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.
Day 1 Kathmandu
After 24 hours travelling and the hermetically sealed environment of airport lounges and planes, Kathmandu is a total assault on the senses. Morning spent dashing about the old Thamel area before catching the next plane to Bhutan.
read moreBuhtan Baggage
Be a while before I get there. Trains, planes and automobiles….. keep checking the blog, FB and Twitter for updates. Mountain hikes in Bhutan to follow
read moreHimalaya Training
Summer has arrived late this year. I checked the hits on my website this morning and that alone is testament to wonderful day we had yesterday, and today. sun and clear blue two days together. What has happened? For me it was to be my last hike up a hill before my trip to Bhutan, so had to be a good ‘training day’. With the gloriously clear air it was as much a training day for my camera as walking. Started in the Newlands Valley, south of Braithwaite, NY 234 206, to go over Causey Pike and then to Sail. Suddenly Autumn had arrived...
read moreWonderful Way Markings!
A hurriedly arranged walk the night before sent my friend Anne and I to our dear friends Aileen and Brian! Where to go when we both wanted to be home by four, and somewhere we had not already walked. The dog eared look of my Cicerone Guide to South Lakelandshows how well used it is and we found a route neither of us had walked the last walk in the book. Nine miles starting from Cartmel. The rather bland parking at the race course gave little indication of some of the lovely countryside we were about to hike over and the amusement we...
read moreAlmost on my Doorstep
Due to a burst water main at work, I managed to get home early and go for a quick walk from Milnthorpe through Dallam Park and Milnthorpe Sands. I realised I have put lots of photos on Facebook and my blog of this very short walk. It is all of 2.5mils/4K long and reaches a massive 72metres at its highest point, but I never tire of it. Apart from the ducks, you will see: parkland lanes and possibly the most stupid birds ever pheasants and views I will never tire of.. Not really sure I want many more people to know about it, but...
read moreMore Bog Bashing than Peak Bagging!
At first the day appeared to be quite civilised. A picturesque train ride to Horton with the plan of walking to Ribblesdale station via Pen y Ghent. Though it was clear that the blanket sunshine once forecast had forgotten about the Yorkshire dales. As when we stepped off the train, all of the ‘Yorkshire Three’ were covered in transient mist. This was the first time I had walked up Pen y Ghent and the limestone was very familiar and similar to my local hill Farleton Knott. With white walls and pavements providing good footing and...
read moreRolling Hills
Despite the M6 doing its level best to stop me heading south I eventually made it back to my home turf of almost twenty years, south Warwickshire, for a weekend of catching up with friends and a day of walking in the Cotswolds. Arriving in the small village of Kineton made me realise how we simply ignore that which surrounds us every day. The soft sandstone, thatched roofs and village ponds of even villages off the tourist map deserve to be noticed occasionally. Unfortunately I was so fed up of being in the car I had no intention of...
read moreCross Fell from Kirkland
The approach to Kirkland showed clear blue, bar a cap of cloud on the top of Cross Fell, I was unaware of the meteorological connotations of this and was just happy it had gone by the time we began the hike! Plotting the route, after the event, I was intrigued by the names. So much was happening considering the lack, not only of human habitation, but even other walkers. It was delightfully quiet. Start in Kirkland – something to do with a church, has to be. Pass by Baron’s Hill and through Ranbeck before alighting upon the Hanging Walls...
read moreConsiderable Buffeting
…. was the forecast from MWIS for Friday. Having been blown off my feet earlier this year I was in no rush to repeat the experience, so opted to ‘stay low’. The area near Crook with was somewhere I had never walked, but had always revelled in the scenery when driving though, brought that long gone A level geography to life with the undulating rocky outcrops glacial detritus. We began by ‘new’ St. Catherine’s Church at Crook, SD 452 950 and the circular route wound over low fell and plantation. The grey slate walls dividing the brilliant...
read moreUnfamiliar Territory
After the satisfaction of identifying the South Lakes’ fells I spent the weekend in the slightly more unfamiliar landscape of Nidderdale. Blissful weather, made the visit even better than my usual stay at Gill Beck Farm. Gill Beck is almost on the Nidderdale Way. A 53 mile long round walk centred around Pateley Bridge. Saturday was merely a ‘stroll’ from Pateley along the river Nidd to Wath and The Sportsman’s Arms pub. Although the dales looked wonderful, somehow that leisurely lunch dulled the desire to continue by Gouthwaite...
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