BB1722 : The Duke of Edinburgh Award

Wednesday 5th July 2017

It is approaching midnight.  I have just come back across the road from Nether Wasdale's Screes Inn to my virtuous pit at the Strand Inn after a very jolly evening with the BOOTboys. Although we might be a little creaky in the morning, we have had (for us) a splendidly adventurous day.

First off was a brutal climb up the nose of Yewbarrow.  You have to pass between two crags and it involves quite a bit of “hands on”.  

I wouldn’t like to go down that way.

On the Yewbarrow ridge, we met a young lass out solo.  She told us she had already done 12 miles.  She also admitted to our astonishment that she was 50.  She didn't look it.  She lived in Cleater Moor- a town Margaret knew well from her first teaching post.

Anyway, this girl / woman knew how to steal our hearts.  She said that she had first thought that we were youths out on an expedition for our Duke of Edinburgh Award.

Yes!  If only!!  We calculated that the combined age for the seven of us was not far short of 500!  Rather more than the DofE maximum of 168.  

She told us we didn't look it.  Sweetie!

The Scafells could be seen in the distance, the cloud undecided whether to lift or not.

The descent was a challenge; like the approach, I wouldn’t like to have to go down that way.  But we did have to.  It is not that it is very dangerous, despite being fearsomely steep with some severe drops off-piste.  It was that there were several hands-on, face the rock sections, one of which needed Stan to talk us all down- shouting out the moves.  His reward?  A crushed hand from a foot that landed where it shouldn’t have done.

At the Dore Head col we came acros a party of four Aussies who weren't exactly lost but were confused as well they might be without map or compass.  

However we neo-DofE boys were properly equipped so were able to provided them with a map and point them in the right direction.  Gold star?

In comparison, the climb to Red Pike and Scoat Fell was quite tame.  

What had worried me most was the traverse across to Steeple.  I remembered it from last time (BB1022) with its fearsome drops on both sides.  

Actually it is not at all difficult, nor if you are sensible is it dangerous but the mind plays tricks for those of nervous, vertiginous disposition.

Next was Pillar.  In comparison this was a straight forward climb, zig-zagging up the steep rocky hill but with no exposure.  You could see the clouds rolling around Great Gable.

We dropped down the other side to the Black Sail Pass.  Unlike BB1022 we opted out of the steep climb up Kirk Fell, preferring the long descent by the side of the Gatherstone Beck.  There was just one obstacle - the stream itself which we had to cross.  It was wide, fast flowing and although there were many stones that could be used for stepping, there were also deep pools.  Most seemed to cope with the stones without too many problems.  

I, being clever,  decided on a different approach.  I used Bryan’s “your feet get wet, your feet get dry” strategy and didn’t aim for the stone but simply for safe shallower pools of water.  Only one was deeper than it should have been.  My boot got more than wet- it got flooded.  And it didn’t get dry.  So I squelched my way back to the car.  Not so clever!  You might be wondering why we didn't stay a while at the Wasdale Heaad Inn.  Answer- it was getting late and dinner awaited us.

Back at the Strand, soused herring was excellent and the main courses hearty as needed by heroes of the hills.  Especially those competing for the Duke of Edinburgh’s geriatric award.

Don,  Wednesday 5th July 2017

Comitibus: Don, Stan, John, King James, Martin, Robin, Terry

Map shown: OS 1:25k

BOOTboys routes are put online in gpx format which should work with most mapping software. You can follow our route in detail by downloading bb1722 .

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 heightages (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.

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BOOTboys 2017

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