Monday 22 October 2012

Staveley Horseshoe. (Why Eat Cheddar)


I had not realised Staveley was such an interesting place.  There's Wheelbase, one of the biggest bike shops in the universe, there's the offices of Montane, Hagloffs, and Innov8 and the artisan bakers where if I had not been on a diet I could have stocked up on carbs.  I parked the car in the main street and headed for Potter Tarn.  Turning left here I headed up Brunt Knott where I ate my Hairy Dieters pie.


This ones for McEff,   ( http://becausetheyrethere.com/ )    

From here you look east across a big expanse of largely unvisited land towards Longsleddale, before descending towards Skeggles Water Dike.



        View to head of valley with fells still to come.

Yes your feet are very wet by the time you reach here.  After  refuelling with a couple of  sandwiches with just a taster of  Blue Wensleydale grated into them I headed over Green Quarter Fell and  filled up the 2 platypuses in a little gill coming down from Wray crag.
A flat dryish area was then secured for the tent on the side of Shipman Knotts.


I spent the long evening cooking and reading the book downloaded on the Kindle.  I awoke at 2am with  cold legs.  Really must save up for a new sleeping bag.  Brewed up some soup and then came up with the brainwave of wearing my fleece pullover upside down as a pair of long-johns. This worked well as I had my down jacket on the top half. For breakfast i finished off the Blue Wensleydale sarnies.
Then onwards over Kentmere Pike, Harter Fell, Mardale Ill Bell, and lunch stop on High Street.



After Thornthwaite Beacon I'm heading south again over Froswick and Ill Bell.


On the left between Froswick and Ill Bell is Over Cove where me and my dad ascended one snowy winter's day over 30 years ago.  I am now the same age he was then.
The shadows are lengthening as I hurry over Yoke and get camped up as it gets dark in an old quarry on the south side of Sallows.


I have a warmer night wearing the newly invented long johns and in the morning get a quick photo before the wave of fog engulfs me.


To finish the horseshoe i finished by going over Sour Hows, Capple Howe and heading for the Williamson Memorial and Reston Scar.  There may be an easy way between the last two that does not involve climbing and falling off high walls,  keeping low profiles in case farmers see you, and wading through knee deep cow slurry.


The cheese bit, when in Orkney we went in a Spar shop for some cheese.  Being on a diet I was looking for low fat.  A bit optimistic in a small remote shop and yes they didn't have any. What they did have was 12 different varieties os cheddar, possibly the most boring cheese on the planet.
Why would anyone need so many choices in the Cheddar field?


The Staveley Horseshoe:  approx 20 miles.  Lakeland FRC Fells climbed: Brunt Knott, Green Quarter, Shipman Knott, Kentmere Pike, Harter Fell, Mardale IllBell, High Street, Thornthwaite Beacon, Froswick, IllBell, Yoke, Sallows, and Sour Howes.