A Fantastic Ridge Walk - Ullock Pike, Long Side, Carl Side and Dodd

View from Dodd towards Derwentwater - spectacular! 

Another bank holiday had arrived and I was meant to be coming over to our lovely holiday home at Whitegate Caravan Park, with my sister Pat, but due to a flare up with a back problem she was unable to come (plus she nearly sliced her thumb end off with a new vegetable slicing contraption on Thursday night!!!).  So, i decided to check out the Lake District National Park events calendar to see if anything was going on as I knew they had a great programme of events scheduled.  There were two things listed for the Saturday and the walk that took my fancy was up Ullock Pike and was in an area that I have never walked before so thought it sounded like a good one to go on. It turned out to be a fantastic ridge walk with the most spectacular views. 

The Coledale Horseshoe - well, a variation on a theme! - 9 May 2015

I'd hummed and hahhed about whether I was fit enough to do a walk of this magnitude and when I got up on the Saturday morning and checked out the weather forecast decided I wasn't going to do it!  

My BFF (Brenda) and her family were staying in Mountain Cottage in Stair in the Newlands Valley so I would be driving there from our lovely static caravan at Whitegate Caravan Park near Appleby to walk the Coledlale Horseshoe with them starting at the cottage. I texted Brenda to say I wouldn't be doing it because I thought a) the weather would be too bad and 2) I wasn't fit enough to do 9 miles up these big mountains.  So, miserably I sat and had my breakfast and after feeling sorry for myself, gave myself a good talking to and told myself not to be such a defeatist and text her back to say I'd changed my mind but would we be able to cut it a little but shorter to say 7 ish miles and she replied saying yes as there were plenty of "escape routes" along the way. So, without further ado I packed my rucky, loaded  the Heidster in the car and off we jolly well went.  

We started the walk from Mountain Cottage and picked up the right path easily and from then on it was up, up, up and up!  The first summit we would reach would be Causey Pike 637 m (2090 ft).  As we started off it was very cloudy and a bit drizzly so we put waterproofs on because, according to the BBC weather app, it was going to be light rain most of the morning with heavy rain at 12 o'clock.  I'm happy to report that the BBC got it wrong and the early light drizzle stopped almost straight away and the clouds parted and the sun started to shine, making it a very very nice day to walk.

Short bimble along the road from Stair to the start of the walk

The path up was easily distinguishable and as you can imagine, the higher we went the better the views became.  We ascended steadily across the northern slopes of Rowling End reaching the rocky summit of Causey Pike

Gear Review - Craghopper Kiwi Pro Stretch Walking Trousers and Craghopper Fleecy Lined Winter Trousers

Over the years I have bought and worn many different makes and models of walking trousers but in later years, due to my increasing size and other age related things, I began to find that wearing trousers with no stretch in them often made for an uncomfortable walk, especially if there was a lot of leg lifting going on either up or downhill!  

Because of this I decided to buy and wear trousers with some stretch (Elastine) in the fabric so it was just a matter of finding a pair which fit my shape, including my "thunder thighs" which is actually not as easy as some people might think.  I am envious of anyone who can just pick up a pair of trousers or other kit (boots for instance) and wear them and be spoiled for choice because every pair fits well. 

A friend of mine had been wearing Craghopper trousers for a number of years and always spoke highly of their comfort so I thought I'd give them a go and I'm really glad I did.  

The Kiwi Pro Stretch come in a number of different styles and colours including zip-offs, shorts, crops and just plain old ordinary trousers and obviously price depends on where you shop.  

They have all sizes from size 8 to size 20 and the full length ones are available in three lengths - Short (28 inch), Regular (31 inch) and Long (33 inch).  

A lot of the outdoors shops (for example Cotswolds Outdoors, The Great Outdoors and Go Outdoors) do a price match if you can get it cheaper online which is a great thing because there can be a difference of up to £10 between online and shop prices, which could get you a new pair of walking socks, and if you can get it cheaper online some of them will also beat that price by an extra 10%!  

Spoiled for choice for size and colour

From the spring time to autumn I wear the above style and have them in two colours and I really feel comfortable in them.  They are hard wearing and last quite a long time - I wear mine almost every day for walking so they get worn and washed very regularly.  I have only recently thrown away a pair that I have had for three years. 

Annapurna Panorama Trek - Part 2, 1 - 17 December 2013 - The hard bit!

As we booked our holiday to Nepal through K E Adventure Ltd I have decided to support the charity that they are involved with which is  The Juniper Trust.  If you feel you would like to support this charity by donating some money to help with the rescue and support of the Nepalese people, please click on the link above to find out more about the fantastic work they carry out.  Their fundraising page is https://www.justgiving.com/JuniperTrust-Nepal-Earthquake-Fund/.  Please give generously.  

Onwards and Upwards!

Hopefully you've had the chance to read the first part (the sightseeing bit) of my account of our holiday in Nepal which I posted here a couple of weeks ago.  I always intended to write this second part this week but deliberated about it due to the terrible tragedy of what has happened in Nepal this week.  

I've decided to go ahead with it and let you share in the fantastic journey we had which was in the most part due to the brilliant local trek and tour guides that looked after us.  Nothing was ever too much trouble for them and the attention they gave us was always gratefully received.  

Tshiring Sherpa - Agency Representative

Kami Lakpa Sherpa - Trek Guide

Hridaya Shrestha - Tour Guide

Narayan Shrestha - Porter

Hari KC - Porter

We are thinking of you all and hope you and your families are all well.

 L to R - Gavin, Me, Mary, Kami and Hridaya

College Valley, Northumberland - a trip up to the Schil - 20 April 2015

For quite some time now it's been on the cards that my friend Carol would take me for a walk in the College Valley, a place in Northumberland that is stunning and heart-lifting, and that day was Monday 20 April. Please click on the link above to find out more about the fascinating history of the area - it's amazing!  

With boots and rucksack packed in the car, Carol and I set off with our trusty hounds - Heidi and Phoebe. The journey from home to the College Valley is quite a long one and should have taken about 1½ hours but unfortunately on the way, while I was driving, I started to have a migraine! Not good!! We pulled over at the Catspaw picnic area and I sat with my head in my hands trying to will the "flashy lights" away and after about 20 minutes they subsided but as usually happens after I get a migraine, I was ravenous. Fortunately for me there was a burger van in the picnic area so I bought a bacon buttie which really did hit the spot. We set off again and I was quite mesmerised at the views as we travelled along the track in the valley past North Blackhaggs to the parking place at Mounthooley Youth Hostel which was as far as it was possible to drive a car.

Border Ridge, here we come

Anyone wanting to walk here has to buy a permit from the Smith's Gore office in Wooler before arriving in the valley as they limit the number of cars allowed in the valley to protect the environment which can't be a bad thing.