The Backbone of England

Last night I enjoyed a trip to Littleborough at the instigation of former TGO deputy editor ‘Deputy Dawg’ John Manning, to an illustrated talk that was part of the South Pennines Walk and Ride Festival 2009, with which John is heavily involved.

Author Andrew Bibby and photographer John Morrison discussed their book The Backbone of England, in which Andrew traces the line of the Pennine watershed from Kinder Scout to Hadrian’s Wall. Along the way he explores the area’s history, ecology, culture & geology, meeting those whose lives are shaped by this special landscape.

John Morrison’s stunning images accompanied the talk.

The book is available from Amazon for £14 and looks to be a beautifully illustrated and very informative read.

It was good to have a natter with John, Alistair Pooler and the esteemed author and photographer in the Falcon afterwards.  A most pleasant evening.

Wednesday 23 September 2009 – Last of the Summer Evening Walks

Sue and I set off from The Swan With Two Nicks at 7.30, without even Andrew to accompany us.  The dusky light didn’t stop us wending our way through the fields to Dunham Woodhouses, where Barns Lane led to an easy footpath that emerged at the familiar disused railway line just as it was going dark.

From now on we relied on the ambient light from the Manchester conurbation to illuminate our steady progress to Mill Lane and the sadly closed Railway Inn at Heatley.  A right turn took us down a ‘new to us path’ that appeared to reach a dead end behind a row of houses.  The 1:25000 map (not taken) now reveals that we should have walked across what appeared to us to be a newly ploughed field, instead of following the hedgerow.

Never mind, we returned to the lane, strolled down to the very much alive and well canal, and back along the towpath to Little Bollington.

There was quite a bit of activity from boaters outside the fleshpots on the other side of the canal, with some lovely reflections on the still, warm evening.  The camera was at home, so a trip with a tripod at some future date may be undertaken.

It was a pleasant enough walk – 9 km in a little under 2 hours along the following route:

The ‘postcard’ is of the canal, by the Bay Malton, during the eclipse earlier in the day.

Our next evening walk will be on Tuesday 13 October:

Around Latchford - start 7.30 pm from the Kingsway Bridge (SJ 625 880) for an interesting 8 km (5 mile) stroll – to reach the bridge take the A57 east from Warrington town centre, turn right into Farrell Street at traffic lights before the parish church, bear right at a roundabout, cross Kingsway Bridge, then park in any wide side street and meet on the bridge.

All are welcome.

Over there, Bob!

Here’s my entry in Andy Howell’s competition.

And for those of you needing the odd bit of kit - when he’s not setting fire to the countryside Bob can be found together with ‘Babe of the Year’ Rose at their magnificent on-line emporium here.

Monday 21 September 2009 – The ‘Big Macc Ramble’

I last did this on 24 July 2005.

I know that because I wrote all about it here.

It’s an excellent bike ride, with only one short section requiring a dismount.

So those of you interested in following the 22 km (14.5 mile) route should refer to that old route description, which remains accurate, and as the new surfaces referred to in my report on that trip have bedded in (sort of), there is now no need to dismount on the rocky descents, though if unsure you should do so, and please don’t blame me if you fall off!

The Trentabank Car Park is now pay and display, so it’s cheaper to park in the lay-by beside Ridgegate Reservoir.  I set off from here at 9.30 on a grey Monday morning, but that hadn’t lessened the smile on my face as I glanced at other road users during the hour it took me to travel the 23 miles from Timperley.  Business people, parents with children, workmen, van drivers, all striving to meet deadlines, whilst I was happy to potter along and pause by the reservoir before unloading the bike.

The variety of bird life here is actually wider than that at the lake by Interlaken which we saw ten days ago, with numerous Little Grebes and Tufted Ducks, as well as loads of Coots and a selection of other ducks and geese.

[At this point I apologise for the quality of the images on this posting, but they do go a little way towards capturing the ambience of the grey day!]

Leaving the geese to gander and the coots to squawk, the Leather’s Smithy was passed in no time at all, beyond which the hill down to Langley allows a 30+mph free wheel – perhaps the fastest section of the entire ride, and after only a couple of minutes.  At that speed my wheels seemed quite wobbly – perhaps the bike needs a service…

Tegg’s Nose Country Park provides the scenery for a while after Langley; here’s the trusty steed beside Teggsnose Reservoir – a domain of fishermen.

