A 2019 Summary

At the start of 2019 I had 441 summits on my combined ticklist of TRAIL 100, Nuttall, WASHIS, Simpson, Dawson, Dewey, Moss, Wright, Bridge and Buxton & Lewis summits.

The year was another in which ambition exceeded activity, although the start of the year showed some promise.  After April, no targeted summits were ticked and only a few “boots on” days happened after then.

Overall I :

            went on             9                                  walks

            walked              68.9                              miles

            ascended          17,890                          feet

            walked for         44 hrs 24 mins            (including rest stops !)

            reached            20                                 individual summits that I hadn’t been to before

            reached            6                                   individual summits that I had been to before

            reached            15                                 summits on my combined ticklist

            reached            1                                   previously unclimbed TRAIL 100 summits

            reached            5                                   previously unclimbed Nuttall summits

            drove                2195                             miles on trips to and from walks

I’ve detailed this in previous blogs but this year saw the removal of the Moss, Simpson and Wright summits from my ticklist.  This resulted in a list with 146 fewer summits!

The most significant or memorable walks included Pendle Hill, a traverse of the Howgills, Arenig Fach and Sàil Mhòr in Scotland.

All of this meant that after removals and my walks, my ongoing ticklist decreased from 441 to 280 summits.

A Carneddau Meander

The rising footpath southwest out of Abergwyngregyn that joins the North Wales Path turned out to be a good warm up.  We continued in the sunshine the highpoint of the path and then took a rising traverse line to join the footpath that curved around the southwest flank of Moel Wnion.  Although there was a breeze, it was surprisingly warm.

At the col between Moel Wnion and the Drosgl ridge we decided to head down towards Aber Falls rather than take aim for Drosgl.  It was mid-afternoon and it was apparent that continuing would put us at risk of walking back in the dark and more importantly, missing the 4'o'clock closing time of the café!

We saw two motorbike scramblers who had come down from the top of Moel Wnion and they made short work of the northwest slopes of Drosgl.  Although envious of their rapid progress, the noise somewhat spoilt the ambience.  The ponies and sheep close to track of the scramblers seemed to agree as we could clearly see them running away from the disturbance.

From the col, Drosgl was the obvious summit ahead and the top of Gryn Wigau at the end of the shoulder was clear but not particularly prominent.  Bera Mawr, although set back behind Drosgl, showed off its castellated top.  Sometimes, actually being at a place to view the lie of the land can make sense of terrain in a way that studying maps doesn't.  I still have these Nuttall summits to tick and this recce gave me a good preview of that future route.

We followed the Afon Garn down to rejoin the North Wales Path and took some photos of the Aber Falls.  The walk out was easy and I was surprised by the number of day-trippers on the path, despite the sunny skies and warm weather.

Reaching Caffi Yr Hen Felin with time to spare, I indulged with a hot chocolate and a big slice of delicious Victoria sponge cake rounding off a relaxing post-Christmas day out.

The TRAIL 100 – 12 new summits

In the January 2020 issue of TRAIL magazine, it was announced that in the February 2020 issue (published in December 2019) there would be a feature about the TRAIL 100 list – "THE UK'S ULTIMATE MOUNTAIN TICK-LIST".  I thought that it would be a revisit of the original list first published in the April 2007 issue but looking at the teaser list of mountains I noticed that Slioch was included; Slioch wasn't on the original list.

I Googled "TRAIL 100" which returned the Live For The Outdoors website and I followed the link.  I wasn't expecting anything new on that page as TRAIL magazine generally doesn't populate links until after the relevant issue has been published.  But this time I was in luck – the "new" TRAIL 100 list was there in its (almost) entirety.  There were 99 mountains listed; the missing entry was Slieve Donard in Northern Ireland but this was just an oversight which Oli Reed (TRAIL’s editor) confirmed after I tweeted him.

The new list had changed – 12 summits had been removed from the list and replaced by 12 new ones.

The 12 summits that are no longer on the list are:

            Beinn Tarsuinn                         Arran

            Bleaklow Head                         Peak District

            Cadair Berwyn                          Berwyns

            Cairn Toul                                 Cairngorms

            Clougha Pike                            Lancashire

            High Pike                                  Lake District – Northern Fells

            High Raise                                Lake District – Central Fells

            Hound Tor                                 Dartmoor

            Loughrigg Fell                          Lake District – Central Fells

            Moel Ysgyfarnogod                  Rhinogs

            Rhobell Fawr                             Arenigs

            Worcestershire Beacon           Malverns

Of the 12, I have already ticked 8:

            Bleaklow Head, Cadair Berwyn, Clougha Pike, High Pike, High Raise, Hound Tor

            Loughrigg Fell & Worcestershire Beacon.

3 of the 4 unticked old summits are on my own ticklist either as Nuttalls (Moel Ysgyfarnogod & Rhobell Fawr) or as a Scottish 4000-foot summit (Cairn Toul).  I will keep Beinn Tarsuinn on my ticklist; I'll be able to tick it when I head to Arran to tick Goatfell.

