A group of prospective hillwalkers slowly assembled in front of the UL. There were about fifty of us - a good number, allowing many of us second year freshers, who had previously missed out on a chance to try out the club because of the pandemic, a chance to go hillwalking at last.
We were divided into smaller groups, then got on the coach and set out. It rained throughout the drive, but as luck would have it, the rain had completely stopped by the time we arrived at our destination. We gathered in the parking lot, joined our respective groups, and set off for our respective walks. The trails were muddy, and we had to navigate around a few puddles throughout the day, but, mercifully, not a drop fell from the sky for the remainder of the trip.
The group I was in, led by Alexis and Camilla, had a 13km walk ahead, the first bit of which turned out to be the hardest, with a couple of very slippery slopes to traverse and a rocky, uneven stretch right afterwards. We got into a rhythm quite soon, and only stopped to either take pictures of sheep, cows, or the lovely view, or to check the route before moving forward, or to remove our waterproofs and other outer layers as we warmed up from the exercise. At times, we shared our trail with mountain cyclists, runners, or other hillwalkers, but mostly it felt like we had the mountains all to ourselves.
Eventually, we reached the highest point of our walk, indicated only by a large white stone marker next to the path, and after taking some pictures and expressing some amusement at the flatness of the surrounding area, we pressed on.
Later the wind picked up, and we had to stop briefly to put on our fleeces, hats, and gloves for the remainder of the walk. The idea of stopping for lunch was discussed, but while our route was magnificent as far as the view was concerned, there was no refuge from the wind to be seen, nor any natural place to stop as far as we could make out. We resolved that we had enough energy to keep going, and just in case munched on some snacks as we approached the last leg of the route and the descent. The vale of Edale finally came into view, and some timid rays of sunlight shone through the clouds as we admired the scene.
We arrived at the end of our walk and went into a nearby café, where we enjoyed a warm cuppa and ate our hard-earned lunches. The coach later took us to the starting point of the walk (we had ended at a different place), and we joined the rest of the walkers for the trip back to Cambridge, not failing to stop on the way at a service station for some dinner and hot beverages
We arrived in Cambridge tired but happy, ready for the week ahead, and already looking forward to the next trip.
Trip List: Alexis M, Camilla P, Oliver N, Sarah Mi, Miriam G, Andrew W, Lucy J, Bronwen F, Chris H, John-Jo B, Jeff F, Susannah P, Elliot B, Bill C, Macarena A, Xingjian L, Rhoda P, Nick N, James W, Dylan H, Clara G, Jacob F, Zach E, Georgia S, Willard N, Jakob S, Ethan M, Zac G, Samra P, Byron H, Negar R, Megan M, Tor T, Yuqing X, Rebecca B, Maud T, Adam D, Lucas M, Yijie Y, Rainer Y, Victor L, Linying S, Matthew J, Weilu Y, Teja P, Hazel G, Kieran R, Ana S, Andrew F, Joshua R, Yu W, Lucy W, Tiago P, Honour P, James F, Rebecca P, Grace S, Macarena A, Yunsung N, Olivia B, Ioan H, Lily M, Samantha K
At 7pm on Friday I joined the last group to depart Cambridge for Snowdonia, Wales, with Josh, Georgia and Nikhil, all of whom were new members to the club like myself.
We arrived around 11pm in the carpark close to the Bunkhouse, oblivious to the beautiful scenery surrounding us that was hidden by the darkness. After claiming the last available bunkbeds, we got to meet the rest of the group, a mix of people of different backgrounds, ages and hiking experiences united by a shared desire to get out of Cambridge routines and into nature, to experience the beauty of Snowdonia in autumn, and to meet friends with a shared love for the outdoors.
The next day during breakfast, everyone started to find other hikers with similar plans and objectives for the hikes, and groups started to form. Since it was forecast to rain, I decided to join Elliot’s group for a "sensible" valley hike, in a group that came to be known as, "The Sensible Seven".
Shortly after breakfast we began our walk from the bunkhouse and soon the rain decided to join us. However since we stayed in the valleys, the rain didn’t bother us as we continued on our scenic journey through forests coloured by autumn leaves.