This is followed by a long sweaty ascent up to Walker Barn and the cycle shop that used to be a pub.  It was an excellent day for a bike ride – calm, cool and dry, despite the greyness.

Up at 475 metres, at the highest point by the edge of the forest, the Cat & Fiddle lay starkly on the horizon, just below the cloud that had already engulfed nearby Shining Tor, at 559 metres the highest point for miles.

Whilst cows dozed in the fields, a steady descent over sloppy stones led me to St Stephen’s, at Macclesfield Forest.

I always stop for a break here – a cup of tea on a bench with a plaque that asks:

WHAT IS THIS LIFE IF FULL OF CARE
WE HAVE NO TIME TO SIT AND STARE

There wasn’t much happening, actually!  But the views were good and the tea was refreshing.

Another steep descent leads to the Stanley Arms, near a place called ‘Bottom-of-the-Oven’.  If you are fed up with Robinsons, come here for a glass of Pedigree!

No such luck for the teetotallers!

Peak View tea rooms are passed soon after reaching the A537 after a long haul, and when open they do provide some very tasty goodies.

By the time I reached the Cat & Fiddle (back to Robinsons) it was engulfed in cloud.  A lone couple with a powerful motorbike looked forlorn in the car park.  We agreed that yesterday the place would have been full of bikers in the sunshine.  “We’ve got the wrong day” they bemoaned.  I’m sure they were happier than if going to work, though.

The new path across Danebower Hollow to the A54 road is a lovely ride.  Very few awkward stones to negotiate here, so wheel wobbling speeds can be safely attained.

The dull weather and the fact that I was on the bike inhibited the flower photos today, but Knapweed, Yarrow, Tormentil, Ragwort, Willowherbs and Ling were all hanging on, though some of their blooms could be said to be fading.

The short section along the A54 is pleasantly downhill, with views down to Three Shires Head, where the counties of Cheshire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire meet in the most scenic of spots.

The Big Macc Ramble turns the other way, down a rocky (cycle with care!) path beside Cumberland Brook, past a busy shepherd and two elderly walkers – the only people I saw on today’s paths - across an easy ford, and into the valley.  A left turn here would deliver me to the Crag Inn at Wildboarclough, but my lunch is elsewhere, so it’s a gentle ride up the valley for me, then a steep 100 metre ascent back to the edge of the forest, where there’s a plaque in honour of

WALTER SMITH 1872-1949
HISTORIAN OF MACCLESFIELD AND LOVER OF THE COUNTRYSIDE
”WE CLAMB THE HILLS TOGETHER”
                                        BURNS

With only half an hour to go, it’s time to take advantage again of my mobile tea shop.

The forest looked more of a scene of devastation than usual.

A major artery seems to be in the course of manufacture.  A logging road, or a recreational amenity?  Perhaps both. The Macclesfield Forest website, whilst being informative, doesn’t at first sight reveal the answer.

After a final very short steep section the bridleway plunges back down to Trentabank.  This descent is great fun, but today I picked up a puncture half way down, and being so close to the finish couldn’t be bothered to repair it.

So I finished on foot at around 12.15.

The Timperley Triangle: The Bridgewater Canal, Timperley Station Canopy, and JJ

If you have been reading carefully, you’ll know that these three icons of Timperley have recently been mislaid.

Yesterday we saw our first rain here for quite some time.  It obligingly washed in our Autumn Lawn Feed, and a short walk revealed this amazing sight:

Yes, the canal has reappeared.  Thank goodness for that.  And just in case anyone else is interested, the following picture was taken from roughly the same spot in 1900 – there were two station canopies back then.

No, I didn’t take that one!  Nor this one – circa 1960.

The remaining canopy is still missing today.  However, Trekking Britain’s wish for a return to ‘yellow’ has certainly been granted!

 

What of JJ?  Vanished.  Completely disappeared.

Sunday 20 September 2009 – A Taste of Trafford

On a beautiful late summer’s day we wandered into Altrincham to sample the wares of a number of our local restaurants and other local and regional food and drink producers and retailers.

This was the ‘A Taste of Trafford’s’ Signature event “Taste Sensation”, held at Altrincham Market, and very well attended, with a sort of carnival atmosphere.

