BB1514 : The Rotary Ramble Red Route Revisited

Saturday 25th April 2015

Each of us admitted that had it not been for fear of opprobrium from the others, we would have wimped out today. A forecast of persistent and at times heavy rain coupled with strong winds is not exactly the favourite way to spend a spring Saturday.  Especially with a chill factor of -12ºC.

That's the power of a Comitibus for you and why a four man BOOTboys team gathered at the Staveley Mill Yard prepared to undertake the Red Route of the Rotary Ramble around Kentmere.  

This is not the first time we have supported this event.  Indeed it seems to have been the fifth, following on from BB1413, BB1216, BB1111 & BB1018.

This year's team comprised the welcome return of Ian who had travelled up from Cheshire this morning, his old school chum and now Kendal based Martin plus James and me.  The charity chosen by Rotary on this occasion being the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

Fortunately the weather seemed to have ignored the forecasts and continued to do so all day.  It was a bit blowy at times and the odd drop of wet stuff but nothing to get worried about.

The route was the familiar one, starting from the Mill Yard in Staveley and heading up the west side of the Kentmere Valley, pausing as ever for the team picture at Ullthwaite Bridge.  

After passing contrasting buildings, we climbed the old trail up Kentmere Park to the old quarry and then skirting the Sallows summit across to the Garburn Pass checkpoint.

The Coniston range from Sallows

We were surprised as we descended the Pass to Kentmere village to discover several groups of people heading in the same direction.  All became clear when we reached the village hall.  Normally this is just the Rotary lunch stop and nothing much else happening.  Today, it turned out that there were two other organisations holding their own events and each had its checkpoint in its own tent outside.  One was a national Round Table event which seemed quite challenging especially as they seemed to be repeating it the following day on bikes.  I am not sure what the other was but NewGen appears to be involved with wind trubines (which I trust are not going to be installed in Kentmere).

James surveys the upper Kentmere valley

The return was the normal route up the Tetherer Pass, tuning south at its apex checkpoint for the climb to Green Quarter and Skeggles Water.

Eventually we returned to the Mill Yard to collect our certificates and undertake the mandatory celebration in the Brewery.

Don, 26th April 2015

Nepal Earthquake Disaster

The disaster in Nepal has particular resonance for several BOOTboys, all of whom have very fond memories of the country and especially its people.

Bryan, just back from Kathmandu:

A week ago I was a tourist in the delightfully chaotic city of Kathmandu. I had just spent three weeks in the high mountains supported by the wonderful people of Nepal, who have so little yet remain so cheerful.

Now I'm safely at home whilst they try and cope with yet another natural disaster. Thankfully I've had word that all those Sherpas and porters that helped us are ok.

When the appeals for help start coming, please support them. These people really deserve it.

Terry, whose blog can be found at Everest Base Camp and Much More, returned a few days earlier:

The terrible news over the last 36 hours has filled me with a profound sadness. I have had many texts, email and messages from friends all over the world expressing how lucky I am to have left Kathmandu 18 days ago and that I'm safely home; unfortunately I don't feel lucky. During my visits to Nepal in 2007, 2014 and earlier this month, the Nepali people and culture have won my heart and I can only feel heartbroken and desperately sad.

I have emailed Prem, my guide this year and Sherpa Ang Neema who guided me last year, however I have not heard back from either of them. Hopefully this is to be expected, as all regular communications are interrupted and I pray that they and their families are together and safe.

The country is one of the poorest in the world, but as I have consistently observed, the Nepalis are one of the happiest. This year I heard it expressed that "their expectations are low but their thinking is encouraged to be high".

Although many of the locations in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Pattan are designated World Heritage, their condition required urgent repair and maintenance, regrettably it is now too late and most are reduced to rubble.

I sincerely hope that there is sufficient support from the rest of the world to ease the pain and suffering of the Nepali people.

Philip was particularly concerned about the people of Khiraule and the impact of the earthquake on the Khiraule School Project with which he has been so closely involved and which he visited in November last year:

I have just spoken to Pat Steel. In a nutshell: Lhakpa [Pat's Nepalese husband] is okay and in Kathmandu helping with the rescue operations.

Khiraule is unscathed but two Sherpas from the village have died on Everest.

There are no flights out of Nepal currently. It is therefore unclear when I will next be meeting with Lhakpa who will obviously be fully employed in Nepal for some time.

I will email Ashok, as my Rotary contact, shortly to see if I can get more general news of the priorities Rotary have set in Nepal.

Graham, who visited Nepal three times in the 1990s:

It's a tradegy for the wonderfully friendly and generous people of Nepal and the Kathmandu valley in particular who deserve better fortune in life. They didn’t stand a chance, given how the vast majority of buildings were never built to withstand earthquakes and would have tumbled like packs of cards.

Let’s hope global relief agencies respond adequately, both in the affected towns and in the more difficult higher mountain areas where life for many, not just tourists but sherpas as well, may be hanging in the balance. Those above the Khumbu Icefall may be in a particularly precarious position. My thoughts go out to all caught up in this disaster.

Nepal Earthquake Appeals include those of Oxfam and Save the Children.

BOOTboys routes are put online in gpx format which should work with most mapping software. You can follow our route in detail by downloading bb1514 .

To discover which Wainwright top was visited on which BB outing - although it may not be that up to date - or for the totals of the mileages and heights (ditto) see the Excel file: BB Log.

You can navigate to the required report via the Home Page

Photos have been gleaned from many sources
although mostly from me and other BOOTboys. Likewise written comment.

I apologise if I have failed to acknowledge properly the source or infringed
copyright.  Please let me know and I will do my best to put things right.

Unless stated otherwise, please feel free to download the material if you wish.
A reference back to this website would be appreciated.

Wainwrights

To see which Wainwright top was visited on which BB outing see Which Wainwright When? This may or may not be up to date!

For the latest totals of the mileages, heights and Lakeland Fells Books Wainwrights see: Wainwrights.
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BOOTboys 2015

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