April



Route of main walk

Route of main walk


Walk leader* Route* Weather* Walkers* Apologies and Excuses* Comments* Evening Meal* Picture Gallery


Walk leader

Bernie (with collaboration from Carol)


Route

Clesketts - Howgill - Cold Fell - Tamamona - Howgill (missed out the tarn) - Clesketts.

Saga Walk: Circumnavigation of Talkin Tarn, with variations.


Weather

Summer weather - very hot and sunny. Pleased to find a breeze.


Walkers

Main walk: Bernie, Ron, Michelle, Michael. Saga Walk: Carol, Sandy, Beth, George G, Evelyn.


Apologies and Excuses

Ashley - in Italy

Alex - party animal

George B - sailing in Scotland


Comments

First time more people went on the Saga walk than on the main walk.

Main walk: Hot, long and hard. Navigation was excellent considering that there were no paths. Lots of heather-yomping. Grassy bridleways. Lunch on top of a dead ancient king (cairn for ancient king). Longest tract ever with nothing - no people, so it was the loneliest walk ever. Views on the top were not good because it was hazy. This was part of the country we have never walked in before. Huge numbers of trees planted, for mixed woodland. The most incredible steel bridge over a wall, probably for a 4-wheel drive. Dropped down into the valley and walked up a well-defined path past houses. Lots of mountain-bikers on the wagon way. An industrial valley. Steep descent, which was a bit of a killer. There was a sudden change from moorland to grass. Some sheep were having a conversation across a fence - they ran at it and bounced off. Saw the Grand National in the Belted Will in Hallgarth.

Wildlife: Curlews, skylarks, tadpoles, toad, donkey, barking dogs, buzzards, grouse, pheasants, butterflies. No rabbits. Two horses with their coats on. Lots of huge bumble bees. Big flies at lunch.

Saga walk: Walked right round Talkin Tarn on the path, visiting the bird observatory (a converted boathouse with windows looking out on to the lake). The windmill outside started when Evelyn went inside and the light came on. Nice hotel at the top of the tarn, but it didn't do teas. Wooden dog in the woods. Dragonfly throne overlooking a cove. Lots of nest boxes but not many birds. People in rowing boats - saw one pedalo. All sat on the same bench for lunch. There was a dog so fat it looked like a pig. Disobedient collie with a branch, and an energetic boxer dog called George.

Split up at the end and all did different things. Carol read her book, George had a cup of tea and read the paper, Evelyn walked further through the woods on the hilly parts, and Sandy and Beth went back to Clesketts to walk round Tindale Tarn. When Ron returned from the main walk he forgot that Sandy had taken the car originally, so he jumped in and drove it off. Sandy and Beth returned to find all the cars had gone. Luckily Ron realised what had happened when he reached Talkin Tarn and went back to pick them up.

Wildlife: Swan, buzzards, ducks, moorhens, wren, chaffinch, blue tits, tufty duck, fish, horses. Canada geese and swans on Tindale Tarn, and more horses.


Evening meal

Milecastle Inn. It all went really well until someone tried to order tea.


Picture Gallery

All walkers

All walkers

Long walkers

Long walkers

Stripped hillside

Stripped hillside

Three on top

Three on top

Bridge over the wall

Bridge over the wall

Hazy

Hazy views

Striding out

Striding out

The way down

The way down

Donkey

Donkey

Toad

Toad

Talkin Tarn

Talkin Tarn

Surveying the tarn

Surveying the tarn

Dog

Dog in the woods

Bird observatory

Bird observatory

Dragonfly throne

Dragonfly throne


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