Second Year

Right I managed to remember my password for this thing so for all intents and purposes I’m back! Expect a regular update at least every Monday!

Second year is a bit of a culture shock, things actually count and my 9 hours a week contact time really does need to be backed up by 20 hours plus reading a week. On related news I think my dissertation topic will be on Mesolithic Scotland, possibly on settlement patterns but we will see.

A quick one as a start as the trip report covers most of the weekend. Until next Monday!

To the Lakes!

And so it became time to run the first weekend trip of the term. It was meant to happen a week previous but an unfortunate series of events including the blowing of a head gasket on a car and some very questionable meatball subs rather torpedoed the entire trip. So it was with great confidence that an intrepid band of Ben Lairigers assembled at the James college (that still feels so wrong) bench. This confidence was quickly evaporated when the captain was late to show up, it was apparent that Rob was in charge of all the money for the weekend and that the freshers were being entrusted to Carrig, Andrew and Rob....

Eleanor arrived eventually and the cars were packed to their absolute capacity just as the heavens opened. And open they stayed from York all the way to Langdale. As the fog came down the pace slowed and some members of the club found themselves on the wrong side of Scotch corner looking for a petrol station that only exists in fantasy. While this was going on the other group were cruising round Keswick, drinking beer and getting in trouble with the local Bobby! We all regrouped in Keswick and headed deep into the Lakes as the weather continued to hammer it down. There was a moment of uncanny good luck as the rain held off just long enough for the tents to be assembled, even if the Boltoro did make a bid for freedom a couple of times. At 1 in the morning our heroic drivers left for the comfort and warmth of Adam’s house and on realising the pub was likely to be shut the rest of the club went to sleep, praying that the tents would hold.

Morning came all too quickly and all too wet, with no cars to shelter in from the weather the quickest morning start the club has experienced in recent memory came about. I’m not normally one to complain but the weather really was filthy and it was decided that the easiest thing to do would be to climb Pike O' Blisco as it “was a good climb” “we’d done it before” and “if we want to there’s other things to do from it”. In the face of absolutely no opposition whatsoever we set off at about 9.20.

One thing that no one had taken into account is what all that rain would have done to all the little streams on Pike O' Blisco. There were some very very wet feet by the time we were half way up the mountain. However spirits were high and everyone seemed to be enjoying the great outdoors. Making a good pace we summited the mountain just as the rain backed off, and the mist set in. With some semi-competent navving and once we realised it was probably just easier to Listen to Andrew we made our way down to Red Tarn. At this point the group split up with two brave souls determined to bag another peak while the more sensible contingent realised they could probably make it to the pub for a late lunch.

As the group pulled into the campsite wet but happy our illustrious captain pulled up with news of Hospitality form Adam and his dad. No one was keen to try and dry off in the tents so the offer was took up with little fuss and a lot of gratitude. A refund was extracted from the campsite with very little fuss and we broke camp and headed back to Keswick to pick up some Whiskey as ‘accommodation fee’s’ and a thank you to our hosts.

And so came about the most pleasant night’s sleep on a Ben Lairig trip possibly ever. It was warm and dry and the company was good and we all watched Zoolander and Red Dwarf in our sleeping bags in front of a roaring fire. If this was manning down I don’t think I care! The next morning we were understandably a bit slower to move, reluctant to leave our warm sleeping bags and the comfort of an actual house. However the weather was considerably better and an ambitious plan was hatched to walk across the northern fells in a point to point walk. Just as we got out the cars the heavens opened, which to be honest is pretty typical by this point but we marched on and hacked up Carrock Fell in short order, then it was on to the Lingy Hill hut for lunch before heading on to bag Knott and Great Calva. As we came off the hills it was beginning to get a bit dark, this was 5 and half hours and 13 miles later. As it got darker and darker head torches came out and the whistling began. We rolled into Threlkeld a little before 6 and had a couple of pints while the cars were collected. Then it was onto Adam’s house to pack up and say our goodbyes before heading home to York via Penrith for a takeaway and all over the shop for road works.