BB1429 : A Sting In The Tale

Wednesday 23rd July 2014

Not long into our walk, just past Curwen Woods, Mike, who had been discussing lyrics with Terry, burst into song:

Will you follow me along this path
through the fields of barley?
Forget the sun in his jealous sky
as we walk in fields of gold

It was so apt.  There ahead of us lay a trail through the field of gold.

Things were a little different at the other side.  In the next field our way was blocked by an endless sea of vegetable.  It was then that Terry burst into song:

Come follow me around the edge
of this field of turnips
See the west wind move the leaves so green
as we walk round fields of swedes.

Then, as we walked round rather than through the field of swedes, things deteriorated.  It was my turn to sing:

I 'll remember you, how you made us move,
along this path of nettles
I know your game, it's just a ruse
to sing a song of Sting

We were heading for Hutton Roof Crags then Farleton Knott.  We were tight on time and, on learning that this would be new territory for Terry, it had seemed the ideal route.  And it was bad for those not wearing shorts!

Once through the stingers we took a route that was new to all of us.  We have to thank the Happy Hiker for his website bringing to our attention a path through Dalton Crag woods that is not marked on the map.  It is Open Access land and seemed an interesting new way to reach a familiar summit. Indeed it was, although somehow we managed to take a different route and emerged from the woods lower than we should.

Nonetheless, armed with three new GPSs between us that none had yet fully mastered, miraculously we managed to find an almost direct line to the summit trig point.

Ditto across the limestone pavement with its many clints and grykes to the next summit, marked by a couple of cairns.

What followed should have been straightforward but somehow, thinking I knew where I was (and having by now lost my map and failed to check my gps- not that it mattered as I can't see them properly with my new eyes) we headed for a while in the wrong direction. Well, it was in the woods. Then, once the ground opened out, we were deep in thick, high bracken but at least heading in the right direction.

Oh! He lost his map as they made their way
Through deep fells of bracken
On the open ground, they could see their way
 Northwards on they rolled

North to Farleton Knott

As we neared the Farleton Knott summit, the time neared noon and, more importantly, it started to rain.  Shelter was found and lunch taken

So they all sat down for to graze awhile
Amidst the rocks of Farleton
Then the sun returned to its jealous sky
And the tops they could behold

The sun had indeed returned to its jealous sky as we moved on to the twin peaks of Farleton before descending beneath the limestone cliffs where, long time ago on a climbing expedition, Pete's trousers had a malfunction (see BB0838 )

Many years have passed since that summer day
Amidst the cliffs of Farleton
Whilst climbing up, Pete's fruits hung down
And they weren't made of gold!

A brief canter along the canal led us back to the car and on to the Hare and Hounds.

We took our seats for to stay awhile
With our pints of barley
In Levens, Lyth, at the Hair and Hounds
We were supping liquid gold

Don, Thursday 14th August 2014

With apologies to Gordon Sumner
also known as Sting

BOOTboys routes are put online in gpx format which should work with most mapping software. You can follow our route in detail by downloading bb1429 .

To discover which Wainwright top was visited on which BB outing - although it may not be that up to date - see: Which Wainwright When?

For the totals of the mileages and heights (ditto) see: BB Log.

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