Loafing in the Lakes
Alan Sloman captures the sunset scene from High House Tarn(the sun is behind Great Gable)
I'm sitting in my office at home with a couple of nightingales in the garden trilling and warbling in the most amazing way. The sky has been a cloudless blue, just getting tinged with a little pink as the sun begins to set. Can this really be mid April? Yes indeed - and this is exactly the weather we had for our pre walk daunder in the Lakes at the weekend. A marked improvement on last year!
What an absolutely splendid daunder we had. Thursday saw us rendez-vous at the Old Dungeon Ghyll campsite in Great Langdale, where we had Sue Oxley's Birthday eve to celebrate - a task carried out with great enthusiasm. As a result it was a somewhat subdued party that staggered back to the hotel for a bacon butty and bracing coffee before marching refreshed up Mickleden and over Stake Pass on Friday morning.
But enough of describing the route, which is not what daundering is about. Daundering involves some walking and a lot of loafing around, eating, drinking, chatting and generally having a good time. It is a time to try out the kit for the two weeks in Scotland on the TGO CHallenge (although as Peter Shepherd remarked after several long sit downs, "we've tested the arse of our trousers more than anything else").
Yes, daundering is not to be confused with 'walking'. It's about good fellowship and good times on the hill, which we had in abundance.
And glorious, glorious weather...
Here are a few pictures.
What an absolutely splendid daunder we had. Thursday saw us rendez-vous at the Old Dungeon Ghyll campsite in Great Langdale, where we had Sue Oxley's Birthday eve to celebrate - a task carried out with great enthusiasm. As a result it was a somewhat subdued party that staggered back to the hotel for a bacon butty and bracing coffee before marching refreshed up Mickleden and over Stake Pass on Friday morning.
But enough of describing the route, which is not what daundering is about. Daundering involves some walking and a lot of loafing around, eating, drinking, chatting and generally having a good time. It is a time to try out the kit for the two weeks in Scotland on the TGO CHallenge (although as Peter Shepherd remarked after several long sit downs, "we've tested the arse of our trousers more than anything else").
Yes, daundering is not to be confused with 'walking'. It's about good fellowship and good times on the hill, which we had in abundance.
And glorious, glorious weather...
Here are a few pictures.
Clark Kent inadvertently reveals his true indentity
Could this be the answer to carrying heavy packs?(Gerry, Richard & David Albon)
Left to right: Darren Christie (festooned with gadgets), Mick 'Croydon' Hopkins and Peter 'Morpeth' ShepherdAfter enjoying two great pub nights, we rounded off the weekend with a superb wild camp on the ridge between Allen Crags and Glaramara at High House Tarn. Gerry Harber jogged off to bag Scafell and Richard to Glaramara, both returning in the gloaming to enjoy a hot drink and the wonderful sight of the Milky Way appearing in a crystal clear sky. So clear in fact that the familiar constellations of the Plough etc were almost indistiguishable in the myriad stars. Just great.
And that's the daunder done for another year. Sadly I won't be on the TGO Challenge myself this time as I've had to pull out because of ongoing radiotherapy after my recent op, but to all you lucky people who are on the walk this year, have a terrific TGO Challenge (and don't forget to tell old Doodlecat about your adventures!).
And that's the daunder done for another year. Sadly I won't be on the TGO Challenge myself this time as I've had to pull out because of ongoing radiotherapy after my recent op, but to all you lucky people who are on the walk this year, have a terrific TGO Challenge (and don't forget to tell old Doodlecat about your adventures!).
Cast in random order: Alan Sloman, David Albon (Thursday - Saturday), Sue Oxley (Thursday),
Richard White, Peter Shepherd, Mick Hopkins, Darren Christie, Gerry Harber, Phil lambert.
More on this daunder over at Alan Sloman's Big Walk
Richard White, Peter Shepherd, Mick Hopkins, Darren Christie, Gerry Harber, Phil lambert.
More on this daunder over at Alan Sloman's Big Walk
posted by Phil at
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
3 Comments:
After a good walk in the Donegal hills, with unusually hot & sunny weather, on Saturday, we walked into that famous purveyor of exquisite Guinness, Nancy's of Ardara. With the full intention of slacking our thirsts, I had hardly drank half way down my pint when the whole bar broke into the complete rendition of 'my old mans a dustman' .
Was this some quirk in terrestrial broadcasting for the fell tops of Cumbria to the pubs of Donegal? Was some strange atmospheric phenomenon in play? I could have swore i had heard Mick's voice, spooky or what?
Easily explained - you strayed onto the 'Donegan' hills.
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