We had planned the walk to include a beautiful lake, a waterfall and a cosy tea house. Around lunch time we reached the first highlight, a lake where we stopped for lunch. Then we continued on our way, passing by beautiful scenery we started getting to know each other better. After admiring the waterfall, in my opinion the highlight of the day, we decided to warm up at the “Ugly Teahouse” with some hot tea and delicious homemade cakes.
We arrived back at the bunkhouse just before dark. Hot showers and delicious food for dinner awaited us, and the evening was filled with delightful conversations about the day’s adventures.
On Sunday morning, I started my own group with Josh, Georgia and Nikhil to explore the mountain area west of the bunkhouse, and soon others joined. We decided to climb a mountain in order to enjoy views of the surrounding area. As we departed the bunkhouse we realised our luck: the rain had finally stopped. Ascending the mountain was difficult, the rain having made everything slippery and wet, but this only increased the feeling of achievement when we finally made it to the top, where we were rewarded with a breath-taking view of the valleys, lakes and mountains of Snowdonia.
For the way down we soon lost any trace of the trail we had intended to follow, and so struggled down the steep side of the mountain. When we finally made it down to the lake that we had seen from above we were all covered in mud and our shoes were sodden. But when we looked up the way we had come down we couldn't help but feel a little proud at having managed to go down the way that we did.
On the way back to the bunkhouse everyone was a little more subdued than when we had started out in the morning; no doubt we were all tired from our hike that turned out more difficult than anticipated.
At the bunkhouse we started cleaning up and saying goodbye to all the new friends we had made that weekend and then soon started our journey back to Cambridge.
Sitting again in the car with Josh, Georgia, Nikhil, and Ali, I thought about what we had experienced this weekend. Of course we were all now more smelly, more tired and had significantly wetter socks than when we started the trip two days prior, but we had made new friends, got to experience the beauty of Snowdonia in autumn, and had regained energy and mental clarity, ready for the return to our regular routines and work in Cambridge.
Trip List: Katja N, Danny V, Elliot B, Oliver N, Bill C, Hendrik R, Thomas S, Ashray G, Emily J, Johsua R, Samra P, Kathryn L, Tommy R, Honour P Mario D, Noah S, Kate P, Grace S, Nikhil G, Iris H, Alessandre A, Yuqian L, Juliane R, Nick N, Varun S, John-Jo B, Stani G, Georgia S, Lingfeng L
[Railway tannoy chimes] We regret that the... CUHWC trip report for... Bullpot farm... is delayed by approximately.. 4 months. CUHWC committee apologises for this late running and the inconvenience this may cause you.
In May 2022 CUHWC members descended on Bullpot Farm for the penultimate trip of the (academic) year, a location notable for its most alpine of bunks and being the last weekend trip location pre-covid [citation needed]. Due to budget cuts and fallible memory the remainder of this trip report will take the form of a bulletted list of highlights:
Sorry for the late report,
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On Friday evening I joined the last car to leave Cambridge for the Yorkshire Dales, with James, Ane, Kerry and Nikhil. The internationalism of our group, with links to Spain, the US, India, the UK and France, made for interesting conversation as we sped northwards.
Once we had arrived at the bunkhouse and claimed our bunkbeds, we joined the rest of the group downstairs, where plans were made for the next day’s walks.
In the morning we set off on walks in our various groups. My group made its way alongside a river as it weaved its way through a narrow valley. In the fine conditions, we could well appreciate the autumnal colours. We saw the ruins of an old building, and a cave which some of us ventured into, albeit not far.
We stopped for lunch in a scenic and sheltered-enough spot. Nikhil ascended the nearby hill to enjoy far-reaching views; I followed. Alessandre chilled. Mario made coffee.
The remainder of the walk featured such CUHWC staples as walking, talking, following rivers, and admiring sheep. An unusual highlight was Nikhil’s demonstration of an interesting technique which he suggested would aid socialising on walks. It involves walking backwards in front of someone who is walking forwards, so as to better engage the person in conversation. While the group was interested in the concept, scepticism was expressed, not least because of the intense nature of such interactions.
