Cheviots, 3—5 February 2017

Is there any better way to start the CUHWC 2017 adventure series than a sunny weekend dash up to the Scottish border? An atmospheric and relatively comfortable bunkhouse, good luck with the weather, and wonderful company (as ever!) made the beautiful rolling Cheviots a perfect destination for the first trip of the term.

The drive was long, yes, but not as bad as I’d expected, and with frequent-enough pit stops it was definitely worth it. We arrived quite late on Friday night, but this didn’t stop anyone from attacking the hills the next day in all earnesty. Some people chose to admire the beautiful views from the Pennine Way, some faced the wind on the top of the Cheviot itself, and some ended up walking a lot further than they’d originally planned (a pub stop was enjoyed as a result!). The views and walks were perfect, and with the bunkhouse being hidden away in a quiet valley, it was a world away from the bustle of city life. Legs aching pleasantly, we enjoyed a lovely evening of food and songs, and once it had got late enough, some people grabbed the headtorches and went on a night hike to make the most of being in the middle of a Dark Sky Park. Unfortunately, the clouds didn’t quite reveal the stars this time, but it was a lovely walk nonetheless.

Sunday morning again saw us scaling hill after hill in the sunshine, and we made the most of the day before reluctantly saying goodbye to Scotland and heading back homewards. It was such a peaceful, fun, leg-testing and beautiful weekend, that I’m already forward to the next one.