Reasons for Reasons
I was ‘raised’ – to use a phrase from our American friends – in south Lakeland and it has always remained home. Even though I left to study when I was 18 and didn’t return untill September 2010. A lot of years.
During those interim years I have had a great life, travelled and met some wonderful people and also have a managed to bring up my son fairly successfully. So, it although it was sort of ‘on the plan’, my move back North was not without trepidation.
As part of my ‘self affirmation’ that I had made the right decision I started a Facebook album ‘Reasons To Move North’. This has had wonderful comments from my friends but I never had the courage to make it public. Then recently I went on a Travel Writing Course with Zoe ,and much to my delight and surprise received more affirmation from positive comments on my travel writing. Something else which has always remained strictly within closed leaves.
A mindful review of my first year here followed and I realised that I had had an amazing twelve months. Yes, I have travelled away, but I have also done more here in the North West than I would have previously thought possible. And I have had so many visitors! People like it here! I have become a guide for friends and acquaintances who then spread the word about how wonderful the Lake District is. This led to my providing itineraries for weekends or longer visits. Some I accompanied, others I simply provided a ‘bespoke’ itinerary, with or with accommodation booked.
So, now it’s time to go Global!
And now I have built my own blog I have used my technical, from a previous life in IT, to build one for the Howgill Harriers. If you would like one put together then please contact me for a quote.
Kidsty Pike
Strange how things work out. Until nine days ago I’d been on Kidsty Pike once. On the way to Robin Hoods Bay. Day four of Coast to Coast. Now I’ve been up three times. Last week from Haweswater. Walking the C2C backwards from Burnbanks along Haweswater. Battling up Kidsty Pike through ‘considerable buffeting’ and rain which has become typical of Summer 2015. Low clouds and the odd flicker of sunshine added suitable drama to my staggering against the wind funnelling down from the Pike. Things eventually eased, clouds lifted and we...
read moreSelside Coniston
Wainwright’s Outlying Fells are proving more lovely, for the most part, than I anticipated. The walks aren’t that long but they give a different perspective on the central higher fells. If, of course, the weather is good. Today the morning was lovely. No wind, clear air and blue. Even my drive over was delightful. Trying to take a short cut, which inevitably took me longer. I branched off the main road towards Bouth. Taking a wrong turn somewhere I ended up winding my way along single track roads and the villages of Oxen Park and...
read moreWhite Walls and Waterfalls
Lucky to grab time out on a rare sunny day, in what has to be one of the wettest summers in forever, and walk in Yorkshire. Open sky, snaking walls and waterfalls. Malhamdale, with it’s picture perfect village, sits in the south of the Yorkshire Dales. A multitude of walks to fit the ability of most. My last walk there a couple of years ago was in June. We took a slightly different route and there was far less water in the falls. Janet’s Foss is far more impressive this year, so there are some advantages to a wet summer. Unfortunately I was...
read moreDales Day
Conveniently living on the join between two National Parks, it’s as easy for me to venture over to the Dales as to the Lakes. A forecast for cloud on high fells encouraged a trip to the lower rolling hills of Ribblesdale. South from Settle and up, the only real pull of the day towards Victoria Cave. But first a coffee stop on Sugar Loaf Hill looking south over the almost iridescent green. While we ate akestrel hovered. Completely still. Held by an invisible thread. Dropping like a stone when it breaks. Taking its prey away, then repositioning...
read moreHartsop Horseshoe
There is always another way up and over a hill. Always another route. Within the relatively small area ( 885 m2 / 2292 km2 ) , as National Parks of the world go, there seems to be an endless limit to the number of ways to reach any of the tops. So though I had already reached the heights of Hartsop Dodd, Stony Cove Pike and Gray Crag I hadn’t hiked the ‘horseshoe’ route Going up Hartsop Dodd was a lot more gentle on the knees than when I did it from the other direction. A linear walk from Cauldale Head down to Patterdale. Stony Cove...
read moreLast Three Peak
A rare blue day in the summer 2015 and I only had a half a day to get outdoors. Rather than battle the late Saturday traffic and head for the Lakes I headed east to Ingleton, deciding to hike up Whernside. Having already done Ingleborough and Pen y Ghent this would complete the Yorkshire Three Peaks, all be it not in one fell swoop. I drove but the start is just by the Ribblehead Station so letting the train take the strain would be a good option. Hundreds of whom were stomping the trail today. Anti-clockwise. By going clockwise I did at...
read moreKendal Calling’s 10 Year Celebration
Four years ago I last went to Kendal Calling. Set, as it still is, in the Lowther Deer park. Sadly the weather this year was not quite as kind as then. Saturday the sun shone with gusto, but the this was just the filling between the rain. Not that stopped people enjoying themselves. And when the sun was not shining then the flowers from that wonderful Charity, Hospice at Home shone everywhere! Of course there was the odd band playing. From the new and local, to the famous and remote. Something to please everyone. From the youngest of...
read moreSofter South Lakeland
Removed from the hills but just in Cumbria, the area round Milnthorpe, Arnside and Silverdale has some lovely walking. Not quite so challenging or dramatic but some quintessentially English scenes totally fit for picture postcards – or Instagram! Start from Milnthorpe, where the Bela joins the estuary, Stroll through Dallam Park, where you should see more than the back of a deer. Over the hill and down to Beetham. There is a tearoom in the old post office, but I’ve never managed to catch it open. Totally picturesque church and gardens worth...
read moreWalking for Cancer
Blogging has been rather neglected recently. Life is in a bit of a disarray. Leaving Asia to help at home because my Mum has cancer turned life upside down a bit. There have been many ups and downs over the past few months and there will be more as it is a very bumpy road to follow. There have been more metaphorical mountains climbed than physical ones, and when I have managed to head for the hills there’s not been much time to write about it or click the send button. Getting out on, both on my feet and my sparkly new bike, clears my head and...
read moreCycling – Holme to Hutton Roof
To justify the cost of buying a bike I have to ride it! And, at the moment, I can’t get out on long walks quite as often as I would like, so a couple of hours on a bike takes me much farther than a couple of hours on my feet. So far I have just started to explore the small lanes from Holme. Not yet fitted the bike rack on the car. I’m getting used to using different muscles and may be improving how I use the gears. Not quite so clunky as at first. And on a fine day there are some rather fantastic views very close to Holme. This route has only...
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