Newsletter
September 2000
Reports
GRINTON LODGE 28 April - 1 May (Moderate)
Grinton Lodge, a former shooting lodge, is situated on the hillside above Reeth in Swaledale. From the hostel we could see a patchwork of stone walls stretching for miles along the valley. It seemed that the landscape had not changed significantly in hundreds of years.
Some of us were awoken by the call of a cuckoo at 5.30am on Saturday morning. The Saturday walk went from Hardraw up Cotterdale to the summit of Great Shunner Fell and back along the Pennine Way. Some of the party went to see Hardraw Force which is said to be the highest drop waterfall in the UK. It looked particularly spectacular after the recent rainfall. We were given a warm welcome at Reeth Methodist Church on the Sunday. After church we walked up Cuckoo Hill, along Remington Edge to Booze and back via Langthwaite along Arkengarthdale.
The Monday walk from Muker to Keld included a good view of Kidsen Force, not clearly seen when the leaves are on the trees. For the bird enthusiasts the highlight of the day was a bird flying out of a barn which was first thought to be an owl. However, after further observation, it proved to be a peregrine falcon. Other birds seen over the weekend included:- curlew, grouse, swallows, siskins, owls, dippers, nuthatch and many more. Wild flowers:- early purple orchid, stitchwort, primroses, bluebells and wild pansies. there were also several sightings of stoats, some hares and lots of rabbits. Thank you Valerie for a very enjoyable weekend.Jane Fletcher - Birmingham
LULWORTH COVE 28 April - 1 May (Easy-Moderate)
About a dozen of us spent the first May bank holiday weekend sunning ourselves on the Dorset coast. Most stayed in the small, pleasant and modern hostel. About a dozen more joined us for one or two days.
On the Saturday the event leader, Pauline, stayed in bed and sent the rest of us off past the red flags for a walk across the Army tank ranges! Was it safe? Would we be blown to pieces? Why wasn’t our leader with us? Was she really unwell or had she decided that the only solution to the evening meal problem was to do away with us? In the event we had a wonderful day with lovely coastal scenery and a stop at the uninhabited village of Tyneham. In the evening some folks ate at a restaurant in the village; the service was so slow that they were only just back to the hostel before locking up time!
The next morning we went to churches in Weymouth, watched a kite flying competition on the beach and then went to the Isle of Portland for a walk. We found lots of cliff paths as well as two prisons and several stone quarries. We paused at Tout quarry to look at the various sculptures.
On Monday we walked to Durdle Door, which we found isn’t a door but a stone arch! Some descended to the beach and the rest of us walked further along the cliffs.
Thanks to Pauline, Julie and Arnold for an excellent weekend.John Lodemore - Crawley
BRADENHAM 12-14 May (Easy)
‘Never cast a clout ‘till May is out.’ So goes the old saying; the May referred to being the flower of the Hawthorn rather than the month. And we did just that, casting off and getting attired in T-shirts and shorts for this was a glorious day with clear blue skies and warm, golden sunshine. Our tracks led us along cool paths, shaded by blossom laden trees with banks of bluebells and scented with the fragrance of wild garlic blown on the breeze. In the open meadows and pastures, the fields were bright with those flowers so loved by gardeners, the golden hues of buttercups and dandelions. ‘Far from the madding crowd’ we might be, and quiet - might it be? Not so, for the air was filled with the songs of birds - sky larks, blackcaps and the lonesome calls of the cuckoo. This being a simple hostel, our leader had previously prepared the evening meal which left us the hard task of partaking of it, sitting in the garden watching the sun go down.
Sunday was fully used, walking until lunch, attending church and then walking again.
