Unpublished

On a slightly quieter day just been browsing my "Dropbox - Camera Uploads" file & came across a few recent photos that haven't been published on this site (one or two have made Facebook or Twitter) so thought I'd keep this month's momentum up with a few pics:

Me On Causey Pike Summit - Mountain Day With an In2venture School

Hot & Humid - Looking Towards Skiddaw From Longlands Fell - Another Mounain Day With an In2venture School

In Stoneycroft Gill (Newlands) Again With Graham Simpson

Departure Time - Leaving For Exped

Just Chilling - A Solway Sunset & Carnival Crowds in Wigton!

Statistics

Hello everyone - just a short post at what remains the peak time of the year.

I just noticed that the two counters used on these pages have recently gone through significant numbers with overall page views past 25,000 & the "global" counter which has been running for a much shorter period of time past 5,000

So, to everybody who visits this site & reads the ramblings, its a massive thank you from me!!!

Mal

Another Busy Week - Thursday & Friday

For many of our young visitors & their teachers Thursday will have been the highlight of their week with In2venture (www.in2v.org) & stay at Blaithwaite House (www.blaithwaite.co.uk). Graham Simpson & myself took all of the residential attendees (in two groups - morning & afternoon) for a days gorge walking in Stoneycroft Gill - Newlands Vally.

I'm probably biased but Stoneycroft must be one of the top three wet gorge walks in the Lake District - a magnificent setting beneath Causey Pike; a series of natural slides; jumps; short swims & if you get far enough a beginners view of canyoning towards the end.

Anyway, despite the the long damp day that is involved when looking after back-back groups in the gorge - the kids & staff all had a great time: lots of smiling faces & shouts, screams & cheers. A really good day!

Friday

Friday is departure day for the school residential groups & their week concludes with some on-site activity & a final Kids Club meeting. It just left an opportunity to call in & say goodbyes before the next two schools arrive Monday......

Anyway, a welcome weekend off now lies ahead before another week at the crag & leading open canoe trips .......

Another Busy Week - Wednesday

For me it was a daytime off activity & an evening session on Bassenthwaite Lake with the Baden Powell Cubs from St Elisabeth's, Harraby in Carlisle.

The weathermen got it very wrong as a forecast sunny evening turned into a wet, humid & still scene at the Peel Wyke launch site. It was a group of seven plus leaders for a mixed sit-on kayak & open canoe session - directional control improved through the evening(!); there were a few games & everyone who wanted to get wet did!!

Boats re-loaded & "The Old Keswickian" chippy for a late tea.

Another Busy Week - Tuesday

We saw our first rain in Cumbria for some time on Tuesday.

I was due to be climbing outdoors at Headend Quarry but we re-arranged in favour of an indoor, on-site option. Three two hour sessions with groups of ten young people plus teaching staff.

Another Busy Week - Monday

Life is good at the moment - extremely busy - but very good!

I'm hoping to publish a week of very short posts each day, maybe just a photo, to try to give a flavour of another busy week working with school & youth groups in northern Cumbria.

Monday - a humid, warm day on the hill with a school group

Open Canoe Expedition

Alan Rainford & myself headed north last week with a group of seven adults for a four day trip by open canoe in the Loch Morar area. The journey up from Cumbria was long but relatively uneventful & we arrived at the west end of the loch on a fine sunny but windy evening.

On the water by about half five, the wind did indeed have a role to play in the evening's paddle. At force 4+ north westerly we were forced to stay close to the northern shore of the loch and paddle deep inyo bays in order to enjoy the lee offered by the high ground. A couple of hours in the boats saw us arrive at our first, beach, camp site.

Bed Under the Boat

An array of overnight options had been selected by those in the group - mainly tents but with Alan & myself choosing to sleep underneath our boats. Evening meals were cooked together around the fire & then a first for me on expedition - Brendan had brought a music quiz with him - it was a good evening.

The following morning saw fine weather & we continued our journey east up the loch.

One possibility had always been for us to portage across to Loch Nevis & make our exit back to Mallaig by sea. We assessed the portage, helping a solo paddler shift her bags & boat across, before deciding that with a worsening weather forecast for Friday - it was best to forego the sea based return & stay on Loch Morar. As such after lunch in the sun we continued, with a freshening wind at our backs towards the Oban Bothy. The last hour of this paddle turned into something quite exhilirating as we surfed fully laden boats towards the beach.

We were all able to cook outside in the sunshine before the second evening's entertainment - Brendan's pub quiz!

The next morning was an early start & the promised deterioration in the weather had not arrived, in fact as we paddled east along the loch things were looking good. We decided to make an open crossing, deliberately, at the widest point. This went well, however, as we completed it the first indications of the change in conditions began to materialise and within an hour we were paddling into a force 5-6 headwind and progress became painfully slow. After one or two forced stoppages where gusting wind made time on the water too dangerous to consider plus a period of lining the boats along a long stretch of beach we finally arrived at the bay opposite the islands towarts the western end of the loch - 12 hours of paddling to travel a linear distance of less than 12 miles. 

We stopped and cooked again at the bay in improving conditions & after much deliberation decided to make the final crossing between the islands back to where we had started from.

Thankfully, conditions continued to settle & the final paddle was ultimately made in good weather. Back at our start point - fire in again - and time to enjoy one last night in the wilderness.

We had a great Team for the week:

Ian & Emma; Sara; Brendan & Andy; Paul & James - Mr Rainford & Mr Tabb!!