Back in the bunkhouse, we enjoyed rest, socialising and shared meals. Jeff organised a group photo. After washing up, it was time for tea and cards. My blue slippers drew appreciative comments, including from a suspected kleptomaniac who, not content with having stolen my mug, eyed my slippers greedily until realising they were too big and were sadly not “extendable”. Singing followed, and was enjoyed and / or endured by all.
The next morning was fine, albeit cold and windy. Honour, Joanna, Alessandre, Mario and I drove to Reeth. From there, we began a walk which started by taking us to a bridge which no longer existed (we’ve since replaced that map). We subsequently found and crossed a bridge which existed, and made our way to higher ground, from whose vantagepoint we enjoyed beautiful views of the valley below and hills beyond.
After a while we took a break in the shelter of a wall, swapped food and partook of Mario’s coffee.
Later, as we descended the hills, conversation turned to childhood experiences. I recalled those fads which had gripped the school playground, from Yo-Yos and Beyblades to Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh! Little did I know that my enthusiastic rendition of the Yu-Gi-Oh! theme tune would be generously rewarded at this year’s CUHWC Christmas Curry, where I received two Yu-Gi-Oh! booster packs from my Secret Santa.
On returning to Reeth, we stopped for lunch at a picnic table on the village green, just outside the Ivy Cottage Tearoom, where we enjoyed a pleasant time in the November sun.
Back at the bunkhouse, we packed, tidied, hoovered and cleaned. Soon it was time for the final remaining cars to leave for Cambridge. I joined one of the more luxurious cars, where I discovered the horror of a heated car seat. As night drew in, a beautiful full moon appeared, a sight which was soon accompanied by that classic song, “Dancing in the Moonlight”.
As we arrived back in Cambridge it was with those familiar feelings of gratitude for a great weekend on the hills with fellow hillwalkers, but also a tinge of regret that our adventure should be concluded.
Until the next time!
Trip List: Jeff F, Oliver N, Alessandre A, Hendrik R, Kieran R, James W, Sam W, Hazel G, Megha B, Ane G, Tommy R, Honour P, Mario D, Joanna W, Grace S, Nikhil G, Minja A, Yuqian L, Andrew F, Carla P, Nick N, Juliane R, Kerry Ann V, Animesh J
The last of the trilogy of trips the club embarked on this Michaelmas saw 29 plucky Cantabs venture into the cold region of The Lake District. The trip started like any other with groups bundling into cars before heading into the night, along with the now customary Burger King stop that a few of the newcomers have become used to.
Arriving at Rydal Hall, a place near where the famous poet William Wordsworth once lived, we were impressed at how nice the bunkhouse was. Soon beds had been taken, walks planned, and the club settled down for the night.
Saturday’s weather was bleak, but that did not stop us from venturing out into the cold, wet Cumbrian countryside. As usual the walks were varied, with some groups tackling intense peaks surrounded by snow-capped mountains, and others going around lakes and even on a whistle-stop tour of some caves!
In the evening we enjoyed the classic meal of the final trip of the year: a Christmas dinner wonderfully prepared by Andrew W and others, which was a feast to remember. That is not to mention “Tommy’s concoction tea”, which proved a shocking hit! This was followed by the classic singing part of the evening as well as the card games that may have brought out the more competitive side of some people. Trips were also planned with Danny V and Chris K deciding to tackle the snowy peaks again with ice axes and crampons.
Sunday was blessed with clear skies and fantastic views. Fresh snow had fallen and the peaks glistened with beauty. Some groups decided to enjoy more gentle strolls, others a hardcore trail. One group ended up summiting the one hill with no snow, but was rewarded with views that will remain with them for a lifetime.
In the little town of Grasmere, where William Wordsworth once taught next to a church that was dedicated to Saint Oswald, King of the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Northumbria, a steady stream of tired Cantabs paid a visit to the famous gingerbread shop. For a short while, Grasmere heard the sounds of joy of hillwalkers sharing stories of the day’s adventures, and the munching of gingerbread.
And with that, the sun began to set on the final day of the club’s final trip of the year, as groups slowly filtered back to Cambridge, taking with them happy memories of the trip, the year, and most importantly… Gingerbread!
