BOOTboys

BB0922 : For England and St George

Thursday 9th July 2009

Aren’t registered disabled permits wonderful?

John’s blue badge saved us a small fortune in parking at Grasmere, today. We did feel a bit like cheats; after all folk who go fell walking normally don’t qualify for such things. But, to be fair, John is in convalescent mode from his replacement replacement knee operation and the government, in its wisdom, has decreed that for a period he should be allowed to park in the disabled bays. Indeed, it could be viewed as an encouragement to regain fitness. So, as his carers, Bryan, Stan and I didn’t feel too guilty.

The Blue Badge

Two officers and two maps

It amused John to see the two officers with two maps deep in thought in the disabled bay, seeking to work out the route when there is, allegedly, only one way up!

To my amazement, John set off like a train. I couldn’t believe how strongly he was walking compared to his last comeback outing, BB0916; I had to step out strongly to keep up with him!

Until the hill started, that is, and then the effects of his disability slowed him down somewhat.

This is understandable.

Helm Crag, as reported in BB0735, is a mountain in miniature and the climb is quite steep.

The Lion and the Lamb from Grasmere

On the way up, we passed a couple from Kendal- he, a radio equipped member of the Kendal Mountain Rescue, and she, a nurse,- that could be a useful combination for what lay ahead.

The view south

The Howitzer

The ridge of Helm Crag is very rocky and we took the high road over the Lion with the Howitzer looming in front of us. This is a thirty foot slab of rock that had defeated us last time (and had defeated Wainwright). This time, we were more aggressive despite the threat of onset of a shower.

Stan and Bryan set off up the face of the rock, succesfully. I gave it a good dose of looking at and decided that there was a cleft in the rock that, whilst steep, should provide adequate foot and hand holds for a wimp and so it proved.

There was a moment of potential danger when I met Bryan and Stan on the way down but I was able to step in onto a side ledge to let them pass. A couple of heaves later and I sat, relatively relaxed, on the summit.

Comitibus: John, Bryan & Stan on the Lion.....

..... and Don on the Howitzer

Someone had left a St George’s flag in a hollow in the summit rocks so I proudly waved it whilst Stan took a celebratory picture of my triumph. John took several more photos, mostly of his left forefinger curled round the lens!

Getting down was more of a challenge as it was difficult to spot the footholds but with guidance from the boys I managed it without mishap. Thanks, lads!

John, a rock climber in his youth, decided, wisely, that his knee was not yet ready for such challenges so the mountain rescue man and the nurse were not needed.

Next stop, Gibson Knott where we found a ledge just below the summit for a long and leisurely lunch in what was now turning into a bright sunny day.

Helm Crag from Gibson Knott

A debate ensued. The ethics committee had previously ruled in favour of the completion of the Central Fells book without actually having summitted Helm Crag (see BB0735). The logic was that we had done what Wainwright had done and therefore the claim was merited. But should we now declassify the previous outing and rate today as the first ascent? A consequence of that would be that Tony, too, would have his previous completion withdrawn. We concluded that the original analysis was sound and the results stood!

We continued along the ridge a little longer but John was starting to become concerned as to how long his knee would hold out so we dropped down into the Green Burn valley. A boggy area had to be forded. I ran across it, prompting John to attempt a similar manouvre, looking for a moment as if the years had fallen away and it was an oval ball in his hand, not a stick, and the tryline was only a few tantalising yards away.

A rampaging John

Helm Crag and the Howitzer from Green Burn

There was a good view of the Howitzer from the valley. We reached civilisation by an extraordinarily old cottage: Turn Howe, dating back to 1577.

R K J Turn Howe 1577

Turn Howe

As we approached Grasmere, John’s leg was starting to hurt thereby proving his right to the privileged parking but it had been a good outing for him. Not at all bad for a registered disabled. And a triumph of a day for the rest us, for England and St George!

Don, 9th July 2009

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STATISTCS

BB0921	Thursday 9th July 2009
Distance:	6.9 miles
Height climbed:	1,667 feet
Wainwrights:	Helm Crag, Gibson Knott-
Other Key Features:	The Howitzer
Comitibus:	Bryan, Don, John, Stan

If you have Memory Map on your computer, you can follow our route in detail by downloading BB0922.

Steve G advises: "For those who like to look at your meanderings but use Tracklogs or other software then your logs can be converted using the freeware utility GPS Babel."

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

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, and certainly not from any skin head associations or other
type of social group,
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

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2009 Outings

BB0901 : A Gordon Day Out
Thursday 8th January
BB0902 : Thank You,
Aunty Ethel!
Wednesday 14th January
BB0903 : A Wicked Hike???
Wednesday 21st January
BB0904 : Take a Mug With You
Sunday 25th January
BB0905 : Down in the Forest
Thursday 29th January
BB0906 : Not How But Where?
Thursday 5th February
BB0907 : Binsey Can Wait
(but Uncle Monty Can Not)
Thursday 12th February
BB0908 : Badgers on the Line
Thursday 5th March
BB0909 : It's not a W!
Thursday 12th March
BB0910 : Up on the Roof
Thursday 26th March
BB0911 : Not the Blisco Dashers
Thursday 2nd April
BB0912 : John's Comeback
Monday 6th April
BB0913 : Two Churches, a Pulpit and a Cherry Picker
Thursday, 23rd April
BB0914 : Companions of the BOOT
Thursday 30th April
BB0915 : The Gale Force Choice
Thursday 7th May
BB0916 : The Comeback Continues
Thursday 21st May
BB0917 : BOOTboys Encore !
28th May - 2nd June
BB0918 : Hello Dollywagon
Thursday 11th June
BB0919 : Has Anyone Seen Lily?
Thursday 18th June
BB0920 : Ancient Feet on the Greenburn Horseshoe
Thursday 25th June
BB0921 : The Tebay Fell Race Walk
Thursday 2nd July
BB0922 : For England and St George
Thursday 9th July
BB0923 : The Coniston Outliers
Friday 31st July
BB0924 : Little To Be Said In Favour?
Thursday 6th August
BB0925 : The Third Night of the Rescue
Thursday 13th August
BB0926 : Long Wet Windy Monty Bothy Fun?
Thursday 20th August
BB0927 : Dear Mrs Scroggins
Friday 11th September
BB0928 : An Ard Day's Hike
Thursday 17th September
BB0929 : A Canter of Convalescents?
Thursday 24th September
BB0930 : BOOTboys International Autumnal Expedition
Wednesday 23rd to
Sunday 27th September
BB0931 : A Bit of an Adventure
Thursday 1st October
BB0932 : Paths of Glory?
Thursday 8th October
BB0933 : When Yorkshire Was Welsh
Wednesday 14th October
BB0934 : Unlocking the Whinlatters
Thursday 22nd October
BB0935 : A Tale of Crinkley Bottoms
Thursday 5th November
BB0936 : Aye Up What?
Thursday 12th November
BB0937 : Where Eagles Wade
Tuesday 17th November
BB0938 : After the Floods
Thursday 26th November
BB0939 : The Mystery of the Missing Glove
Thursday 10th December
BB0940 : A Too Short Walk
Thursday 17th December
BB0941 : One Hundred and Onesfell
Tuesday 29th December

BH0901 : Back to the Beginning
Thursday 13th August
BSKIB09 : BOOTskiboys in Saalbach
14th - 21st March
BB09XX : Los Chicos y las Chicas de la Bota
11th - 14th May
BB09Bav01 : Peaked Too Soon
1st September

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

Wainwrights

To download a log of which Wainwrights have been done by which BOOTboy in the "modern" era, i.e. since the advent of BOOTboys 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