If there is one thing you don’t get in the Lake District it’s peace, quiet, and solitude, however short walk ins, crowds and pubs are normal in the more popular places. By 10 O’Clock on Friday night Drummond Beattie and Dave Galloway joined Evelyne Doerge, Alan Duncan, Peter Goodwin, Bob Macdonald and Neil & Val Kemp in the pub in Threlkeld to celebrate the clubs first weekend meet over the border. Just 310 miles south and a six hour drive from Elgin to the Burns Farm campsite with a bonus of both good weather and real ale.

On the negative side Alan regaled us on how those “Robbing English ……s” took £5 of him for parking in a crowed, potholed, car park with no facilities.

Bob, Evelyne, Peter, Alan and Val had arrived at different times earlier in the morning. Peter, Alan & Val did a six hour route from Honister Pass climbing Grey Knott, Brandreth, Green and Great Gable and finally Kirk Fell before returning by footpath to the car park. Bob climbed Blencathra via sharp edge from Scales to take lunch on the summit “Hallsfell Top”. From here he traversed along to Knowe Crags, and descended down through the Para glider launch site and picked up the path back to Scales to complete a four hour day.

Saturday morning saw a bagging assault to get four of the six English three thousand footers by all. They parked at Seathwaite and set off up the well worn path to the beallach at Esk Haus. Gaining the ridge at Great End and taking in Broad Crag and Ill Crag they carried on to Scafell Pike. The crowds thinned as they carried on to Scafell were Dave and Bob made the ascent via the scramble “Broad Stand” after a local guide pointed out the route. Everyone else went up via the Foxes Tarn. The way home was down to the Cam Spout Crag to pick up the path with a three and a half klick trek back up to Esk Haus and then return to the cars. A nine and a half hour day gave the excuse to stop for a meal on the way back.

Sunday morning arrived and still no rain, the camp was struck after breakfast with tents dry. Val, Peter and Alan enjoyed the short scramble on Sharp Edge to Hallsfell Top despite the amount of polished slate. They did Blencartha doing the same route as Bob did on Friday in three hours. Neil finished his English three thousand footers by doing Skiddaw. Starting from Milbeck farm he was up and down in just under three hours. After the hoards of Saturday he met only ten people, six dogs and one very friendly brown speckled hen. Drummond, Dave and Bob did Helvellyn starting from Patterdale, up the Striding Edge and down via Swirral Edge in just under five hours. A Japanese party behind us Striding Edge made us feel like the Pied Piper.

In conclusion: The thought of travelling that far put many people off, however time wise it is no different to driving to the ferry for Arran or the Cairndow village hall. It was thought by those attending that it was worth the visit.

Dave Galloway