Trip List: Andrew W, Danny V, Oliver N, Mario D, Ashray G, Thomas S, Callan H, Bill C, Chris K, Stani G, Laura W, Yuqian L, Rebekka F, Nick N, Leona K, Lucia K, Lianne L, Tommy R, Paul F, Margherita C, Megha B, Zoe D, Yungsum N, Nikhil G, Ane G, Matthew B, John-Jo B, Paul C, Adam D
On Friday evening, I joined James’ car (aka Walshie) to depart Cambridge for Ennerdale, a beautiful lake situated within the Lake District. After being very carsick and picking up Mario as his car broke down, everyone finally arrived at the bunkhouse at around 11pm. We were greeted by the bunkhouse owner who told us numerous stories, the most memorable ones being the amount of gin he brews and how three hedgehogs claimed free real estate within the bunkhouse. Despite everyone’s desire to immediately occupy a bed and sleep, we were all defeated by the cuteness of Shadow, the friendliest cat that you will ever meet.
On Saturday morning, we were all woken up by Shadow, who was seeking attention from everyone. Following breakfast, we all ventured out into the “lovely UK weather". As usual, routes vary. I was in the group that attempted to summit Haystacks (Wainwright’s favourite hill) whilst others walked around Ennerdale Lake. Unfortunately, my group had to turn back at Scarth Gap after a few of us got blown over by 70 mph+ gusts and several rain covers being blown off. We then got a well-deserved snack at a lovely pub in Ennerdale Bridge before returning to the bunkhouse. The day was summed up by singing the classic Cow song next to the fireplace with Shadow.
On Sunday, the weather was significantly better. Some of us summited Red Pike, whilst my group got a 360-degree view at Bowness Knot near Ennerdale Lake. Following a difficult goodbye to Shadow, we all met up at Keswick for a lovely lunch at the pub.
The journey back was interesting as well. I was again in Walshie’s car and the roads were covered in snow. We had an exciting detour back onto unlit country roads due to Isabelle’s Google maps and enjoyed the endless loop of Taylor Swift as requested by Grace. We finally arrived back in Cambridge, all tired and looking forward to the next weekend trip.
Trip List: Nick N, James W, Elliot B, Ashray G, Thomas S, Georgia S, Joshua R Mario D, Alessandre A, Kieran R, Tommy R, Nikhil G, Grace S, Oona C, Isabelle G, Ralph B, Rajalakshmi N, Katerina Y, Liheng y, Gideon W, Patrycja K, Rainer Y, Zoe D, Adam D, Natasha M, Classia T, Lily F, Thomas G
On Friday, 19 lucky hillwalkers set off from Churchill college for the last trip of term. We were heading up to Rosedale on the North York Moors and were buzzing as we piled into the waiting rental cars. Although setting off first, my car arrived last, to a bunkhouse already explored and bustling. This was in part due to a detour to Wetherby Services for the superior fast-food selection as well as our chosen winding route over the top of the moors.
The Bunkhouse was large, and clean, with a fantastic communal area which we utilised effectively for increasingly fervent card games. On the first night however, we planned routes in small groups, and all inevitably ended up with the same walk planned. On realising this, we headed to bed, anxiously anticipating the landscape we’d wake up to.
The next morning, we all miraculously awoke on time, donned our waterproofs, and gathered as a group to start the walk. After a couple of obligatory loops of the village, we found the footpath and split into smaller groups: Tom’s heading off first, followed by Nick’s, with Annabel’s at the rear.
After a dangerously muddy climb up the first hill of the trip, Nick and Tom’s group merged into one, and we stayed together as we followed an old Victorian railway along the edges of the moorland. Huge archways, chimneys and the remnants of old houses littered our path, constantly distracting us with photo and climbing opportunities. Whilst the larger group traipsed casually along the right path, Annabel’s deviated slightly, bagging themselves an accidental extra hill and a trip past Bell End farm, before the groups finally reunited at the pub, where we indulged in some massive, or Yorkshire size medium, hot puddings.
