Participants: Dave
(Shooting-Stick) Leishman (nominal leader), (Mad) Mike and Verena (Müesli)
Petzold, Kathy, Chris and James Kelly, Esther (Molester) Ratsma, Charlotte
Walford
Day 1 (7th): The Kellys arrived straight from home at
Skipton on the 6th, but the rest of us had already been sampling the delights
of the Welsh Rhinogs under the very capable and exacting command of Nigel
Horrocks, who had succeeded, not in putting us off any further immediate
fell-bashing, but enticing us on to further exertions, more so with the
forecasters’ promise of continuing fine weather; and so here we all were.
Mike suggested , for Esther and Charlotte who’d never
done it, that Pen-y-Ghent (694m, 2,277’) behind Horton-in-Ribblesdale,
well-known to long-time members as much for its pub as the peak, should be
tackled. On the fine day predicted we
scaled it, lunched, and ventured back down on a detour round by a tremendous
collapsed limestone cave system which is now a deep ravine, hosting a peregrine
falcon roost. (Mike: Verena might corroborate: we
found locals there watching out for it, and I seem to remember they said
falcons.)
After a quick one at The Golden Lion, we repaired back to Hawes, Kathy drove James back to
Skipton and returned to a dinner we all took at the estimable, and typical, Yorkshire
fish restaurant across the road, a fount of everything great in northern
English fare at sensible prices. It was
our second evening’s choice as well.
Day 2 (8th): Low cloud driving in on an easterly
greeted our awakening, but everyone said it would lift. Not so – we had to ‘lift’ ourselves, groping
by map and compass on terra incognita up Baugh Fell, to the west of Hawes, to
eventually come out above the cloud by noon, to glorious blue skies and views
to west – Sedburgh and the Howgills - and south – Rise Hill with its Aye Gill
Pike. Our first target on Baugh had been
Grisedale Pike. but the higher point was to the SW of the group of tarns on the
summit plateau, Tarn Rigg Hill at 678m (2,224’). We then skirted along the upper pastures wall
on a westerly tack round to Knoutberry Haw (676m, 2,218’), completing our
‘Three Peaks’, and stopping for lunch.
More map and compass work took us in a north-easterly
direction across the plateau, still off-trail and once more meeting some low
cloud till we got below it, on down to a marked NW-SE right-of-way path which
took us back, via abandoned steadings at Flust to the head of Grisedale Road on
the east flank of the fell. The cars had
been parked further down the road, where we’d seen a grouse-shooting track up
onto the fell, a useful starting point in the absence of trails. Total distance was between 9 and 10 miles.
At Hawes we were told the cloud had not lifted all
day: the gods rewarded our efforts to ensure otherwise!
Dave Leishman
Addition to Hawes report
RECENT MEET: MINI-METHS -
YORKSHIRE DALES (AWC) – 7-9 Sept.
Highlights:
- 3 new summits for AWC Dales mini-Meths: PLOVER HILL, 2,247’
-
KNOUTBERRY HAW
whore? 2,218’
& TARN HILL, 2,198’
- Warm, sunny day for our return to PEN y GHENT, 2,277’
via the rock-scrambling route
- Verena (MUESLI) on Pen y Ghent, despite her doubts at start
- Usual friendly welcome at the Fountain Inn – almost like home –
regular visits for over 25 years now!
- Super food across the road, cheap & cheerful but very tasty,
traditional Yorkshire grub, cooked with love
-
Lowlights:
It seems churlish to mention them, but …
- Very boggy 2nd day on Grisedale Pike and surrounding
area
- For old times’ sake, we refreshed ourselves at the Golden Lion in
Horton-in-Ribbesdale, where David (SHOOTING STICK) Leishman, seated on the
antique Singer sewing machine, used it for a “prank”. The barmaid
ran out of the bar!
ROLL UP next
year folks! – believe it or not, there
are plenty more summits in the Dales, unclimbed by Methophiles.