Caving - Yordas Pot

With: Kev Marsh & David Tomlinson (On Placement at the Centre)

Weather: Dry & sunny with strong NE wind

I'm trying a spell of  "posting as it happens" at the moment.
So for a quick update - we have an almost full Centre this weekend (Main House; Barn; Stables & quite a few campers on the field). There's a real family feel to the Centre & everyone is enjoying what has now become a prolonged spell of dry & sunny weather.
We've had David here for about a week now & just to add some variety to his stay we took him caving today. Yordas was the driest I have ever seen it. We went in through the middle entrance (two short pitches in quick succession) before making it to the main waterfall pitch just ahead of a couple from Red Rose Caving Club who had come through from the top entrance. We rigged for a "pull through" and managed a dry descent. All over in not much more than an hour before retiring to Inglesport.
Quite busy back at the Centre & just about to nip out & pick up Paul & Adrian who have started the Hadrian's wall cycle route.
Few good pictures pre-cave below:



Yordas Wood, West Kingsdale




Kev & David



Orienteering Practise

Our last Easter group left this afternoon after yet another week of glorious early spring weather, it was great to see the leaders & young people enjoying another activity week at Blaithwaite. They got away just after one o'clock leaving us with just campers & a quick change over ahead of new arrivals tomorrow.

I took the opportunity to get out in the Northern Fells for an hour or so of navigation practise around the contour features of Aughertree Fell. The weather was special & the nav went well - it is all hanging together quite nicely.

I'm well recovered from the exertions of the Dodds on Good Friday & looking forward to some caving at the weekend.

Sorry I'm still a bit light on photos at the moment - need to sort something out after losing my camera on Maundy Thursday.

Easter Greetings

Kay & I just back from the Easter evening celebration at the parish Church in Wigton; we've had family at Blaithwaite for the weekend (see kite flying photos); first campers of the new season on site & our regular Easter visitors both before & after the weekend. Its been a great week for activity with fell running, walking & mine exploration.

Good Friday

Fell Run - The Dodds

With: Martin

Weather: 22 degC; no wind

Approx 12 miles; 3,500' ascent; 3hr 25 mins

This was effectively the second leg of the Bob Graham Round cut in half & made into a circular route. Start & finish from Hill Top Farm in St Johns in the Vale. Ascent of Clough Head from the Old Coach Rd was brutal; fantastic running on the ridge: especially Gt Dodd - Watsons & Watsons - Stybarrow. Descent of Sticks Pass played havoc with the knees. I was well pleased with completing the 4 mile road run to finish in less than half an hour at the hottest part of the day.

Me on the move

Martin on Stybarrow

Maunday Thursday
Fell Walk - Langdales

With: On my own
Weather: Hot, dry & sunny

Stickle Barn; Stickle Tarn; Sergeant Man; High Raise; Thunacar Knott & back to Stickle Tarn.
Loads of nav practise - all good. Only issue today was that I left my camera on summit of High Raise!

19 April 2011
Mine Trip - Birk Gill & Ingray Gill

With: Alan Rainford
Weather: Warm, hazy evening

Birk Gill - lower adit approx 50m level

Ingray Gill - waist deep water at portal

17 April 2011
Fell Run - Roughton Gill

With: On my own
Weather: fine & sunny
Approx: 6 miles & 1500' ascent

Sunlit Iron Craggs

Mexico Mine

Over & Under!



"The Ball Room": Smallcleugh Mine
Picture courtesy: Nigel Ball


The last week has seen the return to something of a more normal rhythm of life: school group on outdoor ed week; walking group & a church visiting the Centre. Underground trip in Smallcleugh Mine (see below) & a day in the fells with the walking group (see also below). Some minor running, although this has been temporarily blighted by me picking up the lurgy that seems to be circulating Centre staff at the moment, however, if recovery continues I hope to run in the fells this weekend.
I think the new "widget" seems to be working quite well in at least summarising mileage info.

The Centre is looking magnificent at the moment:

12/04/11 High Pike & Carrock Fell

6 miles & approx 1200' ascent

With: Rob Bianchi walking group

I got out with Rob Bianchi (very rare to get out walking with Rob even though we've known each other for the best part of 20 years now!). Rob runs regular walking weeks at the Centre & it was great to be get out with everyone. We set off from Calebreck and ascended High Pike via Sandbeds Mine (need to come back & have a more detailed look at these quite extensive mines). The day was fine & dry but it was wild on the top of High Pike - a summit I do enjoy visiting again & again. We headed off to the south before veering off along the broad ridge to the east to pick off Carrock Fell. There was much evidence to support the statistics that we have had a very dry early Spring - there was virtually no bog on top of Carrock!!

