Cold, wet, windy weather usually greets us when we start our Wednesday evening jaunts so, unsurprisingly, we complain. We complained this evening just to maintain our grumpy skills. It was hot, about 24⁰C. Admittedly, there was a gentle zephyr to take the edge off the heat. Andy, no lover of heat, had serendipitously taken himself off to the Menai Straits where he was seen cooling off in the sea.
Without Andy to tell us where we were wandering, choices were offered, north side or south side of Cutthroat Bridge, and after a prolonged and agonised discussion, we decided to go north without any further detail in the hope that a plan would somehow emerge. The need to maintain Slow Warts’ standards, meant that we forsook the rocky track to the edge and dived into the burnt and unburnt heather, bracken and bilberry all the way to the track junction at the top of the line of grouse butts.
A perfect line navigated by Tim and Roger, across classic Hamerian terrain, though we still complained, mainly about the heat. Our minds had been distracted, somewhat, by a discussion on flotsam and jetsam (respectively, debris not deliberately thrown overboard and debris deliberately thrown aboard). Now, at the path junction, more decision making was needed, down towards the reservoir, down what Chris called suicide clough (Grainfoot) or up to the Coach and Horses. In the heat and in our states of mind, we discounted any thoughts that if “down” is involved, there must be some “up” later, and went straight over and down to the National Trust barn/shelter via the nearby stream for some slight cooling relief.
Down at the reservoir, more decisions were needed, this time to either the summit of Pike Lowe or omit it and go to the stream crossing near the packhorse bridge. There was no enthusiasm for Pike Lowe! So, we slithered (I wore Hokas) through the bilberry and bracken, down the final slope to the cooling stream. There were barriers and warning notices about keeping to the path to avoid damaging the SSSI on the steep hillside. We obeyed and enjoyed the view, i.e. rested.
At the field top and at our maximum breathlessness we were faced with a V.Diff/Severe climb over, or a contortionist’s squeeze through, a high fence. We all did the climb although Chris did bravely attempt the squeeze. Louis simply strode over and the rest of us wobbled on the top and just avoided being skewered by the barbed wire.
There were no takers for the long the path by the wall to the edge, instead, even in our dehydrated state we chose to climb up the shorter path to the edge and return via our outgoing line, thereby including some more Harmerian enjoyment including under Cutthroat Bridge for Tim and Roger. Admittedly, it wasn’t a classic Slow Warts’ outing but there had been a modicum of rough ground and obstacles but we’d been out for about two and a half hours, we’d covered 6.26 miles and climbed 1814 feet all at an average speed of 2.6 mph. Wow, what a strenuous, for us, and hot night! Well done all and thanks.
Graham
