Graffiti from the Southern Half (15)

Here’s another image from Valparaiso, shown in context below.

The current graffiti album/slideshow is here.

Bell ringing at St Machar's Cathedral, Old Aberdeen

An early start was needed!

26/27 March 2016 – A Lake District Backpacking Trip

Our traditional gear checking backpacking trip in the Lakes got off to a slow start. A dire weather forecast saw us delaying our departure as long as possible, the excuse being that Sue and I wanted to do Wythenshawe parkrun.

It was supposed to be raining all day in most places, but the run took place in dry conditions. We were back to the 'normal' course, hampered only by a little breeze.

Then Alastair (40+), Andrew (13), and Kate (11) accompanied Sue and me to the Travellers Rest by Grasmere, where their chips looked better than our thin soup with two small slices of white bread.

Despite the rain and the closure of the A591 north of Grasmere due to its recent destruction by floods, the traffic queues had started before Ings and delayed us considerably. We’d already found the farm café on the Kendal by-pass too busy to warrant queuing.

There’s no overnight parking available in Grasmere, so far as I’m aware, though the lay-by on the A591 would probably be ok. The Travellers Rest lets you park overnight for a fiver, and perhaps provides more security than the lay-by, especially if, like us on this occasion, you don’t bother to lock your car.

It was 3 pm before we set off into the rain.

A retracing of steps was needed after 300 metres, the first of three detours due to rivers in spate. It has been dry for two weeks, but the ground must be so waterlogged that today's rain caused instant flooding.

We overcame the floods by way of our three detours and made our way slowly round to Easedale, meeting a few folk descending after a wet day in the hills.



Much to my surprise they were all enthusiastic and even envious of our backpacking trip! Kind words of encouragement were offered.

After admiring the mare's tails cascading down the hillside from Easedale Tarn, we reached our objective at around 5 pm. Two Hilleberg Nallo tents and my Terra Nova Solar Competition 2 were soon deployed after our 6.5 km stroll.

Then Sue made a fine job of preparing an a la carte meal for two before darkness fell at 7 pm. Catering in the other tents also seemed to go well.

Meanwhile, we were assaulted by gusty squalls far more violent than anything our recent trip to Patagonia could throw at us. Everything seemed fine to me, but on leaving my tent in the morning it seemed clear that there had been an overnight incident. 

One of the Solar Competition’s poles had snapped at around 2.30 am, causing Alastair to relocate to one of the Nallos. Thankfully not ours. He had launched himself into his childrens’ tent, having rescued a bag’s worth of mini Easter eggs that were lodged randomly in his clothes bag. The resulting packet was handed to Kate, who thought it was shut. So when she shook the bag, its contents were distributed fairly evenly over the tent. They presumably spent the rest of the windy night on a bed of Easter egg marbles. Good for one of Kate and Andrew’s favourite activities – snacking.

Our own Nallo tent had taken a battering, with the wind having caused one of the rear poles to flex into a banana shape, giving the impression that the entire rear of the tent had moved sideways. It had moved sideways – some of the pegs had decided to relax their guard.

We weren’t planning a long walk, so we could all take our time getting up, though despite the clocks moving forward by an hour, the children were eventually enticed out of their tent and we were ready to set off by 9 am.

Despite the rain and sleet, and boosted by a change of clothes for the Roberts family (Sue and I didn’t get wet – just as well as no spares were carried), we continued on up the valley to reach Codale Tarn, another option for our overnight camp had the weather been better and if we had set off earlier. Here we are at that destination.

Retracing our steps to Grasmere was fairly straightforward, albeit care was needed on the slippery scramble back down to Easedale Tarn.

Back near Goody Bridge, despite all the overnight rain, the floods of yesterday had subsided. There must have been a really serious downpour before we arrived yesterday. The path shown below had been impassable due to Easedale Beck choosing it as an alternative venue.

Gingerbread was on the agenda. But the gingerbread shop didn’t open until 12.30 – 45 minutes away. So we enjoyed some sausage rolls instead. They were excellent. Then it was a simple stroll back to the unlocked car at the Travellers Rest. The alternative lay-by is on the left above the road closed sign in the picture below.

Before changing into yet another set of clothes, the Roberts contingent lined up for an ‘end of trip’ picture just as the sun paid a momentary visit.

Here’s our route – 16 km with 550 metres ascent, a most satisfactory alternative to our planned repeat of last year’s visit to High House Tarn, near Glaramara, which would have been wildly over ambitious in the prevailing conditions.

There’s a short slideshow here.

Here are our defective poles. The Terra Nova pole on the left just snapped, whereas the Nallo pole became banana shaped. Another Nallo pole was also bent, so both the spare poles that I carry have now been deployed. I’ll have to do some shopping with Terra Nova. That tent was actually pitched a bit better than the Nallos, and it’s quite a surprise that its relatively new poles should prove to be more fragile than the twelve year old Nallo poles. The Roberts tent was unaffected by the wind – Alastair should be happy with his purchase of Andrew’s old tent that hasn’t been used for a while.

