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Monday 22 November 2010

Wet Wandering in Weardale Without a Full Set of Gloves

elephant trees in the clag
At the last DVCRS** AGM, a couple of weeks ago, I volunteered to lead a few walks in the Durham County Council Guided walks programme for next summer.
Durham CC has a big programme of guided walks with at least two walks every week, and often many more than that. And they’re very popular.
wet cattle
So, I’ve planned out four walks altogether. The idea is that I’ll walk each of the routes over the next few dark and damp weeks and then present them to the volunteer co-ordinator with some dates and some background info, risk assessments and so on. I’ll need to walk the routes again just before they’re due to take  place, just to make sure that the Cross Fell Mer de Glace hasn’t covered them up with a fresh layer of glacial drift or anything like that.
Today was the turn of Walk #1, it being the first walk wot I did.
the clag
This took place in heavy rain and a bit of hill-clag. And I lost one of the seal skin gloves I bought in Alston the other week. Bugger. Anybody know a one –handed person who just needs a left handed glove? They can have it. Its a good glove.
Anyway – I started in Wolsingham, went up by the Elephant Trees, down to Bollihope and back along the riverside.
her turn to go for the shopping
The Elephant Trees have appeared in this blog before – but for anybody unfamiliar with them, they’re a group of trees on the Weardale skyline which probably once looked a bit like a group of elephants. Weardalers are very fond of them. They contain lots of romantic graffiti.
bollihope quarry
And Bollihope has appeared on the blog, too. There’s a nice limestone quarry, with a pinnacle and some trial levels into the Slit Vein, a partially preserved lead mine complete with netty (toilet) and some extensive lime kilns and another quarry containing some Frosterly marble.
And then there’s the river, with kingfishers, herons and jumping salmon.
dvcrs walk 1 013
somebody mentioned the vet
We both got wet and Bruno got to run around in the empty fields. And I lost me glove. Did I mention that?
Anyway, its a good walk that works quite well. 11 Miles and 1100 feet of upness with mainly very easy walking.
It’ll do.
I need a glove shop.
**DVCRS = Durham Voluntary Countryside Ranger Service
dvcrs walk one

10 comments:

AlanR said...

Shame about the glove Mike. I believe Napoleon is still wandering round looking for a left hand glove!

Mike Knipe said...

I stand corrected, Alan, it's a right hand glove that remains.
Anybody missing a left hand can have it. Its extra large so that a thin glove can be worn inside for that extra toastyness.
I could issue a small reward for it's return, I suppose.

Laura said...

That looks a good walk, Mike. Maybe you'll find your lost glove when you check out the route next time. After all ONE glove isn't much good to most people - as you've discovered!

Mike Knipe said...

Most of the paths are quite popular, Laura, so, I expect somebody will notice it and ignore it...
As you say, when you've got one glove, you usually feel like having another...

Laura said...

I'm a bit like that with biscuits...

Mike Knipe said...

With me its crisps. And peanuts.

And whisky...




Chocolate digestives....

Laura said...

Surely you mean crisp's........
and peanut's .....

Mike Knipe said...

Of cour'se.....

Greg said...

I was thinking of getting some of those Sealskin gloves but I think I saw a bad review somewhere (Andy Howell?} How do you find them, as I quite like the socks.?

Mike Knipe said...

How do I find them? I only find one of them and I'd like to know where the other one is....
I got a pair sized extra large so that I could put a pair of thinsulate/wool mix gloves underneath (50 pence a pair!)
I liked the gloves - they're stretchy and windproof and very comfy - as they're supposed to be and I had only worn liner gloves once. I suffer badly from cold digits due to medication - and I mean really badly, and these, either alone or in combination were quite fab.
I'm going to buy a replacement pair (unless somebody will sell me a left hand)
Andy doesn't seem to do much walking........koff.....