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Thursday 23 July 2020

Blogging Mojo Found Inside The Sofa


Its been a while since the last blog post. This does not mean that I've been idle - although I have been a little bit idle. The pictures in this blog post are from some of the expeditions I've not blogged about. But the point of this post, really, is not to dwell on the past but to look forward, once again, to the future. It seems that some of the shackles which have been placed on the hillwalking and backpacking, specially the inability to visit Scotland, which is temptingly close to Pie Towers, are getting ever looser.

Once again, though, pictures in this blog are refusing quite pointedly to behave themselves and are either left or right justified or in the middle. This is a "blogger" thing. Sometimes they won;t go where you want them to ho and sometimes they just like to lean to the left or the right. So apologies if this spoils your entertainment but me and my mouse seem powerless in the face of intransingence.
 
 In the last few weeks, we have re-instated group walks in the Crook and Weardale Ramblers group. We have been limiting the group sizes to six, meaning that so far we have been having two groups of six on a walk. The walks have been fairly local and all around 10 miles. And whilst we're looking forward to having a "propah" walking programme as soon as we can, these have been all Good Clean Fun.

 And me and LTD have had two camping trips: Two days in Lincolnshire for the bagging of the only Lincolnshire Marilyn, Normanby Wold. We got wet. It rained.  
Then, we had a couple of nights by the shores of Sand Tarn , a lovely spot on a little shelf near the summit of Wild Boar Fell. This time it rained and we got wet. Even so, it had to be done. And it was nice to see the cafe/outdoor shop Mad About Mountains open again in a socially distant sort of way. I bought gas and dry bags.


 And I had a walk at Wardle, just outside Rochdale on the occasion of a visit to Halifax. Wardle is not more than 14 miles from Halifax so it can be reached by knipemobile quite quickly, even though it's technically in a foreign part of the country and completely on the Wrong side of the Pennines. Locals were quite friendly though and the cattle on the hill weren't bothered by a small black and white dog.
 And there's been long walks with Li Yang and Diane and David and bagging walks in Northumberland  and North Yorkshire and even a pickernick with Dawn during which I got fatter and browner. But what about the future?
There's some more "interim" quite small group walks to be done with Crook and Weardale Ramblers and a litter-pick and lots of other important stuff.  There's no sign, yet of Wolsingham Wayfarers starting to walk again  or, indeed the Wednesday and Saturday Walking Group (Wednesday Walkers Walking on Saturdays). And, based on the theory that this new freedom and spare time could all go badly wrong at any point, specially, probably in the winter to come, I have a feeling that Things Which Can Be Done Now Really Need To Be Done Now. (Hence Lincolnshire and Sand Tarn) - so , quite soon, I'm intending to do the trip that was cancelled last March - a 3 or 4 day backpacking walk in South Lanarkshire/East Ayrshire. And I'd quite like a couple of nights by Loch Dochart for some remaining Munros and to lay the ghost of the cancelled TGO challenge, which would have seen a camp by the sandy shores of this lovely spot.
And, these things done, plus, maybe a beach bivi, thus clearing my "me time" cache, leaving the space open for some more sociable trips and, perhaps, some more Long Walks.

6 comments:

Judith said...

I'm glad you've been able to do some "normal" walking and camping again. I think you're right, carpe diem! There's no point looking back on what we've missed out on during lockdown. Look ahead and make the most of every opportunity.

PS
I'm slightly concerned that the little green tent in your last photo has slid all the way down the hill. There are some very good blogs on how to pitch a tent if you need some tips. Some are written by eggsperts.

John J said...

Good Plan.
I fear winter may well go a bit pear-shaped, so get stuff done now - not later.
I'm going to have a little wander around Holy Island this weekend, although the weather looks iffy....but I've got an Akto.

Louise said...

Hello, nice to see you've been out and about.

Mike Knipe said...

No idea who's tent that was JUdith...[koff]
John - There's "no camping" signs all over Lindisfarne but if you wait till the tide comes in and wander down the lane by the pub there's a cracking spot at a small beach. The sand won't take tent pegs as it's too fine. Dawn has some split bamboo specially for Northumbrian sand.
Altrernatively, Ross Back Sands is a lovely spot for a night, but keep well away from the North end which has protected seabirds and a permanent warden presence in a little hut. You'll need to carry water wherever you went though as the only water available seems to be really very salty.
Louise - I never eally stopped going out although I seem to have slowed down quite a bit in July for some reason. Picking up the pace again now, though...

Meanqueen said...

Fancy coming to Lincolnshire and not telling me. I could have met you there. Glad to see you are back on this blogging lark.

Mike Knipe said...

If I come again, Ilona, I'll be certain to let you know, although my gaze is over the Border at the moment...