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Sunday 20 October 2013

Mynydd Mawr – The Final Hewitt

bruno about to abduct a stick 

This is me, back from Wales with a spring in my step and an extra kilo of wobbly fat around the belly from all the lovely holiday food and booze. It would have been more, except for the exciting walks and interesting naps I’ve been having in between the scoffing and general lazing about waiting for it to stop raining.

special kinda welsh light

And the reason for the spring is that I’ve managed to achieve one of my goals for the year – that is, to complete a list of hills; the list being The Hewitts (drumroll, fanfare etc). For those stunned into indifference about this feat, let me just say that Hewitts are really just a higher class of Nuttal. Those still displaying blank looks maybe need further details:  The Hewitts are hills in Englandadwales over 610 metres (2000 feet) high with an all-round re-ascent of 30 metres (Nuttals are the same but with just 15 metres) Altogether there are 317 Hewitts in Englandandwales  (and 209 in Ireland but I’m not doing Irish hills..)

some way up mynydd mawr

And so, I did my first Hewitt on Good Friday 1964 as part of the Ermysteds Grammar School for Boys Easter teachers boozing trip to Foredale cottages in Ribblesdale when it came to pass that we climbed Penyghent, lead expertly by a leader who was even more over-weight than me and who, additionally had no idea at all how to get to Birkwith where our tents had been pitched.

foggy summit of mynydd mawr

The only link with this post is the fact that this teacher was Welsh and that the final Hewitt was bagged by me and superdawg on 6 October 2013, sometime after lunch on the summit of Mynydd Mawr, a hill specially saved due to it’s isolation from other hills and it’s ease of ascent – just 6 miles and 2000 feet of ascent from Y Fron, in fact, including the outlying HuMP Moel Tryfan

So I’m chuffed.

Bruno is chuffed (he’s usually chuffed as it happens)

We’re all chuffed.

Yippeeee!

horses.. or...er..ponies...

More stuff and nonsense about hills bagged and other things regarding our October holiday in the Lleyn Peninsula later. In the meantime, I’m just going to sit here feeling smug and sipping my blackerry gin wot I’ve made specially for this occasion.

Will I finish the Wainwright Outlying Fells before the end of the year? ….

More of this type of stuff later (see pic below)

garn boduan

 

And…..  rest….

DSCN0687

18 comments:

Al said...

Well done old bean!! You've earned a blackerry gin or two!!

Louise said...

Aww, congratulations to you and Bruno x

Mike Knipe said...

Thanks Al and Louise (mwah) (that's for Louise, Al, you'll just have to make do with a virtual manly handshake.) This gin is more gin than blackberry....

Laura said...

Very impressed-congratulations!

Louise said...

That is my kind of gin! (Any kind of gin, acshully..)
Mwah!!

Mike Knipe said...

Ta Laura - you can have a mwah too. You've had enough Louise... Gizza gimentommic...

John J said...

....and I seem to recall that Nuttals taste kinda minty. Don't know what Hewitts taste like though.

Well done anyroadup.

JJ

Unknown said...

Great story Mikey, you are a star and Gillian Campbell from Bishop FM knows you. Lovely photos of Superdawg....

Unknown said...

"Mynydd Mawr" – Big Mountain. How apt.

Well done that man and dog.

Dawn said...

Fantastic Mike, well done. Lovely photos too. No wonder bruno looks flaked out! Maybe a reconsideration on the Irish ones????????????????

Wurz said...

A very determined achievement there, almost 50 years of grit and determination, well done!

What's your next project after the Wainwrights if you don't mind my asking?

Unknown said...

Well done Mike
Watcha going to do next? Start again? Take up golf?
Keep the brilliant blogs coming please.............Freddy

AlanR said...

Welcome back to reality Mike. Oh and well done of the completion. How much did Bruno get for skinny dipping. (1st pic).

Mike Knipe said...

John J - There is a hill called Minto near Jedburgh.... Not a Nuttal, though.
Ta Jules. I don't know Gillian (she's not the lass who's been stalking me up Hope Street is she?)
Brian - Big mountain! Unfortunately, due to hillfog, I'll have to go up again to see what it looks like.
Dawn Can't go to Ireland till thye stop looking for my Uncle Michael who was in the Black and tans. damn - shouldn't have mentioned that..
Wurz/Fred - the next project is to finish the Wainrwight outliers (3 to do) then join the Marily Hall of Fame which needs 600 Marilyns to be bagged. 68 left to do!
Alan - He got a chew stick. He does have his coat on in the pic, tho...!

Oldmortality said...

Your pencil must be worn down to a stub !
So, just the Greggs to tick-off now ?

Anonymous said...

Well we're all chuffed for you too, Mike and Bruno :) I still feel a little sorry for Colin though.......

Mike Knipe said...

I've got a "value pack" of pencils, OM. Many hills to go yet....many, many hills.... I wonder if Greggs would sponsor me..?
Chrissie - Ah, poor Colin - last seen floating towards Dublin on an outgoing tide. Luckily, Bruno found a yellow ball just afterwards. He doesn't seem to pine..

A said...

Congratulations Mike! Now you've been up them all, do you have a favourite Hewitt?