Well, summer has finally arrived, and so far we seem to have had a better one than much of the rest of the country, says John Hunston the walking mountain leader.
I’ve had a few trips south to work on Duke of Edinburgh expeditions, most notably one to the Marlborough area. Now, a quick test: what possible problems could there be in planning a trip to Avebury at the summer solstice? Well, for starters the previous evening it was like party central, with no chance of a quiet night in the van, so I drove up onto the Ridgeway. A few other vans were parked up but nobody was wanting to rave; however, a somewhat disturbed night ensued as a result of folk wanting to walk or run into the sunrise!
The next issue was the designated coach park being closed to – you guessed it – coaches. A bit of sweet talking got the kids off the buses, however, and they were on their way. The hippies were no problem at all, in fact, and the ones I bumped into were very friendly. It was interesting to see the variety of vehicles, many customised for permanent residence.
Apart from my hay fever, the rest of the weekend went fairly well, with some lovely countryside of an arable nature, complete with poppies at one point. The Ridegeway was interesting, complete with White Horses carved into the chalk, and a number of paragliders making the most of some good flying conditions.
I’ve also had a lightening trip to Brecon for an event over 10 peaks in a figure of eight over the main Brecon range. This was for a charity called the Youth Adventure Trust, which gives disadvantaged children the opportunity to experience the outdoors.
A highlight for me was a visit to the National Nature Reserve at Craig Cerrig-Gleisiad on the way up Fan
Another trip was again for D of E work near Mold, around the Clwydian hills, another lovely area with some impressive limestone features, including the Devil’s Gorge which opens up spectacularly near Loggerheads Country Park, a great gash in the hillside that appears very suddenly under the path. I was also impressed by how very friendly the locals were – they certainly helped me pass the time at my marshalling points!
Finally, I had a day with a group of people supporting a charity called The Railway Children. This is a Three Peaks with a difference, as most of the travelling is by rail, and all those taking part are employees of railway companies. We were doing the Scafell Pike section, but unusually from Dalehead railway station on the La’al Ratty line! The first section crosses from Eskdale to Wasdale via Burnmoor Tarn before ascending the usual route. The only real issue was one chap whose knees gave way on the descent. He was hobbling down with support from marshals when we found a decent section of vegetated ground to slide him down on my group shelter. This saved quite a bit of time, but to the detriment of the sledge! The charity supports children who make their homes and lives at railway stations, for example in India but also recently in this country too.
Back in Cumbria, I’ve been doing a bit of running, including a hot jog over Green Crag, Harter Fell and Hardknott from the fort car park in Eskdale. It was a good day to do Green Crag in particular as the usual bog was pretty much dried out. However, the heat took it’s toll and both Larry and I were glad of what water we could find. This was in aid of Keswick AC’s attempt to put a member on every Wainwright on 29 June, which I understand was ultimately successful. Another memorable run was over Blencathra in stunning light, with wispy cloud adding to the atmosphere.
Finally, a mention for Paul Tierney, who has beaten Steve Birkinshaw’s record for all 214 Wainwright’s peaks by nearly seven hours, finishing the course in six days, six hours and five minutes. In case you’re interested, the distance is 318 miles and the height gain is 36,000 metres. Lack of sleep is often cited as being the biggest problem, but I’d be struggling long before
John Hunston – the walking mountain leader
johnhunstonwalking.com
John is a member of the Keswick Mountain Rescue – you can donate to this amazing, lifesaving charity online via this link: http://keswickmrt.org.uk/donate/
