navigation training – Page 17

Mountain Leader Training Course April 2012

Sunday

I arrived at Plas y Brenin about 7 pm. It only took 2.5 hours to get here. I’ve been using the east and south sides of the M60 but have finally woken up to the north and west sides being quicker. I shaved half an hour off the journey and it makes Snowdonia even more doable.

I went to the bar and got a beer then the rooms were announced as being ready. I went and lugged the first load in. PYB is an old coaching inn en route to Anglesey and is very big and has lots of corridors leading hither and thither. My single (phew) room is at the back with a great view of the Snowdon horseshoe. Better than last time when I had to climb on the table to see out/open the window and all I got was the top of the kitchen. Nice and comfortable. A step up from the YH.

Went to check programme for tomorrow and met Angela from S. Wales and Heather who are sharing the room next door. They seem nice. Just Christopher to meet.

Got the rest of the gear in. There is loads of it because – usual mountain gear plus camping gear plus river crossing clothes plus study bag.

For dinner in the bar I had chicken and chips and salad. Chicken was deep fried and too dry. Chips too many but the salad bit was nice.

My room is quiet which is good. I can faintly hear the girls next door. Suspect it’s just luck I have a single room so must remember to request it next time.

Monday

Up at 7 am for a shower and bag packing. Down just before 8 to pack up my lunch of tuna sandwich plus apple and tiffin. Last time I came they had outsourced the sandwiches for lunches and they were rubbish. Many of us fed this back to them and they have changed the supplier to a nearer one.

Beans on toast for breakfast.

First off is welcome to the centre by Martin Doyle. As this is my 3rd time all I can say is that he looks older.

Then off with Mike Raine, author of Nature of Snowdonia. He is our instructor for the week. We go to the Gwynant room which is probably one of the lounges of the old inn.

Intros and remit of scheme. Then we collect bags and assemble under the canopy. We collect maps from stores and we are off. Weather is warm and sunny. Across the end of the lake by by the bridge.

We are going up Moel Siabod which I had thought of for a warm up yesterday but didn’t do as managed to distract myself. We do pacing and quickly cover 500m. Then on up the path through the woods. Once out of the woods we start on legs. Mike very relaxed about it all. Rather than follow each step to the letter with maps out we have to put them away while taking turns to lead. The leader has theirs out! We are all quite well matched and we help each other a bit. We then have to relocate using the contours when the leader stops. We do this a good way up the hill. I am finding the walking hard work after my cold last week but Angela has asthma so needs to stop for occasional rests. This makes me feel better about stopping! Mike and Chris both have very long legs. Chris and Heather are DoE leaders but much nicer than the last ones I met here. Heather reminds me of Jennifer Saunders so am well disposed to her and she has a great sense of humour!

There are long scrambly sections which are hard work and more so when the rain comes and it gets slippy. I have a slide but on my front. Am told my nav is perfection! Well for that leg anyway! I get 2 legs to do to the summit in the mist and rain. I take a bearing before the mist really obscures it.

We stop in the shelter for hot drinks and then it’s back down. More huge rocks to clamber over but once done a fast route down. We all fall in the mud except for Heather.

A hafod is summer mountain hut and a hendre is a winter one from when the Welsh did transhumance.

Back to PYB just in time to watch the ML course members do their river crossing.

Lots of fun in the drying room as the ML people are needless to say extremely wet. Sticky iced bun and tea then class work on the camping trip. Shower then dinner. This is a slice of melon, steak and ale pie, carrots, cauli and roast spuds.

We all attend a short lecture about things not to do in Yosemite, i.e.climb a huge, huge, huge cliff for 8 days. No, no, no. Felt sick looking at the photos.

Beer in bar. Chat to Heather and Angela. Gear all dry very quickly.

Tried ringing home but no answer. I have an email from Carol that the phone is not bloody working now. Grrr.

From Moel Siabod

[googlemaps https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Moel+Siabod,+Capel+Curig,+United+Kingdom&aq=0&oq=moel+&sll=53.012792,-4.101481&sspn=0.018099,0.052314&t=p&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Moel+Siabod&ll=53.073196,-3.933964&spn=0.01547,0.025749&z=14&iwloc=A&output=embed&w=300&h=300]

Tuesday

Beans and hash brown for breakfast. Short session on weather. Forecast for today not great and hideous for the camp trip tomorrow. Bump into Helen who assessed me for WGL, she mentions tomorrow’s weather too.

We assemble and drive out to the car park next to Idwal Cottage. Up to Cwm Idwal with Mike pointing out rocks and plants. He is excellent on both. I am finding rocks more and more interesting but not sure if this is a massively cool interest to have. Suspect not but I don’t really care. We go up a bit and today we are concentrating on navigating over steep ground and it most certainly is. Hands on a lot of the time and levering ourselves up. We do some spotting, which is to adopt a brace stance so as to support someone up from you. Never pull someone up. Map work is limited to relocating. As yesterday I only get one of my relocations slightly out. We get up pretty high looking up at Glyder Fawr. Sandwich is cheese and coleslaw which is ok and fresh but needs more filling, apple and flapjack. We do route finding and then traverse back towards Llyn Bochlwyd. This also involves descending very steep scree. The technique here is to zig zag. The leader should line the group up before crossing so no-one can kick rock down on the leader and then each person crosses, lining up again before heading back out. When we did going up the scree Mike said we were to make no noise. This is a great tip to get people to concentrate.

Back along the river bank to the minibus. I waved to Damian at the YH but he wasn’t actually in sight.

We picked up a Frenchman just as we got going but I still wasn’t quite sure what the whole story was there.

Back for tea and bara brith, yum yum.

Lecture on the nature of Snowdonia but not delivered by Mike, although the slides were written by him. Good for consolidating knowledge.

Shower then Welsh beef roast dinner with immensely eye wateringly hot horseradish. Delicious.

Then the girls (Angela is 52 and Heather, who must be a little younger) and I put up our tents in a wide corridor. Lots of giggles. Chris joined us. He seems quite a serious young man, he gave me some load lightening tips and Heather who has loads of DoE camping experience was most helpful re packing.

Then we played with pans and worked out boil in bag cookery and eating. This will cut lots of weight. Dried food is even lighter but means more washing up.

Bar for beer and chat.

Striations where rock has been scratched on its travels

Llyn Idwal

Magnificent Mike!

