the 10.15 in my head!!
I’d wanted to go up to Glenridding Dodd but from the track there was no obvious access to the access land and clear signs saying no path. Despite magnifying the map I couldn’t see how we could reach the access land so we abandoned that plan and instead decided to go for Sheffield Pike first.
We went along the path to the Youth Hostel to where there are a lot of old mine buildings which are now activity centre bunkhouses, and a sign referring to skiing but no sign of any ski slope, I’ve now found that the ski slope is at Raise and better accessed from that side I would have thought: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raise_%28Lake_District%29 However we did see snow on the top of Helvellyn as it came into view.
We then moved around the substantial mining area and pondered what had been mined, I suggested lead and copper and this page says it was lead and silver: http://www.mineexplorer.org.uk/greenside.htm although you have to read the lot to work that out.
Eventually the path beside Greenside flattens out to a sort of wide, sandy beach by the stream, another less beautiful relic of the mine. Then it was our bog walk because Chris and I can’t go out without one. We stopped for our lunch but although the sun was stunning with the white tops it was quite cold. Then to the top for fabulous views across and around for long distances.
To descend we went east. I took a bearing so as to avoid some cliff areas, this was wise and worked a treat, we snaked down to the wall and then decided to go right and along a path we could see to the road as this was shorter than left along the wall to a PROW and down to the road. As it turned out not necessarily quicker! We handrailed the wall until we could get onto the path. Some people were at this point going down from Glenridding Dodd which meant that there must be a way through the access land to get back to the car park but we decided to stick with our path that we’d selected and follow it down. As it got darker and darker the path got harder and wetter. My dear companion had aching legs and did not enjoy this section. Apart from being concerned for Chris, I’m afraid I did!
Onto the road, we put our headlights on, batteries dying in mine and flash function not working in Chris’. A short hop and back to the car.
An adventuresome day all in all, but QMD as well.
Who’s that girl?Over to Striding EdgeFrom the top of Sheffield PikeUllswaterGetting darkIt was dark from where we were standing but camera said OK
Please visit Map and Compass and learn how to interpret a map with me and my navigation partner, Cath.
Carol did the dialysis with a lot of a carry on, she pressed the wrong buttons and got in a right pickle! Left house at about 1.45. Arrived at cottage about 3.50.
Unpacked quickly and I cooked up some roasted veg which we had with grilled cheese on top. Carrots, a squash, peppers, courgettes and red onion. C still not well so I stayed up with some Talisker.
It was our 5th wedding anniversary and I gave C some medicated sweets from the village shop and a home made card because I had not sorted anything out. C gave me some Florentines and a proper card. I felt bad for being crap at the anniversary, it’s because I don’t really think in years and dates.
Saturday
Went to Sainsburys in Oswestry and stocked up. Drove to what was a P on the map in the forest but it had been closed off and when I checked on latest map there is no P. This was near Glyn Caerion. Short walk to Biddulph’s Tower which also does not exist as such. There probably was a tower a long time ago but now not much more than a cairn. Very autumnal and misty.
We had our postponed anniversary dinner at Seeds in Llanfyllin. C had chicken in sauce and treacle tart and cream. I had bacon and avocado salad, chicken in sauce and creme brûlée. Yum yum. Glass of red wine for me. Jennings beer for C. Saw a badger on the way back, alive.
Sunday
Walked to Llanfyllin in the on off rain. Stopped in hotel for some coffee. Went to Spar. These were the only things open. Back again collecting some crab apples which I’m not sure what to do with. Mum used to make crab apple jelly but I can’t be arsed especially not here with only somewhat cramped cooking facilities.
Back to cook green Thai curry. Rice in microwave. Very nice. Bitburger beer and Jaegermeister mini. Tasted like cough mixture. Perhaps it will work as a prophylactic. Carol was worried about me drinking strange foreign liquor so I had Talisker to finish.
Monday
To Llanidloes to meet Kate and Del. We got there a little early and had a good rootle round the Great Oak bookshop. And then we met up with K and D who were doing the same. We went to the Great Oak cafe and Del had a proper lunch of risotto and salads. Kate and I had little salads and C had a ginormous flapjack. We wandered round the town and went in nearly every shop. Then to the next cafe for cake for Kate, tea cake and jam for Del, tea for C and ice cream for me.
