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.
Glaramara from Stonethwaite
Borrowdale is, according to Wainwright, the fairest of the Lake District Valleys. July 13th 2013 it lived up to its reputation. Making an early start, the softer sunlight picked out each small raise in the valley sides, throwing shadows on the slopes according to their direction. Parking in the car park of Stonethwaite Primary School for a very reasonable £3 donation to their honesty box, I headed south, drinking in the shades of green. I set off down the ‘flat’ lane blissfully unaware of how quickly all...
read moreThe Nidd
Cool walk along the Nidd from Summerbridge. Stones for resting or for dancing or just for stepping. Just a word of warning. On the OS map it looks as though there is a crossing point at SE 199 614. There is not. This is clear when zoomed on Getamap. Don’t do as we did and cross at the stepping stones, SE201 602, and expect to be able to cross back. It is a bit of hike by the road.
read moreFestival Summer
Once year or so I drag myself to a music festival. If I am lucky the sun shines and the sky is blue, for at least a day. This weekend there was wall to wall sunshine across the UK. The organisers of Cornbury Festival were revelling in delight. As were us mere mortals who had gone to laze about in the bucolic Great Tew Park in Oxfordshire. More used to supporting sheep and cattle, with the occasional interruption of the horsey set and a three day event, the parkland remained laid back and adaptable as it accepted its now annual invasion...
read moreWindy Day Wainwrights
The forecast was right today, the buffeting was considerable. Buffeting – should this not be something to do with eating your lunch, not the wind? Translate into action means you battle with an invisible force, intent on pushing you in one direction. Fine if it is the direction you want to go in, but a hell of a hindrance if it isn’t. But then it added a new dimension. The long summer grass literally rolled over the hill. Waves of green floating effortlessly up slopes. Above, continued chaos in the clouds caused colour...
read moreHaystacks
Short of ideas for a walk – why not go back to the Wainwright classics and wander by Buttermere to Haystacks. Pictures from a pre-blog walk in 2011, one of the first I did on my return north. I am off to York today – but tomorrow promises a hill.
read moreWarwickshire to Wainwrights
Reasons was born because of days like Saturday. June days when the rain bustles in sideways, when frozen ice batters sandwich boxes and food has a semi permeable film. When the wind blows so strongly there is no chance of jumping off a cliff. Why do you want to go back? At times I wondered. When after a soggy weekend in the Lakes, drained from M6 madness, the warm summer air hit me as I stepped out of an air conditioned cocoon. Could this really be the same country? Not really sure who I was trying to convince, a tightly closed, never...
read moreYorkshire Technicolour
From being lost in monochrome mist of Malham moorland to glorious Technicolor green white and blue summer sunshine on Malham cove within a day. Taking an unplanned, I missed a sign, detour round the foggy moorland around Malham tarn convinced me there would probably be no point in taking a camera, or at the very least we may as well walk in the valleys around Malham. Thankfully, when I arrived, only half an hour late, my friends convinced me otherwise. Even the beginning or the route showed signs of promise. An easy...
read moreWhinlatter Wainwrights
Having survived my Great North Swim on Saturday, paramount in choice of walk Sunday was not being caught up in the traffic from the swim. A trip north, via the M6 to Whinlatter avoided the chaos. The begining was a bit of a battle. Parking at Spout Force Bill’s book gave instructions which neither corresponded to map or tracks on the ground. Which was ironic considering how plentiful they are in the forest. But keep going up and eventually trees are left behind and open moor is reached, keep going...
read moreWindermere Great Swim
I received a medal today. As did hundreds of others! Just for a change I swam in Windermere rather than walking somewhere above it on a mountain. Swimming is one of my regular fitness regime activities and I can quite happily swim a mile in a pool. Writing this post is an opportunity to defer any greater physical activity for a while. The lake in a wetsuit. So much harder. If you have been asked for sponsorship for anyone else who is swimming in open water. Then pay up! It is a challenge, far more challenging than scrambling up Sharp...
read moreMap, Book or Take a Friend?
Just a few questions. How do you decide on your route when planning a walk? Are you currently working through a list of Wainwrights, Burkett’s, Monros or Marilyn? OK, so these may give you an idea of where you want to go. After ridiculing ‘baggers’ for sometime I have to admit to jumping on that particular bandwagon and be counting my Wainwrights. But, Wainwright or not, because of our network of paths, bridle ways and open access there are so many ways to hit a hill in Cumbria. Are you an expert navigator and do you just follow...
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