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BB2037
: Ernie and the Whispering Sands
Thursday
15th October 2020
Another
two-parter this week. The first report
from me, the second from Mike B.
1.
A Present from Uncle Ernie
It was only when I opened the
post that I had a Billy Bunter surprise and started to feel better.
The day started out well
enough. Driving up the Great Langdale
valley in the glorious sunshine was a delight. The Old Dungeon Ghyll Car National Trust Car park was already full (it
was only 9 o’clock) but fortunately the one at the New DG had hardly anyone in
it. This would add a mile to the outing
but so what?
Our objective was Crinkle
Crags.
The air quality was exceptional
but unfortunately my brain wasn’t. We
intended to take the Red Tarn route onto the high fell. I was looking out for the footbridge and when
we saw it, we crossed it and followed the path up the hill. Till it
stopped. Oh dear. Wrong footbridge. We had missed it. We were now on the wrong side of Browney Gill.
We debated whether to retrace
our steps or pioneer a new
route up to Great Knott. It wasn’t the
steep drop into the Gill that bothered me.
It was having to traverse steep ground, gradually climbing and turning
towards the Gill chasm then the steep climb to the top. I have to
confess, it got to me. Stan reckoned
there was a way out through the crags and I know (now) that he was right but
it looked too steep for me and I wimped out. Ignominiously, I turned to retreat back to the
valley. The boys had a mountain-craft
leadership discussion and determined that I should not be left by myself so
Bryan kindly volunteered to accompany me back to the car.
Don,
Bryan
In other circumstances
that would have been a very pleasant walk but the lower we got the more I was
cursing myself for being such a wuss.
I
toyed with the idea of seeking Martin and
Stan on their descent but as I didn't know
whether they would come down The Band or
via Hell Gill, I decided against it. It
clearly wasn't my day and I would inevitably
make the wrong choice.
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I
reached home feeling rather
sorry for, and cross with, myself. However, listening to
the day's C-19 news soon put things in perspective.
And when I opened my post the
Fat Owl of the Reform came to
mind. At last there was a smile on my face. Billy
Bunter would have been delighted. Uncle Ernie
had sent me a postal order! My number
had come up and I'd won £25.
Drinks all round! Eventually.
Don,
Thursday 15th October 2020
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PS
Unfortunately Martin's gps packed
up but Stan did take a couple of photos.
Crinkles
ahead:
Pike
o'Blisco behind:
They
had little else to report other than it
was a very steep climb up and out of the
Browney Gill ravine and they saw a big black
bird!
They
did add, however, that on the way back they
looked for the footbridge that we had missed
and that it was no surprise that we had
missed it as it was missing! A victim of
Storm Desmond or something like that.
2.
The Shifting Whispering Sands
What’s
the “The Shifting Whispering Sands” got
to do with the Great Langdale Valley?
Our
walk plan was to stay low. Stuart has a
tricky back, so it would be good for him
to have some company. The alternative was
Crinkle Crags and Bowfell, a climb I wouldn’t
have minded doing, but the thought of it
becoming a 12 miles and 3,000’ plus climb
was holding my dodgy knee back. We met at
Elterwater.
It
was a beautiful day. Perfect temperature.
No rain forecast. Would we need gaiters?
Hope not. Half our walk was the Cumbria
Way up the west side of the valley, and
my guess was the return path would be equally
well trod. Not much mud, I hoped.
It’s
odd to think that over 30 years ago I used
to come here almost every day. Why? Well
I was lucky enough to work at Langdale.
The commute from Patton Bridge most days
was a joy.
So
it was nice to come back and walk past the
Langdale Estate and see it from the quarry
side. It looked in good nick. There hasn’t
been much development in all that time.
A new mini hotel called Brimstone. Alterations
to the “club” or leisure facility. But otherwise
not much has changed.
A
bit like the valley. It’s still stunning.
We always referred to it as the honey pot
of the lakes. It has it all. Majestic mountains,
and Herdy sheep. Amazing autumnal
colours. It was so nice and laid back a
day that Tony wasn’t biting when we said,
just after 12, lunch anyone? You see, the
benefit of a late start is that Tony has
a late breakfast. We troughed by the stream,
dangling our legs over the wall towards
the water.
Stuart,
Mike, Stephen, Tony
Stuart
told us an amusing story about being banned
form the Old Dungeon Ghyll pub a while ago.
Another BB was involved apparently......
!
On
the way back south down the east side, I
had a very small hill planned in order to
keep us off the metalled road and end up
with a respectable 1,400’ of climb. But
I didn’t expect rebellion on such a nice
day. “You were doing so well up to now”
one of the wise men said to me. Another
said “How many contours?”
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So
instead we cut across to the
Britannia at Elterwater.
We
made our way to a well-managed
Covid-safe table outside and
enjoyed a beer with the sun
on our backs.
So
what’s with the shifting whispering
sands?
Tony’s
pub quiz question of the day
was “With which song did Eamonn
Andrews have a hit?”
The Shifting Whispering Sands
Unbeatable.
Mike,
Thursday 15th October 2020
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