We waved them off and returned by a country route i.e. lots of little roads. I was going quite slowly but ran over a rabbit which was upsetting. I’ve been driving for 38 years and can count on one hand the number of creatures I’ve run over but it’s still horrible.
Back for a circuit of the lanes on foot from the cottage with just enough light to see.
Light suppers. I had Suma pea soup. Bitburger beer, Fjellvitt. This made me think of white spirit but a bit more of a kick than the Jaegermeister. The holiday is the only time I drink the weird bottles I feel compelled to buy when I’m abroad. After seeing Jaegermeister at the football ground Bruce played in Coventry, I wasn’t so surprised to see it in the supermarket.
Played Scrabble, such an annoying game. When do you ever get a good run of letters? I’ve yet to have that experience.
Talisker night cap.
Tuesday
Lovely sunny day. Up early for a run. Did reverse of last evening’s walk so as to have more down than up. Not far only 4.5 km but felt much harder than usual.
Lovely walk up through forest to good vantage point. Great vistas. Stopped for lunch. Back along fields. Had to practise nav lots as many field boundaries and knobbly contours.
Not all the paths were PROW for the first km but it was a fairly well marked route when we got onto it!
Various foraging opportunities. Chestnuts but they were very small indeed. Rose hips. Elderberries. I didn’t get any of these as feel quite challenged enough by the crab apples which I have learnt are just wild apples.
Back via more country lanes.
Hot choc then C went to bed after hoovering up some dead flies.
Out to the Lime Kiln pub in Porth y Waen about 15 mins away. I had fig and Parma ham and mozzarella starter, then Cajun chicken with salad and chips. Big portions. C had fish and chips with minty mushy peas. She is now cold because unable to wear appropriate clothing ever.
Wednesday
The forecast rain arrived in big bucketfuls. Into Oswestry to park in cheap car park, £1 all day and to the indoor market which is a hideous 1963 build and replacment for quite a nice looking old building. By the time we reached it my feet were wet so we wandered around whilst the rain clattered violently on the tin roof. More like a fusillade than cats and not at all hot.
The rain backed off a bit so we went round the whole town. Very good bookshop called Booka and a coffee shop for hot drinks.
Then back to the car and to the Old Station antique market. More old expensive tat.
Back along the little roads with grass down the middle and high hedges. We crossed a ford and stopped to clear the road of a fallen branch.
I cooked pasta bolognese. Lovely holiday.
Thursday
We went straight home and Carol got set up on dialysis. She managed to go for 6 nights without but did seem to be getting increasingly tired. I went for a nice run.
Epilogue
I made crab apple pie with cinnamon, vanilla and cloves in filo pastry. Delish!
Please visit Map and Compass and learn how to interpret a map with me and my navigation partner, Cath.
Chris and I first tried to go to the Hawks Stones above Todmorden. It’s a very short walk from what used to be the Sportsman’s pub but although there had been a BMC notice at the start of the footpath telling us to be good, there wasn’t one saying there was restricted access to the Access Land that the Hawks Stones are on until we got to them.
We then opted for the Bride Stones which are just a short hop on the other side of the road. It took me a while but I got the anchor, myself the belayer and Chris the climber all roped up correctly and I belayed her up the slope. I can see I still need to practise this but it is getting a little bit easier.
Then we looked for a place for me to try an abseil. I deliberately kept the slopes very small for this practise session. I eventually managed to get a classic abseil sorted out and I think I got a version of a South African one as well but this was quite hard.
I definitely need to keep on practising these and hope that I can have another refresher prior to doing the assessment.
It was a lovely warm afternoon and Chris has offered to help me practise this as Carol is currently out of the running with her hernia.
Please visit Map and Compass and learn how to interpret a map with me and my navigation partner, Cath.
All alone at Dol EinionI didn’t put these in my dinnerThe old roadTal y Llyn
Friday 20th September
It took me just over 3 hours to reach Dol Einion camp site which is right at the foot of Cadair Idris. The path up the mountain leads out of the field.
