Mal & Marion Tabb: Prioritise!

This Weeks Stats & Diary

I suppose that during a year at Blaithwaite the times are bound to come when things like the demands of "Centre Activities" and / or injuries will influence the amount of stuff that can be done for fun - I think the past week & the next two or so weeks could be such a time. Firstly, I've needed to spend some time getting sorted out for the Mine visit referred to below & secondly I'm needing to prepare for a forthcoming course in the fells. Furthermore, I had an unexpectedly negative reaction to last Sunday's bike ride - very sore right knee which is still to clear up properly (there is more here but won't go into it this week). Apologies - for some reason I cannot get this weeks stats to publish at the start of the post - they are at the end!

Innominate Tarn 10 Feb '11

12/02/11 Seathwaite Wad Mine - "approval" visit with Nigel Ball
10/02/11 Fleetwith Pike; Hay Stacks; Seat; High Crag & High Stile (8 miles & 4,400' ascent). Navigation practise.

Seathwaite
I won't go into all the details of a fourth recent trip to the Wad mine in Borrowdale other than to say Alan-R, Graham & myself were joined by Nigel Ball (Tech Advisor - Mines) & his mate Dave. It was an excellent trip on the "approved" vertical route from GOATON'S STAGE - FAREY'S STAGE, good to catch up with Nigel & Dave again. Nigel gave the go ahead for me to run vertical Level 2 trips in the mine & very importantly for the Centre approved a Level 1 circuit entering & exiting at Farey's Stage - including a couple of vertical steps.

Fell Walk: "A Buttermere Round"

With: on my own

Weather: superlatives could not capture the weather today, effectively a summers day - T shirt throughout; crystal clear blue skies; excellent vis; no wind. Absolutely perfect!

The pictures should tell the story of today. The purpose for me was to visit a newish area and practise navigation - which worked pretty well. I've always wanted to climb Hay Stacks as I understand it was Wainwrights's favourite - it was good but probably not mine. Innominate Tarn, however, was truely special, even magical.
I slightly regret not having continued on along the ridge to take in Red Pike & Dodd but they'll just have to wait for another day.
Stats: 8 miles; 4,400'; four Wainwrights - 6 hours

Fleetwith Pike Summit, with cloud rising from valley

The magical Innominate Tarn

The approach to High Crag from Seat

A glimpse of Ennerdale

Centre Life (http://www.blaithwaite.co.uk/)

Its been another rich & varied week at Blaithwaite: we've a full Centre again this weekend, friends from Churches all over the country on their sixth visit & a Church from the Newcastle area here for a first visit, its good to see the Centre so busy and being used like this.
As the pictures show its been another full week on the maintenance and projects front. We are still waiting for the Kubota Tractor back - this is a huge problem. However, some major tree work is underway which will last well into next week & the campers facilities just need some varnish to complete.