FAMOUS FIVE GO HIGH IN LANGDALE

WOT? You want me to go up that!  Fri 15th to Sun 18th April 2011


So there I was minding my own business when this bloke knocks on my door and says grab your bag, you're coming with us. And that's how I ended up on my way to Cumbria with Sloman and Lambert.

On the way we picked up Dave and ended up in the Langdale camp site in ample time to pitch our tents. This was the first time out for Wendy since I was lucky enough to purchase her from Mick and Gayle, and I have to say she turned out to be a little beauty.  

Luckily we had ample time to make it to the The Old Dungeon Ghyll for the required hydration material.

Alan, Phil and Dave preparing. Later Shirley arrived with Piglet

Obviously we were all off to our tents early to awake the next morning to a rather dull overcast day with cloud cover on most of the tops.

So it was that the Famous Five Played by


Phil Lambert
Alan Sloman
Andrew Walker
David Wilkinson
and
Shirley Worral and Piglet


(It is not my job to allocate the specific parts)


set off about 9.45, but Alan lured us into the The Old Dungeon Ghyll again for a cup of coffee, and so we finally headed off on our big adventure about 11.00.

The weather being rather closed in, it was decided to follow the Cumbria way to Rossett Pike, stopping on route for Lunch. You can tell how good the conditions were by the faces of the happy campers.

This looks quite clear, but in reality it looked like this.

We worked our way over to Angle Tarn and then the climb up to Esk Hause and the Alan Crags.

Having a break at Angle Tarn

There were little breaks in the clouds, but as we made our way to High House Tarn, the visibility decreased, to the point were it was not that easy to determine we had got there. However eventually, we arrived at our high camp for the night, and although cloud continued to drift across, the rain had stopped and tents were put up in a rather splendid location.

As we put up our tents, King Kong raised his head over the top of the hill.

The little tarn itself gave or would give the following morning wonderful views to the Langdale Pikes, and in the opposite direction Great Gable.

I was lured into Wanda for a game of Rummy

Unfortunately I had just started to boil a litre of water, which I forgot. Not only did I lose at rummy, but nearly destroyed my cooking mug. 

Luckily Phil spotted it and turned it off for me. 

Unluckily, it had used nearly all my gas.

Luckily I had just enough for a breakfast brew.

It had nothing to do with the Wine and Whiskey, and can definitely say that with authority. I think.
It was during this that the dastardly Piglet had it away with Phil's breakfast pancakes. That would be the whole packet that would. When scolded for said deed, she siad in a sheepish hang dog like manner, "Weren't me guv it was some other dog that looked like me, honest", but the truth was evident, and the guilty demeanour obvious.

As the moon came up and the temperature dropped, it was time to get some sleep.

The next morning as the sun began to break through, the magnificent location became all the more apparent.

As we headed back towards Alan Crags, the cloud drifting below us in the valley it was time to consider our route for the day.

However, the cloud at the higher levels was still very patch and clinging to the tops, and we went down to Sprinkling Tarn and Sty head, then followed the path down to Wasdale for a lunch time meal.

After a very nice lunch at the Wasdale Head, and Alan buying his new Designer Montane Pants with special stretchy bits (you can see them in the picture below), we headed back up for our second high camp. We followed the track to the right of Mosdale Beck round to Blacksail Pass.

The weather was getting better, and although the climb was not too steep, it was a little indistinct underfoot.

There were fine views back to Ennerdale and High Stile could clearly be seen.

It took me back to my c2c walk from 2008.

We reached the camp in fine weather, and luckily no wind, with a lovely pitch, a small stream nearby for water, and views to both Ennerdale and Wasdale.

As the sun dropped it became very cold on a clear night, and thermals were order of the day.

That is the Moon not the Sun at around 11.00 pm

The next morning we made a reasonably early start for us. I will not even discuss here the photo that was taken of me with a 16x zoom by some so called friends whilst I performed my morning ablutions. That is for someone else's blog.


Anyway, the weather looked like it was going to be very different. The views were clear, but the steep climb up and over the top on track of slippery shale, with full packs was hard work.

We dropped down to Styhead Tarn for a break and watched a rescue taking place on the corridor route to Scafell near the crags.

Back over to sprinkling Tarn and up to the Shelter for Lunch.

Some of the lunch items were open to interpretation

Here are the Caption Entries so far - I'll let you Decide...
Louise - "This is the bit I left behind on the way to Moffat"
Me- "After the incident with the barbed wire fence, Alan's skin graft was not quite what he was expecting!"
Alan- "The team thought they had done rather a good job performing Al's vasectomy. Alan wasn't so sure."

Even up here, amidst all this, some total ARSE, the capitals are important, had used the wall as a litter bin.

Some people should just not be allowed out.

From here the return journey was via Angle Tarn again and then the more direct route along Mickledon Beck back to the Car.

Dave collecting water on the way down

We finished as we began at The Old Dungeon Ghyll before the long drive back to the Fens.

A rather fine 3 days with nearly 6500 feet of Ascent, and a BIG THANK YOU to Phil for organising it, the route and dragging me up there. Plus some excellent company, and lot's of laughs as always.

EEEhh It were GRAND!


Monday morning was interesting though. I spent the first few hours walking like Spotty Dog. For some reason my calf muscles had stopped working and my knees had forgotten how to bend.


Parting Mood ...............................................