The event had a special currency – Tesetas – the link explains all…

…so, armed with this new form of currency we had a very enjoyable hour or two with Al, Hazel, Andrew and Kate.  The beer from the Working Men’s Club was excellent as well.

These three were very mellow, especially the drummer!

The old covered market was fuller than on a busy market day.

Oca’s offerings were very popular….

…and a good time was had by all.

Alpine Exploits – 27 August to 15 September 2009

By way of an Index:

Day 1   -   A Home from Home
Day 2   -   Öeschinensee
Day 3   -   Path Bagging in Kandersteg
Day 4   -   Blue Skies over Switzerland
Day 5   -   First and Stand
Day 6   -   Kebabed in Kandersteg
Day 7   -   Relaxing in Kandersteg
Day 8   -   Hotel Restaurant de la Forclaz
Day 9   -   A Day Out In Italy
Day 10 -   A Second Home (from Home)
Day 11 -   Bad Pennies
Day 12 -   Mark the Mountain Guide
Day 13 -   Col de Balme
Day 14 -   Gentiana ciliata and the path to Hohtürli
Day 15 -   The Gasterntal and Kanderfirn
Day 16 -   Rote Chumme
Day 17 -   A Chance Encounter in Interlaken
Day 18 -   Studententorte
Day 19 -   A Quiet Day in Kandersteg

Links:
The Kandersteg Apartment – available to rent
Slide shows (to follow)
Web page (to follow)

Timperley Metro Station

I used to commute into Manchester from Timperley Metro Station.  The canopy was really quite useful on wet days.  It kept the commuters dry.

Here it is:

Here’s the miniscule image from Metrolink’s website:

So it was a bit of a surprise to return from holiday to find this:

What have you done with the canopy, JJ?

So, I’ll just wait in until it stops raining….

….actually, since we returned last week, I can’t recall more than a few drops of rain, so perhaps this is Metrolink’s preparation for global warming?

Friday 18 September 2009 – Route E4 from Roman Lakes

On a cool, dry, calm day, this bike ride was an ideal choice of activity.  It’s a shame it was cloudy, but you can’t have everything.

Roman Lakes is a good place to start this activity – a half hour drive finds us in this quiet spot with free parking, a drinks kiosk and toilets.  There’s plenty of space to gather the cycling gear from the car boot, and to change into clean clothes afterwards if it’s muddy.

The proprietors have produced a booklet with eleven suggested routes – 4 easy (up to 8 miles), 4 moderate (up to 20 miles), and 3 ‘Xtreme’ (up to 34 miles).  There’s also a ‘100 km Challenge’ route.

I’ve produced a summary of the ‘E4’ route in the past, and recorded it here, so there’s no map or route description within this posting.*

Soon after starting out I met a large group of guided walkers, perhaps from some sort of institution, emerging from here:

Perhaps there was light for them at the end of the tunnel!

I would hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel for this sad sight, which should be an attractive project for someone.

Whizzing past huge banks of Himalayan Balsam along the route, near a large dovecote in the centre of an ornamental lake, I soon came to a canal that despite its reddish brown colour is in fine fettle after some renovation work in the late C20 and even as recently as 2003 – the Peak Forest Canal.  Pleasure cruisers were phutting up and down the section I rode along today before dropping down into New Mills.

I stopped here, by the River Goyt, surrounded by industrial archaeology, for refreshments.

Returning to the saddle, disorientatation set in and I headed off in the wrong direction.  Either I’m very dim, or the geography of New Mills is quite intricate.  Possibly both, but I did have a déjà vu feeling from the other day when I thought the Bridgewater Canal should have been in view!  After fumbling around for ages, I eventually returned to the picnic benches and set off in the opposite direction, soon reaching the distinctive and attractive Millennium Walkway.

This little diversion perhaps provides the key to my speedo showing that I’d travelled two miles further than expected on this ride!

Some steep but straightforward climbing brought me eventually to The Fox Inn at Brook Bottom.  Sadly it was closed, for a new roof and other repairs.

Here’s what it used to look like:

But today….I nearly had to pretend to delete the following image when the workmen and their boss (in the foreground) noticed my high visibility yellow top and thought I was a Health and Safety man checking up on them. 

If so, I pleaded, why was I taking pictures like this?

 

They let me go, satisfied as to my insanity.

It’s a lovely ride back to Roman Lakes from here, high above the valley, with good views towards the skyscrapers of Manchester.

