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Saturday 31 December 2011

Howgills Hoolie

if I look damp, maybe he'll break out the butties
On the last day of the year, I thought it appropriate, for a blog that’s supposed to be about hillwalking, to walk up a hill. Many candidates presented themselves and, as I’d not been to the Howgills for quite a while, a little trundle up Green Bell and Randygill Top presented itself as The Thing To Do. Parking at the foot of Bowderdale would mean that there would be a bunch of options for returning to the piemobile post hilltop-bagging.
So thats where me and superdawg went.
unpromising...
It was raining in  a warm Atlantic blow kind of way when we arrived. It was that sort of driving drizzle that defeats hydrostatic heads. Be plodged off up a bridleway and then on a track over a moor. Contours were crossed. We found the path to Green Bell and plodded uphill, tugged by a wind that was a bit more than a breeze. Sometimes the driving drizzle morphed into a slashing deluge. Things started to become wet.
We passed a group of four very friendly “chaps” descending damply the way we’d come up. I declared (over a now thundering gale) that I’d probably “Just do the first one…..” One chap said something Important which hurled away on the noisyness. We plodged ever upwards.
bruno tries to dry himself on the grass
The wind on Green Bell seemed a bit more gentle somehow. We pressed on into the blankness of the hurtling hillfog. And soon, well, after a bit anyway, the dripping summit cairn on Randygill Top was reached. The driving rain had been stinging my eyes. Bruno rolled about on the heath and rubbed his face in the sphagnum – presumably his eyes were suffering the same. A path presented itself. I guessed it went to Leathgill bridge – a narrow bealach with deep drops on either side. It did, steeply. But here, between the two hills, the wind was extra lively. Side-on it pushed me around and, generally, roughed me up a bit.
randygill top summit cairn
We descended over Hooksey, me hoping that it was actually Hooksey and not something else and the dawg considering the possibility of me having my sandwich any time now.
We returned to the car. Everything was wet. I was damp to me undies. My socks were wet. My baselayer was wet. My five pound note was wet.
We went home. Damply.
Note to self: take a change of clothes next time… dhuhh….
We did 8 miles and 2000 feet of up.
No more 2011. We have good plans for 2012, I think.
Happy New Year to All Pieblog readers.

14 comments:

John J said...

Have a good 'un Mike.

Word: crifolly.

Says it all.

JJ

jonquirk said...

Happy New Year Mike; I always look forward to your posts.

Louise said...

All the very best for 2012 Mike, look forward to 'catching up' with you in May x

Martin Rye said...

Happy new year Mike.

Jayne said...

happy New Year!

Dawn said...

Happy New Year Mike. Should I be concerned that you seem to have a penchant for unpleasant weather? Just in case, I am digging out my old, foul weather bib and brace trousers!!!!!! You did well though; I hope you rewarded yourself with a wee New Year dram?

Meanqueen said...

Happy New Year to you, and thank you for a wonderfully entertaining blog.

Unknown said...

Happy New Year Mike :) Better to be out than stuck in, eh?

Alan Sloman said...

It was lovely weather darn sarff... Walked through the Great Park as my last walk of the year. Miscalculated the time it would take though so missed the pub...

markswalkingblog said...

Mike, I had pretty damp walk myself. When is the rain going to end ? and we can have those lovely crisp winter days.
Happy New Year

dittzzy said...

Happy New Year Mike. Hopefully this one will be a little drier up in the hills when them mad walking folk are out. All the best for 2012.

James Boulter said...

Happy New Year Mike and Bruno.

AlanR said...

All the best Mike. Looking forward to 2012's posts.

Jules said...

Happy New Year Mike (and Bruno) and a good 2012 to you both.

On that same day, to end the year, we were out and about just south of the Howgills in Dentdale and, after assessing the weather, opted for a 14.5 mile low level trundle to Sedbergh and back.

If it's any consolation, we were just as wet as you! It was absolutely persisting it down for much of the day!

Curiously, and perhaps worryingly, we rather enjoyed it ......