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Sunday 15 March 2009

TGO Challenge English Gathering
















Put the tent up, alongside a few others in the ever-so-slightly-tilted grassy bits around Snake Inn’s car park, had a beer, had another beer, had some more beer, then made a cup of tea on my NEW STOVE. Boils very quick and doesn’t scorch the grass.
Friday night at the Snake Inn was purely for a spot of lightweight convivial boozing.

Saturday dawned clear and windy and a large bunch (or is it a bunch of large) Challengers hurtled off to Edale in some laid-on transport and , after some initial hesitation where nobody could decide whether or not there was a walk leader, we sort of started drifting off towards Scotland, up the Pennine Way.

It were windy. At a rest stop Sue Banfield produced a box of caramel shortcake and we all got cold.

Later, Kinder Downfall was blowing backwards, as it does sometimes and nobody could find the Kinder Eggs. There were suspicions that whoever said that this was the origin of the famous kiddie’s sweety may have been telling porkies for their own nefarious enjoyment. Personally, I’m not so sure.

The party split at the North end of the plateau and some went off down the direct path whilst others (including me) padded along the flags for a bit more Pennine Way, cut down Doctors Gate and finished with a flourish in some woods.

The Snake Inn is a fine choice for a grand gnoshup and a fine dinner was had. Various well-know challengers and bloggers and challenger/bloggers were there (as you’ve probably already worked out) and it was nice to meet Sue and Martin Banfield of Postcard from Timperley fame, and Phil (Lord Elpus) and Tina (Miss Whiplash) Lambert who do yer Doodlecat and Alvar and Anne who you may remember we met in the snowy Lake District a few weeks ago. Rather nice to meet Miss Whiplash in the flesh, as it happens and she did assure me that the wheals and rope marks will wear off with time. The hot poker burns may take longer. Anyway, it were a cracking do. Most, or at least some of the usual suspects were there and there was a fair smattering of Challenge virgins, and one or two people who had never done it before either.

Sunday saw me doing a little round around Black Edge and Comb Moss somewhere quite near to Chapel en le Frith. It’s a cracking walk to go around this edge – everywhere steep and rocky below, but magnificently level walking. Go off the path at your peril, though as the dangerously tough tussocks tend to trap the off-route tourist. I bet you can’t read that last bit with a gobful of toast, innit?

Finished with a flourish by driving up the M1.
See who you can identify in the photo. The prize is a night out with all of them at the Park Hotel in Montrose. Make your own way there and you'll have to buy the beer.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

A "cracking" do indeed, Mike!! Glad you enjoyed it :-)

Martin Rye said...

Pennines, beer, and a walk with Challengers. Sounded like a great time Mike.

Mike Knipe said...

Took me a while to get pointedness of your comment about a "cracking" do Miss W. We had lashings of fun Martin, as it happens. Don't want to flog this joke any further, though, wouldn't like to be pilloried for whipping up any aminosity.
Scoff was good, too...

Diane said...

Looks like a great day! Beer and caramel cake ... mmmm

Mike Knipe said...

Bit of a delay, here, Diane - for which my apologies, but I've been away for a couple of days.
Any road up - you're right, beer, good company and caramel shortcake - fab stuff. I tried making my own caramel shortcake as it happens and, as they say, the results were disappointing. (sloppy caramel) too much of something or not enough of another...?

Phreerunner said...

Looks like I was bringing up the rear there, Mike. Trying to keep up with your cracking pace.
Our first visit to a TGOC social function, and very sociable it was. A grand occasion.

Mike Knipe said...

Pah! Cracking pace? The Pie goes no quicker than his little legs will go. All good, clean fun, though. I'd definately do it again...