My last newspaper column of 2014

4 miles

3 hours

When the Winter weather hits Britain I find myself irresistibly drawn to the Lake District. It isn't that the hills of the Peak District lack beauty in the snow, the Kinder plateau after a heavy snowfall can be one of the most beautiful places in Britain, but there is an added majesty to seeing the taller peaks of Cumbria topped with a dusting of the white stuff. Of all the Lake District village my favourite has to be Grasmere, not only does it have the Wordsworthian associations (he is buried in the graveyard and spent much of his life in the area) and a fantastic Youth Hostel it allows easy access to a huge range of classic fells.

  I leave the village behind and head up the ever narrowing road fringed by skeletal trees. Ahead of me sits the imposing yet familiar outline of Helm Crag, known to Lakeland doyenne Alfred Wainwright as "The Lion and the lamb"  There is frost on the grass as I crunch my way across the flagged path that leads me through Grasmere Common. I start the slow, steady climb that closely follows the tumbling, frothing waters of Sourmilk Gill. The Gill ends at one of the most beautiful bodies of water in the Lake District, Easedale Tarn. it is the archetypal Lakeland tarn surrounded by imposing rocky crags which today are mirrored in the mirror still water in front of me. This has long been one of the most popular spots in the area and in Victorian times there was even a refreshment stand catering to walkers.

  I leave the tarn behind and follow the narrow path up towards Blea Crag. I start to pass through patches of slushy snow as I continue to climb, eventually attaining the saddle where the snow lies a little thicker. From the top I can look into Langdale and across to the white topped Pikes, but the wind is getting up and the temperature dropping so I press on passing tiny tarns dotted with miniature icebergs. I drop down to Blindman's Moss fighting my way through the fragrant, scrubby Juniper before I eventually end up on the path that follows Sourmilk Gill back into the valley and a very welcome pint in front of a log fire.

       I very much hope that you enjoy reading about my walks as much as I enjoy undertaking them. If you have any questions or enquiries about either my articles or guided walking in the UK please feel free to visit my webpage at www.comewalkwithmeuk.co.uk or e-mail me at Ian@comewalkwithmeuk.co.uk . Liking my facebook page or following me on twitter @cwwmuk will help you keep up to date with all my latest walks and general outdoor news. In the meantime, enjoy the ramblings of a rambler...

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM COME WALK WITH ME!

EXTREME RAMBLING BY MARK THOMAS

 The act of walking has over the years been not only a balm to the troubled soul but also an act of political defiance. The very fact that protestors the world over go on protest marches puts the act of pedestrianism in the realm of politics, not to mention events such as the Kinder Trespass which became the catalyst for the free access movement which has won us so many freedoms today. However, for the majority of us, I don't think we consider the act of walking to be anything overtly political. When I find myself tucked under the Wain Stones sheltering from a gale or dipping my feet in Angle Tarn on a hot Summer's day, I feel a million miles away from the concerns of my normal life and, usually, all the better for it.
   Mark Thomas however is not a man to shy away from expressing his views and his idea to walk the length of the Israeli West Bank barrier cannot really be seen as anything other than overtly political. The route the barrier takes is over 400 miles long, so the walk is a not insignificant undertaking, and it is an undertaking that is made considerably harder by the political situation and inevitable tensions the walkers encounter on both sides of the barrier. Thomas walks with his friend and cameraman, Phil, and an assortment of translators, fixers, guides and oddballs. He interviews Israeli settlers, Palestinian farmers, NGO workers, scrap metal dealers and those striving for peace from both sides of the divide. He is pelted with stones, rained upon, hailed upon, sunburned, tear gassed and arrested, but continues stoically on. He meets members of the Palestinian Ramblers Association and goes for a walk with the British consul general and he experiences a harsh, scarred landscape but one that is still regularly capable of taking his breath away.
   Regardless of your views on the situation, and Thomas's views are clear from the first paragraph, one of the very real things that comes out of this book is how by walking you are forced into contact with the land and the people on it. On a linear walk such as this it is impossible not to meet people, not be confronted with the reality of what we as humans do to the land and each other, and to ponder the notion that travel that is not undertaken on foot often removes us from the very essence of the place we are there to see.

Guided walking on Scafell Pike with SINCIL sports college

17.7.14
Walking with; Kallum, Josh, Jordan, Brad, George, Michelle and Mr Z!

As part of their challenge week five students and two members of staff from Sincil Sports College in Lincoln decided they would like to attempt an ascent of Scafell Pike, England’s highest mountain, and Come walk with me UK were more than happy to help them achieve this fantastic goal! The weather the day before had been horrendous and when I’d ventured on to the fells to do a bit of a reccy, visibility had been little more than five metres and the rain torrential, so it was with some trepidation I crawled out of my tent on Thursday morning to see the tops of the big peaks covered in cloud.
I met the guys at the NT campsite where they were busy dismantling their camp and after a quick kit check we set off along the banks of Longmell Gill and were soon climbing towards the now fully visible Scafell Pike, stopping for fantastic views of Wastwater, Yewbarrow, Ill Gill Head, Great Gable and Kirk Fell. After our stream crossing we carried on up the steep steps on Brown Tongue and onto the Hollow Stones. It was a popular day for walking and the same faces ebbed and flowed as we walked, admired the views and took the odd breather, but the peak continued to grow ever closer. We finally made the summit and the whole team were really proud of the effort it had taken to get to the top of England.
The descent was a bit easier and the views down to Styhead Tarn were fantastic. It was hot work and hard on the legs as we made our way back down to Wastwater, stopping for a cooling dip in the Gill en route. Although all the team would agree that it had been hard work, I think we would all agree it was well worth the effort and a true challenge! So, Congratulations to Team Sincil and I hope to see you again for another challenge soon!

First paid work as a Mountain Leader!

30.6-2.7.14
Walking with; More House School

   Well, it has finally paid off! This was my first gig as a professionally qualified ML. I picked up the job with Class Adventure at the last minute and headed down to Crickhowell in South Wales for a couple of days walking and working with a group of 55 kids from More House School in Surrey. I was in charge of 11 kids and assisted by one of the teachers from the school. We were based at a semi-permanent campsite in the beautiful Glanusk Estate and spent one night at a more remote camp still on the estate but with a slightly wilder feel.
   The sun shone and I led the group along the Brecon and Monmouthshire canal before cutting off the towpath and dropping down to the gorgeous River Usk. We paused by the waterfalls and watched Buzzards wheel overhead before continuing on to Llangynidir and then cutting through the countryside to our campground. The next morning we followed the Usk down to Crickhowell before crossing into Llangattock and heading back along the canal. The kids also got the chance to try their hands at climbing, abseiling and canoeing and really seemed to enjoy their time in the Welsh countryside. Whilst I might not have spent any actual time in the mountains it was good experience working with groups and getting used to the different dynamic and also being able to educate some of the kids about the fantastic countryside around Crickhowell. My next gig is on Scafell Pike, can't wait, especially if the sun keeps shining!

Changes a foot

As part of the progression from being a general "man about the hills" to being a Mountain Leader I am having a new website built and am going to integrate my blog into it. This means that the blog is likely to be off line for a few days! Hope to see you on the other side at www.comewalkwithmeuk.co.uk !