When I got to the site there was no one around so I put the tent up in about 5 mins. I found Marian and gave her £8 plus £2 so I could leave the car on the site the following day.
I walked along the old road to Tal y Llyn which goes alongside Llyn Mwyngil. There were a lot of gates and I looked at some gravestones next to a church marked private. It was definitely warmer than the rest of the week but it was cloudy and dull and I felt a bit gloomy.
Back at the camp another vehicle had arrived so just me and them.
The site was flat but needed a tidy up and the loos and shower needed ripping out and starting again. Thank goodness for anti bacterial gel.
I cooked my supper before it got dark, Simon Rimmer lentil tikka masala. Hot spicy and actually not bad for dried food. I was testing it as dry food is so much lighter to carry when wild camping. It took 20 mins to cook and the pan was hard to wash out in the cold water sink in the field so not ideal. I had some cheese and pitta bread with it. I ate in the car because there were midges, I was camped next to the river that comes off the mountain plus the grass was long and damp. The anti midge spray did at least work.
Marian, the site owner told me the 16C church I tried to go in was sold off by Church of Wales and the villagers were upset. Even the churchyard which is still in use was sold off. The National Park didn’t help and the council awarded retrospective planning permission. Marian runs a heritage centre in the tiny chapel next door to the camp site and she does talks. I missed the last one today.
I got a minuscule phone signal at just a certain angle in just a certain spot on the car seat so had little text chat with C who I was missing.
Saturday 21st September
I was cold at first in the tent but threw everything off by the morning. I actually slept quite well for me in a tent.
Got up at 7.30 and had breakfast of muesli, yoghurt and jam (a Rachel’s corner pot) also some horrible old fruit tea and some old instant coffee which was not much better.
I waited for the low cloud and mist and drizzle to go but decided to head up anyway. I packed up everything except the tent in the hope it would be dry upon my return.
I set off at 9.45, straight away it’s a stiff climb up steps. I started to leap frog with a group of 5 Londoners and we did this most of the day. They were ok although I did try to leave them behind! Sometimes they were a little bit faster than me and it was nice to see the slow girl of the party ahead of me in the gloom. The mist kept up all the way to the top. I never saw the lake all day. At the top another path joins in and a very old lady thought I was in her party so we had a mad conversation with neither of us understanding what the other was on about although I did think she would get it when I said I was on my own and not in her group. There is a shelter at the top with a roof. It is the old tea shop from Victorian times when poor ponies dragged up the customers. Today it was soggy and crowded so I opted for soggy outside to eat my lunch and was rewarded with the sun burning off the cloud and showing me the cloud inversions and the route ahead.
I went off along big grassy bit to Mynydd Moel. Had a quick chat with the man from London and set off down the fence. Stopped for another chat with 2 men in jeans. Probably poofs. One of London girls was gay. We are everywhere! Then down, down through sun and cloud and back to the tent by 3.30.
The tent was nearly dry so I shoved it in the car and headed off to Dolgellau then Blaenau Festiniog through lots of low cloud. But after the mountain it was sun again all way to Betws y Coed and along to Capel Curig then a short bit of the A5.
Gwern Gof Isaf camp site is on the left just before Tryfan. It is cleaner and cheaper and more busy but I found a spot away from the rest. £5 for night.
I bought 2 shower tokens so 10 mins for £1.
After getting the tent up I went for my shower. The shower room is mixed gender so I took some outer layers off and reckoned that when the tokens went in I would still have some control as in an on off switch of some sort. The token machines were outside the cubicles and I wasn’t in the mood to be naked in front of 2 boys and a girl, so I had to rush in, take the rest of my kit off with the shower running. Luckily I had taken my clean clothes in a large strong plastic bag so it was ok but a bit annoying to have to choose between public nudity and wet clothes. Still it was a nice hot shower and I felt much better after it. I must remember flip flops next time!
Then back to tent to cook up Look What We Found meatballs and pasta. I did these as boil in the bag to reduce washing up.
