St Cuthbert's Way...in the beginning

The adventure started with a train to Berwick, then a funny old bus journey to Melrose.

Following Mick and Gayle's mantra of never passing a tea shop, my walk was ever so slightly delayed :-)

It was a bit of a tug up the Eildon Hills bealach, but nothing a rufty-tufty Challenger wouldn't take in their stride......but I'm not rufty-tufty. Ho hum.

Bowden Burn was my handrail for a couple of miles, at Newtown St Boswells I picked up the meandering  River Tweed.

Light was beginning to fade so I started looking for a suitable camp spot. The ground was covered in wild garlic, the aroma was wonderful but the plants were so tall it made finding a flat bit very difficult.

Eventually I found a lumpy bit of ground on the river bank, on the other side of the river from the ruins of Dryburgh Abbey. If you look carefully, squint a bit, then use your imagination, you may spot it in the last photo.

Tent up, a light meal, then lights out at 10pm....I drifted off to the 10pm news on BBC R4.

Up and away next morning, I treated myself to a delicious cheese & onion pastie in St Boswells.....but then I found this tea shop.

Well it would be rude not to ...

 

Part 2, the rest, click here.

Howgills Backpacking 14th March 2022

Ravenstonedale > Randygill Top > The Calf > Bram Rigg Top > Calders > Arant Haw > BEER Sedbergh > Cautley Spout > Ravenstonedale

This little trip served as a much needed head-straightener, a bit of a pre-TGO Challenge shakedown, and a rather essential fitness test.

I met up with Lucky the Dog and Mike in Ravenstonedale on a cold, breezy, but dry day. The plan was to wild camp for a few nights, breathe some clean, fresh air, and have a bit of an explore of the Howgills. The plan worked out well.

Heading south in the blustery cold, we didn’t walk too far before we decided to stop and pitch up for the night. Mike’s pitch was good, mine was rather less so. In fact it was downright lumpy and quite uncomfortable . There was some good news: we were pitched by a stream, and we both managed to get into our respective tents before the rain and came in. The wind was, well, very windy. Rocks were needed to supplement guy lines – I was beginning to wish I’d brought my Akto rather than the Scarp.

On day 2 we continued south-ish, it was dry but still quite breezy and cool. Being as wot the rain didn’t, we had great views over the green and rounded Howgill tops. Life doesn’t get much better than this.

 

After Arant Haw we began to look for a place to camp, Mike pointed out a nice looking spot down by Crosdale Beck. 

DOWN by Crosdale Beck. It was a long way down – and it was steep. Very steep. I hate steep descents, even with poles. Just ask Dawn.

The descent from Arant Haw was mostly achieved by taking to the backside – ie sliding down on our respective bums. This was great until bits of rock were met on our way down. Quick but uncomfortable.

Our chosen pitch was good – fairly flat and next to a stream.

Sedbergh, with it’s supply of gas, dog food, baked beans, pasties, beer, and food beckoned. The excellent Red Lion provided the latter, we probably spent longer than we should in the pub – but it was very comfortable, and once we got the pub fire going, nice and warm. It was raining anyway.

We eventually dragged ourselves out of the pub and made our wet and muddy way to our last pitch for this trip, close to Cautley Spout – a spectacular waterfall. There are signs of an Iron Age settlement - the falls may have had some special significance to these Iron Age people.

Again we found a nice, fairly flat pitch, next to a stream.  The sky cleared and the moon came out to play, it was a chilly night but I stayed warm and cosy.

Next morning it wasn’t raining, well not until we’d just about finished packing. The wind soon remembered that it’s duty was to be a bloody nuisance to campers, and accompanied by rain, meant that full waterproofs were needed.

 

More mud followed. Signs outside the temperance Cross Keys invited us in for coffee – but when we got to the door it was firmly CLOSED.

Why on earth do pubs & cafes do that….’Open for Coffee Now’ should mean exactly that, not ‘Open for Coffee when we can be mithered to open the front door’. Oh well.

 

We soon hit the yellow road that took us home, well it took us to our cars, parked up on a nice bit of flatness, just south of Ravenstonedale.

Another coffee was suggested – Mike knew of a cafe just up the road, at Newbiggin-on-Lune. This would have been great, but that cafe wasn’t just closed, it just wasn’t there. Lost. Gone. Never to be seen again. Oh well. Again.

Thanks to Mike and LTD for a good few days out, I just need to get hill fit – now THAT’S going to be a challenge!

More photos here. 

 

Fireworks Avoidance 5th Nov 2021

It was that time of the year again, LTD needed to get away from the bonfire night flash-bangs, and seeing as Mike and I don’t need much of an excuse to get out, we headed off to the Howgills for a cheeky overnighter.

I found Mike, wrapped around a pint of Black Sheep, and LTD languishing in front of a rather nice fire in a Tebay pub (tsk). I had a pint and some lunch without chips…..Mike had already had his lunch without chips.

It was only a bit chilly and claggy as we set off south, passing a hidden benchmark, to a spot previously spotted by Mike. It wasn’t too far, but far enough to be away from human habitation and fireworks. And the pub.

The appointed spot, with an adjacent sheep fold, was convenient well supplied with water, and parts were even fairly flat, albeit stony.

LTD settled in to build himself a nest

Tents were up in no time, pegs had to go in almost horizontaly because of the stones just under the grass. There was a bit of a breeze, Mike’s Akto made use of a few rocks to keep a couple of pegs in pace. My Scarp ‘seemed’ a little more secure, although as the night wore on….

I tried out a different dinner: cous-cous with a sachet of tuna stirred in. It was good and tasty but needed a cup-a-soup + bread as a starter.