The 12 summits that have been added to the updated list are:

            Ben Lawers                              Scottish Highlands – Loch Tay

            Ben More                                  Scottish Highlands – Crianlarich

            Braeriach                                  Cairngorms

            Cat Bells                                   Lake District – North Western Fells

            Crib Goch                                 Snowdon

            Ill Bell                                        Lake District – Far Eastern Fells

            Pen yr Ole Wen                        Carneddau

            Slioch                                        Scottish Highlands – Letterewe Forest

            The Devil's Point                      Cairngorms

            Y Garn                                       Glyderau

            Yr Aran                                      Snowdon

            Yr Eifl                                        Lleyn Peninsula

Of these 12, I have already ticked 6:

            Cat Bells, Crib Goch, Ill Bell, Pen yr Ole Wen, Y Garn & Yr Aran.

Only 1 of the 6 unticked new summits is already on my own ticklist as a Scottish 4000-foot summit – Braeriach.  All 5 of Ben Lawers, Ben More, Slioch, The Devil's Point & Yr Eifl will be added to my ticklist.

My ticklist includes the (old) TRAIL 100 summits and I had stood on the top of 64 of them.  Now that the list has been updated, that total has decreased to 62!

Overall I think that the updated list has a greater validity than the old.  The Lake District fells that have gone won’t be missed although Loughrigg Fell will have its supporters.  To me, Bleaklow is just a big peaty mess and Clougha Pike should never have been included as one of the UK’s 100 “finest”.

For those added to the list, I’m sure that people will be able to debate the inclusion of each of them.  I wouldn’t have chosen Pen yr Ole Wen but Slioch is probably the most deserving addition – I’m looking forward to visiting it.

However, whether the mountains listed deserve their place or not, I’ll be aiming to complete both the old and new versions of the TRAIL 100 list.  This means 112 summits and as I have already climbed 70 of them, I only need 42 to finish the task.

An Alternative Outdoor Walk

On the morning after the club’s Christmas Dinner night before, a lot of us had expected rain and the sunshine had taken us by surprise, although the steady wind made sure over 30 of us were warmly wrapped up and sporting beanies with some even feeling the need for gloves.  We set off from Outdoor Alternative in Rhoscolyn – the scene of the previous evening's feasting and dancing – towards Borthwen Bay and then turned eastwards to follow the coastal paths above the cliffs.

The wind had a significant influence on the sea meeting the coastline with many inlets being full of sea foam, formed not by pollutants but by the churning of organic material in the water.  Walking along the tops of the cliffs was rewarded with some spectacular views as the obvious swell and waves produced an impressive show of massive sprays, reaching far above the cliffs.  The wind made it difficult to stand steady enough to get photos of the erupting water but I managed to capture some reasonable images.

stormy seas

Reaching the end of the cliffs at Silver Bay set the scene for a stop for snacks and a chat before heading up through the pinewoods, enjoying the shelter that the trees afforded from the wind, before following the quiet lanes back to Cerig-yr-adar.

Remembering an Old Friend

It’s been 10 years since Bill died.  He was the club’s heart and soul and he probably had more influence over the running and direction of the club than any other member.  There is a significant gap in the club that has been left behind; Bill left big shoes to fill.

On the tenth anniversary of Bill's passing I thought that we should do something to honour his memory.  I suggested a walk starting at our hut and heading up Moel Eilio would be appropriate as the hut was a focal point of Bill's life and he had probably walked to the summit of Eilio more times than anyone would care to suggest.

Although the day of the anniversary fell on a Tuesday most of Bill's contemporaries would be retired and it would not be too much of an inconvenience to attend.  Ten of us gathered at the hut in poor weather and a worse forecast so suggestions to amend the itinerary gathered support.  Predicted 50mph winds, poor visibility and heavy rain convinced us to stay low and initially head for Penceunant Isaf just above Llanberis at the foot of Snowdon's Llanberis path.

We went uphill first before traversing Eilio's lower slopes and following the path to the derelict Hebron chapel.  The weather forecast was accurate and we reached the tea rooms to order coffee and bara brith.

Following a leisurely rest we once again donned waterproofs and walked down to the town and then across to Vivian quarry where we remembered some of Bill's stories and the routes he climbed.  We headed into Padarn Country Park, stopping to admire the horns and long fleeces of a flock of feral goats, but not their smell!  At the old quarry hospital we tucked into our packed lunches although when the rain came again we hastily retreated into the old mortuary!  Once the rain had stopped we strolled back to the hut.

Although the weather was not brilliant we managed to reminisce about our times with Bill, recalling some of our favourite stories.  I'm glad that we had made the effort and it was gratifying to know that Bill is much missed but fondly remembered by his friends and club mates.

Foel Goch & Moel Eilio from Padarn Country Park

Three New Fellrangers

The Fellrangers is a list of Lake District Fells first detailed in the eight “Fellranger” guidebooks written by Mark Richards and published by Cicerone.  There were (note the tense!) 227 of them and I completed them in 2013.

There is a lot of overlap between this list and the Wainwrights and that shouldn’t some as too much of a surprise as Mark was somewhat of a protégé of Alfred Wainwright; anybody ticking the Wainwrights wouldn’t have to expend much more effort to complete the more modern list.  But, as is so often with guidebooks, the routes to the summits subtly change and revision is required to keep the information current.