Llyn Idwal

Mike, Angela, Heather, Chris

Heather, Angela, Mike, Chris

[googlemaps https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Llyn+Idwal,+Llandygai,+United+Kingdom&aq=0&oq=llyn+id&sll=53.073194,-3.934&sspn=0.036148,0.104628&t=p&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Llyn+Idwal&ll=53.115769,-4.025888&spn=0.015455,0.025749&z=14&iwloc=A&output=embed&w=300&h=300]

Wednesday

Biggish breakfast of beans, poached egg, toast, hash bown. Pack bag.

Meet up. Weather forecast just pants. I get Mike to sign his book. Unpack bag and start again, this time with the girls helping. Heather most adept at squashing! Eventually I get it all stuffed in. Coffee in girls’ room. Download Agatha Christie Passenger to Frankfurt mainly because Maureen and I talked about it the other day. Once I’d got togged up we meet under the canopy to weigh the bags. Mine is the lightest at 13 Kg.

Into van to Gelli Lago where we park up. We set off and I get the first legs and on and up. It’s wet and windy and horrid. We soon stop for lunch, it seems soon because we had left much later than on the other 2 days. I get a leg to the col of Cnicht. It’s less wet now but I am very slow. There is a scrambly bit to summit. We try to walk the ridge but Mike stops this plan as it’s too windy. He says it’s 100 mph and not safe. We are all in agreement with this especially as Chris has been lifted off his feet and we carefully go down away from wind.

We camp at a lovely spot near a stream which is flat and soft. Heather and Angela and I help each other to put up our tents. We let the boys just get on with theirs!

I walk down some distance for a poo. Sorry to mention this but I have forgotten my matches to burn the loo paper so instead go au natural and use spaghnum moss. It’s cold and wet but soft and antibacterial!

We have a cup of tea in Chris’ hafod then we all go to our tents to warm up but I fail to do this quickly. I read my book on the phone. Passenger to Frankfurt is dedicated to my grandmother and there is something soothing about seeing her name as she is still much loved and often missed. It’s nearly 40 years since she died.

I put more clothes on and warm up a bit

Time for dinner. Angela says Chris has moved his tent. I use the water from the bladder, no, not that one, to heat up Look What We Found beef casserole. I heat it up under the flysheet as it’s raining again but really I needed to heat it for a little bit longer. I have it with half a pitta.

We camped about 4. Dinner at 7. Now nearly 8. The night nav starts at 9. Whoopee. Mike says to see it as a bit of fun. Good plan.

Midnight

Three hours of nav in big wet. Truly horrid. Mike said it was as bad as it gets. I am back in my tent fairly snug. I was anxious before we did the night nav as had thought we would do legs but we actually did it as a group. I was grateful for this as struggled to see as well as hear. Main lesson for me camping is to bring a big orange emergency bag to put the rucksack in. And don’t get caught out at night in vile conditions!

[googlemaps https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Cnicht,+Beddgelert,+United+Kingdom&aq=0&oq=cnicht&sll=53.112524,-4.026704&sspn=0.018058,0.052314&t=p&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Cnicht&ll=53.000426,-4.018936&spn=0.030992,0.051498&z=13&iwloc=A&output=embed&w=300&h=300]

Thursday

7 am

It took me a long time to get to sleep. When my feet dried and warmed it happened. To sleep I wore merino pants, merino long johns, merino socks, merino t shirt, merino long shirt, micro fleece. And my buff. That came off but am warm now.

It rained a bit in the night but it came a time when the rain and wind stopped and all I could hear was the stream flowing steadily and now the birds are singing. Lovely.

Heather says things like “oh my giddy aunt”and “better out than in”!

6 pm

Back at PYB.

Today breakfast of 2 muesli bars, a bit of cake and a cup of tea. Angela had a terrible time in her £10 tent and I don’t think Heather and Chris liked their Jack Wolfskin tents that much as they seem to be hard to get in and out of without wetting it all. Angela ended up with her sleeping bag in her orange plastic survival bag as her tent had let in so much wet.

We packed it all away. Mike asked us what had worked best, my tent. What had worked worst, my gloves. What we wished we’d brought, whisky. What we wished we hadn’t, I said moisturiser but also wet wipes. I used everything else except a spare top but should have brought spare hat and gloves.

Mike said we needed to see where we had tramped about last night so we went back up. This time with full packs so it felt really heavy until we got into it.

It’s a pretty little lake where we retraced last nights’ steps. Mike split us into teams so Angela and I worked together. We had to go to 3 spots and we did this fine. Then we got another 3 and this took us down and up to our lunch. Whilst the day had started off fine and dry, when the rain came it only went away for short intervals. But at least we could see where we were going.

Lunch with the others. Pitta with smoked cheese, peanuts, dried fruit, a small cake and a bit of shortbread.

We got another section to do which had some slippy sections. Really felt the contours starting to make sense.

Then it was the walk down and back. Some even slippier bits. Back into lowland and a bog which Heather and I managed to stick our feet and ankles into, a short road section took us back to the bus.

Mike stopped the minibus on the way back near a river so the thing we had all been joking about was now going to happen as we knew it would. The river crossing made the ankle wetting seem like a raindrop. Mike showed us 3 techniques. In a line behind each other holding on to each others’ hips. In a circle. In a V shape. Needless to say we were in up to our knees and yes the water was cold.

Back to the drying room which we filled. It has blow heat and a powerful dehumidifier extractor. All should be dry tomorrow.

A lovely shower. Sorry to continue with the bottom saga. Whilst the spaghnum moss is soft etc. it also has bits of old grass in it which I’d not noticed while concentrating on keeping warm dry and on the map. All these had managed to stick themselves into my bottom, all’s well now.

Beer before dinner.

Dinner of melon, chick pea curry, rice, carrots, green beans, raspberry fool.

2 more half pints of beer and a Penderyn whisky. Lots of laughs. What nice people.

In the drying room most stuff is doing well just not the boots.

Dolorite

More dolorite

Managed not to step on this

Glorious weather!

