TGO Challenge - Wild Camps (No 27: 17 May 2010)

This was perhaps my best ever wild camp. I arrived at Mam na Gualainn fairly early after a relatively easy day that incorporated a short stretch of the busy West Highland Way corridor.

About 600 metres to the east of the 796 metre summit, I stopped at this irresistible spot, albeit a bit of a descent to the north to find a spring. Approximately NN120626, with views to the Glencoe summits, and down Loch Leven.
 

 

 

 

It was a perfect warm night. There was no wind, as can be seen from the contents of my rucksack being just spread out on the grass while I took the tent down. I had a long day in store so was up fairly early, but as you can see from the next two pictures, the sun was shining.

 

 

Here's a last look back to Mam na Gualainn, before I packed up and headed on over Beinn na Caillich to join the path to Corrour. Brilliant, and not an insect in sight. [I'm currently reading reports from people brave enough to wild camp in Scotland in August 2020. Midges rule ok, I'm not envious.]

 

17 July 1989 - Alta Via 2 - Day 3 - Camp near Rif Puez to Camp near Rif Pissadu

 

Monday 17 July (Diarist: Martin W)

Quite a chilly night, but everyone slept well. Dave's alarm went off at 6:30. Cloudy and cool. We leave together around 8:15. Dave, Martin B and John storm off into the distance (and these pictures were taken by that 'advance party'). Laurie and I follow at a more leisurely pace, admiring the fine scenery. Brief stop at Puez Hutte, after only half a mile, for an orange juice.

 

 

I feel rather slow and tired today, and feel like stopping a lot. The path has a Yorkshire Dales look to it as long as you ignore the scale of the surrounding scenery. In a mist, probably indistinguishable. We get to the pass - Forcella Campaccio - without really trying, since we come down to it. There follows a descent to Lago di Crespeina, quite a large lake.

 

 

 

 

The dynamic trio are having a brew on the pass above the lake - about 10:30. Laurie and I stop for a while to eat before the climb to 2528 metre Crespeina Joch. Not as bad as it looked.

 

 

 

More fabulous views open out down Val Chedul, with Rotspitzen rising at the end looking like The Lost World.

 

 

A short descent and short climb take us to Col Turond (2466 metres).

 

 

Our view of the road is blocked by magnificent limestone turrets and huge walls of rock amongst which we soon descend, picking our way down over loose paths.

 

 

The many tourists are evidence of a nearby road. One has to guess whether someone is Italian or German before saying 'buongiorno' or 'gruss gott'. Do Germans really look put out if you get it wrong?

 

 

Rifugio Clark (now called Jimmy's Hutte) is quite a pleasant wooden hut doing a roaring trade. I wish we had stayed here for lunch, but after an apple juice we dropped down to Passo Gardena, where we met Dave, John and Martin B at Rifugio Gardena.

(The end of Stage 1 of AV2.)

 

 

 

Here, despite asking the apparently English speaking waitress for something without meat in it, I ended up with a macaroni with bolognese sauce. I ate much of the macaroni before leaving the rest to the human dustbin (Dave). I also had to reorder the minestrone that I thought I had ordered the first time -  thankfully relatively devoid of flesh. Meanwhile, Laurie tucked into a large spherical dumpling that rolled around in a plate of soup. Apparently a house speciality.

 

 

 

The sun is out when we finally leave at about 1:30, and make our way up towards Val Setus, which is a steep scree covered gully (a bit bigger than what I usually think of as a gully).

 

 

Laurie is really keen to have a look at the via ferrata around the corner (Tridentina - with which I have subsequently become familiar, but I doubt whether the others have done it - Ed) and so we head off along the path towards it. We lose a bit of height and eventually I am not keen to carry on to something we may finally not want to do. Laurie goes a bit further and then comes to a similar conclusion.

So it's back to the foot of Val Setus, and we start the grind up. There are bits of snow here and there, and many people on the way down. About half way there is a serious rumbling sound and looking up we see snow flying and a couple of large rocks making their way down. Laurie becomes quite anxious and we do our best to get as far as we can from their possible landing places. Much noise. Dramatic. When we reach the narrow part of the gully from where the rocks came, we see warning signs - 'Attenzione'. Evidently rock falls are quite common here. We get through the danger area as quickly as possible.

Then it's up a very steep, rather wet, rather screey, slope to a point where aided ascent (fixed steel rope) begins up craggy limestone.

 

 

 

Quite fun, with dramatic views. The rope makes life easy, giving much improved security and showing the way. None of it, I think, would have been too difficult without the rope however. Some very young children coming down, tied carefully to the rope by carabiners, were doing very well. Some others looked not too happy. One man holding a rope tied to his rather large wife was perhaps lulling her into a false sense of security.

 

 

Finally, the summit. Stupendous views; a great spot. Especially knowing that the Pissadu Hutte is only 3 minutes away. Many ego-boosting photos taken before going on to the hut for tea. We discover, from a German/Nordic? couple who have seen them, that the others are camped about half a mile away.

 

 

 

 

 

We soon spot Dave in his stripy shirt (very distinctive) on his way for a very cold foot wash. We are camped by about 6:30 in an excellent sheltered spot surrounded by huge rock towers and magnificent distant views of similar structures. Mild enough to cook outside. Beer and coffee in the hut later.

