Coniston weekend 13-15 March 2009

A slightly smaller group than usual set off for Coniston on the new 35 seater bus. There were mixed feelings about the bus ride but as usual William got us there and back safely and without any problems.





I stayed in the 3 star YHA hostel, Holly How and I have to say it was the cleanest hostel I'd ever been in and the food was exceptional. We were even served at the table and had candles and flowers on Saturday evening. There was a good selection of reasonably priced wine on sale and draught beer so most of us stayed in the hostel after the meal chatting around the fire in the lounge. It was interesting because a large party of Nottingham University students arrived for the weekend complete with dinner suits and evening dresses as they were having their annual dinner in the town. They were very friendly and it was great to see a group of young people enjoying the countryside in the same way as we do. You hear so much doom and gloom these days about the youth of today but it really lifted the spirits to see this group enjoying themselves.

The following photos of the happy group in the Youth Hostel were supplied by Sheila Hogg.


After a good breakfast on Saturday we set off to New Dungeon Ghyll where some of the 'A' walkers made for the hills while I joined the 'B' walk for a more leisurely walk along the Cumbria Way back to Coniston via Elterwater and Tarn Hows led by Rita. The weather was fine but there was a gusty wind and the 'A' walkers didn't manage to achieve all their goals as the wind was too strong. The 'B' walk was very good and we had splendid views of the mountains, some with patches of snow still on them. I'll let the photos tell the tale.

We arrived back in Coniston with just enough time for a well earned cup of tea and a look at Ruskin's grave in the churchyard before making our way back to the hostel for a shower and a relaxing evening.

Sunday morning was sunny but the clouds were obscuring the tops of the mountains. We loaded our luggage on to the coach and there was time for a few photos of the hostel surroundings before setting off from Coniston on the 'B' walk to Broughton in Furness via Walna Scar led by Jackie Wilkes. A small group of 5 on this walk and we climbed much higher than the previous day but managed to stay just below the cloud level. A very varied walk with mountain, valley and distant sea views. A bit boggy in places but Jackie showed us how not to cross a boggy stream for which we were very grateful! Once again the photos tell there own story but not so many of them this time as the conditions were not as clear.

We finished the walk with plenty of time for tea and crumpets before William arrived with the coach to take us all home.

Once again a splendid weekend with a hint of spring to lift our spirits, with excellent walks and with good companions. Many thanks to Jackie Hotchen for organising it and all the leaders for volunteering to lead walks. The next weekend in October will be part of the Pennine Way project but before that we have a week in Torquay to look forward to in May.

See you all there!

Hadrian's Wall Weekend March 2008

Well here we are again visiting another beautiful part of the countryside. Not quite so many made the journey to Northumberland which is a pity because most of those who did go enjoyed another action packed weekend. Stuart was in charge and made a good job of organising the rooms at the hostel and ensuring we had chosen our evening meals.

We left Bradford on Friday evening and arrived at our destination at around 9.30 pm. A few were dropped off in Haltwhistle and the rest travelled on to the YHA Once Brewed or the very conveniently placed next door pub Twice Brewed. Apart from some not being able to find the way into the hostel we soon settled in and there was time for a nightcap at the pub before turning in for the night.

The weather forecast wasn't too good but Saturday dawned and although it was cloudy I think you could say it was damp rather than wet! Malcolm and Jackie had brought their grandson Joseph on his first weekend away with the club and he was jointly leading the 'B' walk with Malcolm. The 'A' and 'B' walks set off together to explore Hadrian's Wall and we soon discovered that the terrain was quite hard going especially in the damp weather. This was Malcolm's first 'B' walk for a long time and one he will certainly remember, as just before lunch he slipped and heard an ominous crack from his ankle. He tried valiantly to continue with the help of two walking poles but common sense prevailed and an ambulance was called for by a friendly farmer to take him to hospital. If only it had been in a more remote area then we could all have had the fun of seeing the air ambulance called out and Malcolm winched into the air!

Joseph continued on the walk without Granny and Grandad but with the help of Ben and plenty of surrogate grandparents he found a football, toiled up the hills and made it to the end of the walk.

Stuart then led the combined 'A' and 'B' walks until the hostel came into view at which point only four people decided to do the extension to Housesteads. We didn't quite make it all the way there but we did see some spectacular views along the way and this was an interesting part of the walk. Click on the link to see what we missed.

Once back at the hostel we discovered Malcolm encased in plaster and walking on crutches but still as cheerful as ever!

Sunday's walk took us a little further south starting at Allendale and finishing at Blanchland. The weather was a bit brighter but we did have a couple of showers along the way. This was a splendid walk taking in Hexhamshire Common and we hardly saw another person for the whole day. The photographs don't really do it justice as there was just so much countryside to look at in every direction. We arrived at Blanchland with plenty of time to spare for refreshments before setting off home tired but happy.