Friday

Slept like a log. Woke at 6 and then dropped off again. Breakfast of beans, poached egg and toast. Collected lunch and off to the lecture room. We practised knotting and the principles of belaying indoors. Then out along the road and across to some rocks. We looked at how to identify good anchors – size, solidity and shape. Tapping lets you feel vibrations if the rocks are loose and many were. Heather and I got up the hill in turns. Then we lunched. Time to belay each other down a bit. I found knotting didn’t exactly come easily to me. But well impressed with how effective the system is. Even when I just dug my heels in with Mike pulling hard, he couldn’t shift me! Then we did the confidence rope which is a bit like leading a dog on a lead and I was told I did this well. Not sure what Chris thought!

Then back to the centre for paper work and more rope work crossing a river (imaginary).

Time for farewells. Just glad to have been on training with such nice people.

Final bara brith. Took me a while to pack and get everything to the car. Set off at 5.30 and home for just after 8. Despite a big holdup in Llanwrst for traffic lights. They went green so being at the front of the queue I set off only to find an enormous lorry heading straight for me (slowly) around the bend. I and several others had to reverse back up. They all went off down a one way street but I didn’t know where it went to so stayed put. The lorry came round. I then went to go off again as I was in the way and various other cars all following the lorry were most abusive to me. Considering that I had the right of way and the lorry hadn’t this was a tad irritating. The course must have chilled me or knackered me entirely because the abuse didnt even bother me that much.

Apart from that an uneventful journey in the rain. Much colder over here only 4.5 degrees.

Chris, Heather, Mike

Chris, Heather

Chris and Heather

Angela

Saturday

Boots still not completely dry!

[googlemaps https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Capel+Curig,+Plas+y+Brenin+(W-bound),+Capel+Curig,+United+Kingdom&aq=0&oq=capel+curig+p&sll=53.106152,-3.91236&sspn=0.01806,0.052314&t=p&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Capel+Curig,+Plas+y+Brenin+(W-bound)&ll=53.106135,-3.912334&spn=0.015458,0.025749&z=14&iwloc=A&output=embed&w=300&h=300]

Please visit Map and Compass and learn how to interpret a map with me and my navigation partner, Cath.

Snowdonia April 2012

April 9th to 13th

Monday

Set off a bit late and had to return to collect my phone charging lead. Eventually got going and stopped at Morrisons in Oldham for diesel and a few supplies. Stopped at the services for a coffee and landed in Llanberis about 2 pm. It was so very wet that I decided to drive to Betws y Coed but it was so busy there I went on up to Dolwyddelan and walked across the bridge and back. Still very wet so back to Betws where the rain stopped for a bit. A quick spurt into Rock Bottom to buy cards, a book and some boot proofer.

Then it was time for the YH so I drove round to Idwal Cottage which is one of the very first four YHs that were set up and is next to Lynn Ogwen nestled into the mountains. It’s a four star hostel and does seem nice. No meals are provided here so it’s all self cookers which is how the YHA used to describe us. The warden is Damian and I’ve arranged to give him my route plan each day.

I then self cooked chicken curry and rice and peas which was nice and have chatted to a couple, he American, she Portuguese and a family from Cornwall mum dad and two teenage girls.

No signal so rang home on pay phone.

It’s gone very quiet in the sitting room!

Dolwyddelan in the rain

Tuesday

Last night turned into a farce. Sarah the Portuguese and somewhat sulky madam it has to be said although perhaps just very tired and Michael the American skipped off so I gave S 15 mins and went to room 6. I was just brushing my teeth when Michael came in. We worked out I had been allocated the wrong key and room as his card had a little m for man on it. I suggested he could go in with S if he wanted but we decided to stick with the status quo as S was already asleep and neither M nor I wanted to remake beds. M skipped into bed v quick and I went and changed in the loo. If you don’t move when sitting on loo the light goes out so you have to wave.

I don’t think either M or I slept very well.

Today I let Damian know what had happened and it turned out I needed to be in the right room as tonight room 6 is full of men! He was most apologetic but I said M and I thought it was funny and how the YH originators would be turning in their bunks!

D said he would move my things to room 7. M was quite nice but had a beard which is not my fave thing! Of course my actual friends with beards are different (just in case Nigel reading this).

Breakfast of coffee muesli and yoghurt. Gave route to D and set off.

Start of walk up Pen yr Ole Wen is very steep involving clambering up big outcrop and so it continued. The book I have just read said this is one of hardest ascents in Snowdon land! And it was. Wish I had read that bit before I started out. It’s 1 in 2 most of the way. Lots of scrambly bits and hard to keep on path. I reached the snow and kept on for a while but it got slippery and after a few slides and some hailstones and having strayed off the path a bit I decided to return. I got to 820m which was still not bad. After I’d got past the snow section tracking my own footsteps in proper Ray Mears style, I stopped for lunch in a rocky hollow looking over to Cwm Idwal and the Glyders. Finding the path on the way down was easy apart from some sections where I had to go down on my bum. It made me realise I had not actually used the path for a lot of the ascent which had made it harder.

Nearing the end I came across a group of people being assessed for ML using a confidence rope. They were from Bedfordshire and I wished them well.

Back to the YH by 3 and D said I could go in so had benefit of early shower.

Self cooked a dinner of mutton stew, rice and peas. Very nice. Drank a bottle of beer working my way through the range from Conwy brewery. Read books in the peaceful sitting room and went to bed about 10. Big sneezes and feel v snuffly. No more bedroom farce as I now have a girls’ dormitory and 4 bunks to myself.

Llyn Ogwen

Helicopter over on Tryfan

Weather coming

Down to Llyn Ogwen

Across to Llyn Ogwen with Llyn Bochlyd behind left and Llyn Idwal behind right

Bridges over outflow of Llyn Ogwen

[googlemaps https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Pen+yr+Ole+Wen,+United+Kingdom&aq=0&oq=pen+yr+&sll=47.73855,12.508828&sspn=41.506453,107.138672&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Pen+yr+Ole+Wen&t=p&ll=53.137246,-4.01207&spn=0.015447,0.025749&z=14&iwloc=A&output=embed&w=300&h=300]

Wednesday

Slept much better although wake feeling like I have a cold. Take 2 paracetamols. Usual breakfast but the kitchen is organised chaos with the females of the party of 11 who arrived last evening making a regimented set of packed lunches. I sort of hate them but I’m a bit grizzly today. I manage a loathing of grandfather who boils both kettles at once until I ask him if he needs both. Perhaps he did as so many of them. Also loathe big man who just does nothing but get in the way.