Many thanks to Christine (though I’m not sure whether preparing the evening meal was a good idea - it might be expected of all leaders?! I shall have to demonstrate my skills as a charcoal burner to prevent this catching on!)George Clowes - Leek
COTSWOLDS 12-14 May (Cycling)
16 cycles and 17 cyclists were gathered together at the start of a ‘Cotswold Tour’ outside Stow Youth Hostel, on a very hazy May morning. (There was a tandem in our party!) This was a weekend of blue skies, hot sunshine, villages of lovely coloured stone, newly leafed trees, and rolling countryside punctuated by vibrant yellow fields of oil seed rape. The fragrance of blossom was often in the air, as delicious as the velvety coolness of sweeping down tree lined lanes, after the intense heat of the open road. Our expedition on Saturday was longer (approx. 46 miles), hillier and fortunately a little cooler than Sunday. After attempting to negotiate the first hill climb, I could see why it’s best to travel as light as possible. Without my wet-weather gear etc. I’d have sailed up those hills (well, maybe not!). We had a welcome stop at Fairford, before cycling to journey’s end at Ridgeway Youth Hostel. The more noble/energetic in our party cycled into Wantage to buy ingredients for a delicious vegetable pasta which we ate later in the evening.
Sunday dawned bright and clear with fantastic views from the hostel over the surrounding countryside. We were rewarded for our long climb up to the hostel by a long downhill run towards Wantage at the start of our 36 mile journey back to Stow. During the course of the morning we split into two smaller groups, whilst various repairs took place at the roadside. Minster Lovell proved to be an excellent lunch stop and we left suitably refreshed for the last leg of the journey. This really was extremely hot - did anyone manage to cycle up the hill into Stow?!
Thanks to Geoff for organising the route and a great weekend.Sarah Prentice - Reading
IDWAL COTTAGE 26-29 May (Moderate-Hard)
‘Have a cream tea, please’ was our kind leader, Joan Kinnings’, offer as eight of us arrived in torrential rain on the Friday night. This was a great start to a wonderful weekend.
Saturday saw us walking up from Bethesda to Carnedds Dafydd and Llewellyn. The weather was dry but near the end we had hail showers and, providentially, a refuge hut appeared right on time. Later back at base we were ready for more of Joan’s cream teas. Then we went to Capel Curig for an evening meal. Our desert was - yes, you’ve guessed it - yet another of Joan’s cream teas, back at the hostel. As the calories were going sky high our lively leader led some of us on a walk till 10pm.
On Sunday morning, Joan led an informal service where people shared. After this we girded our loins and climbed near to the Devil’s Kitchen where we had lunch. Then it was on to Glyders Fawr and Fach. We had our photographs taken on ‘The Cantilever’ then, bypassing Tryfan, we descended through more hail showers back to the hostel. The cooks in our party made us a Cordon Bleu meal, the appetiser was, of course, a cream tea!
Monday was very sunny; we climbed Moel Siabod where the views were fantastically good. At our first and last tea shop we said our goodbyes and our thanks to Joan. We left happier, heavier and healthier hikers!Steven Graham - Aberdare
MAYPOOL 26-29 May (Easy-Moderate)
Mystery on the English Riviera
Our houseparty was based at Maypool on the English Riviera, next to the former house of Agatha Christie, the authoress of numerous crime novels. As one of the few survivors of the weekend, I have been asked to write an account of the gradual disappearance of the 26 people who gathered on the Friday evening.
Saturday started delightfully, catching the small ferry to Dittisham and tramping across country to Dartmouth, and then, after a short break at a lovely tea shop, crossing the river again to return to the house. Two of the party stopped to admire the Dart Valley Railway - oh the glorious age of steam! But, by the evening, three of the party had vanished, not even attending an excellent time of worship led by Lindsay.
Sunday worship at Goodrington Methodist Church preceded a coastal walk, where alternately the sun shone and it rained heavily. This was followed, after the evening meal, by a vigorous game of table tennis. However, none of this accounts for the further disappearance of no less than five more people by early next morning.