The guidebooks are currently in the middle of such a revision process and the first two (“Wasdale” and “Langdale”) were published in late 2019.  In the back of each of them is a list of the Fellrangers and the new volumes in which the summits are or will be detailed.  And there are 230 of them!

So, having completed a list I find out that now I haven’t!  But what are the differences between the old and the new?

It didn’t take long to work out, but it really is as simple as the addition of three new summits.  All three are on the Borrowdale watershed, not the famous valley that feeds Derwentwater, but the lesser known Westmorland namesake that can be found between the A6 and the M6, leading into the River Lune.  It’s part of the extension to the Lake District National Park that occurred in August 2016.

The three new summits are Grayrigg Forest, Whinfell Beacon and Winterscleugh.  The first two are on the southern watershed and the third is on the north and they can be ticked in one walk with Richards’ new “Mardale and the Far East” guidebook detailing such a route. 

Now all I have to do is take a trip up north to complete the Fellrangers – again!

A Staffordshire Stroll

We prepared for the walk by retiring out of the rain to partake of tea and coffee (honestly!) at the Wincle Brewery.  Suitably refreshed, we took a narrow footpath out of Danebridge and walked uphill towards the Hanging Stone, a prominent feature on the skyline ahead of us.  The footpath led to the road highpoint at Roach End and after a short discussion we decided to follow the road under the Five Clouds before arriving to Rockhall, the Don Whillans Memorial Hut owned by the BMC and built around a cave, where we took advantage of the benches outside the hut to stop for lunch.

We continued the walk along the bottom of the Lower Tier of the Roaches, picking out routes climbed or aspired to, particularly the classic “Valkyrie”, before taking the steep steps up to the Upper Tier.  The broad ridge now took us to the legendary Doxey Pool before arriving at the trig point, having put on and taken off waterproofs as the rain decided its own intermittency.  This highpoint of the day was in mist but we soon dropped out into clearer air as we reached Roach End again.

The Roaches summit

descending Lud's Church

Descending into Forest Wood led us through the trees to the top of Lud’s Church, a famous landmark chasm cutting deeply through the gritstone.  Instead of losing height and following the Dane Valley Way back to Danebridge, we took the contouring path back to Hangingstone Farm and followed a slightly different route to that taken outbound, back to the cars.

Of course, as is customary, if there is a nearby pub then it will be visited.  The Ship Inn in Wincle and its fire warmly welcomed us and I tried a new beer that I hadn’t come across before – JW Lees Cosmic Ale.

Sàil Mhòr

A particularly dreich start to the day and similar forecast scuppered plans for a traverse of An Teallach so our agreed alternative was the Corbett of Sàil Mhòr.

Starting from Ardessie on the shore of Little Loch Broom after hastily applying repellent and donning midge nets, we followed the east bank of Allt Airdeasaidh past the impressively eye-catching falls over the sandstone slabs.  One large block on the far side looked as if its perch wouldn’t be lasting much longer.  The meandering path came perilously close to the edge of some large landslips and I’m convinced that it sometimes went over the tops of some peat “cornices”!

At the first tributary flowing into the Allt from the slopes of Sàil Mhòr we started looking for a good point to cross the river which was thankfully not in spate.  There was no obvious crossing point and we reached the far bank one by one but a rather vocal member of our group needed a bit more help which was given by a gallant gentleman who had to empty his boots as a result of his chivalry.

After following the tributary westwards and uphill we reached some boulders successfully enticing us to stop for lunch before taking aim for the col between Sàil Mhòr and Ruigh Mheallaindh and then striking out for the southeast spur of Sàil Mhòr.  Foreshortening made the slope look more challenging than it actually was.

The ascent was made easy by the stepped nature of some exposed sandstone bedrock and short vegetation with many welcome rakes and terraces aiding a traditional zig-zagging approach.  For such an incline it was unusual to see so many frogs, only catching the eye as they hopped away from the vibrations caused by our approaching footsteps.

Remaining firmly in the clag, we reached the top of the spur at a mini-summit before a short walk to the 700 metre contour.  Easy ground curved around to the summit of Sàil Mhòr where we took a couple of quick photos of our bedraggled group at the modest cairn before we quickly made our way down the south ridge which was exposed to the wind that we hadn’t encountered on the ascent.  A small group of four feral goats was seen briefly before they disappeared towards Lochan Gaineamhaich and we turned eastwards, heading out via the way we had come in.

As we descended, a very big flock of feral goats was spotted on the slope we ascended.  There must have been over 40 or 50 of them and some of them were huge, with similarly impressive horns.  Most were black or dark brown with occasional hindquarters with white flashes although we spotted as least two with the colouring of Belted Galloway cattle.

We carried on down to the Allt Airdeasaidh; this time the river crossing was absent of the familiar “colourful” language!  And then the foot-weary trudge in drizzle back to the cars.

The suggestion to drive to the Dundonnell Hotel for refreshments required little debate and we were soon relaxing on comfy seating with our drinks of choice (I recommend the Belhaven Black) reminiscing the events of the day.