BOOTboys

BB1017 : The BessyBOOTboys

Thursday 22nd April 2010

Today was the day a dream came true. Unfortunately, it was the dream that I had that I had set my alram to go off an hour later than intended. When it awoke me at 7:45 to prove that I had, it caused a minor panic. Today was our day to visit Bessyboot and we were going to be late. I phoned Stan and Bryan to alert them to my inefficiency and they were very understanding.

Bessyboot? What a funny name. I am not sure why but it kept reminding me of a song I first heard many years ago. When I was at university in Leeds, I had a friend, Duncan, who gave up his PhD in Electron Spin Resonance in order to become a potter. He was very fond of a song by Eric Anderson, later recorded by John Denver, called, not Bessyboot but, a good walking song, Thirsty Boots.

Oh, take off your thirsty boots and stay for a while
Your feet are hot and weary from a dusty mile
And maybe I can make you laugh, and maybe I can try
Just lookin' for the evenin' and the mornin' in your eyes

The morning' in my eyes was quite shamefaced as I picked up the boys and drove them, on yet another stunning day, through the heart of lakeland to park at Seathwaite. And the mornin' in my eyes took another step backwards when I discovered that, in my rush to get ready, I had left my maps by the computer. Fortunately, however, they were much better prepared than me, so lost, we would not be.

We crossed Black Sike beck by the farm (two displays of washing for Margaret).

Seathwaite Farm washings one.....

..... and two!

The climb to the Tarn at Leaves

Then we headed down the valley, along the Allerdale Ramble, to Strands Bridge before picking up the footpath to attack Rosthwaite Fell.

AW warns about using this route to the Tarn at Leaves, describing it as tedious.

He was not wrong.

It is steep and uneventful, lightened only by the view back down Borrowdale toward Keswick and Skiddaw.

Looking back down Borrowdale, Skiddaw in the distance

After the Tarn at Leaves, things become more interesting.

The Tarn at Leaves, Bessyboot behind

Bessyboot is actually the lower summit of Rosthwaite Fell but generally regarded as the one you need for the tick in your book. Probably because it has the better view down the valley. Or the mystery of its name. I could hear the muse singing:

So, tick off your Bessyboot
and stay for a while
Your feet are hot and weary
from a dusty mile
And Glaramara waits for you
and also Seathwaite Fell
You're walking all the Wainwrights,
I can see it in your eyes

A BessyBOOTboys map consultation

But it was too early for the BessyBOOTboys to stop. To reach the higher Rosthwaite Fell summit, which does not appear to have a distinct name, we retraced our steps past the tarn and climbed the short distance.

The Tarn at Leaves with the second summit; Glaramara behind at right

Comitibus: Rosthwaite Fell

It might not have a name but it has a more interesting top- a little like Helm Crag in miniature- a rocky pile with a bit of a challenge to find the way up.

In the distance Glaramara stood looming over us. Another strange name. It seems quite out of place here. Stan thought it meant something like a pile of stones but from what I could find out, that is more likely to be Rosthwaite Fell. One interpretation of Glaramara is that it derives from 'Hovedgleuermerhe', which means 'the mountain with the shieling by the ravines'.

Glaramara looming

To my mind, it sounds Gaelic, or maybe more suited to a Broadway musical: "How are things in Glarmara?". Well, actually, things were very good in Glaramara. Stan, who usually is relatively slow in the mornings, was going like stink, and leading the charge. There were some surprisingly large but easily avoided patches of snow still around and an "interesting" scramble up a long gully. At the summit there is an excellent shelter in which we took lunch.

The "interesting" scramble

Comitibus: Glaramara

Sadly, though, it was starting to cloud over and, out of the sun, it grew quite cold.

Glaramarapanorama from Bowfell, Esk Pike, Great End to the Gables

After lunch we lost height heading south before regaining it for Allen Crags, which we did not need for the W tally but was essential for our route.

Langdales across High House Tarn

Great Gable from Seathwaite Fell

Thereafter, we dropped down toward Esk Hause before turning right for Sprinkling Tarn and right again for Seathwaite Fell.

Great Gable across Sprinkling Tarn, Great Slack to the right

This is another hill with more than one summit.

First we took in Great Slack, the highest point.

Then we worked our way northwards to the Wainwright top, presumably chosen because it has the finest view of Borrowdale you can experience.

The weather had picked up again and we lingered in this idyllic location for some time.

Don surverys the wondrous view

Taylor Gill Force

The descent was a fairly direttissimo route down to the west, steep but broken ground. We then followed Styhead Gill on its western side, down by Taylor Gill Force.

