No, we weren’t doing a sort of duathlon, the plan was to have a shorter, “easy one” from Fairholmes by taking the original (Andy’s) or possibly the later modified (Tom’s) Cakes of Bread race route. Having found a free parking space, we sauntered up the steep climb entertaining ourselves by racing on alternate tracks at the start of the steep climb, there was no winner! Well, it took our minds off the climb.
Still having the original route imprinted on my mind when we arrived at the top of the climb, I was surprised and pleased by Tom’s more efficient line across the moor to a track. Since Tom was out tonight and Andy wasn’t, Tom had the choice of his route which was expected to include a shooting butt checkpoint but we persuaded ourselves it was only a short distance away so it wasn’t worth the effort, a feeble excuse. Instead, we headed up the Bradfield Gate path omitting Back Tor and taking a direct line towards Cakes of Bread which again proved efficient.
However, our cheerful drive for efficiency became interrupted as we descended into deep bracken, deeper than we’d remembered. Were the Serious (Slow) Warts losing their collective memories or were we shrinking or had the bracken somehow developed Triffid like characteristics? Probably the latter, as climate change’s extended sunshine accelerated bracken growth. We struggled on, just being able to discern the remains of a wall (not the John Field Howden one), when Pete suggested that we took a gradually sloping path down towards the pack horse bridge. Ah, relief we thought, but no, the sunken path seemed to encourage more bracken growth resulting in the need to develop methods for moving through it.
Pete had found that pushing the bracken aside at its base seemed to work and from what we could see of him, his movements were like the breast stroke. Continuing the swimming theme, our climb from the pack horse bridge was definitely a breathless crawl up the steep side. To add to our enjoyment, there was a flying insect invasion which necessitated a flailing of arms, distinctly reminiscent of the butterfly stroke, as Clive observed. All these comparisons with swimming styles reminded us of the Serious Warts’ method for extracting ourselves from a bog, should we get stuck. The back stroke was recommended, not guaranteed, of course, but worth a try.
Having swum out of Far Deep Clough towards but not to, Pike Low, we’d had enough enjoyment and cut through the fields down a bracken free grassy bank back to the dam wall, two and a half hours of fun?
Of course, it could have been raining but maybe that was perhaps just a touch more severe although it would have given us a better feel of swimming, and, for a bonus, a free cold bracken shower. Such pleasures we did have, were hard won and will be remembered for some time. Well done and thanks to all.
Graham
