BB0808 Thanks to the MWIS

19th March 2008

As I sit here writing these notes, with the rain pouring down outside, I offer up my thanks yet again to the Mountain Weather Information Service. For anyone who has never come across the MWIS you can get to it from this link: MWIS.

The Bootboys have been using this site for some time now as a guide to the conditions we are likely to encounter (and sometimes as a reason not to bother encountering them at all and stay at home instead!). This week it said there would be two excellent sunny, calm, and clear days sandwiched between the usual wet weather. So I took advantage and had two splendid outings.

View from Low Fell of Crummock Wather and the Buttermere Fells

Wednesday was a Bootboys day. Don unfortunately had to go to London, and Tony was yet again off to Otley (I really have to have a long talk to him about priorities!). So it was just Stan and I who set off from Kendal, for a day mopping up some Wainwright’s he needed to close in on his completion of the Eastern fells. It was a challenge to find a route to link the three of them up and in the end one eluded us (Glenridding Dodd).

We parked up at Aira Force to tackle Gowbarrow in much better conditions than my last visit with Don and Tony (BB0736). We took the obligatory photo of Aira Force before taking a more direct line to the top of Gowbarrow with the views becoming ever more impressive as we climbed.

We descended to Dockray where our one and only navigational hiccough of the day lead us to go a few hundred yards up a road looking for a bridge on the map before realising it wasn’t there and that we should have crossed the stream in the village! A correction was soon made and we began the long steady climb over Watermillock Common towards the Brown Hills.

A glance at the watch showed it was 12 o’clock – Tony time. We stood for a while and listened. I thought I heard the faint sound of “is~it~time~for~dinner~yet” but it was just a vulture hovering above. So we pressed on.

I was last out on these hills with Don on another glorious day that seemed only a year or so ago. I looked it up on the archive when I got back and eventually tracked it down on BB0508 – that’s three years ago. Where has the time gone?

After a few miles of steady climbing we turned up by the side of the wall for the 400 foot slog to the top of Hart Side. We encountered a bit of snow on the way and the views over the shoulder of Sheffield Pike to Helvellyn, Catstycam and Sharp and Swirral Edges were spectacular

We eventally reached the top and decided it was time for lunch (1:40pm!!). There is a ditch on the top of Hart Side of some ancient origin which provided an ideal spot to get out of the light, but cold, wind.

From the top we descended over the shoulder of Greenside to Nick Head. We could see Glenridding Dodd below us but on the other side of the valley and with access requiring us to climb Sheffield Pike to get at it. We decided against it. If only he’d taken the chance to nip up and down with me on BB0632!

From there it was one of my favourite stretches of track in the Lakes. The wonderful contour around the head of Glencoyndale before the delightful descent through the ancient native trees in Glencoyne Park and back to the car. A great way to finish an excellent walk.

 Bryan, 20th March 2008

Fellbarrow:

BB0808 Gowbarrow:

For the latest totals of the mileages, heights and Lakeland Fells Books Wainwrights see: Wainwrights.

If anyone wants to claim other peaks, please let me know and I will submit them to the adjudication committee!

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BOOT boys

Home Page

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Archive

2008 Outings

BB0801 : Avoiding the Graupel;  
16 January

BB0802 : Lyth in the Old Dogs; 22 January

BB0803 : That's Lyth;
27 January

BB0804 : Tony's Memory Lane;
30th January

BB0805 : Fell's Belles!  Thank You Mells?  
6th February

BB0806 : The Langdale Skyline and a Fell Race!
13th February

BB0807a: An Outbreak of Common Sense;
21st February 2008

BB0807b: Askham Fell and  the Lowther Estate;   
13th March 2008

BB0808 : Thanks to the MWIS
19th March 2008

BB0809 :  High Street and Kidsty Pike but no Fairy
28th March 2008

BB0810 :  Prelude to Spring
2nd April 2008

BB0811 :  Spring in Lakeland
6th April 2008

BB0812 :  Wet, Wet, Wet Sleddale to Mosedale Cottage
Thursday 10th April 2008 

BB0813 :  What's It All About, Tony?
Thursday 17th April 2008 

BB0814 :  The Hidden Mountain
Tuesday 22nd April 2008 

BB0815 :  The Bowland CROW
Thursday 1st May 2008

BB0816 :  High Cup Nick:
The Gurt La'al Canyon
Wednesday 7th May 2008

BB0817 :  Travelling Light
Wednesday 14th May 2008

BskiB08 : Bootski Boys in the Sella Ronda  
23rd February - 1st March

Click on the photos for an enlargement or related large picture.

Wainwrights

Bryan has kindly produced a log of which Wainwrights have been done by which Bootboy in the "modern" era, i.e. since the advent of Bootboys.  

To download the Excel file click on Wainwrights.  

If anyone wants to claim other peaks, please let me know and I will submit them to the adjudication committee!

BOOT boys

This page describes an adventure of BOOTboys, a loose group of friends of mature years who enjoy defying the aging process by getting out into the hills as often as possible!

As most live in South Lakeland, it is no surprise that our focus is on the Lakeland fells and the Yorkshire Dales.

As for the name, BOOTboys, it does not primarily derive from an item of footwear but is in memory of Big Josie, the erstwhile landlady of the erstwhile Burnmoor Inn at Boot in Eskdale, who enlivened Saint Patrick's Day 1973 and other odd evenings many years ago!

If you want to contact us, click on