Wansfell Pike and Troutbeck

My wife Clare works on the trains and last week she happened to meet Sir Chris Bennington, the mountaineer – if you don’t know who he is, google him, NOW!

Anyway, Sir Chris is in his eighties now and has had a hip replacement, so he told Clare that he had been forced to limit his expeditions to the smaller Himalayan mountains from now on. So, are you feeling old? Feeling like time is running out? Well take Sir Chris’s example and relax a bit, limit yourself to just the smaller, unclimbed mountains of the world’s greatest mountain range – but only if you’re over eighty and have had a hip replacement. If not then get off your arse and stop complaining.

I’m inspired to get out more, so I dusted off my old walking boots and drove Lady Hughes and, myself up to the Lake District for a mini-adventure.

Parking in Ambleside, we walked past the waterfalls an up to the the top of Wansfell Pike. Not a huge hill to be sure, but the approach was steep and my lack of fitness made it seem much bigger. – I think the technical term is knackered!

The weather was perfect, warm with almost no wind at all, so we did most of it in short sleeves – in March. On the top, the views were wonderful, the low cloud was burning off revealing the snowy mountain tops of Coniston, Langdale and many more more.

Down the other side into Troutbeck. This beautiful village was very idyllic – even the ramshackle sheds were tidy and looked like they’d been designed specially. We stopped for a brew in the local tea shop and then pressed onward back into Ambleside.

It may not have been a Himalayan mountain, but I do have nearly forty years to catch up to Sir Chris, so it’s a start I suppose.

Chris

Claithe Heights

Bank Holiday Weekend and a good weather forecast, so Lady Hughes and myself joined the slow procession of cars up the M6 towards the Lake District and Claithe Heights, to test out her new rucksack and my new camera lens.

Clare’s old rucksack was bought for a trekking holiday in Tanzania back in 2001, and for fourteen years it’s given excellent service but it was looking a bit tired and, like me, was starting to give in various places. So, with birthday money kindly donated by friends at work, she bid a tearful farewell to the old one, and unlike me, moved on to a newer and more colourful model.

My new lens on the other hand was a second-hand bargain bought from someone who had barely used it and without getting too technical, as I know it bores the backsides of most people, it’s very wide angle, so great for landscapes – which the Lake District is full of.

We ditched the car at Hawkshead on the banks of Windermere, the biggest lake in England, and took the ferry across as foot passengers to start our walk.

The walk took us to the village of Far Sawrey and then Near Sawrey, I don’t know who named them but surely it all depends where you’re starting from. I mean, we got to far first and then had to go further to get to near – if that makes sense?

Anyway, they were both beautiful, chocolate-boxy, villages, one famous as the location of Beatrix-Potter’s cottage – we didn’t go in, hey we’re on a schedule here.

This was a walk of little moments really, one was when we came across a house selling little jars of home-made jam with an honesty box to pay. Clare had just bought some jam when a car pulled up, the door opened and an old lady fell out onto the floor. We helped pick her up and administer first aid to her cut face before moving on.

Another was when we came across a large group of middle-aged dutch women walking in the opposite direction, but dressed as though they were going out for the evening.

Once through the villages we headed up into the woods towards Claithe Heights. The dense woodland made navigation a bit difficult but I’m proud to say we managed to follow the whole route with no major mistakes.

On the tops we were rewarded with occasional clearings where you got panoramic views of the surrounding fells, including the Langdale Pikes, Old Man of Coniston, Fairfield, Ill Crag and even Skiddaw in the far distance.

Back at the ferry Clare announced the rucksack had passed the test and as for my lens (10 – 20mm by the way), well here’s a few more shots – you decide.

Chris

Silver How

We’re very lucky here in Manchester, not only do we live in a wonderful, vibrant, city, but we’re a stone’s throw from some of the most beautiful landscapes in the country. The Peak District is just an hour away, Snowdonia is two hours away, so are the Yorkshire Dales and Cheshire and Lancashire are virtually on the doorstep. With so much to choose from it’s easy to get complacent.

With this in mind, Lady Hughes and myself packed our gear and set off to the Grasmere and the heart of the stunning Lake District – approximately an hour and a half’s drive.

Grasmere is a beautiful village, situated just north of Windermere on the A591. One of the downsides to visiting such a beautiful and accessible place though, is that you’re rarely alone. On a sunny Saturday like this, it attracts coach-loads of tourists, serviced by a plethora of cafes and gift shops. A friend of mine described Grasmere as a Lake District theme park with lots of shops but none that sell bread or milk. I think that’s a bit cruel, but as I shuffle through the crowded streets, I do see his point.