Past the golf course and on down the rough stony track to Roman Lakes, this excellent finish to the ride is over slightly technical ground that’s hard (for me) to descend quickly, but is easy enough at a slow pace.

* One of the most visited outdoor blogs – Alan Sloman’s – comments here on the fact that it only actually describes one route (albeit a long one) in any great detail.  That in itself will attract many visits from prospective ‘LEJOGers’, but Alan’s subsequent postings do not make a big deal of describing routes or gear.  That’s the beauty of Alan’s postings.  You never know what’s coming next.  I think he enjoys blogging as a form of therapy, and I’m sure he gains much pleasure from knowing that his writing is enjoyed by many others, including some professional writers.

My own efforts, as previously mentioned, are very much an indulgence, and whilst mainly outdoors related may cover any topic I consider worthy of interest, so it’s a bonus to me that anyone other than my mother and sometimes my trip companions should be inclined to visit this site.

However, I do enjoy detailing the various routes of the trips I describe, and it’s an added pleasure when people discover these for themselves and provide feedback.

So whilst I get far fewer visitors than Alan, like his LEJOG postings my route descriptions have proved to be a useful resource for some visitors.

The Bridgewater Canal

Leave home for three weeks, and look what happens?  They drain the canal!  JJ was in charge of keeping an eye on it.  He has been sacked.  Is this the end of the world as we know it, or……?

The Duke of Bridgewater will be turning in his grave.

Monday 14 September 2009 - A Quiet Day in Kandersteg

The cloud remained at about 1500 metres, so we spent our last day here quietly, with more coffee and cake (fruchtorten) for elevenses, and an afternoon stroll up Höh (only 1335 metres). 

Today's images are taken at the viewpoint on Höh - the foliage really is changing colour, and our apartment is just about visible at the bottom left of the village. Whilst the cloud was down, there was no rain, so we've again been blessed with superb Alpine weather. I'm so thankful not to have a job testing waterproof gear - it would be a complete nightmare! 

Tonight we 'enjoyed' a meal at the Adler Hotel: Starters: Sue had cool apple soup with bits of trout and no bread, whilst I enjoyed a spring roll, skillfully cut to make it look like two. These, despite being cool, arrived quite quickly (7.45), under the eyes of an attentive manager. 

Mains: By 8.30 we were getting hungry, so I stole some bread from a table where the diners had left. They returned from what turned out to have been a fag break and gave the empty basket a look of puzzlement. We could have enjoyed a joke had they spoken English. We sipped our watery Dôle, hopefully. The mains arrived at 8.45 - late but passably warm, and quite tasty. The Bill: 'A hundred and fifty' said the waitress (that's about £90). 'Pardon?' 'A hundred and fifty' she repeated. I laboriously located my specs - this warranted closer inspection.... SF100.50 read the bill. We laughed. The waitress laughed. The attentive manager had long gone. We paid then left. 

So ends our sojourn in Kandersteg. Thank you to Peter and Anne for making it possible, and also to John and Janet for the loan of their flat in Chamonix during the Belgian occupation of Kandersteg.

There will now be a brief pause in transmissions.... ....I wonder what the Bridgewater Canal looks like just now?

Sunday 13 September 2009 - Studententorte

Whenever practicable we enjoy coffee and cake for elevenses. That was very easy today, as we didn't stray far from the apartment. The Sunday Newspaper is absent from our postcard as we can't read German. (We could have got an English paper by walking just a bit further - to the station.) 

We are relying on Notchy's News Service to update us next time we see him. As you may imagine we are useless at end of year news quizzes. 

This afternoon we did venture out for separate strolls - mine a bit further as Sue was having muscle trouble. 

Route 22 - a lovely path up to the Biberg plateau at around 1500 metres was duly ticked off. I'd intended to go on up to Fisialp (2150 metres) but with the cloud level at about 1700 metres it seemed better to wait for a clearer day to do that. We have been very lucky with the weather; waterproofs haven't been used on the entire trip (yet!). (And they weren't required on the rest of the trip!) Route 22 was narrow and steep, apart from a short section on the plateau. So it was something of a surprise to meet two mountain bikers, one of whom was filming their trip with a helmet camera. It may be a dull video; they were walking. 

Willow-leaved Gentians are thriving in the woods just now, at a time when many flowers are going, or have gone, to seed and some of the vegetation is taking on an Autumn hue. 

