Swaledale - Easter Sunday 23 March 2008

Again we were among the last to rise for breakfast and after this, some of the others planned on a trip to Sir Francis Level (with its neck-deep water) while Karen and I decided on another walk. This time we drove and even shorter distance back towards Reeth to Healaugh and follow a circular route based on a Bridleway marked on the map. This started by following up a drive to a private house but we went slightly wrong for a short distance following the wrong path. After retracing our steps, we continued on the correct route through snow-covered fields until we reached a drop down into an open area. As we were sheltered from the wind and the sun was out, we had a short tea/coffee break.
Continuing onwards we followed a minor road for a short distance to follow an obvious track soon reaching the remains of Surrender Smelting Mill. After a quick look around and continuing along the track next to Old Gang Beck, passing patches of frog spawn in water at the sides, until we reached the remains of Old Gang Smelting Mills which were surprisingly extensive with an associated flue beneath the ground following up the hillside for about 800 meters!
Here we had a lunch break in the shelter of two walls at right-angles with the sun making it a nice spot to stop. Afterwards we continue onwards following the track until we came to two obvious arched openings to sloping parallel levels between two fords crossing the track. These turned out to be the entrance to Brandy Bottle Mine where the others had walked to the day before yesterday! After a quick nose around we followed on the track following a right hand turn at Level House Bridge following more indistinct ground made of small stones with wide-reaching views and the way now marked by cairns in an area called Surrender Ground.
Soon we were back on moorland with an obvious track eventually dropping down to a section of road which we followed for 300 metres to a ford where there were several cars parked and people milling noisily about. We crossed a footbridge then cut across a bend in the road to leave via a gate into more moorland. Following the track for some distance we reach a section of dry stone walling with a right-angle section just at the right time for a tea/coffee stop in the shelter of the wall while a heavy snow shower started. After the short break, we continued on in the heavy snow watching grouse fly around to get out of our way as they called "Go Back, Go Back, Go Back!".
After a while the snow stopped and I soon spotted a village below. We should have been following a track leading to a small road to drop back into Healaugh but somehow missed the bit where the road started and continued on an obvious track nearly passing the village. I check with my GPS and we had definitely missed the road so headed back along the track. I spotted the road below a very short distance away (about 30 metres!) so we dropped down to it and followed it back to the village to arrive exactly where we had parked earlier.
Back to the Bunkhouse fo another meal - a rare event! We hadn't eaten out at all for the whole trip.

Swaledale - Easter Saturday 22 March 2008

Up at breakfast after a much warmer night to find a decent covering of snow and while Boyd went walking, Pete Wag and others, including Mick Hogg who had arrived for a couple of days, arranged for a trip with Pete Roe in Devis Mine Cave while Karen and I went for a walk starting in Muker and up the Swinner Gill valley. Again the day had short snow showers as we walked from Muker across the fields with snow on the ground until we headed up diagonally to the start of Swinner Gill. This was an excellent walk with some slightly trick bits on a narrow path with very steep ground dropping a fair way to the river below. We followed the path on the East side which then dropped down to cross the river just above a small waterfall and continue on the West side.
Eventually after more snow showers and sunny periods, less wind than yesterday, we arrived at the old mine workings near the head of the valley next to a side branch with a small waterfall (Beldi Hill Mines. Here we had lunch and after perusing the map, decided to return via the West side of the valley following a path at higher level and after passing the ruins of Crackpot Hall and the lovely, if small, Kisdon Force near the point where the Coast-to-Coast Path crosses the Pennine Way. we followed the Pennine Way route back to Muker.
After a trip to the Teashop, where we found no room as it was small but full, we popped into the adjoining and also small Shop/Post Office only to find the same girl from the Teashop serving behind the counter!
We returned to the Bunkhouse and had another meal which was quick to prepare with less fun with the electrics - perhaps they had dried out after the steady heat from the boiler?

Swaledale - Good Friday 21 March 2008

No arrivals in the very, very cold night. We sat eating breakfast and I was looking at the map to see where the lane running from the Camping Barn went when I saw that the Camping Barn marked on the map with a red square (at the grid reference Jenny had given us) was some quarter of a mile away from where we were! So there must be another camping barn and that was where everyone else was! We rapidly packed up and got in the car and drove up the narrow road to the other camping barn only to find a private house. It DID have an upper storey accessible via a separate outside door reached via stone steps, but there were no signs and no recognisable vehicles. Puzzling. The bunk house we had spent the night in did have a notice saying that the owner lived on the main road in a new house on the right so we drove there and asked if they knew anything about Orpheus CC and booking the barn. Yes- the knew of Mr Wagstaff and it was all unlocked and ready... which we already knew. So thanking them, we drove back and again unpacked and reserved the same two bunks!
Shortly after this others arrived and after nabbing bunks and some food, Boyd headed off for a walk while the rest of us, except for Jenny who remained at the Bunkhouse to do some work, drove up the main road to Gunnerside to park and walk up Gunnerside Gill. We had a look at Sir Francis Level Dressing Floor and then continued up the valley to the Sir Francis Level Air Receiver with the cut and covered passage with water flowing. Phil and Chris put on their helmets and walked through the shin-deep water to emerge after about a hundred metres where there was a surface opening down some 4 or 5 metres to the water, where the artificial passage met natural passage. The two of them clambered out and we headed up the valley with 83 year-old Don doing very well.
After a quick snack break by a dry stone wall sheltering from the wind we continued on the path to the level at Bunting Hush. Here Karen and I waited in the shelter of the old buildings while the others got oversuits and helmets on and went in the adit for a look. When the others returned about 20 minutes later, they headed up a path next to the hush (a scoured-out feature made by prospectors a long time ago searching for lead ore by blocking the flow of water then releasing the dam suddenly) to head across the moor to investigate Brandy Bottle mine.
As it was very, very windy and cold, Karen and I opted to remain in the valley and head back to Gunnerside to find Don, who had turned back a bit earlier, in the Teashop waiting for the others. We had some cake and tea and gave Don a run to Reeth for food shopping then back to the bunkhouse where we met Frank and Trish plus Chris Barret and Coke. We all made various meals in the rather warmer Bunkhouse, watching the lights flicker and flash on and off while various items were switched off and on in the kitchen while the others went up the road to the Punch Bowl for a meal. We joined them later, given a lift by Boyd, and found the pub as nice but definitely a food place rather than drinking. The food was pretty expensive for a pub but the beer was good and at reasonable prices. We were asked to join in the Pub Quiz and actually won! There had been snow flurries at the end of the walk and there were heavier showers while we were in the pub. We left at 10:30pm to find Pete Roe just arriving in his Land Rover after finishing work and pulling cars out of ditches! After a quick chat arrangements were made to meet tomorrow afternoon for a trip in Devil Mines Cave then back to the Bunkhouse.

Walking Ingleborough - Sun 9th March 2008

A better day than yesterday and a shorter walk up and down Ingleborough via Crina Bottom. The others had a trip in Aygill Caverns.

Walking Pen-y-Ghent Sat 8th March 2008

While the others were caving in Lancaster Hole and Cow Pot (I still have a shoulder injury) I went for a 9 mile walk traversing Pen-y-Ghent starting and ending in Horton-in-Ribblesdale. It was very wet and very windy!

Walking Chee Dale Sun 2nd March 2008

We parked at the car park at the start of the Monsal Trail and followed a circular route along the River Wye and above Monsal Dale.