Chedder Gorge

Easter we are in Cheddar and we not going to find many big hills. So the main thing to do is do the Gorge. We found the walk at the National Trust shop and we could add a bit more on half way round.

We headed up onto NT land where the path took us a steep path though a wood. Passing Gough’s cave where Britain’s oldest complete skeleton was found, estimated to be 9,000 years old.

Once out of the wood we could look down on Cheddar Gorge. Cheddar Gorge is a great, deep fissure cutting though the Mendip hills. This was formed about one million years ago during the last ice age. Water from melting glaciers formed a river, which over time started to carve into the limestone rock creating the steep cliffs. The Cheddar Yeo river gradually made its way underground to create the famous cheddar caves which you pay a lot to go in.. Across the other side we could see the viewing tower that you had to pay to go up.




We carried on along the ridge where we went down to black rock gate and carried on east to do a short loop though old lead mines. This small loop was not the best landscape, but we had lunch at the church before returning back to Black rock gate where  we climb back up the opposite side of Cheddar Gorge. Here we met more people coming down and this was the paid side of the Gorge. From this side we could look down the steep sides and a few people were going towards the edge. Little further on we came to the viewing platform and the steps back down Jacobs steps. We went down these and hoping we could get out without paying. Luck was on our side and there was no problem getting out and back onto the road.

We then walked up the road though the gorge to get another angle on the gorge. Where could hear the peregrine falcon in the high cliffs

Tewkesbury

Just a few photos from around Tewkesbury when we were there at Easter. Non took inside Abbey as I could not get a pass.

Skye Trail.

Last year we did the Skye Trail and since then we had a few comments about it. One person who saw our blog has now done the Syke Trail.
You can read all about it on his blog.

http://www.lonewalker.walkingplaces.co.uk/skye2012.php

New Tent Lights

Always found it hard to find decent tent lights that are light weight and small. Plus give a good light out. Lot of lights you find you have to hang and they always heavy. Few months ago came across the Ring tent lights in a walking magazine. These sounded fine so contacted ring to find where to buy them from and they told me Halfords, but Halfords did not know about them. Went back to ring and they told me Go Outdoors had just got some in but again they did not know about them, In the end found them on the web.

Ring web details about them

For use in 2/4 man tent, powered by 4 x AA batteries giving up to 7 hours of continuous light (more if used intermittently), 3 LEDs give 60 lumens of light. Includes clips and hook and loop tape for fixing. Cable length = 2mtrs giving maximum flexibility

So they arrived very quick and we used them few weeks ago with our larger tent. They gave good light output and the length cable between each light was good as you spread the 3 lights around. There was also a good length of cable that led up to the switch. You had different fittings from Velcro to straps but we used the small clips. It would have been nice if they were design with somewhere to clip the cable on..

We will be using them in the backpacking tent in a few weeks. So not sure if we should have got the two light versions as the 3 maybe too much plus a lot of cable in the two man tent.

Wasdale Camping

Bank holiday saw us going up to the Lakes to Wasdale NT campsite. We were with a small group from the walking group. The first night was a cold night and we woke to clear skies which meant we could do Scafell pike as the other four have not done this before.

We took the route from the campsite up Brown Tongue and up the scree route via Mickledore to Broad Stand where we met a few people unsure about the route choice. From here we headed up onto Scafell Pike 997m, where we were greeted by the mass of crowds up there. The views were great and you could see the hills of Isle of Man clearly. We then bagged a small peak on the way down which was Broad Crag 934m, which did not take long to do, but involved some scrambling over boulders.

 We then backtracked to come back down the scree slope that took us along the Corridor route. There we met a jolly group of Irish walkers. We then turned to head down Lingmell beck which led us to the door of Wasdale Head Inn, where we sampled a couple pints of local beer.

The next day we had some snow on Great Gable and the weather did not seem too good. Plus we had a dog with poorly paws so we went up lllgill Head 609m and Whin Head 536m above Waster water. As we climbed up the first hill the weather seemed to improve. Then as the day went on it went to blue skies again.

Our route off Whin Rigg was to head down to the road or head though the forest and take the path back along Mirerdale. This is what we did and what a good route back to the campsite. A route that we not done before. Plus you don't see many walkers on this side.




We were back at the camp site by 7pm and soon ate and were in the pub again. When we came back to the tents they had a layer of frost on them.

On the Monday we went to Ravenglass but the weather was wet and cold, so we sat in the pub looking out to sea having fish and chips.

Overall a good weekend. Campsite is good and in an excellent location right in the mountains but is a little costly. Downside is you pay a lot and you still need to mess about with a coin for the showers.