BB2025 : The Devil Gate Drive?

Tuesday 21st July 2020

Hey, you all want to go down

to Devil Gate Drive?

Well, come on!

Well, of course I wanted to go for a drive with Suzi.  And with Margaret, who, sadly and unlike Suzi, was not dressed in black leather.

I have heard it said, unkindly, that Barrow-in Furness is not the end of the world but you can see it from there. Well, the land beyond Barrow is Walney Island.  Is that the land where demons live?  Is the bridge to the island the Devil Gate?  We would find out as that is where we were taking Suzi for her inaugural drive. Or perhaps truer to say that she was taking us.

Meanwhile the BOOTboys Red Team were in action.  Martin takes up the tale.

Despite the best laid plans things can go wrong and today was one of those days. Throughout lockdown Don has been harbouring a wish to revisit Ill Bell to confirm, or not, that he can see his house from the summit. The weather forecast was good, the team was assembled despite computer gremlins in the email system and the mishearing of participants’ availability then Don announced "Sorry boys, I have had a better offer.  I'm on a double date with Margaret and Suzi."

The result of all this was that Mike B, Terry and Martin assembled at the already busy parking area near Troutbeck Church at 9.30. We set off up the path towards Garburn Pass at what we thought was a good pace, only to be overtaken by younger (much) runners and a couple of walkers.

The opening views in the sunshine were spectacular as we climbed up the track – a couple of mountain bikers came past and then we came across a couple of guys in a Fylde B.C. registered taxi, a Ford Mondeo, well up the rough, stony track wondering if they could get over the hill to Kentmere! We suggested that it might be problematic and that they would be better off retracing their route. We were unsure just how far they would have to reverse as there were no possibilities for turning round.

The continuing walk up Garburn was uneventful and we eventually reached the obvious turn off to our first target of Yoke.

Onwards and upwards we passed over the summit of Yoke, only being overtaken by young, female solo runners, and pressed on to Ill Bell.

A Comitibus photograph was taken on the summit, together with a photograph of Don’s house in the distance.

We took an early lunch in the sunshine and chill breeze.....

..... before debating whether or not to include Thornthwaite Beacon in our outing. We decided "not" and dropped down the rocky slope before climbing again to the summit of Froswick.

After Froswick we took the shortcut to join the return path back to Troutbeck along Hag Gill. Here we met two couples from Limefitt Holiday Park wondering if they were on the right path for High Street and was it steep? They appeared to be lacking a map and proudly told us of previous expeditions where they had descended into the wrong valley, necessitating a return by taxi. We wished them well – they had plenty of daylight and the weather was good, but we did wonder whether they would eventually reach the summit.

By now we were developing a thirst, accompanied by thoughts of succulent cake from the Old Post Office in Troutbeck and before we knew it there we were on the outside tables, socially distanced from the World, reminiscing on the day and wondering if Mike really will scratch the itch he was telling us about. More on this to follow, I think!

Martin, Tuesday 22nd July 2020

I'm glad the boys had a good time visiting Ill Bell.  Margaret, Suzi and I certainly enjoyed our outing to the South Walney Nature Reserve.  No demons here.  No Devil Gate.  It's a land of rare birds and wild flowers where the views are fantastic.

A panorama of the Lake District. Peil Island and the coast around Morecambe Bay and down to Blackpool Tower which we could see very clearly.  We thought we could even just make out the cranes in the docks at Liverpool.

I am please to report that Suzi behaved herself.  Sorry, if there has been a bit of a misunderstanding.  Suzi Quatro is a person, perhaps best known for singing about the Devil Gate Drive. The Suzuki Vitara is a four-wheeled drive car.  My Suzi.  In black leather.

Meanwhile, I await with baited breath news of Mike's itch and the scratching thereof.  Black leather trousers perhaps?

Don, Tuesday 22nd July 2020

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Comitibus

Mike, Terry, Martin

Route:

Map OS 1:25k

STATISTICS

BB2025 : The Devil Gate Drive?

Date:

Tuesday 22nd July 2023

Features:

Yoke, Ill Bell, Froswick

Comitibus:

Martin, Mike B, Terry

Distance in miles (Garmin):

9.9

Height climbed in feet (MM):

2,687

GPX track

BB2025.gpx

 

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