We weren’t too bothered about the crowds though as we were off, away from the tea shops, into the hills.

Our target for the day was Silver How, a small hill right next to Loughrigg Fell, and like Loughrigg, one we did years ago with the kids – time to retrace old steps, literally.

Once out of Grasmere, the crowds disappeared and the only noise was birdsong and the diminishing, distant rumble of traffic on the A591.

The weather was sunny with a cool breeze, so we quickly stripped out of our jackets, hiking in just our T-shirts – we did have trousers and boots on as well, before you start getting the wrong idea!

Navigation was relatively simple and the only challenge was a steep climb up to the summit, which we broke up with several breaks to take photographs – not because we were knackered, honest!

Once on the top we were rewarded with spectacular views of the surrounding hills and a sudden blast of cold wind, so it was back on with the anoraks.

Across the valley we could see a passing heavy cloud leaving a shower of rain, moving across Heron Pike, but we luckily dodged all the rainfall, though we did get the occasional hailstones – which was nice.

Walking west across the boggy tops we got a great view of the Langdale Pikes and took the opportunity to explore a bit, checking out the views and a few tarns before we turned east and headed back down towards Grasmere again.

Gentle walk down into town and back to the car three and a half hours after we left it. The guidebook lists the walk as two and half hours but we went off-piste for a bit and took our time – it’s not a race after all.

I do love the Lakes, it can be a bit touristy but it is beautiful and challenging if you want it to be, and best of all – it’s only an hour and a half away.

Chris

Lazing in the Lakes up Loughrigg Fell

Situated just off the A591, between Windermere and Grasmere, Loughrigg Fell is one of the first Lake District hills we did as a family, some ten years ago now. Not as well-known as its bigger cousins, it’s still a great hike if you’re looking for something a bit easier, not too far out into the wilds and with great views from the top – or you’re just out of shape like I am!

The A591 winds its way past Windermere through Ambleside, towards Grasmere and beyond. We managed to squeeze our car into one of the little car parks between Ambleside and Grasmere, just before Rydal Waters.

The weather was glorious, sunny, with a slight breeze – perfect.

There is a straightforward route along the edge of Rydal Waters and left up to the top but we chose a more off-road path to avoid most of the crowds. It’s amazing how you can walk twenty yards away from the main path and suddenly find solitude and open spaces – the beaten track is for the beaten man.

We’ve not done much walking in the lakes recently, so it was nice to get back and retrace old steps, this time just Clare and myself – the lads are too big to bully up a mountain now.

At the top you get panoramic views of Grasmere, Ambleside, Windermere, Coniston, Fairfield and the Langdale Pikes. We were also entertained by various RAF helicopters and aeroplanes practising their low flying in the valleys below us. We even got buzzed by a gyrocopter at one point.

 

After a brief wander round Ambleside we stopped at a restaurant for an alfresco burger and a pint. Sitting in the sun, beer in hand, listening to cheesy europop, we both agreed we could almost be in Greece – but not quite as much Gore-Tex walking past I’ll bet.

Great to get back to the lakes and up a hill, albeit a little one, but definitely up for more.

Chris

Beating the Fog on Win Hill

Still some snow left up on the hills so Clare and myself decided to go for an old favourite, Win Hill.

Win Hill sits in the heart of the Dark Peak just across the valley from Losehill. Legend has it that two medieval armies camped on each hill prior to battle the next day – I’ll let you work out which one won.

Driving in from Manchester, I almost considered calling the whole thing off as there was thick fog limiting visibility to approximately 100 yards. I’ve done a lot of hikes in mist and fog and they don’t present any great challenges for me, but standing on top of a mountain staring at grey clag instead of sweeping vistas can be a bit frustrating to say the least. Sometimes I’ve thought that I might as well have walked round an NCP car park considering what I could see. All this went through my mind as I peered into the nothing and drove on, however, we were committed and you never know it might clear.

Driving past Mam Tor, that’s exactly what happened – it cleared.

Like pulling back a curtain we went from whiteout to blue skies and miles of snow-covered hills, in a second, it was a stunning.

After carefully descending Winnat’s Pass – lovely smell of burning brake pads – we made our way to Hope and the start of the walk.

Not a particularly long or hard walk, this, but with my current fitness level and the added challenge of steep compacted snow to conquer, it was enough for me on this day.

Once on the tops we were rewarded with panoramic views of Kinder Scout, Stanage, Ladybower Reservoir and Derwent Edge. The actual summit of Win Hill is a little outcrop of rock giving the impression of mountain top on a much smaller scale – great one for kids this one, similar to Shutlingsloe.

We sheltered from the wind and ate our sandwiches, basking in the surprisingly warm sunshine – once you’re out of the wind!