This is a very "interesting" path with quite some exposure to the ravine before reaching the safety of the valley and, eventually, the car.

Another excellent day out, with stunning scenerey and further meaningful inroads into the W deficit.

Not exactly a dream come true, but good progress to the completion of the dream.

And I don't know about the boots being thirsty when I got home, but I certainly was!

Don, 22nd April 2010
Thanks to Bryan for some of the photos

The "interesting" ravine path

Seathwaite Fell from the valley

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STATISTICS:

BB1017	22nd April 2010
Distance in miles:	11.1
Height climbed in feet:	3,336
Wainwrights:	Rosthwaite Fell (Bessyboot), Glaramara, Allen Crags, Seathwaite Fell
Other Features:	-
Wainwright Countdown:	Don & Stan: 23 (-3) Bryan: 7 (unchanged)
Comitibus:	Bryan, Don, Stan

If you have Memory Map on your computer, you can follow our route in detail by downloading BB1017.

Steve G advises: "For those who like to look at your meanderings but use Tracklogs or other software then your logs can be converted using the freeware utility GPS Babel."

For the latest totals of the mileages, heights and Lakeland Fells Books Wainwrights see: Wainwrights.

If anyone wants to claim other peaks, please let me know and I will submit them to the adjudication committee!

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BOOT boys

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

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2010 Outings

BB1001 :
The Most Perfect
Winter Day
Thursday 7th January

BB1002 :
Snowcumabulating
Potter Fell
Thursday 14th January

BB1003 :
A Snowy Equipment Test
Thursday 21st January

BB1004 :
Leave It To The Professionals
Thursday 28th January

BB1005 :
That's A Lyth Record
Sunday 31st January

BB1006 :
Reasons To Be Cheerful
One, Two, Three
Thursday 11th February

BB1007 :
Can You See Clearly Now?
Thursday 18th February

BB1008 :
In Memory Of
Thomas Williamson
Thursday 25th February

BB1009 :
Almost a Mountaineer!
Wednessday 3rd March

BB1010 :
The Beginning Of The End
Thursday 11th March

BB1011 :
The Free Men on Tuesday
Tuesday 16th March

BB1012 :
We'll Get Them In Singles,
Stanley
Thursday 25th March

BB1013 :
The Fools on the Hill
Thursday 1st April

BB1014 :
The Windmills on the Moor
Wednesday 7th April

BB1015 :
By Lake, Ridge and Wainwright
Sunday 11th April

BB1016 :
The Ten Lake Tour (+5Ws)
Thursday 15th April

BB1017 :
The BessyBOOTboys
Thursday 22nd April

BB1018 :
The Kentmere Challenge
Saturday 24th April

BB1019 :
Winter in Springtime
Thursday 14th May

BB1020 :
Red Screes and Sausages
Thursday 20th May

BB1021 :
The Mile High Club
Thursday 27th May

BB1022 :
What A Difference A Day Makes
Thursday 3rd June

BSB2010 :
BOOTSKIboys in Zillertal
Saturday 30th January
to Saturday 6th February

Click on the photos
for an enlargement
or related large picture.

Wainwrights

To download a log of which Wainwrights have been done by which BOOTboy in the "modern" era, i.e. since the advent of BOOTboys click on Wainwrights.

If anyone wants to claim other peaks, please let me know and I will submit them to the adjudication committee!

Thirsty Boots by Eric Anderson

You've long been on
the open road,
you've been sleepin'
in the rain.
From dirty words,
and muddy cells
your clothes are
soiled and stained.

But the dirty words,
and the mud of cells,
will soon be judged insane,
So only stop and rest yourself,
and you'll be off again.

Oh, take off your thirsty boots
and stay for a while
Your feet are hot and weary
from a dusty mile
And maybe I can make you laugh, and maybe I can try
Just lookin' for the evenin'
and the mornin' in your eyes

Then tell me of
the ones you saw
as far as you can see,
across the plains
from field to town
marchin' to be free
And of the rusted prison gates
that tumble by degree
Like laughing children
one by one
they look like you and me

Oh take off your thirsty boots
and stay for a while
Your feet are hot and weary
from a dusty mile
And maybe I can make you laugh
and maybe I can try
Just lookin' for the evenin'
and the mornin' in your eyes

I know you are no stranger
down the crooked rainbow trail
from dancing cliff edge
shattered sills
to slander shackled jails
where the voices
drift up from below
as walls are being scaled
yes all of this
and more my friend
your song shall not be failed

Oh take off your thirsty boots
and stay for a while
Your feet are hot and weary
from a dusty mile
And maybe I can make you laugh
And maybe I can try
Just lookin' for the evenin'
And the mornin' in your eyes.