It’s mid-February, so what would you expect but winter weather which we six Serious (Slow) Warts certainly did have, on our foray into a feels-like minus 12⁰C. Our start from the Snake Bridge, was just about tolerable, perhaps acclimatising us for the later Artic like conditions. We sauntered up the still muddy Fairbrook path before diving into a delightful summer only idyllic picnic spot. Our thoughts were not on picnics, however, as we approached the crossing of Fairbrook. Sensibly, our crossing choice was above the confluence with Upper Seal Clough. Our feet would need to be refreshed in the cooling waters of the brook, or would they? One brave and young Wart was not having this and was tempted by a take off point and a rock landing slab on the opposite bank. After only a moment’s deliberation, Tim took off and flew over, landing gloriously, with dry feet. We remaining mere old mortals splashed about for a bit whilst flying Tim disappeared over the brow.
I suppose they may only be temporary, but the mown patches of heather provide some relief from the knee-deep heather between them. Just how long does it take the mown heather to recover and would it be possible, in the meantime, to show them on orienteering type maps using satellite earth imagery? Anyway, they were useful in speeding (?) our progress up to the fourth spring which introduced us to the snow, and a concentration of contour lines.
The climb was understandably hard work and it wasn’t even rewarded with some shelter from the wind behind the rocks at the top. Wherever we stood between the rocks, it was always windy and cold but at least restful (!).
Two check points completed, could we manage the third to Bob’s Spring? It involved a long edge contour with ice, snow and rocky corrugations to slow progress, And, the wind had not disappeared, here the feels-like temperature must have been minus 12⁰C. Keep moving, was the order of the moment! And we did, and we did. There was a group feeling that we’d gone far enough though we hadn’t yet reached Seal Stones, a critical point for finding Bob’s Spring, Nevertheless, we split into two groups, one continuing and the other descending. The latter finding a spring and the others joining them later. However, whether it was Bob’s Spring was disputed though we didn’t go looking for it, the cold and the wind, you know.
Instead, we subjected ourselves to more knee-high heather and a series of ditches nicknamed as “death” ditches because of their unknown depth and condition, usually wet. It was a relief to reach some relatively easy-going bracken for the final descent into Fairbrook itself. Despite the cold water dunking, it was now beginning to feel almost warm in the valley but this changed when we stripped off to put on dry clothes. Fortunately, there was a warm fire at the YBI and as a bonus, under floor heating. It’s a pity Roger wasn’t with us, he might have been tempted to use the floor for drying his kit, as he does at home.
The Serious (Slow) Warts continue to have winter outings of different degrees of “epicness” which both challenge us and satisfy us. Well done and many thanks to all.
Graham
