2012 in Brief

Its hard to believe that  a year has passed between me updating this blog. Changing jobs and all the mental energy involved seems to have deflected me away from what I hoped would be a detailed catalogue of our hikes.

A brief summary of 2012 seems like a good way to get back on track.

January, and The first thing on our agenda was a return to Longsleddale and  another attempt at Kentmere Pike. This time we arrived on a fantastic cold winter morning and completed the circuit quite quickly. The wind was constant and cold, and a highlight was a horizontal snow shower that came up over the eastern flank of Kentmere pike and flew across us on the summit. The first time I’d ever seen rising snow.

                                Kentmere Summit at the second attempt

                               Perfect Lakeland Morning

                                Cold!

Judging by the camera, February was quiet on the walking front. All I have is this random photo, if anybody can tell me where we are that’d be great.

Into March and our trip to Scotland. We stayed in a remote cottage overlooking the Mull of Kintyre. We walked every day out the back of the cottage up some fairly low lying fells which looked over at Giga and Arran. The weather never really changed all week- just a low lying grey cloud that occasionally burst. Nothing dramatic, no blue skies and barely any wind. The Mull of Kintyre ignored the atmospheric tedium though and created fantastic silvery shapes across to Giga and seemed to look different every day. Seals rested lazily on the rocks and Buzzards drifted above as we sauntered along the coastal road.

We attempted Ben Cruachan, my first munro on one of the days, an early start and a quick, hard climb got us to the damn that feeds the famous power station. We skirted the reservoir and started to climb the next section into a cloudy, snowy abyss. We soon realised that we didn’t have the skills to complete this fell and meandered back with heavy hearts. I think summer may be the time to be tackling munroes.

                               The summit that out stared us

                                Looking out over Loch Awe

                                Typical Scottish walking scene

On our return from Scotland, our newest family member was born- Jack. Hopefully he will join us on the fells one day:

                                Jack Leon Dempsey

April saw the visit North of Sister & family and a great hike up Buckden pike in the un seasonably cold weather:

Onward, towards the anticipated summer we spent a night in the lakes and tackled Grisedale pike on a great circular walk that brought us back alongside the Coledale beck into Braithwaite.

                                            Walking back along Coledale 

June’s highlight was an awesome bike ride along Mastilles Lane. An epic world famous track for mountain bikers, it took me around the side of Kilnsley Crag and onto Hawswick Cote before an unbelievable full speed grassy descent that lasted about 10 minutes. Pure adrenaline and a great reward for the excruciating ascent earlier in the day.

                                The first of about thirty rests

July seems quiet by the photos, which start up again in August and a phenomenal 20 mile all day point to point hike in the Dales. This was the second time I’ve done this hike and it must be the greatest the Dales offers. Starting at Settle it’s a steep climb up into the Limestone and over to Malham tarn, circling the edge of this you are slung up the valley to Fountains Fell. Up and over this and you are presented by the “back” of Pen-y-Ghent. Hop over its shoulder and down into Horton to catch a train back to Settle.

                                Summit of fountains Fell

                                         Bull in field at Malham tarn

August also saw us up in the Langdales, enjoying some awesome warm thundery weather. A hard climb up pushing through the sticky atmosphere, but the top was a magical world with rolling thunder vibrating around us and clouds swirling past. The kind of day where views suddenly appear through the break in cloud, a temporary glimpse at something you had no idea was there.

September saw me return from the Spanish golf Trip to a quiet, hungover wander up Little Whernside. Skirting the familiar track along Scar House Reservoir and trudging up to the boggy summit of Little Whernside is always a good hike. Like a mini version of doing a big Lakeland fell.

                                A Windswept Lifestyle Journalist

Later in September, and we tackled great Gable with Ali’s family, amazing hike diminished only  a little by some unforeseen scree surfing off the summit. The last day of the year for shorts. It was a terrible choice and I paid for it:

October should have seen a first overseas hike as we spent a week in Crete. We had planned to walk the awesome Samaria Gorge but were thwarted by heavy rains and the gorge being closed. Here’s what we could have had (from a mountain pass we drove over):

The wet summer and autumn seem to have limited our hiking after September. The ground is saturated and both our boots are now leaking. So it was with great excitement that we approached Whernside on one of the few frozen days this winter. It was great to go back to one of my favourite hikes, and where I first fell in love with the hills. Whernisde rarely fails you:

Not all walks are great, our final walk of the year looks like being an awful, boggy trudge over Blubberhosues Moor. We never really got going and our soaked feet  seemed reluctant from the start. it speaks volumes that I have no pictures of this walk!

Who knows where we’ll hike in 2013. All I ask is a few more frozen winter days in January and February. The kind where the cold air shocks your lungs, and the wind blows through your skin. 

Happy new Year