All of sudden it became quite busy with lots of people appearing from nowhere and swarming all over the rocks, so we packed up, took a few more photos and started off back to towards the car.

Walking down we could see the fog starting to pour over the top of Rushup Edge in the distance. Like an overflowing bath the fog had reached the hills and been held back, building up until it finally spilled over into Edale Valley – good time to get down we thought.

Quick stop at little café and then back into the car. Driving back we climbed Winnat’s Pass and straight back into the gloom and 75 yards visibility. This stayed with us all the way home, so dense it was amazing to think there were blue skies not so far away.

Chris

Looking Back, Moving Forward

I started this blog twelve months ago to try to record my various adventures and motivate myself to do more. Now at the start of 2015 it seems a good time to evaluate how it went and set some goals for the coming year.

2014 was an interesting year for me. There were plenty of small events and mini-adventures throughout the year but the big things that stand out for me were, the passing of my Grandmother, my trip to Berlin, production of my films and a selection of smaller highlights including the Ice Bucket Challenge, TEDx Salford, DIY camera gear, trips to London and of course a pub crawl or two.

Christmas has come and gone and I’ve deliberately stayed offline as much as possible, so there hasn’t been any blogs for a while. Needless to say Christmas was good. We had a bit of an open day on Christmas Eve, for my family, which proved to be a bit boozy but fun, Clare and myself managed to get up Shutlingsloe (a pointy hill in Cheshire) on Boxing Day, and for New Year’s Eve we had some friend’s round. So all in all a good Christmas.

With snow dusting the hills Clare and myself managed to get up Rushup Edge to Lord’s Seat. Overall though, we relaxed and recharged our batteries, which was my primary aim.

We went to the cinema three times over the break, first to see ‘The Hobbt’ (very good but cartoony), ‘Birdman’ (excellent and thought-provoking) and ‘Exodus’ (beautiful but flawed). For ‘Exodus’ I splashed out on D-Box seats which move with the action. Fun but a bit distracting, not sure I’d bother again – at times it just felt like someone sat behind you was kicking your chair.

Looking forward to 2015 I have several goals:

1. Learn French – I set this one every year, but now I mean it.
2. Produce 4 poetry films
3. Produce 4 narrative short films
4. Produce 3 comedy sketches
5. Complete ‘Saviour’ script
6. Complete ‘William Marshal’ script
7. Develop rowing to 1km three times a week and maintain it for the year
8. Dive with seals – the aquatic mammals, not the American soldiers!
9. Print portfolio of favourite photos
10. Print portfolio of portraits (30 pictures)- I’ll be pestering people to model for me soon.

So there it is, goodbye 2014 and hello 2015, let’s hope it’s a good one. Thank you for reading this blog, I hope you have a great new year – let me know how you get on.

Chris

Racing the Rain on the Roaches

The Roaches are an area of inland cliffs just near Macclesfield, a mecca for climbers from around the world and a beautiful area for walkers with views as far as Snowdonia – on a clear day.

Lady Hughes and myself have walked the Roaches many times over the years and it still remains one of our favourites.

Starting at the road we scrambled up the rocks onto the tops and followed the ridge along to the trig point.

The weather alternated between bright, warm sunshine, strong winds and waves of showers racing towards us from the Irish Sea.  From up on the hill we watched the rain travel over the fields like a sandstorm, hit us for five or ten minutes and then move on towards Yorkshire, leaving us basking in blue skies until the next wave appeared on the horizon.

Because of this I kept having to pack my camera away for each shower which meant I didn’t bother with any filters, which would have slowed me down, but it wasn’t too much of a problem – see what you think?

At the trig point we braved the full force of the wind for a few photos before ducking behind a boulder for a quick bite and then turning back. On the walk back we passed a mother and son, he was wearing a polythene poncho which looked like it could carry him off with the next gust.

Dropping down onto the lower terrace, we could look up at the cliffs, normally packed with climbers, today quiet except for a few brave souls further on.

Back at the car we sat out one last shower before changing out of our boots and heading home.

Chris.

Walking the Cliffs at Stanage

Last day of my time off work so Clare and myself set off for the longest inland cliffs in the UK – Stanage in the Peak District.

Weather was hot so Stanage was a good choice for a hike, as you can get excellent views of Man Tor, Win Hill and Kinder Scout without much of a climb.  My fitness needs some work so I was grateful for as little ‘up’ as possible, especially in the summer heat.

Stanage is a gritstone cliff, couple of miles long, and as such is a Mecca for climbers from all over the world. This day was no exception with bodies clinging to the rock almost everywhere we went. We used to take our boys climbing here years ago and no matter how busy it was you could always find a climb – as long as you didn’t mind a bit of a walk to get to it.