On Monday a short coastal walk to Brixham saw others of the party disappearing into churches, or strolling off, never to return, until only four returned to the motor vehicles. At this point I deemed it wise to depart, lest I share their fate, but I am quite unable to understand why so many vanished from such a delightful weekend so mysteriously.Ann Arnold - Forest Gate
ILAM HALL 26-29 May (Moderate)
This was my first visit to Ilam Hall and it certainly lives up to its description of a ‘magnificent Victorian Gothic National Trust mansion set in extensive parkland on the banks of the river Manifold’. With numbers boosted by several day-walkers, there was a choice of two walks on both Saturday and Sunday, all starting from the hostel. These covered various combinations of Dovedale and the Manifold valley, with opportunity both days for the more energetic to detour up Thorpe Cloud. On Monday we opted for a change of scenery and completed an easy 7-mile walk around Carsington reservoir. The cool, changeable weather throughout the weekend was ideal for testing my theory that donning waterproof trousers makes the rain stop! (We had everything from bright sunshine to a heavy thunderstorm). Our non-walking activities included tea-shop bagging (Hilary’s group managed one every day!) and sampling various local churches (most went to either Ashbourne Methodist or the small C of E in the hostel grounds). The ‘Walking Trivia’ quiz on Saturday evening revealed my dismal lack of knowledge of northern mountains, and on Sunday I was equally hopeless at ‘Wendy’s game’ (well you try describing phrases like ‘Irian Jaya’!).
Thank you to Hilary and Margaret for their efficient organisation and leadership which ensured a very enjoyable weekend.Sue Edwards - Southampton
ULLAPOOL 27 May - 3 June
(Moderate to Very Hard)
CRC's Scottish variety pack (7 nights for the price of 6, courtesy of SYHA) A variety of geology - Lewisian gneiss, Torridonian sandstone, Cambrian quartzite, Durness limestone, Moine schist.
A consequent variety of scenery - towering cliffs, shimmering lochans, ankle twisting boulder fields, peat bogs and deep, deep heather.
A variety of weather - snow showers, hailstorms, heavy and persistent rain, high winds and also one glorious sunny day with 50 mile visibility.
A variety of walks - distances of 27 miles to 5 miles, ascents of 5300 feet to 500 feet, high mountains to the coast, well made paths to trackless bog.
A variety of other activities - museums, swimming (not in the sea!), boat trips, Inverewe gardens, a Celtic heavy metal band with digeridoo and Inverness hospital (unfortunately Brian slipped over and broke some ribs).
A variety of hazards (as outlined by Anne on the first day but mostly not encountered) - exhaustion, dehydration, hypothermia, midges, ticks. She didn't mention being bitten by a horse though!
A variety of people - the slow, the fast, the loony fringe and the downright noisy (guess who).
A variety of accommodation - youth hostel, B and B, self catering cottages.
A variety of modes of transport - car, train, plane, bus, hitching and a very, very nice AA man's van.
A variety of tick lists - Munros, Corbetts, Grahams and even Cunninghams (ask Alan next time you see him!).
A variety of wildlife - deer, seals, mountain hares, dotterel, golden plover, and even an alleged Eagle (I believe you really Val!).
The only thing that didn't vary much was that everyone enjoyed themselves immensely. Thanks Anne for a great week.Andy Rook - Okehampton
BRETTON 16-18 June (Navigation Training)
Purple clover and sunshine. Derbyshire.
Good company, idyllic country side around the Bretton YHA, hot sun and a cool breeze gave this weekend a truly dreamy quality. Anne Welch, in her lovely relaxed manner, patiently talked and practically guided us through basic navigation on the Saturday and more advanced micro-navigation on Sunday afternoon. The pub at the end of the lane sold excellent food. What more could one ask for?Adrian Young - Loughborough
EPPING FOREST 16-18 June (Easy)
On the evening of the 17th I suggested that we should submit the shortest ever weekend event report, "England 1 Germany 0". Other events took the "Gloss" from this idea, so I will concentrate on the walking.
Saturday saw about fifteen of us, including day walkers, set off on a 11½ mile walk along forest paths. That day was the hottest this year so far, so we where very glad that the walk was mostly in the forest, even the end of the walk, which from the map appeared to be more open, did have a good degree of shade. "You don't get many views on forests walks" was a comment I heard along the way. True, but then again, you can't enjoy the scenery if you have heat stroke. We all got back to the hostel in good time for the "Game". Some claimed that the local pub and its food were more interesting, but we think they must have had a "telly" there as well! Sunday the group attended a variety of churches, most following the suggestion of a day walker, and going to Loughton Vineyard Church; a very lively service in a local school. After the service we were given a music CD each, "Your Presence" by their worship leader, Wes Sutton. We had arranged to meet at Lee Navigation car park to walk along the canal towpath. When we finally reached a majority decision as to which of three car parks was the one our leader had pointed out on the map that morning, (one couple did not make it despite our checking all the car parks) we set off for our afternoon walk.