I can only cope with self cooking if don’t talk to anyone as easy to be distracted with so many people moving about.

I drive to Bethesda on the old single track road and get paracetamols, Welsh whisky, a newspaper and a box of tissues in Spar.

Back at the hostel I give Damian my route plan and he will move my bag into 3rd and last room of my stay. This is a single room.

I set off to Llyn Idwal so named because Idwal was pushed in by his step brother and drowned. The brother inhabits the Twll Du or Devil’s Kitchen. I take the right hand path and meet a fellow hosteller who has been up and down the kitchen in 2 hours. It takes me 2 hours to get to Llyn Cwn (dog lake) at the top of the kitchen! The steps are giant sized and near the top it starts to hail, the devil is serving up a very chilly meal. I meet a man and boy. Man is wearing a leather biker jacket and jeans. I remember wearing the same in Blackpool during a torrential downpour. We then went to Flamingoes club and my jacket was so heavy when I took it off and it dripped into pools on the floor. At the lake I have a short break and then turn right. The hail comes hard and fast but I am dry, it’s just noisy. Up to Y Garn for lunch. Chat to man and 2 sons who are doing huge long walk. Poor boys. Then to family of mum, dad and 2 boys who are doing my route in reverse. Dad is wearing a lot of money! Haglofs and Arcteryx.

I find the path down which is steep at first but once that’s over it’s an easy and pleasant walk down and the sun comes out.

Back at the YH at 3.30 for a shower and my new single room which is small and has a divan bed in it! Damian has kindly made up my bed again.

I read the paper and realise that I have not much idea of what is going on in the world. This is mainly because of Terry Wogan. When he retired from breakfast on Radio 2 I started listening to Today on Radio 4 but this just made me cross and I need something nice to listen to on my drive to work. So I forked out for a digital radio and this is great I now have Radio 4 Extra in the morning but the downside is no 2 min snippets of news so any that does drift my way is usually a surprise. Suspect it’s actually fine not to clutter head up. There’s enough going on in our lives anyway.

Suddenly remembered I’d not checked back in with Damian. He is very helpful and suggesting good routes for me.

Had the kitchen to myself mostly which was nice. Tonight beef and veg casserole with carrots and pasta. I am eating camping food so the mains are Look What We Found meals then pasta and rice in ready cooked in pouches plus extra veg is tinned. All working out well for me. I wanted food that would be easy and not stress me out in the communal kitchen madness.

For me using my own cutlery etc. works well too as don’t have to think about other people’s hygiene or rather their total lack of it.

Tonight will have a Celebration beer.

I went to bed early as the head cold is gripping me.

YH Idwal Cottage

Gate leading to Tryfan and the Glyders

Llyn Idwal and Cwm Idwal

Part of the Devil’s Kitchen

Across to another big mountain

East ridge of Y Garn

Big ‘un, will check to see what it is

I just liked the clouds

Army helicopter

[googlemaps https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Y+Garn,+Llandygai,+United+Kingdom&aq=0&oq=y+garn&sll=53.13723,-4.01205&sspn=0.018047,0.052314&t=p&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Y+Garn&ll=53.115666,-4.047089&spn=0.015455,0.025749&z=14&iwloc=A&output=embed&w=300&h=300]

Thursday

Woke up at 7 trying to decide whether or not to walk because being full of cold. In the end took Damian’s suggestion which was for a less high circuit than the Glyders.

I set off at 10 and got to Llyn Bochlyd before 11. Then it’s a short and stunning ascent to the Bwlch or col. At this point it would have been straightforward to climb up to Tryfan but I decided not to as this was not the plan. I continued to sneeze my way round Tryfan, heading towards the N.

I climbed up and got onto the Heather Terrace. This is not at all like the quiet suburban terrace that it made me think of. Well it was quiet. it’s a path that winds round the base of the flanks of the rock giant of Tryfan. My walk was more interesting rock wise now that I’ve been learning about the geology and I could actually identify volcanic tuff, an odd name. The Heather Terrace is well named, at times it’s very lofty and you know you are high but it’s not too airy and not exposed as Tryfan provides good shelter.

I lunched on the Terrace, this sounds ridiculous now. I lunched perched at a great height overlooking Cwm Tryfan. For Kate – every day I have had garlic pitta filled with salami, Emmenthal cheese, spring onion and cherry tomatoes. And fruit and a thick slice of malt loaf.

I kept going along the terrace which was hard work requiring much concentration. Some climbers dangled but I only met one other walker who overtook me.
Took various photos of rocks as these have now more interest as I’ve been reading about geology. I think I’ve more hope of observing the rocks than birds that disappear before I’ve even focussed on them or small yellow plants and mosses and lichen that all look much the same.

I carried on gently mostly dropping down until Tryfan spits you out of a chute. I cut across the flattish bit to the road surprising some goats.

Then instead of going straight back along the road I crossed over and up behind a farm to go the whole length of Llyn Ogwen on the far side. It was a bit boggy but ok with care. I passed an old WW2 pill box and was a bit surprised that it was there as would be hard for the Nazis to reach it, there must have been an expectation that they would come that far but I wonder what they would have been aiming for? I saw another one on the Llanberis Pass too, memo must ask Mr Mel Jones about these. Then back to Idwal Cottage. There was a car parked next to mine filled with chavs and I didn’t like the look of them and hoped they weren’t hostellers although I was also trying to be open minded, I tried but failed. It was 4 pm so I went in the YH with the key code and watched the chavs from my window and they then drove off. I’m sure I stopped them before they were up to no good, and probably no good with my car.

Shower this time in the middle one which only has the pinprick setting on the head, no place for gel and not vv hot. The other showers were better and have place for gel etc. the showers and loos all have lights which go off if you don’t move which is a little distracting.

Tip for hostelliing stay in a base, go out early and come back early then you get first showers and first use of kitchen.

My friends, the family from Cornwall came in and we had some laughs. They are very nice and dad gave me a walk to do. The youngest one has an infected ingrowing toenail so can’t walk.

Dinner of pasta, beef bolognese and sweet corn.

Got D to give me a stamp to paste in my YH booklet and am now drinking Conwy Celebration beer as it was a great mountain day with no wet stuff and sunny.

I used GNSS on my iPhone with Memory Map to record the route. Surprisingly efficient.

Musings

My skin is dry and have splits on fingers. Need NuSkin.

