Questioning One’s Sanity

Day 21 – Wednesday 8 April. Weather forecast (obsession with the weather is unavoidable) very windy with showers. Well, I thought, today’s scheduled walk comprises four rounded hills “Back o’ Blencathra” so I’m not going to get blown off anything – might as well go for it.

I parked at Mosedale (N of Mungrisdale) and even while I was putting on my boots the wind was blowing stuff out of the boot of the car! But at least it wasn’t raining. Not until after I’d got about a mile, so I stopped to put on waterproofs. Oh, and by the way, a disastrous thing happened yesterday – I lost one of my over-gloves, which I’ve had since 1995 when I started doing Scottish Munros. Very upset.

A steep (but very pleasant) climb up Rake Trod soon got me to the top of Carrock Fell (2174’) where the wind nearly slammed me against the summit cairn. From here it was a 2 mile plod against a side wind to High Pike (2157’) where the summit has the additional adornment of a stone bench, which I did not use. This might be another politically incorrect joke, but it was so windy I met two Siamese Twins who had lost each other. Actually I was not to meet a single soul the entire day.

Now a 2¼ mile battle into the wind to Knott (2329’). On the way I came across the Lingy Hill Hut, a little refuge, and had lunch (self-service). A notice said “PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE ANY FOOD OR RUBBISH, THE BIN MEN DON’T COME THIS FAR UP”. It also started raining, and if they were showers they were 15 minutes long, starting every 15 minutes without a break.

Knott summit was covered in mist, so I took a careful bearing to make sure I found the right col on the way to Great Calva (2265’), the shapeliest of today’s fells. This top was also the windiest of the day, and just as I got there it started hailing. I felt like I had come under machine-gun fire, and my face is still sore! At times like this it’s a good job I’m too busy to think about whether this was a good idea! From the top it was an easy descent through heather to the Skiddaw House track and then back to Mosedale via the Swinside road, the longest walk-out so far at about four miles.

And now, with a total of 118 done, 96 to go, a day off before Easter weekend at the Fell & Rock climbing hut at Buttermere, with 22 more tops on the agenda. Oh, and that's Book Five, the Northern Fells, finished. Hooray!!

Photos: 1. Carrock Fell from Mosedale; 2. High Pike summit, complete with bench; 3. Great Calva makes a brief appearance through the cloud; 4. From Great Calva on a clear day there is a stunning view south as far as Windermere. This is the best I could do in today's conditions.