Sue and Martin in Mallorca 2019

Sue and Martin in Mallorca 2019
On the Archduke's Path in Mallorca

Saturday 29 October 2011

Saturday 29 October 2011 - Beinn Maol Chaluim

The above picture was taken from the lay-by in Glen Etive at NN 149 495, when Graham (Brookes) and I arrived there at 10.30 this morning. It was about the best view that we had during our ascent of the Corbett, Beinn Maol Chaluim.

I'll add a few more pictures in due course. Few being the operative word. The new Canon G12 wouldn't have been used today, even if I had remembered to pack a memory card for it. The 'wet weather' camera was one of very few items that remained dry.

The rain was persistent and at times heavy, but it wasn't cold. Just as well! We both finished up pretty wet. Graham expected leaks. I didn't. The waterproofs that didn't let in a drop of water during this year's TGO Challenge allowed it to pour in during today's four hour escapade.

We did have views up to about 750 metres, but whilst the cloud wasn't down the sight of lashing rain weren't entirely inspiring.

The walk, however, was easy and satisfying - a steep haul NNW up to a pleasant ridge, at the far (NW) end of which we enjoyed lunch at the twin cairned summit during a lull in the rain that enabled the lunch tent to remain in my rucksack, which performed well on its first outing.

Our descent by the same route could accurately be described as 'WET'.

Now we are back at the Alexandra Hotel here in Fort William, where a horde of legendary and not so legendary TGO Challengers, is looking forward to an evening of fun.

Will anyone remember anything about it??

Friday 28 October 2011

A Trip to Scotland, and Other Stuff

I'm in the car with Graham and Sue, on our way to the annual TGO Challengers reunion in Fort William.
It's a social trip, but should include a bit of walking, possibly of the damper variety. Though it's a lovely day today.

Postings have been sparse lately, partly due to my spending ages 'processing' around 1500 images from our recent trip to Turkey. The pictures are needed for Wednesday's (2 November) slide show for Stockport Walking Group. They have now been culled to about 150, so there are just about 50 more to be removed. All of you are welcome - 8pm at Hazel Grove Civic Centre.

Yesterday I became aware that Google Chrome is indicating to visitors that I may be spreading malware due to embedded material from 'Northern Walker'. This may be of interest to other outdoors bloggers, especially those who have 'Northern Walker' on their blogroll. I can't recall the name of the 'Northern Walker' blogger. I never met him, and I don't think he has made any postings for some time. His site may be the victim of hackers. The problem for me seems to stem from the presence of my blogroll link, which I have now deleted. But it could take Google some time to spot that the danger has gone, so readers may continue to receive the warning message. Ho hum. Observations from those more computer literate than me would be welcome, but I really don't think I'm spreading malware through this blog.

On a happier note, some goodies arrived this morning - a new camera (Canon G12) and a new GPS (Satmap Active 10). Whether or not they get used this weekend will depend on a few factors, eg my ability to charge the batteries. Also being used for the first time this weekend is a Lowe Alpine Nanon rucksack that I've been sent for review. Whilst I hope this will replace my not very durable Go-Lite Quest backpacking rucksack, this weekend I'll be using it as a day sack.

I'll report back on all of the above in due course. As today's sunny Lancashire countryside is flashing past at a rather rapid rate, the picture is from one of the summer's Alpine trips - fun on a glacier, on the Haute Route. Oh dear, that's another slide show that needs to be created...

Have a great weekend, everyone.

Sent using BlackBerry® from Orange

Thursday 27 October 2011

Ramsoc Weekend at Eyam – 22/23 October 2011

Eyam Youth Hostel

Again, it seems no time at all since the last Ramsoc weekend, on which I reported here.  This is the fourth of these events recorded on these pages (Sue and I missed 2008) – for reminiscences click here.

The new epoch of Sue W’s organisational talents (it was our reluctant MC’s 11th year in the job - “come back Mark and Janet” she was heard to mutter) yielded a significant change.  No rain!  This really is momentous news, as it Always Rains on Sue W’s weekends.

Anyway there was plenty of room in the Youth Hostel for our group of around 40, with numerous people in very relaxed moods due to short journeys.  The Peak District really is a good venue for this ‘meet’, albeit well within day walking range for many of those attending.

Saturday

18 of us set off on a 14 mile circuit from the Youth Hostel.

Health Warning:
The following tale/list may offend.  Persons with a gentle disposition may prefer to go straight to the slideshow, click here.

Our leader shall remain nameless…. No, let’s call him ‘Worzel’. 

There were many complaints:

  • the starting time was 9.15.  Hanging around for ages after that was simply not acceptable to those who had complied with the request
  • latecomers complained bitterly when the group set off before they had time to put their boots on

You may already be able to see where this was leading; poor old Worzel had no chance, really.

Here’s the route we took – 22 km, 670 metres ascent, taking a leisurely, albeit a bit brisk for Worzel, who finished an hour later than the main bunch, taking most of us 7.4 hours.

Our route - 22km, 670m ascent, 7.4 hours

The children in this group are growing up.  Just a few years ago they were in push chairs (some still are), but today three of them, James, Josh and Beth, joined the big people for our walk in the sunshine.

We strolled through Eyam, famous for the way its residents handled the bubonic plague in 1665, then through Stoney Middleton and Wardlow to Cressbrook Dale.

There was a small hill on our route from Cressbrook Dale, a veritable pimple, but only one person managed to find a way through its defensive ramparts to the summit.

Peter's Stone

Later, dire warnings indicated that this huge beast was likely to gore every member of the party.