Today we were never far from the booming, banging and thwacking of Kandersteg's rifle range, which was involved in some sort of function. Luckily, it's at the other end of the village, but in a place surrounded by walls of rock the reverberations could be heard in all the environs of Kandersteg. 

The odd thwack could be heard within these walls tonight, as we enjoyed a gem from the Morley Film Library - Hitchcock's 'The 39 Steps'. 

Next day

Saturday 12 September 2009 - A Chance Encounter in Interlaken

Imagine this conversation: 

Roger: 'Isn't that Martin rude, not coming to our 25th wedding anniversary party?' 

Sandra: 'Yes, especially as he was your Best Man!' 

R: 'He did have an excuse.' 

S: '"Going to The Alps."' 

R: 'He's always going to The Alps.' 

S: 'I'm not sure, maybe it was just an excuse not to come to our party.' 

R: 'Perhaps he didn't want to come. Maybe Sue is just a figment of his imagination.' 

S: 'Surely not!' 

R: 'Why don't we check his alibi then?' 

S: 'What, go to The Alps?' 

R: 'Yes, I haven't worked on the railways for 42 years for nothing - we can get there, first class, for a snip.' 

S: 'Ok, but I don't think we'll find Martin. The Alps is a Big Place you know.' 

R: 'Don't be pessimistic. If he's there we'll see him...' 

By and by, Roger and Sandra duly embarked for The Alps in their First Class Charabanc. One day, on a bike ride to Thuner See, near Interlaken, a white haired man stepped out in front of them. 

"Hello Roger, Hello Sandra, sorry I couldn't make your party, I was here in The Alps." 

"Just checking" said Roger drolly, "where's Sue?" 

You see, it really is a small world. We went to Interlaken today and bumped into Roger and Sandra, who live near Lilo and Trish, and all those many years of Christmas cards now seem worthwhile. We had no idea that R and S were in the Alps. Reminiscences were only just getting under way (I think they stalled on the 'Three Tarns Adventure') when we had to part again, so we hope to resume those in the near future. 

Roger did ask us to pass on one message to another contemporary from our days at UMIST: 

"Hello Peter!" 

The gardens of Interlaken seemed to be decked with sunflowers vying for the best views of the paragliders and (increasingly rare) hang gliders. 

Next day

Friday 11 September 2009 - Rote Chumme

 

Low cloud, as predicted, started to clear, as predicted. So we headed off to the Sunnbüel cablecar for some high level fun. After an hour's crocodile walk past big pylons and bell-ringing cows the Schwarenbach restaurant beckoned. 

We enjoyed coffees in the sunshine whilst a school party armed with small laminated maps devoured countless flagons of soup, and aged Americans devoured the beauty of the place (...what pylons?...) Actually, the views are magnificent despite the pylons - I'll add an image or two when we get back.

(Here's one - there will be more for those interested in a slide show in due course - see index - here you can just about see the huge pylons marching across the landscape at the top of the vegetation on the left.)

There's a shortcut from the restaurant to the Rote Chumme path. This well graded route led us through columbine meadows under limestone cliffs to a grassy lunch spot where it joins the main Rote Chumme path before its steep final 200 metre ascent to 2600 metres. 

Up at this high point for the day the mist swirled, but we were granted excellent views, as in today's postcard. 

We lingered together with circling choughs before descending in an area previously occupied by a glacier, past a glacial lake - Tälliseeli - then dropping steeply to the Inner Üschene valley. Dense clumps of the pretty yellow flowers of Yellow Mountain Saxifrage had taken root in the glacial area, and families of marmots and chamois kept close tabs on us as we made our way through the wide area of glacial debris. 

We lost the view at around 2300 metres, and after 2.30 pm we saw no other walkers (a few had been descending Rote Chumme earlier). Mist and low cloud dominated the rest of the day, with the temperature dropping as low as 11C. We were grateful for the well marked paths, the lack of rain and, later, the well stocked shops of Kandersteg. 

But dinner was eaten without our usual view of the mesmerising waterfall, and even the nearby Öeschinensee cablecar stanchions disappeared into the gloom as we tucked into some of the Marmotte Tea Room's Magic Cakes. 

