GLW1610 : Raven's Barrow

Wednesday 28th December 2016

Right, it's confession time. When you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.

This was not my finest hour (or two and a half). Today was intended to be a slimmed down version of last week's BOOTboys outing BB1644.

In particular, a visit to Raven's Barrow, starting from somewhere near the Church rather than down in the valley. That way I could cut out the less interesting part and focus on the best bits.

However, I wanted to take Margaret via a less steep route to the Monument than the direct ascent undertaken by the BOOTboys. It's not that it was too dangerous or beyond her capabilities, I just wanted her to have an easy way up. That was the plan.

But it went wrong.

I could blame the fact that the road to where I wanted to park was blocked by a hedge-cutting tractor (or its driver) forcing us to turn round and fooling me as to where we actually were.

I could blame the fact that I did not have my reading glasses with me (although it is not the fact that is to blame, it is me to blame for not having them).

I did have a map- OS 1:25k blown up to 1:15k. And of the right area. I also had my gps. Unfortunately that only shows the 1:50 OS map.

We parked at a convenient access point to the fell and I checked the gps.

It looked as if we were in the right place.

Unfortunately (and so far I have not confessed this to Margaret but now she will know) it wasn't. This path was too far north.

It looked alright for a while, heading in the right direction and, although it seemed further than I anticipated, there were gates and stiles leading us towards the Monument.

And then there were not. Just a stone wall undulating up the fell like a Mini Wall of China.

To make things worse, the ground was, in parts, exceedingly boggy. Margaret, rightly, was getting somewhat cheesed off by now. Fortunately I eventually found a gate which I was confident let us into the right part of the fell. I could see it!

However, it disappeared. My confidence began to wane and Margaret's faith in me was rapidly evaporating There was one last chance- an outcrop that had a blip near its top that looked like a cairn. And then it didn't. And then it did. To my mighty relief we reached the Monument. Crisis over, we could enjoy the view and the coffee and sandwiches we had brought.

Once finished, we had to more or less retrace our steps, doing our best to avoid the boggy bits, to find the track to Height's Cottage. Lunch already having been taken, we did not linger here but headed up the bridle path. However, rather than head directly for Sow How Tarn, as per the BOOTboys, we took a detour which took us past the small "Middle Tarn".

Middle of what, I don't know and I am sure it is artificial but it was a good decision to go that way. The track brought us to Sow How Tarn where two swans and a full sized Cygnet put on a display of synchronised swimming for us.

Thanks to my navigational meanderings, we were somewhat behind schedule and shadows were getting long.

The sun was starting to be lost behind the Chapel House Plantation even though it was only just after two o'clock. Fortunately we soon emerged into the sunshine only to have what seemed to be a difference of opinion about which hill was what.

Is this time for another confession? Maybe; partly. The problem is that the Monument is not on the summit of Raven's Barrow, nor was it visible from where we stood to have the debate. I correctly identified where the summit is. Margaret correctly identified where the Monument is. My confession is that I had forgotten that the Monument is not at the summit. Like the song almost says

You're right from your side, I'm right from mine,
We're just one too many Monuments and a Raven's Barrow behind.

Yes, I agree. Rather contrived.

Anyway, things were a lot simpler now and I made an interesting discovery. I remembered I had the OS 1:25k map on my phone. I know some of the BBs do but I have always pooh-poohed this and relied on my Garmin. I've heard too many stories of phones not being sufficiently reliable for serious work.

However, I must admit that using the phone to follow the route proved a lot easier than either the paper map or the Garmin. Perhaps I need to review my strategy?

Anyway, we followed a perfectly good and non-challenging path down through Gateside Plantation to the road, We chose not to visit the Church as we have been there before, but strode on towards the car. And on. And on and on. Of course, it was rather further north than it needed to be. Silly boy. Sorry, my love. I will be much more careful about checking location before setting off next time. In fact, I will probably use my phone!

Don, Wednesday 28th December 2016

PS To make things worse, as we walked past the route the BBs had climbed to the Monument she said "I don't know what you were so concerned about. It's no worse than the Helm at Natland". She was right.