BB2001 : 20 20 Vision?

Thursday 2nd January 2020

All this talk about the 2020 New Year (and may it be a happy one for you) reminded me that I went to the optician some time ago, after my cataract operation.  He told me that I now had 40/20 vision in my right eye.  That was with glasses on, of course.

I had heard of 20/20 and thought that meant perfect.  Never heard of 40/20.  "Is that good?"  I asked. "Twice as good as 20/20," he replied. Apparently it is like having twice as many pixels on your computer screen.  Not quite a man and superman thing but heading in that direction.

We were planning our first outing of the year.  All thought of long distance views from the tops of the fells were dashed by forecasts of winds gusting up to 80 miles per hour and a windchill factor of -15 degrees.  Plus fog.  Or at least mist.  Or perhaps drizzle.  Followed by torrential rain.  20/20 distance vision?  No chance.

Our sights were lowered to the more modest Farleton Knott / Hutton Roof area.  It had been quite a spectacular dawn but you know the old proverb- red sky in the morning etc.  We were prepared.

Brian, Terry and I met up with Robin at Cafe Ambio to finalise the route and enjoy their delicious fruity flapjack.  The plan was to park at the Kings Arms at Burton-in-Kendal, take a tour round the Hutton Roof Crags, adjusting the route according to time taken in order to return before 2 p.m. for last lunch orders.  We were not going to miss their magnificent fish finger baps (BB1712).

Our route led us past the sadly ngelected Royal Hotel then east across fields and back roads towards Dalton Crags.  In the distance we see buzzards circling.  We could also hear them mewing loudly.  Robin informed us that this was mother and father communicating with baby buzzard to teach him / her how to hunt.  Terry added that the term "mews" as used in back lanes in London was because that is where the gentry kept their birds of prey.  I am not sure how far his tongue was in his cheek but his nose didn't suddenly grow.  I chose to believe him. ^{[See Comments below]}

Dalton Crags has been made a permissive access area.  It is clearly a managed woodland with a large amount of cut timber neatly stacked.  Many had coloured marking on them.  Was it some sort of eye test?

We chose a wide track through the trees that led up to Hutton Roof Crags and its trig point.  Once we were out in the open, it was certainly colder and chiller.

Distant views were somewhat indistinct.

Definitely not a 20 / 20 day.  No Blackpool Tower!

We lingered a while, trying to get to grips with the app on my phone that names the hills that you can almost see before you take your photo.  Clever, if a bit cumbersome.

We debated whether or not to head for Blasterfoot Gap whilst somehow getting ourselves somewhat stuck somewhere on a limestone pavement with greasy clints and really deep grikes.  Real leg breaking territory.  

Fortunately, an improvised route was found taking us across the perilous plateau...

.....then down a small cliff to a regular path.

We'd lost time so decided to head north-west towards Farleton Knott.

On reaching the dividing road, we turned left and made our way down towards Clawthorpe Hall.  Terry informed us that he had used this road to push his grandson up and down for his marathon training.  I trust he was in a push chair at the time!

Bryan's eagle eyes spotted a path on the map that had escaped my 40/20.  It saved us having to cross the motorway to the canal tow path which would have been a lot longer and, we feared, rather muddy.

The supposed footpath alongside the M6 and into Burton was dire.  One of the filthiest fields I have encountered in a long time.  As we reached the exit gate, we spotted the culprits.

Don, Thursday 2nd January 2020

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Comments:

Alan:  Your friend was nearly right.  The mews in London referred to where they kept jaded hawks. I don't think buzzards have been trained for domestic hunting.

Alan (a few minutes later):  My avian advisor just said why not?!!

Don:  Jaded Hawk?  I thought that was an armoured creature from Eastern Adoulin.

Terry:  It was in 2008 when I pushed my grandson up and down the hill.  My last marathon was in 1994.

Don:  Since when have the facts been relevant to my reports?!  Anyway, I presumed it was training for your next marathon!  London, 26th April 2020?

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STATISTICS

BB2001 : 2020 Vision?

Date:

Thursday 2nd January 2020

Features:

Hutton Roof Crags

Comitibus:

Bryan, Don, Robin, Terry

Distance in miles (Garmin):

8.9

Height climbed in feet (OMN):

1,108

GPX track

BB2001.gpx

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