Next day

Thursday 10 September 2009 - The Gasterntal and Kanderfirn

Another sunny day in the Alps - perhaps our last as the weather is on the move, but we've had a good run and Sue's muscle problem has certainly eased a little, enabling a longer walk today (Sue's choice).

We took the 9.50 am minibus up to Selden, a hamlet at the head of the long Gasterntal valley. The 25 minute ride (we needed to book ahead to get seats) saves a good couple of hours, so is well worthwhile.

We were last away of the disgorged passengers due to my faffing and sun tan creaming, but soon drew ahead of any others as we commenced our 900 metre ascent to the tongue of the Kanderfirn glacier.

The route started gently through meadows where harebells, cranesbills, clovers, campions and crocuses are hanging on until the autumn snows finally dampen their growth hormones. Dwarf pines and juniper abound in the valley, and marmots whistled as we ascended over increasingly rocky terrain to a moraine wall. 'Elevenses' taken here granted us a bird's eye view of an avalanche across the valley down the cliffs of the Doldenhorn.

The cliffs we were heading for seemed very close, and the Gasterntal looked far below, but we still had 500 metres to climb! A well graded path got us there for lunch time, only a little more than two hours after setting out. We were going well in the slightly cooler conditions.

It was a surprise to find a visitors book up at 2400 metres where the red and white path turned blue and white, indicating that glacier skills are advised from this point. We wrote an entry and settled down for lunch in this magnificent spot, perched above the tongue of the huge Kanderfirn glacier.

Sue posed for today's postcard, and we both regretted not having the skills or equipment to safely carry on to the Mutthorn Hut (2901 metres), high up on the edge of the glacier.

Three others appeared from the valley, and three more from the glacier, but we encountered really very few people today.

There's fresh snow above 3000 metres on the nearby mountains. It must have fallen a week ago when it last rained in Kandersteg, and despite the subsequent hot weather this snow has clung on, especially to north facing slopes. First signs of the 2010 winter, I suppose.

The long and fine descent to Kandersteg, some 1200 metres below, took a good four hours, during which time the sky filled with cloud and a cool breeze kept me comfy in the cotton t-shirt that I discovered this morning was the last of my clean clothes. We've been so busy doing the Belgians' laundry that we forgot our own!

We were down in plenty of time to replenish our provisions from the Co-op and enjoy another fine home cooked meal.

All in all, another most pleasurable day out. 

Next day

Wednesday 9 September 2009 - Gentiana ciliata and the path to Hohtürli

There are two images today as I simply couldn't get the 'phone to focus on the gentian. So that poor image will be replaced when we get home. (Duly replaced, and now you can see clearly why it's called the 'Fringed Gentian'.)

The pretty blue flower, 1 to 2 cm in diameter, is abundant hereabouts. We also saw it around Chamonix. Curiously it doesn't feature in my book 'Alpine Flowers of Britain and Europe', published 30 years ago. Perhaps it has flourished since then. It's almost unheard of to find deficiencies in this book, but the correct identification was verified by two separate flower books that we spotted in Aosta a couple of days ago.

There are still some very pretty flowers about, despite the approach of Autumn, heralded by the Autumn Crocuses already referred to in these pages.

Today was another thoroughly summery day. We took the Öeschinensee cablecar then set about reversing the circuit that I found so exhausting last week. I was perfectly ok today, and we managed an extension beyond the sparkly lake by walking up to 2400 metres for lunch some 400 metres above last week's high point but still 400 metres below the Hohtürli Pass.

Two sheep tried to share our lunch, but a nearby flock of yellow beaked choughs (which we would normally expect to intrude) must have had other things on its mind.

The postcard shows Sue at this spot below several glaciers, with Hohtürli and the Blümlisalphütte high above her head, on the horizon. Our lunch was punctuated by the crash of avalanches near the feet of these glaciers. The path follows a lateral morraine, and there are steep drops down to where a huge glacier once flowed. I can recall the moment on my first visit to this spot over 20 years ago - when a rather frightened pair, Dave Scruby and I, turned around in a July snowstorm and returned to Kandersteg. Sue and I turned around today at almost the same spot, but for a different reason - we had never planned to go to the pass, and time was against us.