I understand there is a new hostel opening next year very near to Lee Navigation. I hope that the CRC can get a booking, so that its members can
enjoy the walking and increase their CD collections!Peter Allott - Colchester
MALVERN 14-16 July (Leadership Training)
An action packed, highly interactive weekend with multimedia presentations from acknowledged experts.
It started with the homework, “Prepare a moderate walk beginning at grid reference ...... and lasting ...” and finished, predictably and perfectly, in a tea-shop. In between 16 CRCers* with varying levels of experience led walks, refined walks, lost the way, looked at route planning, discussed hazards and how to reduce the risks through good preparation, considered all that goes into a good weekend and the well-equipped leader’s rucksack.
For encouragement, there was a video charting the progress of some blundering beginners on the Scottish mountains in winter. All accompanied by excellent handouts. Add sunshine, the glorious Malvern hills and what more could you ask?
Outcomes: a crop of personal action plans and some new walk/event leaders. Watch out!
Many thanks to the committee members for their time and effort in organising such an instructive and well run weekend.* Discussions on the collective noun remained inconclusive.
Jane Ross - Cardiff
BLAXHALL 21-23 July (Easy-Moderate)
There were about 20 people on this weekend, including 6 members from the local East Anglia group. It was good to renew friendships with those from my local group and also meet members from other parts of the country. Blaxhall Youth Hostel was a converted village school and very nice. It was good walking weather. On the Saturday we met at Dunwich Heath and walked to Walberswick via the marshes, where a wooden boardwalk had been laid to make a footpath. When we came to Walberswick we dispersed for lunch and I watched the antics of an acrobatic kite on the beach. We walked along the sandy beach there barefooted, letting the sea splash over our ankles, and then returned to Dunwich heath overland - a walk of 13 miles.
On Sunday we worshipped at ldeburgh Baptist Church. Our walk afterwards was a circular 5½ mile tour from the Snape Maltings, with good views of Aldeburgh Bay. It included Iken Cliff, Tunstall Forest and Blaxhall Heath and we returned to Snape Maltings for tea before we all returned home.
Our thanks to Sara and Caroline for organising a good, well planned weekend.John Willett - Spalding
TOMINTOUL 22-29 July (Moderate-Hard)
This week at Tomintoul was attended by the most select CRC group I’ve ever been a part of - just Andy and myself! It was also one of the most satisfying and enjoyable times I’ve had lately. With just the two of us, we were able to see so many things - the roe and red deer, mountain hares, frogs by our feet in the boggy bits and all sorts of birds. Grouse took off with a cackle as they erupted at our feet - even the young ones whirring quietly away. It was fun too finding the flowers, too many to mention - but heather was not entirely a pleasure as we struggled through it often a foot or more deep (with possible holes beneath). These hills are wonderfully remote - we only saw people on one of them, Ben Rinnes - we had the others to ourselves. At first we were in hill fog, with the second day embellished with rain and drizzle as well, but our steep heathery ascents on the other days were rewarded by views for ever of the surrounding mountains. And what utter bliss to sit and relax by the summit cairn and breathe the pure air and listen to the silence of these high and lonely places. One unforgettable moment came when we saw a deer silhouetted on the sky- line not too far away. As a contrast, we had several pleasant strolls after supper around the lanes and view-points from the village, which is set in a pretty area with the Avon wandering through hay meadows below. One afternoon (after a soaking morning) we dried out on the way to Grantown on Spey and had a peaceful walk along the river Spey.
So thank you Andy for a wonderful week of walking, for finding the way up (and down) all those Corbetts with impeccable navigation and especially for your endless patience - it was a great week.Doreen Peskett - Chichester
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