 

 

The cruel and sadistic Martin B has planned a long day for tomorrow, with an unexpected early start of 7 am!! Sleep deprivation into the bargain. Dave will give us an early morning call (I dread to think what that might consist of) at 5:45 am.

 
 Here's our route - 11 km, with 850 metres of ascent. 

 

Next Day

Back to the start 

Friday 14 August 2020 - Manley Common and the Sandstone Trail

 

Last Friday's regular stroll found Sue, Graeme, Paul S and me congregating at Barnbridge Gates car park in Delamere Forest, for a 14 km circuit featuring the Sandstone Trail.

 

Social distancing was very briefly 'parked', for a self-timed picture on the edge of the forest.

 

From the same spot, we noticed that harvest time is approaching.

 

 

Forest paths led north, around the area known as the New Pale, which is a relic from Delamere's history as a hunting forest. The forest was created to protect game for the king's hunt and relied on strict forest laws enforced by the Master Forester.

 

In later centuries it became increasingly difficult to protect the game as forest lands gave way to agriculture. As a result, forest enclosures were built in an attempt to preserve the deer. The oval shaped New Pale is thought to have originated in this way and dates from around 1617.

 

Deer were finally wiped out in Delamere during the Civil War (1642 - 51), and plans to reintroduce them never came to fruition.

 

 

Recent rain / sunshine / rain / sunshine.... had caused some of the paths to be overgrown with brambles and nettles, so by the time we reached Riley Bank, we were covered in scratches and stings.

 

The path down from Riley Bank to join the Sandstone Trail near Ridgeway was rather more forgiving. 

 

 

Beyond Ridgeway, the rest of our walk back to Barnbridge Gates followed the well signposted route of the Sandstone Trail.

 

 

On a hot day, these cows were cooling down nicely, even if they were contaminating their drinking water with effluent.

 

 

On the only significant bit of tarmac of the day, thankfully with a much needed pavement, we passed St John's, Manley, where traffic noise may sometimes distract from the sermon.

 

 

After that, the Sandstone Trail takes to narrow footpaths lined at this time of year with Rosebay and other varieties of Willowherb.

 

 

We encountered very few other people, all morning - mainly just occasional dog walkers. Even the Sandstone Trail, a National Trail that might be expected to be heavily used, had very few 'customers' today, so more scratches and stings were picked up on the narrow paths.

 

 

At the end of the path shown above, we encountered a sign...

 

 

It was lunchtime, and we had only about 3 km to go, so who could resist the temptation?

 

Not us.

 

 

Stonehouse Farm B&B has a few picnic tables in a giant field and served us, rather glumly it has to be said, bacon and sausage butties, pots of tea, and a soft drink and cake for Paul.

 

It was an excellent place to pause, and a lovely surprise on this occasion.

 

 

 

There followed an easy walk back along the Sandstone Trail through Delamere Forest to the well used car park. This is a mecca for mountain bikers and walkers, and parking - if you can find a space - is free.

 

Here's today's route - about 14 km with 200 metres ascent (ie virtually flat). [Click on the image for a clearer version.]

 

 

Next week we will meet at the same spot (10am, Friday 21 August) and follow the Sandstone Trail by way of a southerly loop, with - I'm pleased to say - a very small diversion near the end of the walk that will take us past Stonehouse Farm, though I can't promise a repeat of today's lovely weather for a picnic lunch.

 

Well, that was another fine outing. Thanks for coming along, everyone.

Lockdown 2020 (continued)

 

Lockdown continues. Life is restricted, but not without pleasures. The Bridgewater Canal, early in the morning, was a delight to run or cycle beside this week, the above picture being taken near the Bay Malton (long closed), on one of my regular bike rides.

 

Below, King George V Pool in Altrincham is as full of weed as ever. The coots seem overwhelmed by it. I jogged around it in Wednesday afternoon's heat, on my way for coffee in Stamford Park with Paul B - very pleasant but not as comfortable as Paul's garden , just round the corner, would have been. Not allowed though. I surprised Andrew and Joe and friends, fishing in the pool (do they ever catch anything?) whilst awaiting their A Level results. (Later - success - they both got the highest grades available and are into their chosen Universities. Well done them, even if they didn't catch any fish.)

 

 

The jungle that masquerades as our garden continues to mature, with JJ's tomato plants heading to obscure the view from our living room window.

 

 

 

We visited Mike and Sarah in Didsbury yesterday, on a bike ride, keeping our distance at the edge of their abode - all is well and their garden could soon look like ours?!

 

As we are unable to see our grandchildren except on neutral ground, we cycled to meet them today at Tatton Park, where we went for a bike ride with them whilst their mum looked after Rocko - Simon's nervous dog.

 

It rained, so shelter was sought under a tree.

 

 

 

I tried to introduce J and J to the names of some birds. I think they recognise 'Swan', and just in case this posting ever comes to their attention, I'll name some of the others in this photo as Mallards, Coots, Canada Geese and (diving) Great Crested Grebes.

 

 

Then we turned around and went back to find mummy and Rocko. On the way we bumped into Joe's dad, on a 20 mile run. He chatted for a while, then sped off. In this next picture, you can make out the screen for the drive-in cinema; we went last Sunday. An interesting experience...

 

 

Q: "When can we come and stay at your house?"

A: "We don't know. And we are afraid we've had to cancel next weekend's trip to Center Parcs."

 

But if those are our only problems, we are doing well. Our thoughts are with those more seriously affected by the pandemic.