TR Howgills Meet Friday March 16th

[yeti]

Actually Jim, thinking of it I did enjoy the views on way up Winder. You could see out to Pendle at that point before vision was impaired. Lets just blame AJ for the weather . After all I did ask him nicely for no wind .

[amnesiacjimmy]

I had a superb time loved every minute of it, my only sadness is not being able to stay over and have a few pints with you all and get to talk more to people. I wasnt bothered not gettingthe views, i can always go back. I ll write a bit more later about my take on it all     Main one being getting changed even out of me undercrackers in the pub car park and Steve saying later it might be on CCTV and Youtube 

[yeti]

I ll write a bit more later about my take on it all    

About time and all

[angry climber]

Sounds like you all had a really good time and loads of banter, get more pics on you have had enough time 

[dibble]

It's great to hear the trip reports....it was absolutely bitter here on the coast
and drizzly rain too later on.  I thought of you as I took the dogs after mum's
hospital visit and was surprised that the weather was so bad for your day out.

[biscuit]

Looks like a great time was had by all. Friendly folk the walking community in general.

[amnesiacjimmy]

Some memories of the walk


Arriving a bit early (!) and walking up to this guy and saying Hi Im Dave off WF are you David Stroller52 and realising in mid-spiel it might be a total stranger but carrying on anyway as it was too late by then Luckily it was


Yeti arriving only 35 minutes late.


The practicalities of doing a linear walk and taking enough cars to the other end of the walk plus one extra to bring us back to the start. Luckily Colin was on the ball and worked it out in a flash. We set off in convoy and i realised Yeti was not at the back in his car to take us all back to the start point and thought oh shut but then thinkin oh im sure we ll sort summat out. Luckily a minute later he appeared in me rear view mirror (in his car, not on the back seat) and the day was saved.


We finally set off at about 10 10 i think. 15 of us in all. I t was fantastic to meet new people and also of course to see some of me old walking mates not seen in over 8 months or more in some cases
Its a grand place this forum innit!


We got about an hour into the walk and then into clag as you ll have seen from Jim s pics. And it never let up, except for a spell when me and Kev, at the back, suddenly realised we were going the wrong way down, only about 135 degrees off bearing    But then height of excitement, the clouds lifted for a few short minutes and people could see what i had been raving about and why id dragged all their sorry asses half way up a grey claggy set of fells....


So that was nice.


Then we got back on track and at the height of the walk the group split thanks to some excellent navigation from Kev and Colin, some to take a more gentle walk down, the rest of us to risk sliding down a grass coated striding edge wannabe ridge to certain injury. It were great fun! then the obligatory bum slide - made even more dangerous due to the wet conditions. Did Imention it rained constantly?


But it was ace to come hurtling down a step slope except fro poor Rich who banged his coccyx


By some fact of great timing, both sets of walkers arrived back at the cars at the same time! And off we went for a bevy in the local boozer. Every piece of clothing I had on down to 4 layers was completely soaked but I had a brilliant time!


Bring on the next one!


In conclusion can I say that none of us would have been there but for Kev (OneF). Driiving back from the Lakes one day about 2 years ago id looked across on the M6 at the Howgills not knowing what they were and him telling me how great they were to walk on and I should check them out. So I did - 5x last year - and put up a meet last year and then just now. So next time you see Kev buy him a pint

[dunc]

sounds like fun, shame about the lack of views. 


I bet that little Striding Edge-let by Black Force was fun in the wet. 

[redeye]

Sounds like you all had a great time despite the weather. You don't need it to be a sunny warm blue sky day all the time.................

[One F in Foreigner]

Then we got back on track and at the height of the walk the group split thanks to some excellent navigation from Kev and Colin,

There was nothing wrong with Colin's navigation - but I made a bit (well, a lot but don't let on aj) of a navigational error coming off the fells at the end    Didn't come off where we should have done - I need to learn mi points of the compass as north west and south west aren't the same  .
 
Other than that - and the freakin rain - it wor a grand day out. My first for quite a while and although it's taken 2 days to recover (and that's with nursey in attendance  ) I'm rarin to get out again. Lovely to meet old friends and new - a great day out.

[nod2]

Just like to thank AJ for organising this meet, had a great three days walking. Got to Sedbergh Thursday and did a low level walk around the two rivers.


 
The main event on the Friday was absolutely brill. Wet, Windy, could n't see a thing, nearly lost,    (reminded me of Moors on C2C with Rich  ) A few pints after and a Curry to finnish the day made it even better.
Saturday we decided to do another route via Cautly Spout.  Views were better but we still a lot of clag on tops.
 

 

 

 

 
Thanks again AJ, and everybody for making a great couple of days
 
 
 
 
 
 

[Sharpedgehatter]

Sounds like a great time was had despite the rain - I'm sorry to have missed it. I sense there are one or two real characters out there


When's the next one?

[amnesiacjimmy]

Cheers Colin     Great to meet you 

[amnesiacjimmy]

My first for quite a while and although it's taken 2 days to recover (and that's with nursey in attendance  ) I'm rarin to get out again. Lovely to meet old friends and new - a great day out.

YOu are always welcome Kev. Lovely to see you again 

[gotmeheadshaved]

Brilliant mini-Trip report Alan! You nailed the walk perfectly. I know what this lot are like and nobody told me what was involved. They just said there's a gyll down there and we're going down into it. No mention of treacherous paths, mud, slippery grassy ridges, or vertical limits. At one point my camera fell off my clip and descended to the waters below, but luckily stopped just short of the current. This meant I had to climb down tentatively to retrieve it. I felt like Bear Grylls on acid! However, regardless of all this it was in fact the highlight of the walk, and when it opened out into the wide valley below the scenery was awesome!


Me, Colin and Andy did another Howgills walk the day after to clearer weather and I actually got some views. I will put the photos on soon.


Steve