The walk then followed the railway back into Rosedale, passing an intimidating mine shaft and some pigs on the way, and culminated with trips to both a second pub and, in my case, a tearoom.
We stayed up late playing card games (including a particularly political version of President), cooking (in my case sloppy bean fajitas), and making various trips back to the pub. The night culminated in the obligatory sing-song from the club song book, which of course included Bohemian Rhapsody and the Cow Song.
The next day we split into two more decisive groups, with a group of four choosing to visit some ruins whilst the rest of us drove for a walk deeper in the moorland. Our hike included some scrambling over rocks, a fantastic waterfall, and a trip to Hogsmeade station from Harry Potter, and, despite Isabel losing a shoe to a particularly boggy path, we had a great time!
We arrived back to Rosedale with time to visit the tearooms again, where we debated the best potato type whilst eating chips and toasties. We then cleaned the Bunkhouse and separated back into cars for the ride home, taking with us boxes of unfinished cake and chips, and some wonderful memories from a terrific last trip of term.
Trip List: Nick N, Stanimira G, Annabel M, Oona C, Ashray G, Thomas S, Grace S, Isabelle G, Eva C, Oliver B, Kieran R, Christian D, Rhoda P, Lucy D, Juan L, Pinzon R, Isabel M, Thomas G, Samantha A
The trip started very scenically for me - at the car park of Blyth services where I joined James’ car mid journey. After cramming my bags into the already jam-packed boot, we took a break at the service station. Greggs was raided for their steak pies, and back in the car Tommy gave an in depth account of the subtleties of Costa’s oat milk chai.
Six and a bit hours of Taylor Swift later, (much appreciated by everyone, Grace) we were the first car at the bunkhouse. The sun was out, making its way through the trees, and the holiday had begun! Eventually, all 17 Cambridge hillwalkers made it safely to Muir Cottage in the Cairngorms.
This is where the trip report’s chronology is going to go out of the window because a) my memory resembles that of a small orange fish and b) it is almost impossible to recount five days in an accurate and cohesive temporal linearity.
We met Cat and Mike, the two leaders of our winter skills courses, on the first night. They went over what the course would cover over the next two days. Afterwards, they checked the suitability of our waterproofs (for precipitation that shockingly never arrived) and hired crampons.
For Cat’s group, the next two days consisted of trying to find the odd patch of snow, putting crampons on, lots of tangents about rock formation courtesy of Ralph, bouncing on fat men’s bellies (a bog covered with a thin layer of solid turf that makes one able to stand on top and use it as a trampoline) and much talk of Sphagnum Moss, in all its fascinating versatility.
We practised map and navigation skills, using crampons, and ice axe arrests. Stani tried to learn how to slide on a snowy bank but, alas, denied gravity and was unsuccessful. The views of the Scottish highlands were much more than we could’ve asked for.
After we had had another day of walking in crampons over patches of snow and ice, we said goodbye to Mike and Cat. This day had included walking up a steep snow-covered face that fell steeply away to our left side and trying to deduce where the rivers were underneath the snow so we didn’t have to trek back to the cafe sodden.
Soon after we left our instructors at the cafe, the news that it was Andrew’s birthday tomorrow and we that needed a cake became known. Tommy, can you eat lemons? Good - lemon cake it is.
On the third day Stani, Macarena, Andrew and I took a froggy long path around a lake. This was scheduled to be our last day of absolute sun, which called for a freezing dip in the lake after we had met another CUHWC walk! Meanwhile, Nick, Chris, Tommy and Ralph cycled to Derry Lodge for a walk up Ben Macdui, while Paul and Alexis went on other more adventurous walks.
Back in Muir Cottage, I accidentally grilled the lemon cake. Luckily Stani saved it by transferring it to another oven that actually worked. After the cake was baked and a little burnt, James and Grace decorated it exquisitely. (“The cake was the highlight of my week” - Andrew).
That night I joined the Astrology group for one of its outings. We didn’t see the rarely-seen galaxy we had hoped to, but I did see many stars I hadn't known had names.
