Room with a view
Last Friday evening saw The Gibson and I
heading for the Lakes. The plan was to bash up to Priests hole on Dove
Crag, bivvy the night and get an early start in the morning with an
open remit as to were we went Saturday and Sunday!
Every mile we got closer to the Lakes the
rain got heavier! So in true YMC style...... No Nay!!..... MMMC style,
we said F*** that and went for beer and curry in Keswick!!
Our accommodation was Keswick YHA, now under
more liberal management! The doors now get locked at 11.30 and not the
11.00 of old. Yo-ho for the liberals!! Not however liberal enough
to over look the fact both our YHA cards were out of date! We stumped
up our subs and thumbed the hostel guide for options to stay the
following night. 
Saturday saw a much better day than forecast
so we decided to have a bash up Skiddaw to see if its nick name
of 'No good reason' held fast! I maintain 'Yes' but Gibson say's
I'm been rough on the old hill!
We planned on passing Skiddaw House YHA (You
know.... the pointless one, that's not really on the way to
anywhere!) about midday and booking in for the evening before
heading out after to bag some more of the local hills.
DOH!................. we were a Year too
late! Skiddaw house closed last year, sold no doubt to help the
YHA to get back into the red after F&M (in our defence it was still
advertised in our new guide). Maybe too many people thought it was on
the way to nowhere! Roomer has it never had the local authority
permission to trade as a Hostel anyway! How odd!
BUT, not as odd as meeting Keswick off-road
unicycle club! I jest not and have a photo to prove it (see
below).Watching 5 wobbling figures making progress down a rough track
was quite comical!
<>We headed back to the car wanting to checking
reality! 
Time for tea at Peddlers and a bit of
shopping. Chairman splashed out on a pair of new boots! So in a fit of
new boot bravado, we decided, despite of worsening weather to
revert to plan 'A' and head up to Dove Crag.
WET? .......... Yes it was! The cave was dry
though! Our 3 course boil in the bag dinner hit the spot, and was
even candle lit! How romantic.... NOT!
The rain stopped by about 10pm but was
replace by a mental howling wind! That and the over whelming feeling of
a presence in the cave other than our selves kept us awake all
night. More than once we both reach for our head torches to see who was
there!
We both recon we must have read too many 'Old
grey man' stories! Or just maybe................................!
No... I don't believe in that rubbish!
The view was great, we could see
the
lights of Penrith in the distance. 
What a start to Sunday morning!............
Boil in the bag 'bacon and bean's........... fantastic! Farting all day
long........... may be that was the presence!
The weather started of bright but soon
reverted to heavy rain! Our route took us from Dove Crag across to
Fairfield then down to Patterdale via Saint Sunday. Just in time to
catch the bus to Hartsop to collect the car, saving a 3km wet boring
road trog!
Two soft days, yes, but enjoyable never the
less!
Good to see The Gibson again, and best of
luck with your South pole adventure, hope you make the final team!
Simon
