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Wednesday 28 January 2009

Black Combe and Devoke Water
















I caught up with the Go4awalk motor home (containing Mike from go4awalk.com)somewhere along the A590 and followed it to Millom Rugby Union Football Club where, for a small consideration, they let me put up my red Wild Country two man tent – veteran of two TGO challenges and a couple of Cairngorm wild camps involving only short walking from the car cos its heavy.
But I devolve…. Shortly after this we were embarked on the path up the South end of Black Combe the hill fog at about 450 metres, so there wasn’t much of a view. Apparently, you can see Wales from here. You can certainly see Black Combe from Wales on the occasion of very clear weather. It must be quite a long way. Somebody should measure it.
Anyway, after a spot of chicken butty, banana and green tea in the windy summit shelter, we plodded off to bag the very lovely (if you’re a fan of red bog grass) Stoupdale Head and then White Combe, which is more of a shoulder than a summit, but which bears an enormous and ancient cairn and a cracking view of bits of Morecambe Bay.
The little gem of a hillock White Hall Knott followed, and then a steep and uncomfortable descent through dwarf gorse (whatever you do, if you go this way, don’t slip on your arse…) and an easier-than-it-looks-on-the-map-due-to-the-fact-that-there’s- quite-a-good-track-most-of-the-way (phew) handrailing of the intake wall back to Kirkbank Church where we’d left the car.

8 Miles or so…

There was then a short interval for eating, dozing and drinking beer in front of the fire in the Rugby Club bar.

And then it was tomorrow, or, rather, Tuesday.

The day started in driving drizzle off the Irish sea and continued mush in the same vein most of the day.

We did a circuit of Devoke Water, adding a couple of tops just for the ticks. The round was Rough Crag – Water Crag – Birkby Fell – The Knott – White Pike – Yoadcastle – Seat How. The last one being the exciting one due to it’s craggy defences. These are quite good hills for climbing in the drizzle since they appear much bigger and snowier when they’re looming out of the hillfog.

I didn’t take many pics due to the rain. But we managed 6 miles for apparently, a lorra lorra effort- it was the wind, the heavy going, the wet weather clothing, the lactic acid from the Rugby Club Bar….

I was quite taken with Millom – friendly place, chip shop, seaside….

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