BOOTboys

BB1030 : The Examination Results

Thursday 12h August 2010

This is the time of year when many boys and girls, up and down, the land anxiously await the publication of their examination results. We boys, the BOOTboys, had an examination of a sort ourselves today. The weather forecast again put paid to Stan and me going west for the penultimate Wainwright trip. We considered completing last week’s unfinished business- Bowfell, via the Great Slab- and, indeed, were actually on our way when, whilst on the Staveley by-pass, we decided it might be quite grim up there and we should opt for the tests that Bryan had been saving for a rainy day.

So we hastily changed direction and headed off up the Kentmere valley to park by the church.

Test 1: Kentmere to Longsleddale, 631 feet from valley to highest point.

Upper Kentmere valley from above Green Quarter

This is a relatively gentle ascent, offering good views up the lovely Kentmere valley, punctuated only by stops to put on and then remove wet weather gear, Stan exposing himself in the process.

Bryan remvising for the first test

Stan caught with his trousers down!

On the descent to Sadgill, I couldn’t find the climbing rock that had been noticed on BB1018. Stan and Bryan were sceptical that the farmer, allegedly notoriously unfriendly, would allow such activity even if he had a climbing rock. All would become clear, later.

Dropping down into Longsleddale

Test 2: Longsleddale to Mardale, 1,296 feet from valley to highest point.

Sadgill Bridge

The gently climbing path up Longsleddale!

This is deceptive. It starts off gently enough then gradually winds up the steepness of incline then suddenly releases you into the Brownhowe Bottom area.

Gills in upper Longsleddale

Looking back across Brownhowe Bottom

You think that’s the end of it but it’s not. Across the plateau is an even steeper winding track taking you nearly to the top (it seems) of Adam Seat (with its awful, digger-made path to the summit) before the welcome drop to Mardale.

Dropping down to Mardale

I was curious to see how low Haweswater still is now that we have had about seven weeks of rain since the hosepipe ban.

It is not full, it must be said.

But then is it ever full in mid August?

There was no sign of the drowned village other than the walls of an old lane disappearing into the water..

Low, it definitely is not.

So, why have we still got a hosepipe ban?

A not very low Haweswater

Test 3: Mardale to Kentmere, 1,199 feet from valley to highest point.

This is a more typical Lakeland path, quite rocky in parts, at a good steady rake until relieved at Small Water Tarn where a party of ginger-haired children and parents were picknicking.

It then kicks off again up to the Nan Bield summit.

We had planned to take lunch at the shelter.

On arrival, it proved to be empty and it wsn’t difficult to work out why- built for the prevailing winds, today it was just the wrong way round.

A strong easterly was blowing directly into the otherwise inviting stone settee.

In the lee, a family were sheltering so we moved on a little to take lunch at the foot of a Harter Fell crag.

Looking back to Haweswater

Nan Bield from Small Water

The Nan Bield Settee

Small Water and Haweswater

Comitibus: Nan Bield

This week it had been Jamie’s turn to make the butties and he told me they contained a secret ingredient. The first contained about half a pound of cheese and some tzatziki but that wasn’t the secret ingredient. It turned out to be something that would have delighted Tony- a crushed meat pie!

Kentmere Reservoir and Ill Bell from Nan Bield

We lingered too long over lunch and I do believe that Bryan was asleep for the team photo! The descent was easy but it is a long, long walk back to Kentmere and the weather was starting to close in.

Kentmere Valley stretching ahead

Yoke and Ill Bell

About half a mile to go, it really started to rain- nasty, big, cold rain that was virtually hail. Wet weather gear back on and it was a relief to see the church.

Clouds gather over upper Kentmere

As we reached the car, a man passed by with a mattress over his shoulder. He had been to the climbing rock. It wasn’t in Longsleddale at all; it is near Goat House Scar in Kentmere. My memory had been playing tricks!

The Examination Results:

Surely, you have guessed what is coming??

We all got three passes!

The first, the unnamed pass from Kentmere's Green Quarter to Sadgill in Longsleddale

The second, the Gatesgarth Pass over to Mardale

And the third, the Nan Bield Pass, back to Kentmere.

All A Stars, of course!

Don, 12th August 2010

STATISTICS:

BB1030	12th August 2010
Distance in miles:	12.0
Height climbed in feet:	3,453
Wainwrights:	-
Other Features:	Kentmere, Longsleddale, Mardale
Wainwright Countdown:	Don & Stan: 6, Bryan: 7 (all unchanged)
Comitibus:	Bryan, Don, Jamie, Stan

If you have Memory Map on your computer, you can follow our route in detail by downloading BB1030.

To see which Wainwright top was visited on which BB outing see
Which Wainwright When?

For the latest totals of the mileages and heights see: BB Log.

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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

BB1023 :
Something Brutal
Thursday 10th June

BB1024 :
Rendezvous on Haycock
Thursday 17th June

BB1025 :
The Men of Gragareth
Thursday 24th June

BB1026 :
The Smardale Round
Thursday 1st July

BB1027 :
Don't Shun The Shunner!
Thursday 8th July

BB1028 :
All Around the Edge
Thursday 29th July

BB1029 :
The Return of Uncle Jamie
Thursday 5th August

BB1030 :
The Examination Results
Thursday 12h August

BB1031 :
Nick by Haggis
Thursday 19th August

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

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

Wainwrights

To see which Wainwright top was visited on which
BB outing see Which Wainwright When?.

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

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