Blizzards on Blencathra
Gareth Burgess
Pictures and story of our recent walk up Blencathra, Cumbria.
Eventually I would like to add a section with all your stories and pictures.
If you are interested send an email to moun...@linuxbiz.co.uk If there is
enough interest i'll setup an area for you to add your stories and pics.
Happy New Year
Gareth Burgess
Paul Brooks
>
>
> http://www.wildlandwalks.com
>
> Pictures and story of our recent walk up Blencathra, Cumbria.
Sadly I got bored by image 3 of 11 after 2 minutes downloading. I'm sure you had fun!
Paul Brooks
Gareth Burgess
Thanks. Your comments made me realise I hadn't added height and width to
html for each image. Thus the images had to load first. I have now rectified
this. I wouldn't have noticed if you hadn't made the comments, so thanks
very much :-)
Regards
Gareth
"Paul Brooks" <pa...@rcTOOTHdalton.co.uk> wrote in message
news:1103_10...@news.plus.net...
Arthur Clune
: Hi Paul,
: Thanks. Your comments made me realise I hadn't added height and width to
: html for each image. Thus the images had to load first. I have now rectified
: this. I wouldn't have noticed if you hadn't made the comments, so thanks
: very much :-)
Seems to be a serious piece-o-string network connection though. I can't
get beyond the first page.
Arthur
--
Arthur Clune http://www.clune.org
We have no eternal allies and no perpetual enemies. Our interests are
eternal and perpetual, and those interests it is our duty to follow (Lord
Palmerston, 1848)
Rob Stone
<sue_b...@btinternet.com> wrote:
>http://www.wildlandwalks.com
>
>Pictures and story of our recent walk up Blencathra, Cumbria.
>
and here's mine .... LONGISH
===========================================================================
Sharp Edge
Paul was staying with mother-in-law in the dales so we agreed to meet up
in the lakes, and as Julie had to be back for 6 O'clock in York we
decided on her fav. mountain walk - Blencathra. Its dead easy and quick
to get to from us and the forecast snow showers before 9 then clear,
meant 10 am should be safe.
So 08:12 sees us piled into the mini, 3 ice axes one pair of crampons,
enough layers to keep a princess from feeling the pea, and its Sunday
morning - bloody hell i never see this time even work days :-) We
arrive at a couple of mins late, slighlty deafened by the drone of 2
hours in a mini cooper going rather swiftly.
The views had been fantastic as dawn and early sunrise co-incided with
our trip. Just before the A1 we had been treated to a stonking view of
the setting full moon, amazing - so clear and appearing so huge. The
weather held all the way to the lay-by, where Paul had been sat for 20
mins watching it fill up. More people arrived as we exchanged seasonal
greetings and it looked like we would have company all day.
It was clear that there was very little snow about as we had been able
to see the summit for the last 10 miles, shining in the blue sky with
just a thin layer or royal icing on top
It was quite cold at 10:20 when we set off at a reasonable pace; J and
I had words earlier about pace and topic of conversation, no computers
to be mentioned (paul and i are both IT peeps), enough to keep us warm.
Fairly soon we encountered the ice on he path which was pretty thick.
Still not enough to bother with crampons just yet (good job as they were
keeping dry and sharp in the boot of the car!). The path is steepish to
start then gets very steep and then evens out or a long stretch. Much of
this was frozen very hard and we dodged the ice patches and kept to the
stones or grass. A fell runner gambled down the hillside, just a warm up
for him i guess.
We had soon made Scale Tarn and sat, admiring the view. On the way up I
had been eyeing sharp edge, our intended route, with interest. Few
people were traversing it but i followed progress of one person, with
the sun glinting off their sac/axe? None seemed to be having much
problem although mostly moving slowly. By now, sat at the tarn, the
cloud was thickening and the sun was hiding. We admired the streaks of
ice on the corrie walls, but a lack of snow meant it was very broken. A
small tent nestle in on the far side of the tarn, nice place, tad cold
though and the bath looked none too inviting.
We tramped up to the ridge, there was a large part in front of us, and
behind us. I voiced my concerned about the state of the ridge, we agreed
if it was icy we'd retreat as we were cramponless. After some fig rolls,
a hat stop we set off, a slight flurry of light powdery snow falling.
So much for the forecast !
Sharp edge is very exposed (to the elements and drop), so very little
snow was avoiding the ravaging wind. This wind had blown most of the
moisture away and it was almost dry all the way across and really not
problematic. Most of the route we moved in line, Jules slightly behind,
and in danger of getting cold. One group retreated at the major obstacle
but we proceeded with caution and were fine. Steady hands and feet were
all that was required. The headwall is very polished but not too steep.