The evening was spent listening to the radio, drinking tea, reading, and periodically checking for the sky to clear…which it didn’t.

By the morning the wind had really got up. At 7am-ish one of my tent pegs popped out with a bang….so at least I was out of bed at a sensible time!

 Slightly wind-blown tents

After breakfast we hastily packed. The strong wind blew my foam mat out of my tent. I thought it was lost but Mike spotted it in the stream. and I was able to rescue it.

It was drizzling quite heavily by the time we got back to Tebay. I was thankful for the flask of hot water I’d left in the car, a quick coffee set me up for the drive home.

Thanks to LTD for allowing me along. Oh, and Mike too.

 

 

Edale to New Mills Backpack, 22nd Sept 2020

…and a gear test

The original Plan was to walk from Hope to New Mills but a fridge-freezer failure at home delayed my departure. I’d intended to park my car in New Mills and travel by train to Hope and walk back, but it was getting a bit late by the time I left home….so Edale was substituted for Hope.

The weather was ideal for backpacking, sunny & clear, warm and with a gentle breeze. I set off in shorts and T shirt.

15 minutes after leaving New Mills my train arrived in Edale and after a quick coffee at the Penny Pot cafe I headed off .

 The River Noe

The weather was ideal for backpacking, sunny & clear, warm and with a gentle breeze. I set off in shorts and T shirt, heading south to climb up by Harden Clough by Mam Tor to turn west and eventually gain the dizzy heights of Lords Seat and Rushup Edge. 

The views all around were lovely – particularly to the east towards Win Hill.

At the western end of Rushup Edge I turned north up the Pennine Bridleway. Chrissie Dixie had suggested a lovely camp spot but my late start rather put paid to getting there at a sensible time. Oh well, next time.

For some time I’d had my eye on a nice little camp spot by Roych Clough, fairly flat ground, water very close by, a couple of dry stone walls in case shelter was needed – and even a bench seat. Not much not to like.

As I came over the brow, the camp spot came into view – but someone had beaten me to it, a red tent was already in situ. I wasn’t that bothered, there was a fair amount of flat ground to choose from, I’d just had in mind a quiet night on my own.

Loads of little flags on the route over Rushup Edge - what for I wonder?

 

Joining the Pennine Bridleway

Down to Roych Clough

Barney

 

My neighbour was Barry from Burton-on-Trent. Barry had a horse, Barney, and together they were heading north to John O’Groats. They had left Lands End two months previously and  were wild / stealth camping all the way. Barry reckoned his journey would take another two months – as long as Barney could keep going and the weather allowed it.

Barry was furloughed from his work at a hotel but already knew he wouldn’t have a job when he returned – hence his trip. In addition he wanted to see more of his country, seeing it on foot / on horseback was a great way to do it.

To make his trip even more worthwhile he was fundraising for the RNLI – a fine charity. If you’re feeling generous you can donate here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/landsendnorth

I had a late-ish dinner of home cooked and dehydrated lamb casserole. I’d made and dehydrated the meal in February 2020 and stored it in my freezer, it rehydrated beautifully and it tasted as good as the day I’d made it.

Barry and Barney

 

Gear Test:

This involved my new camping pillow, a Sea to Summit Aeros Premium Pillow, Large. The pillow proved extremely comfortable, far better than any other camping pillow I’d used. The Sea to Summit website describe it as being luxurious, I’m not going to argue.

The pillow packed into it’s own little stuff bag and was fully inflated with just a few breaths.Unlike other pillows I’ve used, this has a lovely soft & cosy feel to it – infinitely better than a stuff bag filled with clothes.

Surprisingly, it doesn’t slip and slide about on my NeoAir mat – further ensuring a good night’s kip.

Whatever, even at 106 gms (according to my scales) it will be coming along on all my future backpacking trips.

I bought mine via Amazon only because I couldn’t find one off the shelf in Manchester – and I did try.

My thanks to Mark Storey (of TGO Challenge fame) for his recommendation.

 

Anyroadup…

After a wonderful night’s sleep I packed up my gear just as the rain started. A disgruntled farmer rolled up on his quad bike and gave Barry quite a hard time for camping where he did. Curiously he ignored me….but I’m used to being ignored.

Nowt new there then.

Barry was running out of gas, and a quick check with Chrissie revealed no camping shops in the area – Chrissie lives in Hayfield, just up the road. I arranged to meet up with Barry the next day and bring him a couple of cylinders.

Lovely view

On the Sett Valley Trail

The wonderful Sett Valley Cafe

On final approach into New Mills I came across Hissing Sid, aka Charles the Lockdown Snake:

 

R Goyt, New Mills

Where your Swizzels come from

About 10am I departed, it was a bit of a steep climb away from our overnight stop – a bit of a rude awakening! I needed full waterproofs, thank heavens for Paramo which kept me toasty and dry.

Gear Failure:

My feet got wet. Very wet. My eVent-lined Teva boots had decided it was time to impersonate a sieve, a task they peformed faultlessly.

I shouldn’t complain, although I’d looked after them well, I’d had these boots for some years – and they were second hand when I bought them. A shame really, they were probably the most comfortable boots I’ve ever had.

My route took me over South Head, down by Peep-o-Day, and then north to pick up the Sett Valley Trail which led me straight into New Mills.

A quick cuppa at the car, a change into dry footwear, and I was home in about 35 minutes.

Next day

I drove over to Hayfield to supply Barry with gas and camomile tea bags. They then set off north to spend that night camping just outside Glossop.

I last contacted Barry on 2nd October, they were camping up in Gargrave.

 Barry & Barney in Hayfield - in the sunshine.

My route (ish):

More photos here