Today’s slightly disappointing morning walk was a circumnavigation of Carsington Water, with a short detour to a nearby hill marked as ‘The Mountain’ on the map! Neither landmark was as interesting as I’d hoped, but at least the rain held off!
I met up with Simon for a day’s walking in the White Peak. Starting in Hartington, we walked down Beresford and Wolfscote Dales, then west over Wetton Hill. After exploring Thor’s Cave, we returned to the car via the Manifold valley.
Now that I live in Quarndon, just north of Derby (having started my first full time job, as a Thermofluids Technologist with Rolls-Royce, a couple of weeks ago), the Peak District is just a short drive away. I did a ten-mile walk exploring the dales near the SE corner of the national park. My circular route from the village of Elton took me through Middleton Dale, Youlgreave, Stanton-in-Peak and Stanton Moor.
Alex and my final week in Scotland was in Glen Coe, staying in the Red Squirrel campsite. We had lots of dry weather for excellent walks including Aonach Eagach, Buachaille Etive Mor, Bidean nam Bian and Ben Starav. We also spent a few evenings in the nearby Clachaig Inn, where we had dinner on the penultimate night of the trip. End of trip totals: 41 Munros, 9 Corbetts.
After dropping DC off at Garve station, Alex and I moved to Glen Nevis for the next few days of our trip, staying at the ‘Smiddy Bunkhouse’, then Glen Nevis campsite, then Kinlochleven campsite. The weather was generally much better (except for a wet day in the Grey Corries), so we did some long walks taking in most of the Munros around Glen Nevis. Particularly enjoyable were the ‘Ledge Route’ scramble up Ben Nevis, and a seven-Munro epic in the Mamores. End of week totals: 27 Munros, 9 Corbetts.
After the Torridon trip, Alex, DC and I headed further north for a week in Assynt. Our walks there included Ben More Assynt, Quinag and Suilven, and an exciting traverse of An Teallach. We stayed at several different places: Inchnadamph Lodge hostel, Suileag bothy, and campsites at Achmelvich and Ullapool. End of week totals: 13 Munros, 8 Corbetts.
This year’s CUHWC summer trip to Scotland – my first such trip – went to Torridon, staying in the very basic (but free!) campsite. Although the weather was mostly rather damp, the cloud broke often enough to give us lots of spectacular views. I climbed the ‘big three’ of Beinn Alligin, Beinn Eighe and Liathach, as well as a few Corbetts. End of week totals: 9 Munros, 4 Corbetts. (Before the trip: 3 Munros, 1 Corbett).
Taking another, longer trip in my car, Alex, Ruth, Jack and I went to the Norfolk Broads – the only National Park in England and Wales that I hadn’t visited before!
This year’s CUHWC Garden Party was held at Robinson College, in the gardens until it rained, and then in the ‘basement’! Afterwards we had the traditional night punting, and barbecue on Grantchester Meadows.
This year’s pre-May Week camping trip went to Langdale. On the Saturday, I joined Michael for his final three Wainwrights, finishing on Pike of Blisco. Then from Sunday till Wednesday a few of us extended the trip for an expedition through Wasdale, Ennerdale, Buttermere and Newlands, staying in camping barns. This allowed me to complete my Western Fells, increasing my Wainwright total to 210 – only four to go!
After handing in my final project report, I wanted to do an afternoon walk to get out in the fresh air. I hadn’t visited the Cambridge American Cemetery before, so I incorporated it into a circular route north-west of Cambridge.
Just a handful of photos from a wet day’s walking near Church Stretton, in Shropshire. My route took in Carding Mill Valley, Pole Bank, Ashes Hollow and Ragleth Hill.
I took a few days off revision to go walking in the Lake District with Michael. We camped at Side Farm near Patterdale village, except for one night wild-camping near Haweswater Reservoir. We were very pleasantly surprised by the predominantly dry and sunny April weather, which was ideal for camping and for some fantastic walks! It wasn’t an efficient bagging trip for me (having bagged most of the surrounding fells on the Glenridding trip last June!) but I did tick off five more Wainwrights to complete the Far Eastern and Eastern Fells. 200 down, 14 to go!
This year’s excellent Brass Band Tour went to South Wales, staying in a hostel in Tredegar. We enjoyed playing very successful concerts in Pontypridd, Swansea and Cardiff. In between we engaged in all the usual Tour traditions: Tour Quiz, 4:23am etc! As per the previous two tours, I also convinced a few others to join me on a couple of morning walks in the hills near the hostel. Thanks to Ruth and Charlotte for organising everything!
The final weekend trip of Lent Term was to Coniston, staying in the Coppermines valley. The weather was drizzly and blustery for the most part (but that was better than the persistent rain and gales that had been forecast!). That didn’t stop us from doing some substantial walks though, and I managed to bag another twelve nearby Wainwrights, taking my total to 195!
This year’s CUHWC Annual Dinner was held in the Wordsworth Room in St John’s College. Afterwards we went to the Maypole for cocktails, then to Marianne’s room, then to Tom’s room!
Another weekend hillwalking, this time in the Yorkshire Dales, staying in a bunkhouse in Ribblesdale. On the Saturday, my group walked over Ingleborough and Whernside, and back via Ribblehead Viaduct, in snowy, windy weather, and built a giant snowman on the slopes of Whernside. Sunday’s shorter walk up Pen-y-ghent completed the weekend’s bagging of the Three Peaks!