The English Lake District

Used to launch my sailing dinghys off the beach there Alex, that could be fun at times, lovely place, spent my summer hols as a kid on the farm the lighthouse stands on :slightly_smiling_face:

I can imagine it is a gorgeous place on a sunny day Bill, unfortunately, every time I went there it was blowing a hoolie and chucking it down :wink:

Not so great in those conditions Alex, no!
Did you ever get round the corner to Fleswick Bay, a unique spot, enclosed by the red sandstone cliffs, but a steep beach made from pebbles found only in that cove, some of them semi precious stones

Unfortunately not Bill, although it was always on my list of “to-do” which somehow never seemed to happen. My last trip to that part of the UK west coast was when my kids were still little and we ended up in Seascale. Now when I’m in the UK I tend to skirt by the Lake District completely on my way up to Scotland. Stayed in Buttermere for a few days a few years ago, I absolutely love that area, still relatively calm, more so out of season, but only managed to do Red Pike on that occasion in the time we had allotted ourselves.

1 Like

It’s always a matter of being in the right place (or sometimes the wrong place) at the right time. I never liked anything too technical, apart from practicing crevasse rescue, a pair of good axes and crampons was fine.

Nearly 40yrs since I spent time there Alex, how ‘it’ flies in! :open_mouth:

I was ‘Auxilliary in Charge’ of our local Coastguard Team in Scotland, for a few years, Cliff rescue exercises could be interesting, and being dropped onto boats from helicopters was testing, big thrill too :open_mouth:

Yes, memories of watching one’s only “bombproof” ice screws pinging out while trying to set up a belay with a long run out spring to mind :frowning:

1 Like

Had a mate survived, just, a ‘very’ long fall on an ice climb on Scafell in around 1965.

Shepherd’s Crag, l remember it well, 20 years ago. Actually queued to climb Little Chamonix. Am in Keswick staying at the Heights Hotel, Castlerigg. Too old and doddery for climbing, so just walking up fell and down dale.

2 Likes

Love Keswick, used to camp up by the stone circle in the summer (or in the langdales - Old Peculiar at the Dungeon Ghyll :beer::beer::beer::beer::joy::joy:). Usually rented a cottage for long weekends in the winter.

I was a member of the North London mountaineering club, they had a “hut” (hut doesn’t really do it justice) just outside Capel Curig in Snowdonia , great for the North Wales jaunts.

1 Like

An early start one morning Adrian, one of lifes treasured memories, sitting belaying the second up Chamonix and watching the Sun climb over Derwentwater :hugs:

When ch Dungeon Ghyll, I am supposing the old one.

Sorry, the Old Dungeon Ghyll, followed by staggering back to the National trust campsite in the pitch black for first breakfast at about midnight, second breakfast at 8am then doing silly climbing stuff all day.

The ‘Twa Dogs’ in Keswick, was one of my favourites, sold ‘Jennings Bitter’. (Cockermouth Brewery).
It was there I first heard the ‘Quip’.
“If the Bottom has fallen out of your World, drink 8 pints of ‘Jennings’, and let the World fall out of your bottom”.
Certainly, briefly, made you forget any other probs’ you may have had! :grin:

1 Like

I remember being on that camp site and hearing someone coming off Pavey Ark.
Chilling.

Ah, the ODG and Langdale campsite, brings back memories. One especially of being still sober enough to pitch our tent on a patch of higher ground after leaving the pub, thereby avoiding the imminent flooding of the brook due to the gale during the night that the rest of my mates were too obliterated about to remember. Sometimes, you’ve just got to laugh… and to think that they paid for the pleasure !

My Auntie was married to the brother of Sid Cross who owned the ODG for years and was a pioneer of Mountain Rescue

It was totally amazing what you would see, women going up Coniston Old Man in high heels.
Mountain Rescue should be for real accidents, not idiots, though should they break a heel or an ankle they would always be brought down.
Have you heard about the American missionary who went to some protected Andaman Islands in a canoe and was shot dead by the tribesmen?

Have you heard about the American missionary who went to some protected Andaman Islands in a canoe and was shot dead by the tribesmen?

Yes, proselytising half-wit, serves him right.

1 Like