Great not to drive and rely on feet, this has been excellent base.

Bruce said lots of things that made sense to me and my life for a good 10 years or so but then he lost me for about the last 10 years and the last 3 or 4 albums. Drivel and Dust being the nadir. Wrecking Ball is back with me. I know this because I can hear the songs in my head although have not heard them all week plus he’s making sense again for me. Travelling over Rocky Ground in more than one way. Hot Damn! Looking forward to playing the album in the car.

I have now learnt more about the Girl Guide movement than I ever wanted to. Enough to drive me to drink. Had half litre of Jennings Lakes beer too.

Llyn Bochlyd

Back to Y Garn

I think this is some Pitts Head Tuff with a quartzite banding

Towards the sea

Back to Llyn Bochlyd

At the top of the Tryfan col

Across to some of the Carneddau, I think

Blue ridge mountains of Wales

Across huge Cwm Tryfan

Climbers on Tryfan

And another one

The A5

This is flow-banding

Heading down

A dear baby goatlet, running away!

Catching some rays

Llyn Ogwen

Tryfan, sadly photo not level

Cwm Ogwen

Pill box

[googlemaps https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Tryfan,+Capel+Curig,+United+Kingdom&aq=0&oq=tryfan&sll=53.115667,-4.047083&sspn=0.036112,0.104628&t=p&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Tryfan&ll=53.114893,-3.997478&spn=0.015455,0.025749&z=14&iwloc=A&output=embed&w=300&h=300]

Friday

Got up early and said goodbye to family from Cornwall. Finally exchanged names. They are Sarah, Steven, Danny and Lauren. They have been referring to me as the little lady. Little I can understand as they are all very tall. Thankfully they omitted the word old. As for the last bit they must be visually challenged.

Damian not in reception and am sorry not to thank him and say goodbye. Send my wishes to him via Jeroen who is standing in.

Steve takes photo of the little old lady.

Cold streaming today and feel crap with it.

Set off for Beddgelert and go to see his grave. Buy some cards to torment Chris with. I went in the church and a man was hoovering in there. He said something to me and I had to ask him to repeat it several times on account of the deafness. He said it was ok for me to come in and I’m afraid in my best snottiness I said “I should think it is, it’s a church.” That really was my mother speaking….

I went to a recommended ice cream cafe Cafe Glandwr on grounds they probably would do nice coffee if Italians. Cafe is nice and I am right.

Catch sight of steam train at station but decide not to travel on it.

Then set off for home stopping for lunch on the way. Arrived home about 4.30. Damian later sent me an email, he’s a very nice guy and really helped to make my walks interesting.

Outside Idwal Cottage

Paraglider at Beddgelert

Beddgelert church

All lies here!

Poor poor Gelert!

All aboard!

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Please visit Map and Compass and learn how to interpret a map with me and my navigation partner, Cath.

Scotland March 2012

Fri 16th March

Set off fairly smartly stopping at Tebay for pies and meat. Some prolonged showers on the way up but a good journey. We went off the motorway for a fast sandwich lunch and only stopped once more for a wee before Glasgow. Arrived at Glengarry House B&B about 4.30 and were warmly welcomed by Ellen and Andy. We had flapjack and tea. We had a different room from the last time with an en suite shower, last time we had to cross the passage in our pyjamas to reach the shower room. Carol showered and I wasted time on my iPhone. After choking on my small Jura whisky we went down to chicken wrapped in prosciutto with pesto and mozzarella inside. Served up with small spuds, broccoli, green beans and carrots. Mine followed by boozy fruit and ice cream, C by sticky toffee pudding. Then coffee and mints. We stayed by the wood burner chatting to Ellen for some time. Some other guests turned up, the woman was going to run from Tyndrum to Fort William and the man from Bridge of Orchy, 42 and 30 miles respectively. She was in training for a 90 mile run!! Then another wee dram the right way down.

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Sat 17th March

C had breakfast of bacon, egg, sausage, tomato and cornflakes. I had fruit n fibre with yoghurt followed by baked beans, toast and a veggie sausage. Good journey to Fort Willy with some heavy showers. Stopped at Morrisons for even more supplies. Stayed on the A82 until Invergarry where we had a swift coffee at the hotel. This is a nice old hotel with decent coffee and a mountain theme. A change here as we took the road to Inverness because of the landslip at South Strome. Up to Fort Augustus but you can’t see the fort from the road (but I have since found it’s not Fort Augustus I’m thinking of but Fort George) and then all round the side of Loch Ness to Drumnadrochit. A few wiggles and then a quick pie break. C didn’t eat much of her steak and potato pie so I had to help out. Some more wiggles and then more or less a straight run through to Lochcarron which we reached about 3.30. Stalker’s Cottage is down a long track off the road, past another cottage and some big barns. It is a long low white building clad entirely in wood on the inside. We unpacked and boosted up the heating, then out for a short walk to get our bearings. Loch Carron is the view out the front and Glas Beinn behind. Steep drop behind the cottage leading to a stream in the ravine. We walked up past Tullich House to which estate this cottage used to belong, and up a path leading round Glas Beinn.
Back to the cottage which was then pretty warm and so roasting hot by the time I’d finished cooking that I was in a muck sweat.
I cooked up pasta and Mediterranean veg in sauce using a mixture of the Rayburn and the mini electric cooker. The room is so hot we don’t need the fire but the water wasn’t really hot enough for C’s bath. We are going to experiment with the settings…..
Drank the nice Merlot that greeted us and then looked into our walking plans for the week.

I think this is Ben Oss (near Tyndrum)

View from Stalker’s Cottage

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Sun 18th March

C didn’t sleep well because she was cold as the eiderdown had slipped away so the bed has now been remodelled. The bed is made of blankets and eiderdown which is really heavy and too hot (for me).
I took a fairly chilly bath and then ate all last night’s leftovers for breakfast. We planned out the walks some more and then set off down the road to Craig which we’d driven through yesterday. Parked up in the forest and crossed the little railway line to be greeted by a white horse. On along forestry tracks to cross the River Carron and then up along the side of the Allt a Chonais ravine. The walk was supposed to go down to the river and then across a bridge but the path was non existent and the drop so perilous that we gave it up. We walked a bit more along the track with Sgurr nan Ceannaichean in the foreground and then it rained quite hard so we backtracked as we didn’t have a full complement of wet weather gear. We shared out what we had and got back down by which time the sun was warming us so we stopped for sandwich and fruit lunch and then returned to the car.
We went through Lochcarron passing the golf course cafe where we are to look for Ellen’s (from the Glengarry B&B) aunt to see if she is living there. The cafe was shut. Also our bistro was shut which was disappointing as we were counting on it for a meal out. There is a guest house called Rockvilla which we may try despite terrible name. What if it’s full of Shakin’ Stevens?
Back to our cottage. The water is now really hot so we seem to have sussed the Rayburn. The main drawback to cooking on it is that I get so very hot and am still feeling roasted now an hour later. We’ve just had Thai green chicken curry with Pak Choi.
Watched a bit of Downton Abbey to which we have both succumbed!