Gear check: Sue and I stayed pretty dry, though her so-called waterproof gloves leaked. The NeoAir XLite that Thermarest sent me last week to replace a leaky one seems fine. My old Karrimor Jaguar 65 rucksack is serviceable but seemed heavy when soaked. Andrew’s Osprey Atmos 65AG looked good, or I may consider the Deuter Act Lite 60+10 or 65+10 by way of a replacement for the Jaguar, which will remain in reserve due to its durability. Other gear was fine.

Saturday 26 March 2016 – Wythenshawe Hall Update and a parkrun

Apparently a man from a family well known to the authorities has been arrested on suspicion of arson at the Hall. Meanwhile there’s been quite a bit of action within the fenced site, with protective sheeting having been installed and scaffolding erected. Luckily, it hadn’t rained since the fire, though I imagine the firefighters gave the place a good soaking.

223 parkrunners assembled outside the fence for a run around the ‘normal’ course for perhaps the first time this year. Two weeks of drought have enabled the mud to solidify and the grass to dry out, so it was probably a fast track today for those who wished to ‘bust a gut’.

Andy was found modelling the posh ‘Race Director’ jacket today, with the loudspeaker system sort of working. Does Andy really have such a fuzzy voice? There were ‘tourists’ from far and wide, including St Albans.

I held back at the start this week and jogged steadily round, as did Sue. Neither of us sustained an injury, so the plan worked, albeit the pace of my jogging turned out to be not exactly ‘steady’:

Oops!

Sue’s 32 minute effort was in the company of Cary, on his first outing since the surgical removal of a toe nail (ouch!).

The full results are here. Well done to Michael, whose finish in 34th position spearheaded the VM65-69 year old brigade. There were only five of us in that category this week, but with a total of 614 parkruns between us we can hardly be described as inactive.

Wednesday 23 March 2016 - An Anglezarke Circuit

“Fancy joining Greg and me for a bike ride on Wednesday?” asked Paul at last Saturday’s parkrun.

So Greg decided on a route and Paul picked us both up before heading off to Rivington Great House Barn for a leisurely morning ride.

We set off beside Lower Rivington Reservoir, soon reaching one of Lord Leverhulme’s follies, a scaled down ruin of Liverpool Castle.

The day was dull and cloudy. Much brighter pictures of this area appear elsewhere in these pages. But today’s route wasn’t one that’s on my normal itinerary. We ascended the ‘middle’ track through the Terraced Gardens. I’m usually to be found on the upper or the lower track, and I can’t remember when I was last at this ornate bridge. The track over the bridge to the right leads to a small temple. Rivington Tower and the Pigeon Tower can be seen above at certain points.

A fast descent, then a slow ascent and another fast descent brought us out at the northern end of Anglezarke Reservoir, rather monochromatic today.

As we slewed to a lunchtime halt by a bridge over the River Yarrow near Hallsworth Fold Farm, Paul noticed a hissing sound emanating from his front tyre. So Greg and I enjoyed our lunches whilst Paul replaced his inner tube.

After a brief spell on the western side of the M61 motorway, we returned to cross the bridge between the Anglezarke and the Rivington Reservoirs before heading beside Yarrow Reservoir to then swoop down to finish this pleasant ride alongside the Rivington Reservoirs. A Go-Ape course heralded the end of this brief excursion, which concluded with tea/coffee and tea cakes in the café at the barn.

Here’s the route – about 18 km, with 400 metres of relatively gentle ascent (no pushing needed) that took us a little over two and a half hours.

Thanks for the invite, Paul, I enjoyed that ride.

Then and Now

Around 2002/3, my daughter Kate spent some time in Victoria, on Vancouver Island, looking after Lucy and Jonathan’s children, Zacharia and Cameron.

A visit from the Canadians this week facilitated a reunion after over thirteen years.

Sunday 20 March 2016 – The 31st Two Crosses Walk

The East Lancashire section of the Long Distance Walkers Association (LDWA) organises this annual fundraising ‘Challenge Walk’. At £10 to enter (£7 for members) it’s hardly expensive and it should really draw more than this year’s 200 or so participants.

Arriving in plenty of time for the 8 am start from Tottington Youth Centre is a good idea as there’s masses of tea/coffee and toast and jam to get through, the first indication that participants don’t need to carry any food or drink on this walk as liberal quantities of both are available at regular intervals.

Outside the centre, Steve and Steve were raring to be off on the 25 mile route, whereas JJ and Alistair were happy to be ambling the shorter 17 mile route.

After a mass start, walkers quickly thinned out during the long walk up through slippery fields and over awkward stiles to Affetside, where there’s a long straight road to reach the first of the Two Crosses.

The origin of Affetside Cross remains a mystery, but it may well have been on a medieval pilgrims' route to Whalley Abbey. Our route turns left (to the right in the picture below), requiring a short diversion to view the cross at close range. Can you spot the 8 walkers in the picture?

