Last weekend I went to the Lake District, Langdale Valley to be exact, to help celebrate Ben Lairig (the universities walking club as I’m sure you have gathered by now from reading my blog) turning 25 years old. We left York at about 4pm on the Friday evening and after a nice journey to the lakes while listening to the Juno soundtrack arrived at the campsite around 7pm. We pitched a few of the tents that we had as only two cars had set off at 4 and then decamped to the ODG pub, famous among walkers for its friendly atmosphere and good beer. I had sausage and mash and a fair few pints of cider and over the evening people began to arrive, not just the other current members of the club but many of the people there for the reunion as well. Ben Lairg’s original captain even brought me a pint of cider while he told me all about the first few trips; it seems that not much changes over the years, even if the kit gets updated!
After 6 pints of cheap and powerful cider, good conversation and good food I stumbled back to my tent and had the best night’s sleep I have ever had in a tent.
The next morning I felt a wee bit fragile but we were up at 7.30 and on the hills at 8.30. As there will be a large shift out of the club next year due to a fair amount of graduation it was decided that all the people that would be left next year should walk as a group over the weekend, away from the committee so that we could bond and check our navigations skills, fitness and other things we will need to know when it comes to running the club next year. It was decided that we would climb Pavey Ark via the popular scramble of Jack’s Rake. This is a decent and steep scramble and I got to lead most of it, this involves more than simply going first, it involves picking out a route you know all your group can do an shouting out the instructions for it when it when needed, you have to be speedy without being to quick and very aware of the rest of your group, I very much enjoyed it. We were then up round the Langdale Pikes and knocked off Thunacar Knott, Harrison Stickle, Pike O'Stickle and High Raise. And then back down Pavey Ark towards the campsite. I got a bit dehydrated as the weather at the start of the day, and especially during the scramble was so hot that I drunk most of my water and the spring I was going to refill at had a dead sheep in it, but it wasn’t a huge deal as I had 6 pints of water in the pub before I had any beer at all.
It was back to the pub for the Rugby and the Reunion. My knee had swollen up to ludicrous proportions due to what it was decided was a trapped nerve as I was fine right till the last descent and was fine to walk 3 peaks the next day so don’t worry about me, so I had my leg up most of the night with an ice pack on it while I enjoyed my steak and ale pie. This severely limited my getting to the bar which was probably a good thing as it meant I walked the next day feeling fresh, even if we did stay up in the campsite drying room drinking beer after the pub had closed till 2 in the morning!
The next morning was a much slower start and a small group of us (all of us who were going back in jack’s car) decided to do Swirl How and its satellite peaks of Great Carr and Grey Friar. This is a long walk without too much ascent or descent once you get up the first peak and we had it all done and back at the car by 3pm, even with a one hour lunch break, however as we had been so busy the day before we felt that this was enough and high tailed it back to York, stopping at the Charles for a nice meal to end a lovely weekend.
I got back to discover that I am through the first part of an application process for field work in the alps and then passed out from exhaustion on my bed!
After 6 pints of cheap and powerful cider, good conversation and good food I stumbled back to my tent and had the best night’s sleep I have ever had in a tent.
The next morning I felt a wee bit fragile but we were up at 7.30 and on the hills at 8.30. As there will be a large shift out of the club next year due to a fair amount of graduation it was decided that all the people that would be left next year should walk as a group over the weekend, away from the committee so that we could bond and check our navigations skills, fitness and other things we will need to know when it comes to running the club next year. It was decided that we would climb Pavey Ark via the popular scramble of Jack’s Rake. This is a decent and steep scramble and I got to lead most of it, this involves more than simply going first, it involves picking out a route you know all your group can do an shouting out the instructions for it when it when needed, you have to be speedy without being to quick and very aware of the rest of your group, I very much enjoyed it. We were then up round the Langdale Pikes and knocked off Thunacar Knott, Harrison Stickle, Pike O'Stickle and High Raise. And then back down Pavey Ark towards the campsite. I got a bit dehydrated as the weather at the start of the day, and especially during the scramble was so hot that I drunk most of my water and the spring I was going to refill at had a dead sheep in it, but it wasn’t a huge deal as I had 6 pints of water in the pub before I had any beer at all.
It was back to the pub for the Rugby and the Reunion. My knee had swollen up to ludicrous proportions due to what it was decided was a trapped nerve as I was fine right till the last descent and was fine to walk 3 peaks the next day so don’t worry about me, so I had my leg up most of the night with an ice pack on it while I enjoyed my steak and ale pie. This severely limited my getting to the bar which was probably a good thing as it meant I walked the next day feeling fresh, even if we did stay up in the campsite drying room drinking beer after the pub had closed till 2 in the morning!
The next morning was a much slower start and a small group of us (all of us who were going back in jack’s car) decided to do Swirl How and its satellite peaks of Great Carr and Grey Friar. This is a long walk without too much ascent or descent once you get up the first peak and we had it all done and back at the car by 3pm, even with a one hour lunch break, however as we had been so busy the day before we felt that this was enough and high tailed it back to York, stopping at the Charles for a nice meal to end a lovely weekend.
I got back to discover that I am through the first part of an application process for field work in the alps and then passed out from exhaustion on my bed!
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