We would take a picnic and spend the day taking turns to climb the easier grades – good times, I’m tempted to dig out the gear and start again.

The walking was easy and the breeze took the edge off the sun so we had a great time strolling along the cliff edges and taking in the views.

We passed climbers and walkers and a couple of fell runners too. We even spotted one guy running backwards and forwards along a lower path. Watching him from above we wondered what he was doing. He’d run fifty yards and then turn back and run not quite to were he started, gradually progressing but covering the same ground several times over. Eventually we spotted a girl plodding along behind him. It must have been his girlfriend and she wasn’t quite as fit as him so he would run off and then turn back every so often so she wouldn’t feel abandoned – he knows how to show a girl a good time eh?

Great weather, great walk and just the kick I needed to start working on my hill fitness.

Chris

 

 

Easter Hike in Buxton

Easter weekend and the weather looks good, grab it while you can.

We decided to try a short hike we’ve never done before, in Buxton on the edge of the Peak District. Starting at Grin Low Park we climbed up to Solomon’s Tower and then down to Poole’s Cavern before working our way across the countryside and back round to Grin Low.

This area was used for lime pits in the 18th Century and there are still traces of the old industry that once thrived here.  Apparently people used to live in the cave-like holes left in the hillside like real-life hobbits.

The Duke of Devonshire eventually landscaped the area so it wouldn’t spoil the view from Buxton, which he developing into a high-class spa town.

Solomon’s Tower was built to give work to the unemployed as one of the world’s earliest job creation schemes. Personally I’m all in favour of this idea.  Think of how many castles and towers we could have if we’d kept this idea going.  We’d be tripping over them. It’d be like living in Disneyland!

From the top of the tower you get great views of Mam Tor, Kinder Scout and the surrounding countryside. We found a photographer with a camera, on a tripod, trained on the tower, freezing as she waited for everyone to clear the tower for the perfect shot. I told her I’d just photoshop them out later but she was made of sterner stuff and was determined to wait. With the queue of people shuffling up the stairs, I suspect she waited a long time.

 

We left her with hyperthermia setting in , and headed for Poole’s cavern.

Poole’s cavern was very busy, with a mountain rescue display team strapping volunteers to stretchers and carrying them around the car park and a long line of families waiting impatiently for the tour of the caves, so we decided to leave that for another day and carried on walking.  In the woods we heard screaming and soon came across ‘Go Ape’, a high rope’s course where you climb rope ladders, cross traverses, slide down zip wires, etc.  We’ve done a few of these in the past but it was still fun watching people fly through the treetops below us.

Back at the car we had a picnic and soaked up some sun. The weather was sunny but there was still a bit of wind chill which kept it fresh. Overall, the walk was just enough to help us feel like we’d done something a bit adventurous and out of the ordinary, without killing us (we really need to get our fitness up), and I managed to get some nice photographs – I hope you like them?

  

Chris

Blackstone Edge

With half the country under water and biblical levels of rain and gales coming our way we decided it was a good day to go for a hike in the hills north of Manchester.

Blackstone Edge is part of the Pennine Way and can be found just off the M62 near Rochdale.  It’s a beautiful, if somewhat bleak, spot.  A dark gritstone cliff looking down over the motorway and Hollingworth Lake.

I’ve walked up here before and carried on to the old roman road (as opposed to all the new roman roads!) and round back towards Saddleworth Moor to make a great circular moorland walk, but with gales forecast for 3pm we decided to just sprint to the trig point and and back again.

My wife Clare is a runner, and as such she doesn’t really get the idea of sticking together in case something happens, so when I stopped to take pictures, Clare just walked off into the distance.  It’s always interesting for me to see just how far she can get before she realises she’s on her own.  I’ve often wondered if something did happen to me if she’d bother to come back at all?  Days could pass before Clare would start to think, “wait a minute, where’s Chris?”

What’s slightly more disturbing is the realisation that her highly developed survival instinct doesn’t apply to our two dogs.  If they wandered away from her she notice in a heartbeat, and would do everything she could to make sure they were okay.  This gives you some indication of the family hierarchy and where I am in it.  I suppose I should just count myself lucky I’m allowed to sleep indoors.

Once at the trig point, we noticed a dark cloud, and what looked like rain, coming straight for us, we were also passed by a lone fell runner sprinting in the opposite direction (never a good sign) so we packed away the camera and set off back to the car.

Just as we’d predicted the rain and howling wind hit us a few minutes later but we’d wrapped up in the right gear and managed to fight our way back without much fuss.

Here’s a few more photos of the hike.

Chris