DofE 9: E. Chilterns

Posted on 29th Sep 2020 by essiep

Chilly first night down to 7°C under a clear sky. light N breeze

Day 1: Camped on the banks of the River Thames before setting off for the meet-up point. I got there just in time to be issued with 2 groups of girls ready for a Practice/training Expedition.
There were a lot of changes made to groups so we set off last for the day’s walk.The day went well but for very different pace-setting between and within groups. Apart from this problem, they were a very likable bunch of characters. Some were steady and others fiercely competitive. We had an excellent rapport after getting on well right from the start. We had fun too, not just DofE but wordplay too. They tried to persuade me to do a Tiktok with them but ‘your phones should be packed away and off’. Another was ‘Cursive speech’. It’s the hollow sound your voice makes when you hold your tongue down and clench your jaw. Here’s me thinking it was scrolling handwriting.

The faster group were set places to wait for me and the 2nd group where we could consolidate routefinding methods. After we crossed the Thames, the fast group got even faster. From here, as we got nearer the camp, other groups’ routes converged. That meant the fast girls could see a group of lads which suddenly gave them a surge of more energy. Ironic that after they’d complained of tiredness not long before. Then they were out of sight.

After some coordination with other instructors, it turned out they were with another group having taken a wrong turn. Ironically – we had to wait for them, to the obvious glee of my slower group.

Day 2: Groups walk by themselves and I checkpoint them. The pattern re-emerged from day 1 where the fast group rushed ahead and made enough errors to reduce the gap. The second group steadily plodded on but got all their navigation right.

Packing up: Got some good feedback from the kids as well as the Exped leader via a parent. One of the girls was “buzzing over the day”, I think she actually surprised herself with how quickly she mastered map-reading and route finding.

That was a fabulous couple of days’ work. You can tell days like this because on the drive home, you think over the work on all levels with satisfaction. It makes up for the long drive.

Howgill Fells.

Posted on 25th Aug 2020 by essiep

15°C, rain. This is a replacement for a trip to Scotland recently cancelled (this morning actually). I woke this morning with a strong feeling that I couldn’t face a 6 hour drive to Kintail. After some suggestions from friends I settled on The Howgills. A quiet range of English hills only 70 miles from home. Ideal.

Rain set in during the evening but a spectacle came late in the night. I got out of the tent about 3am and was stunned by clarity. The Milky way arched overhead behind vivid stars. A couple of planets were in plane sight too.

Sunday; 6h 12 mins walk time. The Howgill Fells are a distinctive range sandwiched between The Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales. My campsite lies to the east of the hill which is near the waterfalls of Cautley Spout. Climbing here put you up neat the main summit of Calf Top.

The falls were spectaular, more so after recent heavy rains. From this view, the land was laid out below in geological layers, glacial moraines and deeply cut river erosion which reminded me of Bohuntine .

Monday, walktime: 7h 15′ /sunny and warm after a cool start. I had time in the morning while waiting for a phone call, to plot a route up Baugh Top. A convenient carpark is at the north, Rawthey Bridge by 2 bridlepaths which gives gives a long lead-in and out. This turned out, in contrast to yeaterday, to be a most beautiful day.

This was a long walk over relatively easy terrain. There was no exposure and height gain was never huge. There could have been more wildlife, I saw mostly voles and a few raptors. The only real impediments were boggy ground and frequent flooding. Saw two hikers on the hill, they were on the horizon about a kilometre away. That was all, nobody else. How ideal is that!

I’m really taken by the North Pennines, I shall revisit!
Once back at the car, hunger set in but I had enough camping food to make supper in the carpark before the drive home.

50s getting easier.

Posted on 18th Aug 2020 by essiep

18°C, light SW. some rain.

These 50 mile rides are definitely getting easier. I painted all morning while the rain poured.

This time, I took the hills from Ecclestone and descended Bannister just touching 40mph. There was no cafe stop but I did stock up on calories at a garage. Today, I rode the 900th mile on this bike, there is no sign of wear in the chain. Also, after checking the age of the wheels – 2014, 6 years! No sign of wear there either; not the bearings nor the brake surfaces.

Southport CC

Posted on 14th Aug 2020 by essiep

21°C, light E breeze, bright and sunny

I rode some of today with Southport Cycle Club. We’ll, some of them. They seemed very likable.
This photo is of the start of the Ribble Way, an interesting gravel route that is worth checking out. It goes north from here up to Preston abd mostly avoids traffic. While I was there, some lads on scramblers rode past and headed up. Then a woman from a farm came out asking which way they got onto the trail. She was obviously annoyed by them; the noise their bikes made was huge.

Lockdown rides w6

Posted on 2nd May 2020 by essiep

12°C, moderate W breeze, sunny,

Unlocking lockdown: the roads are noticeably busier this last few days. For the last 4 weeks, cyclists have outnumbered cars on most roads, but not any more. Another phenomena is the speed. Either drivers are noticeable due to unfamiliarity or they really are.putting their foot down on the empty roads. Drivers who do this are all young men.

Phoney War: A chill from the east.

Posted on 24th Mar 2020 by essiep

Riding with full health and fizzy legs. All that in contrast toa recent string of coughs and colds. The sun is shining but we’re all facing a flu pandemic which is ballooning in front of us.