BB0809 :  High Street and Kidsty Pike but no Fairy

28th March 2008

“Stanley,” I asked, “have we not walked this way before?”

“Why, yes!” he replied.  “On one of the early Bootboys outings, I took you and John up this way.”

Or perhaps we had just left it too late.  We had made a deliberately late start to allow the weather to clear from the west so it was not far off Tony’s lunch time when we left the car park.  However, he was not so distracted that he was unable to identify and photograph Kidsty Pike, his real objective for the day.

Bryan had intended to take us up to High Street by Blea Water but he was chatting away so vigorously about his adventures on Scout Scar and the Golf Course in the recent snowfall at Kendal that he quite forgot and led us to the path that took us onto the Rough Crag (wrongly called Rough Fell in BB0402).

The early stages were quite easy and Emma, who, with Scott, was home for a few days, paid us a nice but ominous compliment.  “You don’t half crack along for a bunch of oldies” she said.

However, the ridge got steeper and if there had been any cracking along it drained out of at least my limbs and those of Tony.  We put him out of his misery at Caspel Gate and took first lunch.  Or in Tony’s case, all of it.  I had hoped that Margaret’s excellent apple cake would give my legs an injection of energy for the steep climb ahead but sadly no such reaction developed in time.   I found it hard going.  It was not the fact that there was a fair bit of snow around and that it was threatening to put a bit more down- it was just the steepness.  It had passed the critical angle beyond which I struggle.  It was a mighty relief eventually to reach the summit plateau.  What I find hard to believe is that there is no mention of such a struggle in BB0402 yet I can’t believe I was fitter then.  Perhaps in those days such difficulties were left unsaid?

High Street Summit panorama

After visiting the summit with its fabulous panorama, a strange thing happened to my leg. I kicked a step into the snow with my left foot and felt a sharp pain run up my inside thigh and around the top. Initially I thought it was cramp but it would not respond to stretching and rubbing like cramp normally does.  I concluded I had pulled a muscle and was fearful about how I would be able to get down- I could hardly put any weight on the leg at all. Out came my poles and I hobbled off in the hope that I would at least be able to limp down the hill. Then after 50 painful yards or so, whatever was wrong suddenly cleared itself and I could walk freely once more.  Bizarre.  And lucky!

We decided to take a slight detour to rebag Rampsgill Head.  We were unsure as to which of two bumps was the actual peak so we bagged them both- each looked higher when viewed from the other!

Before reaching Kidsty Pike we had to cross a mini snow field which Bryan identified as a superb photo opportunity.  He grabbed my camera and ran off in order to secure a dramatic picture. Judge for yourself.  Have you ever seen a more dramatic picture of a finger or two?

Tony delighted in mounting Kidsty Pike- one of the few Far Eastern fells that he had left to do and one of the few he has actually managed to identify from many angles.

Second lunch followed a little lower down on Kidsty Howes.  Tony, unprepared for more than one fuelling stop, was very grateful to be given an apple by Scott and Emma. Without them he would have been left to starve!

Haweswater from Kidsty Howse

Before reaching the valley bottom there was an awkward steep section but fortunately without snow or ice to make it too tricky.  Thereafter it was a pleasant stroll around the head of the lake back to the car and a drive home in the evening sunshine.

Don, 28th March 2008

Addendum from John:

Don, you missed some critical info re BB0402 --Pete Mac was also involved --and no, you were not fitter then.

I distinctly remember that Pete and I shot up the steep scramble (re -shown recently by the saintly Julia Bradbury on Wainwrights Walks) like rats up a drainpipe whilst Stan solicitously guided you up some 50 yards behind--at least until a nice young lady shot past us whereupon Stan abandoned you in a vain effort to catch her !

For the latest totals of the mileages, heights and Lakeland Fells Books Wainwrights see: Wainwrights.

If anyone wants to claim other peaks, please let me know and I will submit them to the adjudication committee!

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Archive

2008 Outings

BB0801 : Avoiding the Graupel;  
16 January

BB0802 : Lyth in the Old Dogs; 22 January

BB0803 : That's Lyth;
27 January

BB0804 : Tony's Memory Lane;
30th January

BB0805 : Fell's Belles!  Thank You Mells?  
6th February

BB0806 : The Langdale Skyline and a Fell Race!
13th February

BB0807a: An Outbreak of Common Sense;
21st February 2008

BB0807b: Askham Fell and  the Lowther Estate;   
13th March 2008

BB0808 : Thanks to the MWIS
19th March 2008

BB0809 :  High Street and Kidsty Pike but no Fairy
28th March 2008

BB0810 :  Prelude to Spring
2nd April 2008

BB0811 :  Spring in Lakeland
6th April 2008

BB0812 :  Wet, Wet, Wet Sleddale to Mosedale Cottage
Thursday 10th April 2008 

BB0813 :  What's It All About, Tony?
Thursday 17th April 2008 

BB0814 :  The Hidden Mountain
Tuesday 22nd April 2008 

BB0815 :  The Bowland CROW
Thursday 1st May 2008

BB0816 :  High Cup Nick:
The Gurt La'al Canyon
Wednesday 7th May 2008

BB0817 :  Travelling Light
Wednesday 14th May 2008

BskiB08 : Bootski Boys in the Sella Ronda  
23rd February - 1st March

Click on the photos for an enlargement or related large picture.

Wainwrights

Bryan has kindly produced a log of which Wainwrights have been done by which Bootboy in the "modern" era, i.e. since the advent of Bootboys.  

To download the Excel file click on Wainwrights.  

If anyone wants to claim other peaks, please let me know and I will submit them to the adjudication committee!

BOOT boys

This page describes an adventure of BOOTboys, a loose group of friends of mature years who enjoy defying the aging process by getting out into the hills as often as possible!

As most live in South Lakeland, it is no surprise that our focus is on the Lakeland fells and the Yorkshire Dales.

As for the name, BOOTboys, it does not primarily derive from an item of footwear but is in memory of Big Josie, the erstwhile landlady of the erstwhile Burnmoor Inn at Boot in Eskdale, who enlivened Saint Patrick's Day 1973 and other odd evenings many years ago!

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