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Sunday 9 May 2010

Last Pennine Snow on Cross Fell

bruno pounces on some snow.
I was supposed to do this walk a few days ago, but the weather was duff and me lickle legs wuz tired….
So I did it today instead.
george and dragon garrigill
Me and superdawg started by the sad spectacle of a boarded up George and Dragon in Garrigill . There’s a save the George and Dragon meeting in Alston on 14 May when the villagers will decide if they can form a co-operative to buy and run the place. I hope they can – there’s been shenanigans, apparently.
shepherding south tynedale
Anyway, for speed, we romped off up the tarmac towards the South Tyne, eventually pitching up by Troutbeck (which had a trout in it) for lunch.
We followed the bridleway up to meet the Pennine Way and followed this northwards over various Dun fells till we got to Cross Fell.
pennine way junction a dun fell
another dun fell dun fells retrospect
There, we met a lad with a lump of iron. This particular lump of iron (ore, actually…) had some speckles in it which I thought were pyrites and a strange dark blue mineral in regular squares. I had no idea what it was, but , as there’s a good phone signal on the top of Cross Fell, I phoned Brian.
cross fell summit
Gilda said that the last she’d heard of Brian, he had stripped his son, covered him in marmite and had dangled him over a fifty foot drop over a bridge near Bangor. Didn’t we have a lovely time the day we went to Bangor? Eh?
Apparently, its his son’s stag do today. Otherwise it would have to be the social workers again.
snow patch cross fell
So, we have no idea what it was. We parted our separate ways and Bruno found a large patch of snow to have a play on. Then another…. then another….
We visited Greg’s Hut. It was warm inside (it was perishing cold outside by the way) – the fire in the stove was still smouldering and the stove was hot.
gregs hut
The Pennine Way back to Garrigill is a long and fairly dull plod which we did at speed as it was downhill.
Today, we did 20 miles with 2500 feet of uphillness. This is a long way. But  some of my TGO Challenge walks are only a bit shorter, so there’s a reason for the madness.
I won;t do any more walking before the TGO Challenge, which starts on Friday.
The boots done well, by the way – very comfy, good grip and the water beads off them nicely. Despite all this, we are both, frankly, quite knackered.

There’s a short vodeo dough below in the snow. (beneath the map)

Have a look anyway. I’m for a nap….

cross fell

10 comments:

Martin Rye said...

Nice walk Mike that. Have a great TGO and take care.

Mike Knipe said...

And have yourself a good time on your coast to coast Martin. Looks a fine route.
(You were very quick there - you missed the video!)

Louise said...

Have a great time TGOing, I'll miss meeting you this year, but I'll try again.

Martin Rye said...

Just watched it. Google Reader is fast in bringing the news.

Alan Sloman said...

Twenty Miles!!!! I had a nice lunch and a stroll round Covent Garden, buying yet more gear.

My next walk will be round the garden pushing the mower.

Word = felsibl (rhymes with sensible)

Mike Knipe said...

One day, Louise.... ( Unless I fail to finih this year, though, I won't be on the 2011 Challenge)
Thanks Alan - just added "Cut the grass" to my list of things to do.
It comes after "cut toenails" (new goretex boots)

Laura said...

See you in Mallaig - I'll be the tubby unfit one dragging a huge rucksack.....
(20 miles ?????)

Mike Knipe said...

Ah yes, Laura - see you in Mallaig.
I'll be the tubby unfit one with the big rucksack actually....and looking like he's just forgotten something (which he will remember at some point on Saturday.)

Anonymous said...

Noooooooooo!!! What on earth has happened to the pub in Garrigill? Truly one of the nicest pubs I've ever visited! Why on earth is it closed?

Mike Knipe said...

I've been watching this sago unfold on a local forum and it would seem that there's been conflict between the owner and the locals for a while which involved the pub having very limited opening times.
There were attempts to sell but I think that the owner's strategy could have been to develop the place into multiple-occupancy residential units (as they say....)
This would do nothing for other businesses (eg B&B) in Garrigill and the village would be ghostly...
So its a right poor do.
I'm keeping my eye on developments.