I sat in the car to eat my supper. Then watched the flaming sun go down behind Tryfan and watched the clouds from inside the tent until it was dark. I treated myself to hot chocolate with rum, yum yum!! It was very windy so I put more pegs in.
Roche moutonee, caused by glacial action on the bedrockSun just appearing on summit of Cadair IdrisBlazing fire behind farmhouseMynydd MoelBack towards Cadair IdrisMynydd Moel onwardsLlyn Cau tantalisingly out of sightRiver from Llyn Cau all the way to my camp site and Tal y LlynAlpineGwern Gof Isaf camp siteTryfan
Sunday 22nd September
Not a good night. I’d been thinking of late that my shoulder injury was better but I couldn’t sleep on either one of my shoulders without it hurting and I was too tired to get up for painkillers. I went to sleep at 9.30 which is incredibly early for me and sort of slept on and off rolling around until 6.45.
It was windy overnight even lifting the floor of the tent at one point but I kept it in place and didn’t blow away!
Had my breakfast watching the sun rise in the lovely calm and warm with another river trickling past.
I packed up and struck camp. This always seems to take a while despite high levels of organisation. I guess having the car as an extra room inevitably means more clutter and more to keep in the right place.
10 mins to Capel Curig to Siabod cafe where the facilities were a bit better than the camp site although at least the site 2 had soap if not light in the loo. Site 1 had light but no soap and a big pong.
After accosting a range of men I found Paul Poole and a small group: Gary, Kirk, Viv and Bill. They had done refresher navigation the day before.
Paul showed us lots of books which I liked and most of which I’ve got. Then we set off towards Llanberis. We parked up opposite the big quarry and headed up with ropes and helmets. We practised anchor selection – tapping, kicking, checking for movement. Practised tying simple knots. Flaking the rope. Care of the rope. Indirect belay. I eventually got the hang of this by the end of the day. Anchor Belay Climber. ABC. Direct belay. Threading. Ascending using belays. Descending using belays. Descending using abseil to get self down only. Classic abseil. South African abseil. Confidence roping.
Still feel I need to practise all this a lot more but definitely felt more confident about it all than before.
It was a great day and I learnt a lot. Paul does modular assessments for ML as in 2 weekends, one a 3 day which is only a day off work. Not sure how much more I need to do in my log book but he will advise on this.
Off to Pen y Gwryd hotel. Nice old fashioned hotel. No keys for the locks, it operates on trust and has done for 75 years! I sat in the residents’ lounge supping a large glass of beer to celebrate having done a mini abseil and loved doing it. I was joined by David and later Gloria. The gong was banged and we had a good time talking so they invited me to join them to eat and gave me some wine.
I had melon with Parma ham, ok but in my heart of hearts I think this is an odd combination. I just ate it separately. Chicken, leek, mushroom with pastry rounds, new spuds, creamed celeriac and green beans. Lemon crusty sponge with jam.
In lounge again with John, Pam and Frank for coffee as well as Gloria and David.
Late to bed at 10.30. It was lovely to be in bed but I had to take all the heavy covers off.
Moon over TryfanTowards Pen y PassFiddling with ropesInstructorSo happy!Small abseil but huge leap for meWelsh mountain goatLlyn Pen y Gwryd
Monday 23rd September
I awoke early, went to the loo, bumped into Gloria and couldn’t get back to sleep.
My morning tea arrived.
Breakfast at 8.30 summoned by the gong.
I had juice, sausage, poached egg and tomato with toast and coffee.
Said farewells to friends of night before.
Paid up and off to Llanberis. Went to V12 shop, I don’t know what that means and bought a Black Diamond rucksack that fits well. My last purchase doesn’t so I will sell it, it was designed for a longer back.
I had a coffee there and chatted with the staff. One of them does slack line walking and showed me a film of him doing this on Tryfan.
Then I went off above Betws and did a short forest walk, not very exciting but good nav practice as most of the forest tracks are not on the map.
Then home.
Ye olde tub at PYGPrivate lake at PYG, one for Chris to swim inAlpine bar at PYGEdwardian bath, shower and thunder box, all original fittingsGenuine Edwardian shower