The wind had died down by the time we reached the summit & we descended back towards Carrock Beck along the motorway of a path that does not exist on the OS map!!

A visit to Priest Mill in Caldbeck rounded off a very pleasant day.

14/04/11 Smallcleugh Mine; Prouds Sump

With Ferg & Alistair Myers (http://www.np-ta.com/)

Ferg in Smallcleugh; picture courtesy Nigel Ball

The plan was to check out the recently approved route from Smallcleugh Mine via Proud's Sump down into Rampgill Level. First abseil down Proud's was fine, however, it appears that some of the "native" mine metal work from which the traverse on the approved route was rigged is no longer there, this will take a bit of work to replace & puts the route out of use for a while. As such we went down the other way into Prouds Sump Flats. This is an excellent area for the Mine Explorer - SRT to get there and outstanding archaeology in the area: tubs; wheels; explosives boxes / wrappers even some remnants of explosives. Although not the trip we planned - still a good evening out.

Catching Up

Sorry - its been hectic & ages since last post.

Hopefully, the new "widget" on the right will record total mileages in a better format than my previous attempts but to help me to catch up with last few weeks I've just listed some highlights / the stuff that has kept me occupied:

- Today: "Kay's Comeback" it was just an old favourite walk up Binsey the outlying Northern Wainwright. From Bewaldeth its 1.75 miles & about 950' ascent but for Kay it was such a significant day. She is doing really well (as today demonstrates) and we are both deeply grateful for all the prayers, support & good wishes that more people than we could list offer all the time. The weather was glorious with 360 degree panoramas & there is no shame in saying that tears were shed at the summit. In honesty, the most significant "outdoor event" of the year.

- Some Recent Activity: Whernside & Pen-y-Ghent (Yorkshire Dales; 19 miles & 3,000'); Red Screes & Middle Dodd (Lakes); ML Assessment (more on this to follow); Barrow & Outerside (Navigation Exercise); Numerous short runs & loads of stuff I can't recall!!



Me on Whernside on a very hot April 8th afternoon


- Centre

Its been a very busy year end at Blaitwaite this year and the Centre has looked magnificent in some marvellous early Spring weather. We have had a great time with groups: large student conference; first school of 2011; Church weekends and maintenance proceeding at pace.

If the activity above looks a bit "light" its due to the hours and hours spent pouring over budgets; accounts and maintenance schedules. Equally Kay has been "locked on" with website upgrades; domestic re-stock; stock taking etc etc !!!!!!!!!!

Pictures below are of Richard laying the new lawn.

- Other Stuff
At this time of year we do try to get away as much as possible before the peak guest time kicks off. We got up to Achmelvic, Assynt for a few days with Kay's mum & dad. This was followed a couple of weeks later with a trip to the capital to catch up with eldest two daughters & grandchildren - magical time!!

Navigating

This Weeks Stats & Diary

Its been a week of non-stop navigating both on activities & as we approach our 2010-2011 year end at the Centre.



Stickle Tarn & Pavey Ark - you can imagine what the vis was like!!


27/02/11 Campcraft Session - got my Terra Nova Solar tent out for a practise run today
26/02/11 Lord's Seat & Broom Fell; Navigation Practise (approx 5 miles & 1500' ascent)
24/02/11 Pike o' Stickle; Harrison Stickle & Pavey Ark; Navigation Practise (approx 6 miles & 3000' ascent)

	Run	Bike	Walk	(all in miles)
This week	0	0	11	11
This year	47	58	42	147
		Ascent (run/walk) this week		4500
	This Year			16430

Lord's Seat & Broom Fell
With: on my own
Weather: clear; cool; fresh NW wind; good vis

This corner of the lakes beyween Whinlatter to the south & the A66 to the immediate north is not an area I have visited before. Grassy hills with lots of forrestry - not really my favourite. However, I needed to do a session on 1:50,000 maps (used landranger 90) & this area suited my purposes / the time available. I parked up at Wythop Hall & worked my way up Lord's Seat via several features before crossing the saddle to the summit of Broom Fell - small hill - huge cairn! Great views to Skiddaw as its summit cleared of cloud. Returned across open fell via a couple more features - successful day, nav worked well.