On the final day I joined Ralph on a looping walk from the bunkhouse that was scheduled to take 6 hours. Our pace was rapid, the sky threatened rain but held off, and I learnt a lot about rocks. We walked along the river after being on the ridgeline and explored some old ruins. We were first back to the bunkhouse so we tidied up a bit. In the evening, much talk was had around the fire and a group decided to play hide and seek with head torches in the dark surrounding forest.
The next morning we packed the cars and tidied the bunkhouse. Alexis, Andrew, Chris and I made up the last car and so it was for us to take all the rubbish bags to Braemar. They were neatly deposited next to the recycling bins, where locals assured us they’d be collected. We were soon back in the car listening to folk (?) music.
Our next stop was Edinburgh which involved dropping off Alexis, my first Asda, and frantically scrubbing a few pairs of hired boots on the curb. Back in the car again. Final stop, Blyth services.
Friday (by Kathryn)
When I was wondering what location we would be taken to for the mystery trip, I did not consider that it might be the Lake District. This was primarily because we were setting off at past 6pm (approaching 7pm), and our service station stop was in Rugby, Warwickshire. A stop in the south midlands seemed most likely to indicate a trip to the peak district, or maybe mid Wales. I was proven wrong.
We were given a coded message by Nick to help us work out the location in the car. This revealed that the location was to be found in the first paragraph of the trip email. It took almost another hour to notice that the first letters of each sentence revealed the place name ‘CONISTON’.
The car containing myself, Ranga, John-Jo, Donna and Sam approached the bunkhouse at around 2am. I say approached and not arrived because unfortunately the steep road up to the bunkhouse proved too much for our rented Kia. The car decided it was quite happy where it was, so we got out and walked the rest of the way to the bunkhouse. Ash managed to coax the car up the hill, where it was to stay until Sunday afternoon when the RAC man deigned to show up.
Saturday
The next day, the weather was dry and mild, a wonderful contrast to the 30 degree heat we had been suffering in Cambridge. While many people on this trip had signed up for the scrambling course, John-Jo and I were not among them. Instead, we decided on an ambitious walk: 18km over about 3 mountains. “What made it hard was we were going up and down from the ridge a lot,” says John-Jo. Lucy, Liane, Charlotte and Harveen signed up for our walk, knowing not what we had in store for them.
We started strong, climbing Old Man Coniston by an effective but accidentally unconventional route. We got to appreciate the area’s copper mining heritage, passing abandoned mining cottages and mine shafts, a fair amount of scrap metal, and a working quarry.
We were going strong, until we reached the bottom of the third mountain and found the path upwards had been entirely overgrown with ferns. Undaunted, we trekked upwards through the ferns. The lack of daunt did not last long though, so we devised an alternative route. The plan was to avoid summitting the third peak, instead skirting around it and sliding down the side of the mountain. Our short-cut proved hopefully better than the alternative, and thanks to John-Jo’s leadership, we made it back to the bunkhouse just past 7pm, ready to immediately start cooking.
After dinner, we were called to a meeting. Five people had to stay behind on Sunday. This was because the RAC had offered to provide alternative transport in case the car couldn’t be fixed, and they might arrive in the morning and want to immediately transport people back. Ranga, Lucy, Liane, Charlotte and Harveen heroically volunteered to not go out on a walk, and we could finally go to bed.
Sunday (by John-Jo)
After a long night’s rest, with one group already returned from a dawn walk, Kathryn and I prepared to set out again. After restarting the fridge, which someone had unplugged to charge their phone, we set out. Today’s walk would be a repeat of the route navigated by Grace, Donna and group the previous day. It began as previously with a long climb up the Old Man, this time taking the gentler (but less direct) intended path. A short but picturesque ridge traverse and rocky descent lead us to a well maintained (and flat!) track back to the bunkhouse.
Due to the ease of the terrain when compared to the first day’s adventure we arrived back shortly after mid-day, only to be greeted by Ranga and his Newnham cohort still waiting longingly for RAC salvation. Within a few hours the remaining walkers and scramblers had returned, and soon too did the mechanic. Apparently, the problems that had halted us and thrown up an engine light, were either easy fixes or non-issues as within the hour we were all away. Back to Cambridge with all the vehicles we had left with.