Featuring the usual suspects

Featuring the usual suspects

Friday 17 February 2012

The curse of the Westerly Wind!!

Today looked like a perfect sailing day. Westerly 10 - 17 knot wind, rain from the west later. So I got up early and headed back to Derwent Water.

The thing with Derwent is that it’s surrounded by mountains so you'd think that wind from any direction would be fickle. Well both Southerly and Northerly winds are fairly predictable, an Easterly can be gusty and can take you off guard but a westerly is a curse. The wind gets caught around Catbells and swirls so what one minute you’re running with the wind the next its dead ahead bringing the sail and boom crashing around. Getting back into Nichol End can also be a challenge as you have to sail dead into the wind to get back in.

Today was a challenge but not that bad as the wind was light but very unpredictable. At one point I could have sworn the wind at the front of the boat was going in a different direction to the wind at the back!

Derwent 17 2 12

Sunday 12 February 2012

Winter sailing

Andy and I took my dinghy out for a winter sail today. I wanted to test a few mods I've done and also get the new sails out.

Well it started off as a row as it was flat calm, so we rowed down to St Herbert's Island, half way down the lake, for a cuppa (out of the flask) and an explore. The island is fairly well used as you can see from the 'woz ere tree but it's not waring that badly as the people who do venture there do make the effort and take everthing they bring with them, a rare thing nowadays. There is also signs of camping on the island even in the winter. The amount of trees seem to keep up well with the demand for wood for the camp fires.

As we were there the wind got up a little and so we had a chilled out sail back to Nichol End for another cuppa.

Flat calm.


The 'woz ere tree on St Herbert's island

Andy with Skiddaw in the background.






Back for a cuppa


Derwent winter sail 12-2-12.wmv

Saturday 4 February 2012

Lakeland Skiing


With a dodgy forecast for the weekend I took the opportunity to have a day off on Friday and got the skis out. Its surprising how often I can get out skiing in the lakes so long as I'm prepared to walk, alot! one of the best places is Calf Cove between Great End and Broad Crag. Theres a natural bowl that gathers snow but rarely a cornice, at 2800 ft the col is high enough to keep the snow a while.

Upper Wasdale from Stand Crag
One of my favourite routes up is from the Wasdale valley floor straight up across the corridor route to Lambfoot Dub a small tarn high above Wasdale on the West flanks of Great End.
Frozen Lambfoot Dub
From here its just a short climb upto the col above Calf Cove, this route takes you far away from the day trippers and paths, into the mountains.
The top of Calf Cove looking towards the Langdale Pikes
From the top of Calf Cove, if the conditions are right, its possible to Ski down towards Sprinkling tarn
Calf Cove with Great End behind
Following the path down takes you back past Sprinkling and StyHead tarns with views of Keswick and Skiddaw in the distance.
Keswick from near Sprinkling Tarn
My route

A tired out max (for a change)
Here's a dodgy skiing video I put together for a bit of fun.

Skiing Calf cove.wmv

Friday 3 February 2012

Blake Fell night ride

Well the rain has stopped at last, now everything is frozen instead. On Tuesday Col and I braved the cold and headed up Blake Fell near Cogra Moss with our new(ish) Chinese lights. LED lights have come on leaps and bounds in the last few years with what was a couple of hundred pounds plus only two years ago, you can now get better lights for around £30............ Viva China and Ebay!

Luckily there was not much wind as it was around -5 deg C on the top, still too cold to stay for more than a few seconds. There was a little snow on the summit which made for an interesting descent. It’s a fantastic night ride with a very fast grassy descent.

Cogra 31-1-12.wmv