Duffers’ Northern Fells Trip (24th-26th February 2012)

I joined the Duffers’ for a weekend in the Northern Fells of the Lake District, staying at the Hudscales camping barn. We walked on Blencathra on Saturday and on High Pike and Carrock Fell on Sunday, which also allowed me to tick off three nearby Nuttalls. Ruth and I also popped up nearby Faulds Brow and Sandale Hill before heading home.

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Glenderamackin, with Sharp Edge above

HuMP-bagging in the Chilterns (18th February 2012)

Mark and I spent the day bagging in the Chilterns: the closest significant hills to Cambridge! In all we did eight short and varied walks, taking in all the HuMPs of the area, and a bonus subHuMP! Unsurprisingly, not all of them proved to be very worthwhile summits, but overall it was an excellent day out!

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Looking back along Dunstable Downs from Five Knolls

An icy walk from Elton (11th February 2012)

I headed up to the White Peak to tick off a few more obscure P30s, starting in the village of Elton. An excellent winter’s day, with temperatures well below freezing, lots of ice and snow underfoot, and clear blue skies overhead! Minninglow Hill, Moatlow Knob and Anthony Hill were the somewhat-unexpected highlights.

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Looking south-east from my lunch spot on Moatlow Knob

Mickle Fell (4th February 2012)

I visited Ruth in Carnforth for the weekend. On the Saturday, I was keen to take advantage of a non-firing day on the Warcop Range to visit Mickle Fell and its neighbours, but the forecast wasn’t very promising with heavy snow predicted for the afternoon. We therefore made an early start and walked briskly, and were rewarded with decent conditions on Roman Fell, Little Fell and Mickle Fell before the weather finally closed in on Murton Fell!

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Ruth at the summit of Roman Fell in the early-morning light

CUHWC Arans Trip (28th-29th January 2012)

I headed to southern Snowdonia for the weekend to join CUHWC in the Aran Hills. On the Saturday we had fantastic weather for a great linear walk from Cwm Cywarch to Bwlch y Groes via Aran Fawddwy and ten other less well-known Nuttalls. We enjoyed stunning views over much of North and Mid-Wales, with some amazing light conditions! On the Sunday we did a shorter walk from Dinas Mawddwy over the two Nuttalls and three Deweys at the southern end of the range.

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Creiglyn Dyfi, with Aran Fawddwy towering above

Butlins and the Lincolnshire Wolds (20th-22nd January 2012)

I went to Butlins in Skegness with Rolls Royce (Derby) Band for the 2012 Mineworkers Brass Band Contest. Here are a few photos of the Butlins park and adjacent beach, taken on the Sunday, and a few of Normanby Top, the highest point of the Lincolnshire Wolds, which I visited on my way back to Derby!

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Butlins from the beach

Upper Derwent valley (14th January 2012)

With a weekend of long-awaited fine weather forecast, I was keen to get out in the Dark Peak. I opted to head to the moors around the head of the Derwent valley. My route started near Fairholmes, at the head of Ladybower Reservoir, and took in a few new Peak District P30s, most notably Horse Stone Naze (a Dewey), returning via Alport Castles.

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Alport Dale

CUHWC Seathwaite Trip (6th-8th January 2012)

Once again I headed to Seathwaite, at the head of Borrowdale, for CUHWC’s New Year trip. On the Saturday I visited two Nuttalls near the Corridor Route, returning via Great Gable, in reasonable weather. On the Sunday I headed to the Northwestern Fells but we only managed Whiteside and Hopegill Head before deciding to cut the route short and descend via Gasgale Gill, due to the persistent low cloud and rain.

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Great and Green Gables, from Lambfoot Dub

Monsal Dale (4th December 2011)

I went for another walk in the White Peak, starting in Ashford in the Water and ticking off a few P30 hills around Monsal Dale and Cressbrook Dale. The route included two tops that I’d been meaning to visit for a while even before acquiring the list: Fin Cop and Wardlow Hay Cop – both excellent viewpoints! The forecast was for showers, but pleasingly it stayed dry for me until the last hour or so of the walk.

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Wardlow Hay Cop

CUHWC Snowdonia Trip (11th-13th November 2011)

I went on the CUHWC weekend trip to Snowdonia, camping at Gwern Gof Isaf as the club had filled the Caseg Fraith bunkhouse. In search of new Nuttalls, I ventured further afield one generally does when staying at the foot of Tryfan (!), heading to the north-eastern Carneddau on Saturday and doing the Blaenau Ffestiniog skyline on Sunday. Only Andrew (and Mark, on Saturday) were dedicated enough baggers to join me, but both walks were excellent nonetheless!

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View from Moel Penamnen, with Moel Farlwyd on the right

Howgills, Lakes and Dales (4th-6th November 2011)

I visited Ruth for a long weekend in the hills, ticking off a few more English Nuttalls. On the Friday, I did a solo walk in the Howgill Fells, but sadly the higher summits were in cloud most of the day. Conditions were much better at the weekend, with clear blue skies for the Buttermere skyline from Fleetwith Pike to Red Pike on the Saturday (Honister Crag and Dodd being new Nuttalls for me) and a spectacular, unexpected cloud inversion around Wild Boar Fell and Baugh Fell on the Sunday!

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Ruth on Swarth Fell

Crianlarich, Mull and Sunart (26th-30th October 2011)

Ruth and I spent a few days in the Western Highlands, with mixed weather. Our somewhat complicated itinerary took us to Crianlarich (to bag Beinn a’ Chroin’s East Top), then out to the Isle of Mull for a couple of days (to bag the Corbett and the Munro), then to Strontian (where wet, windy weather prevented any Corbett-bagging), and finally to Glen Coe (for Beinn a’ Chrulaiste). An excellent, varied few days despite the poor weather at times!

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View over Loch na Keal

Di and Ben’s wedding, and some opportunistic bagging (22nd-23rd October 2011)

I went down to Kent for the weekend for Di and Ben’s wedding. The ceremony was held at the Church of St James the Great, in East Malling, with an evening reception at Dorton House in nearby Seal. That left plenty of unfilled hours, so I also took the opportunity to bag a few of the local Marilyns and HuMPs! Then on the Sunday I met up with Alex P for a longer walk to Leith Hill and Holmbury Hill.

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Newlywed Dr and Mrs Russell, greeting the guests after the wedding service