Great Cockup and other little Wainwrights

Great Cockup from Meal Fell

Friday, 28 April 2023

Ascent:       650 metres
Distance:    11 kilometres
Time:          2 hours 36 minutes

Longlands Fell       482m           33mins
Brae Fell                 586m     1hr 1min
Sca Fell                   650m    1hr 20mins
Meal Fell                 539m    1hr 36mins
Great Cockup          524m    1hr 52mins

The May Bank holiday and we booked an Airbnb in the Lake District, I collected Gregor in Glasgow late Friday morning and made good time down to Carlisle and then across to the Northern Fells. Gregor had 6 remaining Wainwright hills to climb at the Back o' Skiddaw. We parked at Longlands just after 2pm and followed the Cumbria Way for a kilometre before heading up a steeper path to Longlands Fell. The heavy rain in Scotland had been progressively upgraded and the white cloud cover when we started walking had now been penetrated by patches of blue sky. The walking was a delight on sheep mown grass although the recent rains had freshened up the occasional boggy section. 

We picked up the pace on the long descent and climbed to Brae Fell before Gregor headed off so that he could collect Knott, which I decided to miss and climb at a future date with High Pike and Carrock Fell. It was probably a mistake and would only have added 20 minutes to a relatively quick outing. The promenade over Little Sca Fell to Sca Fell was an easy leg. I headed west dropping steeply towards Meal Fell. It was becoming a sunny afternoon and the going was easy, even the final steep descent and climb to Great Cockup presented a minimal challenge. I was there a couple of minutes ahead of Gregor. Skiddaw, which had been concealed in solemn grey clouds for most of the walk, appeared as the skies burst into an evening rapture. 

We walked across to the western cairn before descending down the grassy slopes to cross the River Ellen and then enjoyed the excellent path alongside the Longlands beck back to the car. The early evening light and soft air with birds singing reminded me of a similar late afternoon playing in the hills and hollows in Brookfield at Peter Morris's sixth birthday party. My dad collected me from the party on the family tandem and it has remained one of my strong memories of childhood. It was 5pm when we reached Longlands and began the drive along the narrow roads to Bassenthwaite and Keswick. We stopped at Booths in Keswick to pick up some food and were staggered at the prices, businesses in the Lake District seem to have taken license to inflate prices even more than in the rest of the UK.

Sca Fell from Brae Fell

Sca Fell from Meal Fell

Skiddaw from Great Cockup

Meal Fell and Sca Fell from Great Cockup

Great Cockup from  Longlands Beck

Longlands

Meall Ghaordaidh Reprise

Looking west from the summit

Thursday, 20 April 2023

Ascent:     909 metres
Distance:  11 kilometres
Time:        2 hours 52 minutes

Meall Ghaordaidh   1039m     1hr 52mins

At last a few days of clear skies tempt me into the hills. It was now two weeks since I contracted COVID and a week since I tested negative. I had felt a lack of energy, a cold had persisted and my appetite was not yet restored. A walk up Ben Gullipen the previous morning had convinced me that I had recovered enough to attempt a Munro and the conditions were calling me to return to the hills. I left home at 8am for the short journey to Killin and then the 5 miles along the Glen Lochay road to the start of the path to Meall Ghaordaidh at Duncroisk. I parked at Torr Bhharus where there is parking space for about 4 vehicles. 

A path runs alongside the Allt Dhuinn Croisg through the lower fields of sheep. It eases you into the walk with an obvious track leading to a gate with an adjoining stile, It was bright with little wind and cool enough to enjoy the early morning joy of walking. Just before reaching the Shielings, a cairn marks the start of a well-worn path that climbs steeply over grassy ground that was still boggy despite several days of dry weather.

The section from 300 metres to 750 metres teases you with a long convex slope that refuses to reveal the summit. The compensation was the skylarks hovering above me like drones and providing authentic melodic tweets. Love was in the air. The views to the south were embellished as Stob Binnein and Ben More, decorated with the remnants of last week's snow, became visible above the Breadalbane Hills, There is a kilometre of steady incline above 700 metres. I stopped to put on a fleece jacket as the easterly wind strengthened with altitude and became quite chilling. The final couple of hundred metres of climbing is steeper, through some rock bands, I kept a reasonable pace to the summit, which eventually reveals itself as a large circular shelter with a trig point lodged in the middle.

