BOOTboys

BB2420 : What the Helles?

Wednesday 12th June 2024

Helles is the name of a traditional German lager, especially popular in Bavaria. They tend to be flavoursome, mildly sweet and light-coloured, with low bitterness.

Robinsons is the name of a brewery that originated in my home town of Stockport.

I remember the distinctive smell of hopsregularly lingering in the air; perfuming would be too kind a word.

I hadn’t realised that they had started brewing Helles until the other day when I received an e-mailshot announcing the chance to win 52 pints of Helles to enjoy at your local over the next 12 months.

Our aim today was to visit Sour Howes and Sallows, two modest hills separating the Troutbeck and Kentmere valleys. When I saw the advert, I thought it was too good an opportunity to miss- the Queen’s Head at Troutbeck is a very nice destination and….. it’s a Robinsons pub.

We booked in for a late lunch then left the cars in the car park. The intention was to walk through the village down to the church. Mike and I set off at a sensible pace, Stuart and Stan dawdling behind us. On reaching the Mortal Man we wondered where the helles were they? What the helles were they doing for them to take so long? Mike went back along the road, returned and reported that they were nowhere to be seen. What’s more, neither was answering their phone. The only possibility seemed to be that they had decided to take the more direct footpath down to the Church. We were speeding down there to catch them up when at last telephonic communication was achieved. Where the helles had they been? Somehow, they had been so engrossed in conversation that they wandered up a driveway to a farm before realising they were climbing the wrong hill. At last we were able to reunite and resume our expedition.

We took the usual, steep, slate-cobbled path.....

..... eventually to cross what the OS map calls "Garburn Road (Track)" and enjoy the views up the Troutbeck valley.....,

..... down to Windermere.....,

..... and over to the Lakeland panorama.

The ascent to Sour Howes is full of false summits but not so intense as to frustrate greatly.

We encountered a man with two women and had a long chat with them whilst having a coffee break at the summit. They were from Banchory, on the River Dee in Aberdeenshire, and this was the last day of their stay in the Lakes. They then set off in the direction of Sallows, as did we a little later.

Sallows is a more mundane top, easily reached from this direction. We acknowledged our new friends in the distance as we saw them heading west, below us on the Garburn Pass.

After topping out, we likewise dropped down to the Pass and made the steady descent, enlivened by turning off to drop down the steep path to Limefitt.

Generally, we don’t like ending a walk with a climb but as we were on a mission to win a year of Helles, there was no option. It had to be uphill back to the Queens Head.

The lad behind the bar greeted us warmly and asked what we would like.

“What? The Helles of course.” We explained that we were intent on winning the competition. He invited us to take a seat and brought the drinks to us. The Helles wasn’t exactly served in a Stein but it was certainly in a very heavy glass. Perhaps it should have been brought by a wench in a dirndl balancing eight on her arms but remember this was from Stockport, not Munich.

I’m not normally a great fan of lager, I find it usually served so cold that it has no flavour. However this was just right and flavoursome. As it says on their website: “Sweetness balanced with a light bitterness, delicately hopped, clear & light, it’s the epitome of a thirst-quenching lager bier”.

It was while we were enjoying the Helles that our new friend came over. They had had the same thoughts about an appropriate post walk destination.

The BOOTboys blog was mentioned and I promised to feature him and post his picture- here he is: SANDY.

Hi Sandy- it was good to meet you and your ladies. Next time you are in the area, let us know so you can be inaugurated as a BOOTboy.

The landlord brought the meal we had ordered and said that the barman had mentioned that we intended to enter the competition. “That’s Great,” he said. “You must come back on Friday.” “Why?” we asked. “Well, the promotion doesn’t start till then!” I checked the faint, small print. He was right. Wrong day. What the helles were we doing there today?!?

Don, Wednesday 12^th June 2024

Comitibus:

TV Mike, Stuart, Stan, Don

Map: Hug map level 9

STATISTICS	BB2420 : What the Helles?
Date:	Wednesday 5th June 2024
Features:	Sour Howes, Sallows
Distance in miles:	7.0
Height climbed in feet:	1,792
GPX track:	BB2420.gpx
Comitibus:	Don, TV Mike, Stan, Stuart

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