We found the descent easy, and chuckled as we overtook a mountain biker on a wired section. Then a young calf approached Sue "may I lick your leg?" his little bell jingled. "Of course" replied Sue. Having extracted a mixture of salt, sun tan cream and dead skin from the leg, the calf proceeded to try to untie her shoe laces. Its mother stood nearby, unperturbed. Here the cows roam freely, much like sheep in the UK; dogs wander without need for leads. Strange to contrast this with angry UK cows that trample folk to death.

Finally (for those still awake - and my own level of wakefulness is very low!), thanks Mark A for your comment on yesterday's entry. It's always good to receive your words of encouragement, and despite the paucity of comments at present, I know there are a number of other readers out there.

Enjoy the Great Outdoors, and do take care. 

Next day

Tuesday 8 September 2009 - Col de Balme

The memory of Col de Balme (2451 metres) rests in the minds of many folk walking the Tour of Mont Blanc for the wrong reason.

The views are superb on a good day like today, but on a bad day the weather can be grim.

The col is however notorious for the (un)welcome given by the guardian of the Refuge du Col de Balme. We experienced this nine years ago; Pete and Trish were there a few days ago. The guardian had not changed and nor had her welcome. The hut is cold, with damp in the air; there is a menu; one selects one's preferred meal; it's not available; a second choice is made; the guardian becomes aggravated - "why can't you choose something that's available?" Eventually you finish up with soup, the only thing she has got around to cooking today.

Pete and Trish found all this particularly tedious as they were recovering from drinking stream water coming off Mont Blanc. They had done this without realising that the numerous high mountain huts dispose of their effluent by chucking it down the mountain!

Today we returned to Kandersteg by an efficient underground route (aka Autoverlad Lötschberg - car transport through a railway tunnel) to discover the affect of 6 days of 6 Belgians on the apartment we have grown so fond of. Our worries were unfounded, as the Belgians had made a good stab at clearing up after themselves despite the sweltering heat. We have already dealt with all their rubbish, have renewed our friendship with 'ginger', and tomorrow will embark on our new careers as laundry attendants.

What it must be like for Annie and Peter, the owners, we hate to think; even as sort of caretaker visitors we find we have become very protective towards this place...

...as indeed we have towards John and Janet's splendid pad in Chamonix from which we reluctantly departed this morning. Rest assured, everything there is spic and span, with not a crumb in sight.

Anyway, we stopped again at the Col de la Forclaz, this time on the brightest and clearest summer's day imaginable. So we paused for a stroll beside the 'Bisse' - a small canal built in 1895 to channel water from the splendid Glacier du Trient to the col, for use in irrigation on the slopes below. The Bisse (it would be called a levada in Madeira) drops 60 metres on its 3 km journey from its source to the col, but from the Path to Col de Balme it looks as if it rises sharply to the Col de la Forclaz - an optical illusion.

There is no such excitement with the view up to the Col de Balme from the Bisse. As you can see from today's postcard there is no illusion regarding the 900 metre ascent to the unfriendly refuge on the col.

The Alpine flowers are mostly on the wane just now. As you can see from the image, even the Rosebay Willowherb has mostly gone to seed.

But summer reigns supreme - it was 31C when we arrived here on today's perfect summer's day.

Next day

Monday 7 September 2009 - Mark the Mountain Guide

Today's highlight was a visit Les Tines to Mark the Mountain Guide, expert alpiniste and purveyor of children's mountaineering epics.

He is also an outdoors blogger - see:

http://www.markthemountainguide.com/ and http://www.markseaton.com/

We exchanged stories of common acquaintances and all matters mountaineering over tea and cake outside his and Jane's lovely house in Les Tines.

A most pleasurable afternoon, and a delight to meet someone whose exploits we have followed vicariously for some time.

His books are outstanding - essential for the library of any budding junior alpiniste.

We travelled to Les Tines via the Planpraz cablecar, then along the Grand Balcon Sud to La Flégère for lunch, and on down through lovely woodland to Le Paradis (aren't these place names wonderful!) and Les Tines, where the house numbers puzzled us until Mark explained that they represent the distance in metres of each house from the main road.

Before we left, Mark kindly posed with Walter (aka 'Leo') at the request of Andrew, our 7 year old friend, and fan of Mark's books.


The previously clear skies developed a little high cloud today, which made for a wonderfully pink sunset on Mont Blanc, from where paragliders continued to drift relentlessly down.

Today's postcard was taken near La Flégère at lunchtime, and shows Sue chomping under the magnificent backdrop of Les Drus and Aiguille Verte.