After a long, fast descent, walkers reach Jumbles Reservoir, below which Norman's favourite stepping stones were, unusually, not blessed with his presence. Where was he?

It was a lovely sunny day, a nice morning to take a break at a picnic bench overlooking the reservoir.

This is the view from the bridge at the northern end of Jumbles Reservoir.

Ah, we found him. Norman was manfully helping John P to 'old man' the first checkpoint. He gave us jelly babies from a washing up bowl. He’s a generous soul but rather scruffy and not very active these days…

The railway line at Turton was only allowed to be built on condition that it was in a cutting and the bridges were castellated.

Don and Neil were soon found lazing in the sunshine near the point at which I left JJ and Alistair's route to embark on an extra 8 miles via Old Man's Hill.

Reg was part of the team that greeted walkers with lavish provisions from an interesting structure beside the A666 road.

Some bog hopping led to the Witton Weavers Way track, with good views towards Winter Hill which distracted me into a fall whilst I walked beside a red-haired lady called Louise. The palm of my left hand still has a hole in it.

Roger had left his bench at Old Man's Hill to briefly test whether his legs could still support his body and his dodgy eyes spot walkers at the furthest checkpoint, a track junction over 17 km and two and a half hours from the start. He’s the one in orange, having strayed briefly from his chair in order to insult participants as they stride past.

We then dashed off in an easterly direction to reach a pleasant but busy footpath beside the Turton & Entwistle Reservoir, from which the header image was taken.

Viv's team was hard at work at the Batridge Barn Car Park checkpoint, where I rejoined the 17 mile route (this was the 15 mile point on my route, after 3.5 hours, with 10 miles to go. Viv’s catering at this checkpoint is renowned, with her Greek salad a particular favourite amongst lingering walkers. I was told that JJ and Alistair had earlier consumed enough to fill a cow’s stomach.

All walks in this area seem to pass the Strawbury Duck. But we never go inside...

At Green Alders Cottage this deserted table sported a sign that reads 'FREE JUICE'. It was most welcome. Thank you.

Navigation after walking up a long hill was a little annoying, the footpath sign having sent me up a private driveway to Bisley Moor Side Farm.

Further up the hill, Orrel Cote Farm checkpoint was quite busy as I passed through on the way to Edgworth Moor.

The uranium mine at Edgeworth Moor Farm has resulted in genetically modified Aylesbury Ducks. I’m told that Norman was born near here. That explains a lot!

Despite there being lots of 'No Bikes' signs below Bull Hill, a ‘Jetwash-shop.co.uk’ van from Bolton and its occupants were disregarding these requests.

The route description is very precise hereabouts. It reads 'Pass rusting harrow on the left', from where there's a good view back to Winter Hill.

Just below Bull Hill, after 20 miles in 4.75 hours, I came across JJ and Alistair, lazing in the sunshine on the lovely day, at Barbara's naughty checkpoint.

The 'water' came in small glasses and was cloudy, but very highly flavoured. A nice tipple.

I joined the two reprobates (JJ and Alistair) for the rest of the walk. They were moving slowly in order not to ‘spill’ any Greek salad. We soon came upon the second cross - the Pilgrims Cross on Holcombe Moor.

The view from here across the valley above Ramsbottom, with its quarries and wind farms, is of a somewhat industrial upland landscape.

The 39 metre high Peel Tower, opened in 1852 as a memorial to Sir Robert Peel, soon came into view. Sadly it wasn’t open for visitors today.

The steepest descent of the entire walk is a slither down through Redisher Wood to Holcombe Brook, but today’s dry conditions made it seem much easier than usual.

The final checkpoint was at Spenleach Road, where Ken and Norman's barber shop (Norman desperately needed a shave) antics were briefly paused to distribute a few drinks and jelly babies, though Norman had eaten most of them.

At the finish: "Your choice, sir", Allan, master of the soup kitchen, poses the question...

Elsewhere, tea, soup, sandwiches (millions) and tasty desserts were all being downed. Here, JJ is seen enjoying a dessert before manfully downing his plate of sandwiches.

The ‘Number 1 Team’ spent the afternoon assiduously recording all finishers, issuing certificates, adding up numbers, and selling memorabilia.

Here’s my route. The red triangles indicate the checkpoints. My gadgets indicated statistics of 40.5 km, 800+ metres ascent, taking 6 hours 35 minutes (click on the image for a larger version).

There’s a slideshow – 43 images, click on the first one then click ‘slideshow’, here.

JJ’s excellent and perhaps more accurate report is here.

Thanks go to the organisers and the numerous helpers and marshalls who make this event an annual success.

Afterwards, it was a pleasure for me to visit John (an old work colleague) and Janet in Hawkshaw, and to enjoy some reminiscences. Especially good to see John looking better than he has been after some health problems. I hope you continue to improve, John.