BB0703 Wansfell Pike or the Stockghyll picnic.

Friday 19th January 2007

The day dawned with an unusual moment of doubt.  Would Bryan be fit enough to make it?  Shock ran through the camp at the realisation that he was human after all!  However, fit enough indeed he was and relishing the fact that, today, Stan was leading, not him.  

Stan had felt for some time that BB0617, Queen's Head to Queen's Head, represented unfinished business and that if we really wanted to consider that we had done the length of the Roman version of High Street, Troutbeck to Ambleside, sorry- Galava, needed to be performed.  Fortunately that was eminently suitable for a day which was blustery in the morning but with serious rain threatening to come in during the afternoon.

We parked at Troutbeck and headed for Ambleside via Robin Lane and Jenkins Crag with Bryan taking every opportunity to wind Stan up about his map reading, especially when we took a minor detour to visit a strange cairn just off the path and when we failed to find the path down to Galava.  We decided it was not worth visiting as it looked mostly underwater so we headed into Ambleside instead.  It was a most peculiar feeling being in civilisation at 11:30 in the morning in mid walk.  Tony seemed to know every nook and cranny, either from his drinking days or his courting days, and half the residents.  Stan, on the other hand, was having some trouble locating the right path out of Ambleside, much to Bryan's amusement.

We eventually found the route up Stockghyll Force, past the waterfall, when another dispute arose as to how to escape from the ghyll.  Stan rescued a potentially embarrassing detour by announcing that picnic table to which he had led us could be used for lunch and, as it was just about noon, Tony was not going to refuse.

After the picnic, the right path was found and the ascent of Wansfell Pike began.  It's actually rather steep and longer than you might think, especially for after lunch.  Half way up we were mortified to be overtaken by an old geyser travelling much quicker.  I stood back to let him past.  I thought about tripping him but instead I accused him of showing us up.  "Ah, but I am used to it" he kindly said.  Hope he doesn't read our web site and realise that we are not exactly strangers to the fells.

Don, 19th January 2007

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This page describes a 2007 adventure of BOOTboys, a loose group of friends of mature years who enjoy defying the ageing 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!

If you want to contact us, click on BOOTboys.