Arctic Icy Blast
35 to 50 mile an hour gusts were forecast.
35 constant was the feel.
With a unforgettable reminder of how wind and its chill make walking,
lets say, more of a challenge.
Picking Askham as a midpoint between my friend and I, Loadpot Hill, with not ridges to be blown from and a summit of only 671m we thought we may emerge unscathed. Whatever the weather threw at us.
And, we did. Though there was the odd spot where I was almost tempted to pull the plug and go back. Luckily the direction was in our favour and mostly we were just pushed sideways from the west as we trudged south.
Once over the top we trundled down and north. Hoping all the time we may be relieved from the constant battering. We weren’t.
A deep ditch provided enough shelter for lunch and out of the wind we almost began to feel cosy. Unfortunately as soon as we emerged we were caught again in the relentless cross fire.
Still, to quote my friend, “it’s not really winter until you get out in a whiteout and a wind chill less than zero.” So having achieved both in two weeks, winter must be over?
Not a great day for photographs. Too cold to remove my gloves and too windy to hold the camera still.
Map
GPS found here