White Horse sans whisky

Sgurr nan Ceannaichean

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Mon 19th March

Into Lochcarron to buy a small selection of supplies including lamb mince from the butcher and oat cakes from the Spar. After putting the shopping back in the cottage we set off for a driving tour as it is very wet. We’ve got all the gear in case it dries up. First the single track A road to Torridon. We drop in at Shieldaig and get more postcards in the shop. Raining a lot. Then Torridon which is mostly shut including the cafe with the nice coffee. The season seems to be April to October which means most of the possible eating places are shut. We drive up a steep mountain road and stop in a car park for lunch in the car. There is a fence round the car park which is keeping out the rhododendrons. Very like the triffid fence. We both entertain ideas that J Wyndham got the triffid idea from these destructive plants. They are especially pervasive around Torridon and in parts have grown to be about 5m in height which is killing off the native pines.
Then out towards Kinlochewe passing the Whistle Stop Cafe which is open but we are not hungry. It’s in a tin shed. However its customers rate it highly. We go out on the road towards Gairloch and peer through the rain spattered screen at Loch Maree and then back via Achnasheen. Driving into the weather is vile. Back to the cosy cottage where I cook up baked potatoes, sausage casserole and veg. C does a washing load which takes forever.

Tues 20th March

It’s not actually raining today but there’s still a lot of low cloud. We drive along the road east to Achnashellach station which is a train station on a private estate. Our plan is to walk up to the Coulin pass and back in a circuit. Almost immediately we have to change our plans as logging is taking place on a big scale so we will have to do a linear route up and back.
The path is good and we follow the railway line for a while then rise up gently passing all the logging work. This mostly involves whacking the trees over and grabbing them as opposed to cutting them down. Some big logs were being loaded into piles along a wire.
The wide path peters out and then we go through a piny dell up and across the hill to meet up with the path we had wanted to take. A short clip to the pass with good views across to the Coulin forest and Glen Torridon beyond. We turn back stopping for a quick lunch on a log. Then retrace our steps back crossing the railway line.
Back to the cottage for a short while then out again and a fast drive (yes, this is still possible here) to Kinlochewe for dinner. We see some brilliant views, shafts of light glowing over the evening hills and a panorama down the valley to Kinlochewe with Loch Maree (it used to be Loch Ewe) and the Torridon range as a backdrop.
Dinner is at the Whistle Stop Cafe where fried green tomatoes are indeed on the menu. It’s a tin shed and is a bit chilly although it does have a big wood burner.
We both have chicken, mine stuffed. Both my first 2 choices are not available tonight neither is my first choice of drink. That apart, our food is all freshly prepared and very nice. Mine comes with pesto and pasta and thankfully not too much chorizo which I don’t like. The staff are very cheerful and friendly. Carol eats yet another sticky toffee pudding just in case they go out of fashion. We are warned to watch out for deer on the road and consequently I drive back at 40mph. We don’t see any deer and it takes the same amount of time to get back as it did to get there at 60mph.
I switch the lights on as we go in and the fuse blows. I know the torch is near the door and feel for it, the first thing I find is scratchy plant (dried lavender). Carol knows where the fuse box is so we soon get sorted out.
I bake some bread but forget to grease the tin. It tastes nice but will be in big chunks.

Logging

Achnashellach station house

Stalker’s Cottage

This is Loch Chroisg near Achnasheen

Weds 21st March

As we eat a late breakfast we receive a visitor, he is wearing a deerstalker and says his name is Eek, he has a strong scouse accent so to be honest I’m not entirely sure what he did say but he was wishing to go to the shed. We head off for Gairloch. A short break at the head of Glen Docherty looking down Loch Maree to take a photo. We wiggle round Loch Maree but mostly it’s a very good road only single track at either end of the journey. Investigation of Gairloch shows a few shops and a nice bookshop with cafe, the books are all travel and exploration. We park up at the old cemetery and walk along the beach, past where there was a fort on a bit of headland and then we stop for lunch on a bench overlooking the sea. Over to the harbour where there is a gift shop so we chat to the man in there. Finally we get walking and go up the side of Flowerdale House which is a large Georgian house. The current factor doesn’t want walkers looking in so he has put black netting up to stop the hoi polloi from peering in. We do in fact still see quite a bit. It would be better if he had forked out a bit more and just built the wall up. We follow the stream all the way up to the waterfalls passing some Shetland ponies where there is a ford in the stream. The lower falls are in a lovely spot and it is possible to go further up to more falls. We return to the car nipping by the side of the house and going through the woods until we come out at the new cemetery across from where the car is parked. On the way back we call in to Badachro which we had looked at for a cottage to rent out. It’s very pretty and in a great location, sheltered with islands on which the cottage sits. We had rejected it in the end as it was reliant on tides so would have been a bit hard if we had missed the time when the causeway was available! Back to the cottage stopping several times for photos. C has sandwiches and I have a baked spud for supper.

The view to Kinlochewe

Gairloch

Inland from Gairloch

Path through Flowerdale

Can’t remember, a famous mountain though!