I have fond memories of the hill and I now realised why, the views are spectacular in all directions and on a day like today make the summit a place to savour. I found a seat outside the shelter facing west to admire the best views, it also protected me from the strong wind coming from the east. I had not brought much food, just an orange and an oat bar so had time for reflection. The dam at the end of Loch Lyon was the dominant view with Ben Nevis and the Mamores in the far distance. The Glen Lochay Munros of Beinn Challum, Creag Mhor and Beinn Sheargarnaich provided the foreground and Ben Lui was prominent with its twin peak. I stayed for 15 minutes at the summit, it is rare to be gifted such a day.

The start of the descent was into a strong wind and my eyes were watering as I negotiated the steeper rocky path below the summit. Once clear of these I began to run to rebuild my quads and for the pleasure of still being able to do so. The descent was achieved in half the time of the ascent despite stopping twice to talk to two pairs of walkers. I stopped at the Shielings and briefly contemplated adding the shapely hill to the east until I figured out that it was a Corbett I had climbed after visiting the Tarmachan thirty years ago.

It was just after noon when I reached the car, I was pleased with the time of less than 3 hours. I had estimated the walk to take three and a half hours and only when I arrived home did I realise that I had already climbed Meall Ghaordaidh in 2019 after completing the fifth round. I had wrongly assumed it was a couple of years earlier.  This would never have happened when I was Munro bashing, every walk was planned to complete the round, and repeat excursions were not a good use of limited time. It matters not, it was a fine morning out and my obsession with lists is on the wane.

The long slog of the ascent

Loch Lyon Dam from the summit

Stob Binnein and Ben More

Beinn Challum, Ben Lui and Creag Mhor

Ben Nevis and the Mamores

The Shielings

COVID Calling

Well, I managed over 3 years without catching COVID but it eventually caught up with me last week. We had been extremely careful in 2020, staying at home and visiting supermarkets at quiet times. It was not until the summer of 2021 that we ventured into more sociable environments. In 2022, encouraged by the protection of 3 vaccines we began to live a more normal life. Even on a busy Ryanair flight to France, we were in a small minority wearing masks and on visits to Nimes, Avignon and other towns and villages, we stayed clear of busy places and managed to escape Covid. 

When Aileen was in the hospital and during the time we cared for her at home, we were especially careful, limiting visitors to her immediate family and close friends. Since the funeral, I have made a trip to London by train but otherwise kept a low profile as I attempt to come to terms with life without Aileen. I decided to join some old work colleagues for lunch in Glasgow. I travelled by the excellent new Ember electric bus service and used the crowded Underground to get back from the west end to the bus station. I guess it was somewhere in these interactions that COVID called.

Three days later, I felt quite ill on Monday with overwhelming tiredness, a cold and a barking cough, I took a test that was negative. The next day after coughing my way through a sleepless night, I tested positive. I was not hungry and lacked any energy. Unusually, I sought refuge in front of the television and over the next three days watched all three series of Ted Lasso, the Apple series about AFC Richmond, a Premier League team owned by a glamorous owner, played by Hannah Waddingham, who appoints an American rookie coach, Ted Lasso. As the series gained huge popularity, the number of cameo appearances by football legends and the use of real stadiums added an extra layer of humour. There is very little football shown, it's all about relationships and vacuous behaviour. But that's Premier League football, all hanging about, gossip, money and bluster.

 Ted Lasso with cap and AFC Richmond cast

Recovery is taking longer than expected, I tested negative after six days so decided to take myself up my regular morning hill at a near-normal pace I spent the rest of the day aching and dozing off. I was told by friends that it had taken three weeks before they felt recovered. After two weeks, I tried again and felt ok. Tomorrow the sun is shining and the weather is sweet so I intend to move my dancing feet up an easy Munro. Let's see.