We all made our own routes up it, Julie scamping off ahead, passing two
lads en-route. The slabs were slightly snowier but again no ice.
We made the top and were welcomed by a huge biting wind, a very ice path
and bitterly cold - although Paul's free thermometer key ring was only
reading -2 or thereabouts. We decided against Harter Fell ridge in
favour of a longer walk down well known path, it was 12 and we couldn't
see anything ! The path head off west and around the rim, the ground
was hard but there was very little snow. Some of the minor gullies had
the top 15 feet filled with hard neve and we admired the build of of a
1 inch cornice, bit more snow and might get dangerous.
We passed many teams coming up the hill, and we were glad to be walking
with the wind not into it. Frozen acree was harder on the knees than
usual but not much to worry about other than the wind numbing our faces.
Lunch came quite low down as we cut back under the hills to drop down
into the valley and out of the wind. We followed the path back to the
cars, quite a distance along the wall and across a few streams. The path
descends some rock steps to reach the path and these were icy, so we
took our time as a twisted knee or ankle or a slip here would be
embarrassing as well as painful.
Just before the car, we meet Ian Grimsey (of U.R.C fame) and SO (sorry
amnesia setting in). They had done the same route but came back down the
approach path and were heading for a rented cottage - nice.
We said our good-byes after a cup of tea in the pub and headed back to
York in worsening weather, All the clear fields were now dusted, the
hills quite white. Scotch corner greeted us with a true blizzard, heavy
gobs of snow making driving more like a time tunnel experience at 40
mph. And then it stopped ! errr where's the snow, none on the ground,
none in the air ? weird. York as as cold as we had left it but my
shower was hot and i lit a huge fire (which nearly set fire to the
house!) and settled in with a bottle of wine.,
Happy New Year
-- Rob.
.........................................................................
Rob Stone, Psychology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD. 01904 433161
remove NOSPAM to mail me
.......................................................................
Steve Pardoe
news:a0v7r3$hoo$1...@knossos.btinternet.com...
> Hi Paul,
>
> Thanks. Your comments made me realise I hadn't added height and width to
> html for each image. Thus the images had to load first. I have now
rectified
> this. I wouldn't have noticed if you hadn't made the comments, so thanks
> very much :-)
No, it's just that the image files (some over 150kB) seem unnecessarily
large for the eventual display size. You could try clickable thumbnails
instead, so those of us on dial-ups can get a flavour of your page without
waiting too long. Even on the office ISDN it seems to take all day.
HTH,
Steve P
Gareth Burgess
Gareth
"Rob Stone" <r...@NOSPAM.psych.york.ac.uk> wrote in message
news:rob-020102...@rastelli.york.ac.uk...
Gareth Burgess
Regards
Gareth
"Steve Pardoe" <ste...@AMpardoes.com> wrote in message
news:u36as6j...@corp.supernews.com...
Rob Stone
<sue_b...@btinternet.com> wrote:
>We might have been at the summit at the same time. :-)
>
>Gareth
>
nope we had it to ouselves briefly, the two lads then joined us and we ran
away as more people arrived - too bloody cold !
I was dressed in black, julie in blue and paul in red - not sure if that
makeas a flag ?
Cheers
Simon Caldwell
<sue_b...@btinternet.com> wrote:
>have changed images to thumbnails :-)
>
They're still a bit big though. Try the (free) jpeg optimiser from
www.xat.com.
S.
--
The York Alpine Club at http://www.yorkalpineclub.org.uk
Outdoor photographs at http://www.simon-caldwell.co.uk
--
When I get hold of a book I particularly admire, I am so enthusiastic that I loan it to someone who never brings it back.
- Edgar Watson Howe
Gareth Burgess
Regards
Gareth
"Simon Caldwell" <simon.c...@bigfoot.com> wrote in message
news:rg483us1iuaeuclpa...@4ax.com...
Ian Grimsey
We were on Sharp Edge that day as well, must have been scrambing near you as
we were hit by the blizzard just after we topped out.
Saw Rob Stone as well !
=====================================================
Everytime that wheel turn round
bound to cover just a little more ground
=====================================================
he...@stuart-hodgson.com
I like the idea of collating stories and pictures of walks! I have just set up a blog - and here is my blog post on a recent Blencathra via Sharp Edge walk - with Photos and Routes - hope it's useful:
http://stuarthodgson.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/blencathra-via-scales-tarn-sharp-edge.html