From shores of Loch Maree

Slioch

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Thurs 22nd March

A beautiful day, the sun is shining and it’s warm. We get out early and drive to Achnashellach station. A train is due and we get chatting with a woman who lives in the old station house and who is about to take the train. This time we turn left away from the timber operations and follow a good track. The map says to go up through a forest but the path says to turn left so we follow the map and effectively cut off quite a corner but we come out onto the inevitable bog and make our way to the fence which has no regular stile but a sort of ladder affair which we use. A jolly chap then appears from a very good path which is what we should have taken and comments that we have taken the “interesting route” and so we did because we saw an enormous boulder and a pond in the forest. He teaches us a bit of Gaelic, he is going up to Fuar Tholl which is pronounced Phwoar Yoll! Of course he could have been having us on, how would we know? But he seemed a nice man, he’d done all the Munros and is now on the Corbetts. We take the very good path up to a junction and head down to the burn where there is a ford. A couple is also trying to cross it and they do but we decide it’s really too wide and too difficult to do it let alone to come back that way. So we retrace our steps and stop for lunch looking at a vast glacial expanse. This is Drochaid Coire Lair. Drochaid means bridge but none actually visible. It’s the middle of an enormous saddle at the end of a vast moraine. It’s too far to go up to the Loch so we turn back and descend. This time we stay on the proper path and skirt round the forest following the stream. Very beautiful.
We drive back to the cottage for a quick refresh and then out again to look at Achentraid and Kishorn. We stop for a brew of tea (Carol) and hot chocolate (me), brewing up looking at the Bealach na Ba. Then a small stop at Courthill House which is ruined and its chapel which is still in use.
Driving back through Lochcarron, I stop at Rockvilla and the owner tells us she is not open until after Easter, she is very friendly and seems almost rueful to be losing our custom. She tells us some more about the landslip and the road being built on a fault and some of the politics.
Back to Stalker’s Cottage for baths and shepherd’s pie. Despite me turning the Rayburn down a bit every day it is still really really hot and I am well roasted. I’m sunburnt too which doesn’t help. Sitting here in my T-shirt gently radiating heat.
We went out for a stroll down the lane with our head torches. There are so many more stars here than at home, it was hard to identify the ones I do know but in the end I found Orion’s belt, but not his trousers, C found the Plough and then we got Polaris from that. I still failed to find Cassiopeia, not a very good day for navigational success.
I have turned the Rayburn down quite a lot now after having to go online to get instructions for it. The owner of our cottage is Lady Scarsdale of Kedleston Hall in Derbyshire and her son lives there and she lives nearby. The hall is now owned by the Nat Trust and Curzon Jnr has a wing to live in with 23 rooms.

Porch at Stalker’s complete with stalker

View from Stalker’s

Achnashellach station

A Corbett

Loch is behind big lump on left so quite a way to go

More big lumps

The vastness

Walker not stalker

Towards Achnashellach

Courthill House

View from Stalker’s (Loch Carron)

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Friday 23rd March

Another lovely day, so up promptly and I whizz in to Lochcarron to buy steak and spuds. We drive to Strathcarron and park up at the station. Into the shop to see the very chatty owner who tells us lots of local gossip, more about the very contentious landslip and road. He says that Lady Scarsdale is “a real character”, the second wife of deceased Lord Scarsdale who died of emphysema.
Eventually we get going and it’s just a few yards from the station to Achintee and then a good hike up to Loch an Creadha. Today I’ve got my eye in on the navigation and everything is pretty much where it should be! Although I do take us on 2 more difficult sides of a square as have failed to see the path. We have to traverse several burns most of which are little more than a step across. Just before the loch we have to get through a big boggy bit with deep peat hags, then across a burn. This is much easier than yesterday and we cross successfully and sit near a stream by the loch for our lunch. It’s a bit windy and has clouded over. After lunch we head back the same way and this time crossing the burn is more challenging but we both get over. We take the correct 2 sides of path and it’s easy to see why we took the wrong one. On the way back we see the trains from Kyle and Inverness meeting at Strathcarron station. At Achintee we chat to a man at the fish packing shed. Back to the car and back to Stalker’s to pack up. Don’t want to go back to work but at least we have two more days of holiday, even if they are on the road!
We eat excellent value fillet steak from the Lochcarron butcher although hard to cook as Rayburn not good for grilling and Baby Belling grill not working. We watched some more Downton Abbey.

The ladder up the tree (missing a rung)

Burn at Loch an Creadha

Picnicker

From Stalker’s

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Saturday 24th March

Set off smartly as we had packed up before our steak dinner last night.
On the journey we stopped at Fort Augustus for the loo, Invergarry but our coffee hotel was having a wedding So we went to the next one along which turned out to be proper old fashioned hotel (Glengarry Castle Hotel) overlooking Loch Oich. More copies of Scotfish Field. Very strong coffee and delicious shortbread Then stopped for lunch by roadside. And then just kept on wending our way through the highlands. It was the first time I’d really been able to see Ben Nevis properly. Stuck behind a caravan forever. Stopped for diesel just as came into Glasgow and again for loo just after. The M8 has lots of perjurations or do I mean admonitions? Telling us to check tyres, check fuel, tie children into safety seats that I feel thoroughly harangued and nagged. Last bit from motorway through Lanark was very wiggly and both tired. Found our b&b which is in the middle of nowhere. Nice shower and then we set off from Doreen’s (emphasis on the 2nd syllabub not the 1st) down the very dark lanes and across the Tyne over an old single track bridge. The Cornhill House Hotel is down a long lit drive and is Scottish baronial but not posh and we get 2 course deal for £14.50. I have mini haggis starter which is great and realise I have missed out by not having it before. Then I have Balmoral strips of beef in whisky sauce with rice and veg. Carol has pork saltimbocca which looks nice and then a sticky toffee pudding, the third in a week! I finish off with a Laphraoig. Back through the lanes in the very dark. Trains go past nearby which is quite odd as we are in middle of a field but line to Edinburgh is near. Carol not feeling too well which worries me but eventually get to sleep.

