statcounter

Friday 24 October 2014

Right Through To The Undies – Blake Rigg

blake rigg

Me and Lucky, The Bro and Ria went off to Blea Tarn for the bagging of a couple of wayward Birketts and a climb up Pike O’Blisco, setting off in that kind of driving drizzle that gets you really really wet.

blea tarn

But every now and then, it stopped raining and we progressed, more or less in tact to the Wrynose pass road and up by a little beck towards Pike O’Blisco, turning off across a little corrie to the first top Blake Rigg.

wrynose pass

Uphill progress was generally slow and a bit halting and, what with the long drive to Kendal and everything, by the time we got to Blake Rigg, it was lunchtime, so we lunched – me and the bro and the pooch inside the group shelter with Ria left outside in the rain – which came on more seriously at that point.

Top two was the rocky knobble of Wrynose Fell – Long Crag where the weather took a turn for Even Worse.

brrr - 'orrible...

The fog was thick and the rain  drove along in a lively breeze and so, at this point, a committee meeting was held to determine whether or not we really wanted to go up Pike O’Blisco. Lucky couldn’t decide and abstained. me and Ria voted for the downhill route back to Blea tarn and The Bro said it would probably brighten up quite soon…..

So, downhill we went….. it really wasn’t the day for doing this kind of thing anyway.

A short walk of not more than 4 or 5 miles. But we were Very Wet.

I let Lucky tackle the dark and rainy spray-covered M6 – a wise decision since, as I snoozed in the back, he seems to have called at Kirkby Stephen co-op for supplies of fish, ciabatta rolls and merlot…..

Brrrr… shiver…. I’m not sorry about the failure to top Pike O’Blisco and Kettle Crag – I’ve been up Pike O’Blisco before and Kettle Crag can wait for a warm summer day next ..er…summer when I go to bag Pike de Bield just off Crinkle Crags….

blake rigg

Print

5 comments:

Quinn said...

Been raining more or less constantly here for two days, mucky and slimy and raw. Still, after reading about your journey, I feel a bit embarrassed by my reluctance to go to the feed store today (beause unloading hundreds of pounds of stuff in the rain is so miserable). Time to pull my wool socks up. Maybe Piper will be as helpful as Lucky, and take the wheel!

Anonymous said...

The last time we went up Pike O-Blisco I seem to remember it rained all day. About 15 years ago that. We got fed up of going to the Lakes every school holiday after a few years - it was always raining.

AlanR said...

You did the right thing Mike. Thats a steep old climb that route and i hate putting in lots of effort for no views as reward.
Lovely area.

Dawn said...

Ah well there is always another time, not much fun sloshing around in wet and dismal conditions.

Mike Knipe said...

Nice and sunny today, Quinn.... sometimes, I think its best just to wait till it stops!
Chrissie - I once had a hot day in Cumbria. Just sayin'...
Alan - Driving rain is a good excuse to avoid the contours...
Dawn - Back again next summer - I have a few Birketts to do around there.