Statistics: approx 5 miles; 1500' ascent; 2 Wainwrights

Broom Fell Summit

Approaching Lord's Seat

Pike O' Stickle; Harrison Stickle & Pavey Ark

With: on my own
Weather: atrocious - cool; visibility continuously less than 20m above ca. 300m

My objective today was to really test my navigation, as such no complaints about the conditions - the visibility really was low. Set out along Dungeon Ghyll heading towards Pike O'Stickle quite a stiff climb - continuously estimated distances from feature to feature all the way up. Found Pike O' Stickle summit at second attempt - you really couldn't see it & then set off into the wilderness to find a stream confluence - got there ok. Picked out a path junction to get to next & then Harrison Stickle summit where vis was probably at a low. Quite bizarre: at this point out of the mist emerged Brendan & Sarah Robson - just married on Saturday! They are regulars at the Centre but I've not seen them for about a year so it was good to catch up. From here picked out a nearby ring contour before heading off to a tarn close to the "summit" of Pavey Ark. Found the tarn successfully & helped out a hopelessly lost party who were relieved to be set back in the right direction! Headed off in search of head of Bright Beck which I used as a handrail down to Stickle Tarn & then back to the car. Barely used a path throughout - all done on compass; pacing & by following contour features. I did make a couple of mistakes but was able to identify them & correct - well pleased with the day.
Stats: 6 miles; 3,000' & 3 Wainwrights

Stickle Ghyll - with ample water

Centre Life (www.blaithwaite.co.uk)

Early Spring is always a really special time of year at Blaithwaite. The first signs of new life are all around & the first few rays of warm sun build expectation for the summer! That said it is one of the busiest times of year: we are approaching financial year end with all it entails & we are trying to complete projects before the year kicks off in earnest towards the end of March, no matter how hard we try to plan this phase there always seems to be some reason why it doesn't work out as planned - this year the exceptionally cold winter has impacted our schemes somewhat!

We currently have long term guests in residence - a missionary group part way through a twelve night stay in the Stables. Whilst the weekend saw a returning Church from Manchester enjoy a relaxing weekend of fellowship in the Main House.

Still Prioritising

This Weeks Stats & Diary


19/02/11 Bike (10 miles)
16/02/11 Run - Mixed Terrain in Arkengarthdale (5 miles & 400' ascent)
15/02/11 Walk - Navigation / Ropework Training; Scout Crag, Langdales (4 miles & 1430' ascent)


Visit to CB Inn - Arkengarthdale



	Run	Bike	Walk	(all in miles)
This week	5	10	4	19
This year	47	58	31	136
		Ascent (run/walk) this week		1830
	This Year			11930

16/02/11 Run - Arkengarthdale

With: On my own
Weather: Cold (2degC); still; overcast; low vis

This week we spent some of our time off in Arkengarthdale (see below) I went out for a short run - about 5 miles up the road from the CB Inn & then out on to the moor in the direction of Punchard Gill (I think - didn't have a map). The terrain in the Dales suits my decaying physiology better than the Lakes: the grass alongside the roads seems to be short & not a continual quagmire & the moors are frequently disected by (miners?) tracks that are a mixture of grass / small aggregate, all of which is very easy on the joints. Furthermore the gradients are less intense - I could run for hours here. Kay & I have spent so much time in this area over the years we've walked throughout the area; paddled the Swale from Gunnerside down to Catterick & caved in Crackpot. However, I would be quite keen to explore some of the old mine sites in the area - Faggergill (Arkengarthdale); Sir Francis, Bunton etc (Gunnerside)

Quite an overcast scene in the Yorkshire Dales

5 mile run; 400' ascent; 45 mins






15/02/11 - Walk (Scout Crag & the "wilderness" towards Pavey Ark)

With: Glyn Mitchell; Alan-R & Graham

Weather: Awful; persistent rain / snow above 400m

Glyn is our technical advisor for mountaineering / climbing, he's an excellent coach and joined us today for a day of navigation / rope work training - effectively an ML refresher training session. We parked up at foot of Stickle Ghyll & worked our way up Scout Crag using ropes as necessary. Once at the head of Whitegill we did a series of navigation exercises in the snow before heading back down alongside Stickle Ghyll - all very challenging; difficult but incredibly interesting.

Approx 4 miles & 1430' ascent

Other Stuff

We were off for a few days this week, leaving a group in the Main House for the weekend in the care of Alan, Mim & Ferg.
Kay & I bought my Dad a night stay in the CB Inn (http://www.cbinn.co.uk/), Arkengarthdale for his 80th birthday and this was the weekend we went. I love Swaledale & Arkengarthdale. The weather was cold; murky & still but thankfully the sun got out on the Thursday afternoon, especially when we were at Kearton's in Thwaite.

Me at Kearton's in Thwaite

Mum & Dad leaving CB



Kay with Mum & Dad in Reeth