Glengarry Castle

Somewhere near a loch

Road movie sky, never mind the single track A roads being empty

Sunday 25th March

Carol and I have become useless at remembering the clocks now that we no longer have Muriel to remind us. Luckily we wake early enough to make breakfast at 8.30 which is still an hour earlier to us. Carol is feeling a bit better after sleep. I managed to wrap myself into a parcel in bed as was a bit worried and didn’t like C to have any pain.
Doreen breeds West Highland Terriers and while she went to see to them this morning, four of them escaped and have run off. Her husband hasn’t helped so she is clearly worried as the train line is behind the bungalow. Husband does go off in the Land Rover to look for them. We promise to do the same on our way out but we don’t see them. We wonder if they could have been stolen but all told this doesn’t seem to be the case.
We are now in Daylight Saving Time which means that the sun is due S at 13.00. When I was trying to fix it the other day, I thought the winter months were Daylight Saving but no, they are GMT so I was 30 degrees out the other day. I knew it was wrong but couldn’t work it out. Sometimes feel very stupid, it has to be said.
We stop at Allandale Water for coffee as Doreen’s was weak instant. I have a double ristretto which is like taking drugs rather than an actual drink! Stop at Tebay for supplies including lunch and supper. Then go off the motorway for lunch but the road we pull onto is a bikers’ route and they are having a meet by a river so hundreds of them whizzing around and not very relaxing. I have a rant about Think bike, think biker when a motorcyclist overtakes me as I, having of course checked and indicated, am overtaking a pedal cyclist with lots of consideration for width from them. The bloody gormless idiot of a biker should be shot. Think bike, think pushbike. I am happy to think about bikes, but equally bikers need to ride with due consideration for all other road users too. Of course, I’m an ex biker as well as an ex smoker and “they’re the worst!”
Then we get back on the motorway and head for home. Nice to be home but would be even nicer if we had phone and Internet.

Please visit Map and Compass and learn how to interpret a map with me and my navigation partner, Cath.

Warley Moor Reservoir and Dean Head Reservoirs 26th February 2012

Babs and I met up before 11.00 on the A6033, the road from Pecket Well to Oxenhope. It was dull and grey and pretty cold so we got moving. Climbed up quickly going along Limers’ Gate which flattens out on the top of the moor to a trig point. From there to a single standing stone which then takes you to a drain. We followed the drain until we got hungry just near Bare Clough. Then we lunched, Babs on tuna and beetroot sandwich and me on a pork pie. I had hot chocolate made with water not with milk for a change and very welcome it was.

We kept on with Catchwater Drain across Midgeley Moor until we reached Warley Moor Reservoir. This reservoir is quite bleak with the wind farm as a backdrop. From here we couldn’t see the path we should take so instead went along the side of the reservoir and took a path from the southern end. This worked fine, it was a nice broad path dropping down gently to Upper Dean Head Reservoir which appeared to be tree lined, it wasn’t until we got nearer that we saw it’s actually rhodendendron lined, all along the western edge. We carried on past Lower Dean Head Reservoir and crossed at the bottom end. Both the reservoirs are very pretty in a lovely sheltered situation with lots of greenery and trees.

From here we took what looked like an old Victorian estate path, passing several monkey puzzle tree and endless rhodedendrons which are strangling the old trees as they’ve been allowed to grow without being managed. Before long we came to some big stones on the side of the path which looked to have come from a prominent building as they were all carved stone. Turning round we saw the remains of a Victorian castle complete with portcullis. We explored all round this place wondering what it was as only marked as 2 unnamed buildings on the map. Even a coat of arms on one big stone with the words “Bonum Dei” visible. Babs eventually established it was Castle Carr from searching the web. I’ve since looked further into it and there is a gatehouse which is still inhabited, so that’s a plan for another trip. It appears we were walking on private land and they only open up on one day a year, however that wasn’t clear from the path we took, which only mentioned that we were leaving access land and a footpath is clearly marked on the map.

We then did a bit of a slog up the hill to get back, meeting some fell runners on the way who were doing a 27 mile run with just 3 to go. Some of the moor was on fire again. It was also very dreary and dull. We were both getting tired and although I knew mostly where we were, we did use Babs’ gadget to get a fix on our path.

A very interesting and stimulating day and made me want to do some more in that area.

Solitary stone

Table stone

Upper Dean Head Reservoir

Bendy tree

Babs smiliing not grimacing!

Aiming for better posture

Gaol birds this way

Castle Carr

More ruins

Ye ancient coat of arms

Castle Carr grounds

Babs posing

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Please visit Map and Compass and learn how to interpret a map with me and my navigation partner, Cath.

Blackstone Edge reservoirs 19th February 2012

My first big walk of the year. After I’d been to Hollingworth Lake to give them more evidence of my identity for my CRB check, Chris, Babs and I all met up at Babs’ house in Littleborough, we were all on time and drove up to the car park just below the White House pub which was already full.
We set off smartly and did a circuit which took in Blackstone Edge Reservoir, Light Hazzles Reservoir, Warland Reservoir and quite a way round to White Holme Reservoir.
The path was quite busy and we came across some fell runners doing a memorial race for a man who had died in a peat bog. A terrible story, he’d had a heart attack and was found in the bog some 3 weeks after he’d gone missing with his head sticking out. The lead runner was way ahead of all the rest who came panting and blowing up behind. Given that it was very very cold, the runners were mostly clad in vests and shorts and were hot. We, on the other hand were struggling to keep warm in all our layers. A sharp cutting wind but lovely sun and none of the forecast wintry showers materialised.
There is a “stanza stone” near this point, stanza written by Simon Armitage. This is a project throughout the region carving stanzas into stones.
We stopped in a drain (on the dry concrete part) to eat our lunch as it was a bit out of the wind but unfortunately had picked a busy footpath so we got disturbed several times by runners, people with idiotic dog and an old geezer who was a bit of a Wainwright. I suspect he was deliberately aiming at this characterisation but he was quite nice for all that, although Babs said she thought he was a bit grumpy!
Then we followed the drain for a good stretch and actually lost all the people mainly because we were on a little used path, some of it was fine with new paving slabs, some we had to walk on top of a big pipe and some we had to cross a bog. I did this less successfully than was desirable and ended up with a) a wet foot and leg up to my knee and b) visions of the dead man in the bog. None of us had walked that stretch before and it was only just doable as some of the bog was frozen, not the bit my leg went into. I was very grateful for all the good gear and quickly dried off and warmed up.
The path went parallel with Turvin Road and Chris and I both realised that we’d looked across to where we were now walking as we’ve driven up that road and thought about walking it so yes it can be done!
As we approached White Holme reservoir, some of the moor was on fire.
The last stretch was quite hard for me and I think we all felt it a bit. We did 8 and a half miles, no hills but very cold and a great walk on a sunny day to get back in the swing of it. Thanks pals.

Bridge over Head Drain

Light Hazzles Reservoir

Icy puddle

Babs and Chris

Jak and Chris

Jak and Babs

Raving nutter

The Pike

The pipe

Leak from pipe

In White Holme Drain

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