Thanks to all the walks leaders, Stuart for organising the weekend, and Jeremy the driver for getting us there and back safely. If you're reading this and you didn't go on the weekend.... well why not? We always have a good time whatever happens along the way and there's always someone to talk to and share the experience with. The next weekend in October at Castleton is the start of the Pennine Way project so book early and make sure you get a place! See you there.

Thanks to All

Thanks to all the walks leaders, Steve, Ray, Jackie, Angie and Rita, for leading some splendid walks. Without them we would be lost!
Thanks also to Maureen for organising the weekend and sorting out the finances, not an easy task but well worth the effort.
Finally thanks to William and JAK Travel for getting us safely there and back and being there waiting patiently for us at the end of a walk. Full marks to William for his 12 point turn to get us out of the hostel car park!
And now a look forward to our next weekend away in beautiful Swaledale in March 2007. Get your booking in early and come and join the fun.

Swallow Falls

After a tea stop near the river we all made our separate ways to Betws-y-Coed via Swallow Falls and the undulating river path. Time for a drink or fish and chips and a chance to unwind and talk over the weekend's events before making our way to the coach for the journey back home to Bradford.

The Ugly House

Our walk along the river took us past the Ugly House, which is now used by the Snowdonia Society as their headquarters. It was a ‘Ty Un Nos’ - or house built overnight. Under ancient law, he who built a house between sunset and sunrise, with walls, roof and smoking chimney, could claim the freehold, and legend has it that this was built in the 15th century by two brothers.

Moel Siabod

The ascent from Capel Curig was steady and we stopped just short of the summit of Moel Siabod (2861ft) for lunch. It wasn't quite such good weather today and we needed coats, hats and gloves to keep us warm whilst we waited for everyone to catch up. There was a cold wind and we soon started the descent, dropping down steeply in stages to the valley below.

Woods and Waterfalls

After all that excitement on Saturday I thought I would have an easy day on Sunday and do the woods and waterfall walk from Capel Curig to Betws-y-Coed. I wasn't the only one feeling tired as the two 'A' party walks on Saturday had both been very strenuous. Steve's walk took in Crib Goch, one half of the Snowdon Horseshoe and definitely not for the faint- hearted. Angie's walk was very varied and included a scramble up the Carnedds, a ridge walk, a disappearing path, the descent of a scree slope and the magnificent Aber Falls.
However Maureen persuaded me that when in Wales in good weather you should climb a mountain so I opted for the 'A' walk climbing Moel Siabod before descending to Swallow Falls and Betws-y-Coed.

Brocken Spectre

The weather had been perfect but as we neared the top a few clouds started to gather and the summit of Snowdon (3560 ft) was shrouded in mist when we arrived. It was a bit disappointing to see loads of people, a demolition site where the cafe once stood and no views!
As we finished our lunch the clouds lifted so we went to have another look towards Crib Goch to see if we could see Steve, Stuart and Lisa who were doing Snowdon the hard way. We didn't see them, but we did see something much more amazing........a Brocken Spectre. This is a shadow of oneself in the middle of a circular rainbow effect called the 'glory' and only occurs when looking down from a high mountain with the sun behind you and a misty cloud below. Local people there said it only happened about three times a year so we were definitely in the right place at the right time and we all felt amazed and privileged to have seen such a sight.

Leaping Sheep

I hadn't really intended to climb a big mountain as the coastal walk from Llanfairfechen back to Conwy sounded very inviting. However the weather was so good that it was impossible to resist a walk entitled 'Snowdon the Easy Way'! We climbed steadily from Rhyd Ddu and stopped for an early lunch about two thirds of the way up. The local shepherds were gathering up their flocks from the highest part of the hills and bringing them down for the winter. This caused us much amusement as the sheep came rushing and leaping through a nearby gateway.

Early in the Morning

We stay in some beautiful places on our weekends away but our schedule is so busy that you do have to make a special effort to see anything of them. I had an early breakfast and went down into the town to see the castle and the seashore. So for those of you that missed it, here it is!






It was a really beautiful morning with not a cloud in sight and looked to be set fair for the day. What a great start to a day that got better and better.

Conwy Weekend October 2006

We set off from Bradford at 6.30 pm on Friday 13th! Our journey was long and slow to begin with as the traffic on the M62 just crawled along. We eventually arrived at our destination at 10.50, just 10 minutes before the YHA locked up for the night.
Conwy YHA is a four star hostel and we were pleasantly surprised to find that we had a shower, wash basin and toilet in our room for four people. After a complimentary cup of tea or coffee we took to our beds hoping for a good night's rest.





Unfortunately there was a party of students on the floor above who got up at 5.30 am to paint the sunrise. I think they specialised in clog dancing in their spare time and it was rather noisy. I missed the sunrise but took some photographs from the viewing area on the roof of the hostel.