Happy Days!

Next day

Sunday 6 September 2009 - Bad Pennies

TGO Challengers. They appear like Bad Pennies in the most unlikely of places....

Mr Grumpy in the Trafford Centre

Weird Darren in a Cambridge mafia den

JJ - hobbling around Timperley Land

An Old Hobo on the top of Sergeant Man

Lilo Lil and Trish in the Gecko Bar

not forgetting Mr Slowman's regular forensic forays onto these pages

....the list goes on.

The Gecko Bar is a two minute walk from our present abode in Chamonix, so it seemed only polite to welcome Pete (Lilo) and Trish into our borrowed piece of wonderland, with its magnificent views of Mont Blanc.

We spent a somewhat surreal afternoon watching a cricket match between the world's northern and southern hemispheres, being played by residents of the Chamonix valley. Local rules applied (I won't go into them now) and the match umpire appeared to be a dog. A sizable crowd spectated from a hill that was actually within the field of play. We sat with beers on our patio as the game continued until sundown. Mont Blanc glittered under a cloudless sky in the background. Play was regularly interrupted by paragliding incidents. They kept landing on the pitch.

The match was eventually abandoned when the ball was lost in some deep grass in the dimming light.

Today's postcard shows Trish, Lilo and Sue, lounging with beers on our patio during a particularly enthralling passage of play.

Next day

Saturday 5 September 2009 - A Second Home (from Home)

With six Belgians now settled in to Peter and Anne's pristine apartment in Kandersteg, we have been obliged to find pastures new.

"It needs an airing" said Janet, as she and John handed over the keys to their flat in Chamonix a few weeks ago.

So here we are, airing it. We've been here for a few days now.

We look out onto the Savoy Fields (nursery ski slopes) and over the rooftops of Chamonix to the pointed snout of the Glacier des Bossons, which draws the eye upwards towards the summit of Mont Blanc.

Today's postcard is this view from our living room window. We are so lucky. Often trainee paragliders can be seen frolicking on the lawn; in winter these are replaced by novice skiers. There's usually a wagtail, crow or pigeon grubbing around in the grass, and lots more to entertain the watcher having a lazy day in the flat.

Yesterday's sojourn in Italy allowed the French skies time to clear sufficiently to justify our catching the Brevent cablecar this morning to its mid station at Planpraz (2000 metres) and enjoying views towards Mont Blanc that we only briefly glimpsed through the cloud on our previous visit.

Even today, these views were hard won, as the cloud slowly cleared from our Grand Balcon Sud trail.

The path to La Flégère is fairly level. We romped along it in an hour and a half. Time for lunch! We've developed a habit of late starts and short days...

The binoculars revealed a procession of 'ants' heading down from Mont Blanc's summit towards the prominent spike of the Aiguille du Midi.

Then it was a gentle 500 metre ascent up to Lac Blanc - apparently one of the most famous walking destinations in the Chamonix valley. The path lived up to that reputation. It was crowded. A lower pond gave excellent views whilst we enjoyed a second lunch, but the vistas from the Lac Blanc area were all a bit much. The sun was too high to allow for any particularly good images, but we tried our best, next to a jovial Englishman with a huge tripod.

Sue's muscle problem forced her to retrace her steps and return via the La Flégère cablecar and a stroll beside the River Arve.

Meanwhile I enjoyed a longer descent via Les Tines - a beautiful route over mixed ground - including some ladders - then lovely woodland, with Mont Blanc all the while looming high across the valley.

During the descent I managed to escape from the multitudes. Over a two and a half hour period I saw just half a dozen people - English mountain bikers. They said they were enjoying it. They were walking their bikes down a gentle slope. For some reason, at that point I was going uphill towards La Flégère!

Sue had managed to acquire some grub, and a salad nicoise was quickly knocked up whilst we oo'd and ah'd at the sight of the sun's shadow slowly slipping up the side of the highest peak in Europe.

Time to turn out the lights.

I have a funny feeling that tomorrow we may bump into somebody we know!

Oh, and Alan, you should be aware that Sue is inclined to accept your kind offer - given its date, presumably to join you on next year's TGO Challenge. She travels light these days, Alan, but sadly does not come without 'baggage'. About 12 kilos, which she assumes you will carry in the manner to which I am becoming accustomed (without protest).

Thanks mate!

Next day