A bull near Silly Dale

Beth got tired soon after the bull, and refused to venture down Silly Lane on account of its name.  She was ushered back to Eyam by a couple who selflessly sacrificed the rest of Worzel’s thrilling adventure.

Unfortunately, a little further on, Worsel, by now becoming weary of the constant barrage of complaints, not to mention his inability to keep up with the cracking pace, also became separated, along with two henchmen, from the rest of his disparate group, whom he abandoned, seemingly without any care or compassion.

You could say he ‘Barreled In’.

The Barrel Inn

Meanwhile, the remaining dozen enjoyed a lovely afternoon wandering in various directions, depending on whose Satmap they believed in, around Bretton Clough then up a long ascent to the summit of Sir William Hill, where some are pictured, Tom is in a state of some surprise after having been told that he had won the sweepstake.

Walkers on the summit of Sir William Hill

As mentioned, there were complaints today:

  • too many hills
  • slippery paths
  • no toilets
  • stiles too narrow
  • flowers not in flower
  • leader unable to control his group
  • grumpy landlord
  • too many pubs
  • grumpy bull
  • not enough pubs
  • unacceptable splinter groups
  • one boy had very rustly trousers
  • cool wind
  • blinding sunshine
  • pace too fast
  • too many rest stops
  • too many competing Satmap GPS devices
  • unnecessary gaiters
  • pace too slow
  • failure of leader to organise zipwire descents
  • low branches (or was the ground too high?) caused head damage
  • silly place names
  • a disturbing encounter with a desiccated cat
  • the failure of Sir William Hill to provide a café
  • not enough rest stops
  • leader unable to keep up

That’s just the top 25 complaints.  I’ll leave you to imagine the rest of them.

We were back at Eyam in time to enjoy Sue W’s cakes and adjourn for a snooze before dinner.  It had been a lovely day, despite the whinging.

Sunday

Unbelievably, Sue W’s grip on the weather continued, and whilst a few people sidled off, exhausted after yesterday’s exertions, some 26 victims assembled under her stern eye in the car park at Chatsworth House.  She would surely be more effective than Worzel, who was seen hastening through Chatsworth Park to a life of obscurity along with Rob’em and Tom.  They were later found rummaging amongst some old stones in Andrew Montgomerie’s ‘garden’ in Baslow.  “Just looking for geocaches” they murmured, scurrying away before said vicar could apprehend them.  [Note there is slight conjecture on the author’s part as to what actually took place, as he wasn’t there and is relying purely on ‘form’ and reputation in arriving at this probable scenario.]

Here’s the day’s route – 13km, 300 metres ascent, 4.5 hours.  Led entirely from the front by the inimitable Mrs W.

2300route

We didn’t have time to explore Queen Mary’s Bower, instead heading for a quaint bridge over the River Derwent, where we spent a while watching leaves and mallards in the dark water.

“We can’t stay here all day!” asserted our leader.

So we moved on (literally) to a tree.  Many of the group enjoyed climbing this for a while.

Tree people

“Help!” “I’m stuck” “Please rescue me”  “I want my mum” whimpered one poor darling.

Goblin

So she managed to escape the clutches of the tree, thankfully without resort to any greater emergency service than Phil’s Phluster, and she departed in favour of some retail therapy with mumsy.

I breathed a sigh of relief.  I only had 24 brownies, and those two would surely have demanded second helpings.  Anyway, suitably re-fuelled and after several “we can’t stay here all day!” broadcasts from our leader wherever we paused, we found our way eventually to Calton Lees, where we frightened a jittery politician into thinking he was about to be trampled again.  “Let your dog off its lead” some wit muttered in response.

Anyway, we soon arrived in Beeley, where the family that was too lazy to make any butties went to a luxurious café whilst the rest of us squashed stale butties down our necks under a drippy tree, watched attentively by ‘The Hound of Beeley’.

Lunch at Beeley

Others found better things to do than sit on damp grass.  This is Garden Cache - SK 26597 67671 – a geocache.  My second geocache but Horatio Puddleduck’s 65th find.

Garden Cache - SK 26597 67671

Then, after being rejoined by the various splinter groups and blasted by another “we can’t stay here all day!” call to arms, we set off through a field of tired cows to gain the heights above Chatsworth House.

A lazy, hazy Sunday afternoon

The Boss had great trouble keeping the 24 strong group together, as they were prone to charging off looking for more geocaches, their enthusiasm whetted by the easy find in that garden in Beeley.

Eventually, a library was found.  Yes, a proper library.  In a tree.  Apart from the library, the cache had a Travel Bug, Guernsey Ormer, which Tom (aka Horatio P) undertook to place in another cache on the Ormer’s journey around the world.

We continued through ghostly trees on a not quite knife edge ridge, eventually reaching a waterfall, above which the braver members of the party would have enjoyed a perimeter stroll.  If their mums hadn’t been there.

Pride before a fall?

By now the ‘I don’t do outdoor weewees’ contingent was beginning to nag, so without further ado, there was a “we can’t stay here all day!” chorus, and we ran down to the comfort of Chatsworth House’s convenient ‘publics’. 

Then we all went home, momentarily puzzled by someone coming on the radio: “This morning Alec Ferguson’s wife woke him from a deep sleep… ‘It’s six’ she informed him.  ‘I know’ he cried, from the middle of his nightmare”.

[You’ll notice an absence of complaints today.  That’s not because there weren’t any.  I’m just scared of the repercussions.]

And here’s the slideshow – quite a few images in total.