BB1925 : The Return of the Hotel Inspectors

However if you are stranded on the fells in foul weather or fancy the opportunity to spend the night deep in the wild country but don’t want to pack a tent or to bivouac under the stars, Mosedale Cottage has considerable merit.

It is three years since our last inspection (BB1618) so today that was our mission.

Reaching the Cottage is always a bit of a challenge.  We decided to take the high route.  The forecast was for a lovely day after a damp start.  Britain would be basking in temperatures approaching 30 degrees.  Also it would enable Mike T to earn a couple of Wainwright points.

Unfortunately no-one told the Lakeland Fells about what was supposed to be provided.  Instead it threw a very strong and cold south-westerly wind at us.  Not bad enough to impede progress seriously but certainly too chilly for the summer gear I was wearing.  Fortunately I had my lightweight mac-in-a-pack to shield me.

The ground was wet as there had been fierce thunder storms in the night.  We were each parading our excuses about how feeble we would be due to the amount of sleep we had lost thanks to the bangs.  Tony won- he claimed to have been kept awake beyond 4 a.m. and would spend the day in bed.  That was his pretext for not being with us.

The route up on to the fells was the Old Corpse Road.  The poor old mules must have struggled at times with the dead strapped to their backs.  Near the col, our path branched off left, offering a fine view (apart from the shrouded tops) of the Fairfield range.

First stop Selside Pike and then on to Branstree. En-route, Mike T and I visited the strange pipeline surveyors’ structure. Haweswater looked astonishingly blue.

This is definitely the easy way to Branstree.  Far better than the climb from the top of Gatesgarth Pass.

Now it was time to visit the hotel, sorry- cottage, for lunch.  The descent to Mosedale is steepish but not challengingly so.  Morecambe Bay could be seen in the distance.

The track at the bottom was quite boggy in parts but we were now out of the wind and the promised nice day was upon us.

After about half a mile Mosedale Cottage came into view.  Perhaps I should explain that it is actually a bothy managed by the Mountain Bothies Association.

It has been recently painted and looked in good condition as we approached.  Stan was hoping there was a pretty nurse on the staff as he had sustained a cut whilst trying to rescue Brian from a fall.  He was out of luck.  There was no-one there.

Mike B pulled out a meat pie for us to send Tony a picture to taunt him as he wasn't with us.  It didn't work as Tony thought it was an apple!  He turned over and went back to sleep.

Comitibus:  Mike T, Stan, Brian, Don, Mike B

Mission accomplished, we set off down the valley.  Mosedale is a wet under foot trudge.  We met a couple of men heading for the cottage.  The elder had front and back rucksacs.  He explained that one was filled with logs as he intended to stay at overnight.  The other planned to return to Shap.  Not presumably for its nightlife.

The descent to Swindale is one of the district's best kept secrets and I don’t mean the two young ladies picnicking by the stream.  It has a series of waterfalls helping the beck rush to the valley.

The downside to the inspection visit soon followed.  It is a long trudge along the narrow road, past the intriguingly named Truss Gap House and back to the only parking area.  Still, we were all going well and it was no great hardship.  The scrutiny visit was complete and, apart from the demerits mentioned, it was declared fit for purpose.

Mike T, Stan and I now had to return home.  Mike B and Brian shot off elsewhere. On the way, we passed the Greyhound Inn at Shap.  Outside, what did we see? Mike B’s car parked at the front. Clearly those Hotel Inspectors had a second appointment today.

Don, Wednesday 24th July 2019

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Comments:

Guy: I am surprised that you don’t mention that Truss Gap is only a little way down from Dodd Bottom!

Mike B: The reason we were parked outside the pub was because I needed the loo! Hats off to the pub. They have an A board inviting people to use the facilities for free.  Brian however suggested we might, after all, have a swift; and it was swift.

Don: The A board sounds a good wheeze (wees?).  Morally obliged to have a pint!

Robin and the Three Peaks

My younger son Peter and I upheld the honour of the BOOTboys on Saturday.  In the most atrocious weather we completed the Yorkshire Three Peaks in 9 hrs and 40 mins.

It was 21 miles of mist and downpour during which time we were soaked to the skin and 4 miles of reasonable sunny spells.

I’m still walking with stiff legs but feeling quietly chuffed. Without Peter as pacemaker I reckon I’d have been two hours slower. We galloped up Whernside, walked up Ingleborough and crawled up Pen-y-ghent!

Robin

Stats - 24.95 miles and 4,929 ft of elevation.  Order – Whernside; Ingleborough; Pen-y-ghent.

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STATISTICS

BB1925 : The Return of the Hotel Inspectors

Date:

Wednesday 24th July 2019

Features:

Selside Pike, Branstree, Mosedale Cottage

Comitibus:

Brian, Don, Mike B, Mike T, Stan

Distance in miles (Garmin):

11.6

Height climbed in feet (OMN):

2,302

GPX track

BB1925.gpx

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