Rydal, 28-30 October 2011

Submitted by Andrew Williamson on Wed, 02/11/2011 - 01:36

The first weekend trip of Michaelmas 2011 went to the generously sized Rydal Hall Youth Centre in the Lake District, an ideal location to explore the Eastern and Southern Fells’ wonders. Saturday’s weather was poor: cloud at about 600m all day, (heavy) rain and cold temperatures. Nevertheless, nobody was deterred: two groups walked the entire southern Langdale skyline from Pike of Blisco to Bowfell (though the groups’ definitions of ‘entire’ differed somewhat…). Others walked the Fairfield Horseshoe. With this being the Halloween trip, there were the usual Halloween-themed activities, along with plenty of punch and singing (complete with the new song book!) too. Sunday’s weather was only marginally better for those that remained in the Eastern Fells. But, for those that returned to Langdale (indeed, of the five that went there on Sunday, four had been there the previous day too), the weather was better and they walked and scrambled with only the odd passing cloud all day. We can but hope for better weather in time for the Caseg Fraith trip.

Trip Participants

Matthew Graham, Andrew Williamson, Tom Ashton, Jo Smith, Mohammad Dmour, Paul Cook, Tom Wright, Helen Phillips, Sara Reardon, Jane Patrick, Bethan Gudgeon, Peter Kirkwood, Valerie Ashton, Julian Peat, Gareth Ainsworth, Doug Hull, Kirsty Brown, Simon Williams, David Mackenzie, Dave Farrow, James Ritchie, Lucy Stone, Nathalie Saurat, Kerrie Taylor-Jones, Andres Villar, Madeline Yates, Mark Jackson, Gaspard Pelurson, Joe Hobbs, Andrena Ball, Anne Moindrot, Rebecca Howard, Leen Saif, Jessica Walsh & Chloe France.

Walk Reports

Hillwalkers' Rain-induced Sentiments (AB)

Enter a trip during which the Lake District experiences some adverse weather conditions.
The hillwalkers awoke early on Saturday morning. It was observed that a heavy grey cloud was covering the entire area, promising a liberal dousing of heavy grey rain.
‘Never mind,’ thought the baggers, making no changes to their long and meandering route card, and they proceeded to tramp grimly up each and every significant [really?!] elevation.
‘How splendid,’ exclaimed the misanthropes (to themselves in a corner), ‘this will keep the half-term hoards off the mountains,’ and they went off up an obscure valley to enjoy the fog-induced solitude.
‘Typical,’ sighed the old hands as they contemplated yet another circuit of the Fairfield Horseshoe, trailing freshers without even the consolation of a view.
‘Umm… Shame about the rain, but it’s still going to be such FUN!’ enthused the freshers as they set off from the bunkhouse…